The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-04
TEE ATHENS OF KANSAS.
Lawrence And Its Great School.
Special Correspondence for the Eagle.

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but time has already worn away the
black and Wondering scar it left upon
the town. But though so much Of the
presents activity seems TO permeate Its
people, you are strangely impressed that
there is post behind it; as man, be-
ing only what he is, has life behind
the cause. of which this present charac-
ter Is the effect.
Broken, irregular and often narrow
streets speak of settlement made long
ago, and the many well grown trees
and occasionally houses Of past
style echo their voice. But
most CT the houses are
modern, and it is only among business
buildings that larger part betray the
operation of wartime conditions upon
their construction. Upon the hill the
yards of the dwellings some times rise
very sharply at the back, while at the
front they are graded up, to secure a
less steep slope, TO height of five OF
six feet.
Like Wichita, Lawrence is gathered
about nucleus of churcbes--but the
| interest of the place, while lis wide
circles enclose the scenes of the massacre,
the old houses and uneven streets, the
native beauty of the situation, centers
at the summit of Mount Dread. There
is the fountain head, the living spring Of
| intellectual culture, not only of Law
renee, but of Kansas.
The path OF him who reaches
this point will be onward and
upward" - mostly upward. The
Mount is high, its steep sides
give The unaccustoHed climber a diff
cult way, and he must have strong legs
and large lungs who goes up without a
stop for rest.
But when he has reached the top one
look, no matter how often he has looked
before, pays him for his exertJon; for a
beautiful scene rolls away from the foot
of the slope, extending miles in every
direction When | saw it this time,
sleet covered trees, fields, houses and
barns, and the sun was shining on them
with beautiful effect.
East, north and below was Lawrence
"a city of white among trees of glass
wrapped in the bends of the frozen river.
Blue Mound, the signalling point during
QuantrelPs attack, stood out dark
beyond the snowy valley, the largest of
the series of swells that form
circling chain around the college bill
and its circumjacent low grounds, in
which the buildings of the Indian school
and numerous farm houses and enClos-
ureS are scattered.
For more than twenty-five years the
University of Kansas has been at work.
The men that gave Kansas to freedom
knew that the latter could not retain
her sovereignty if the state was not also
given to education, and in the exciting
times of war performed the conditions |
that founded the school. Perhaps no |
other state university has risen through |
such difficulties so quickly into promi- !
nence. At the time of its foundation !
almost every step in making a successful |
community in Kansas was yet TO be !
taken. Her development, SO marvellous |
since, was then scarcely begun, and the |
action of her people at a time requiring |
the expenditure of so much money and |
energy in other directions, in thinking |
for following generations, shows how
true men they were.
The work so courageously begun has
not Jagged. From year to year it has
been expanded, in spite of every OBJ
stacle, and it is now known IN educa-
tional circles as of the best, so that stu
duents have come from Mexico and
Japan to avail themselves of its advant-
ages. The success of the school is told
in the words of President Elliot of Har-
ward: "Kansas University" he says,
'has done in twenty-five years what it
Harvard fifty TO accomplish"
and President Angel of Ann Arbor used
the same expression n
the progress of the university
at Lawrence with that Of the famous
Michigan institution. 1t is only a ques-
ton Of short time, if the rate Of past
progress continues, when Kansas State
will rank second to no Ameri-
can college.
The school is now confined to six
Four years ago the attend
ance on the university courses was less
than three hundred and fifty. Last year
six hundred and thirty university stud
ents came, and there are now at least a
hundred more than that.
Without doubt the reputation of Kan
sas for culture has been gained largely
through the influence of the Lawrence
which has been powerful
factor III the states advancement. |
have been greatly pleased to observe its
power. There IS very little
room here for the castle that is based
upon other grounds than intel Iectual and
moral merit. All meet upon common
ground; but it is high ground.
But the university Is facing great
just as it seems ready to
mount TO a still higher success, it is
It's steady growth and
the expansion OF its works have carried
t to point where it must either have
financial support or take a
position among the less progressive in
,titutions.
Kansas University is being operated
IN but very little mere than half as
much as those of other states this side of
he Mississippi, and on so much less than
lalf of the average expenses of the stale
Institutions of western states with whom
may be made justly. More
over, it employs only half as many
so that many of
he professors are doing almost double
work Glasses are crowded, teachers
'ushed: and already Kansas, young peo-
pie are beginning to feel that they must
De content with such conditions OF 90 to
schools whose supporting state cares for
hem better. Missouri. Nebraska. Iowa,
Michigan and Illinois may
oon be claiming Is citizens many ener-
yetic young Jayhawkers, respng the
benefit Of their abilities, if Kansas fails
low TO supply them proper educational /
IdvantaseS.
There is strong demand from the
friends or popular education for an in
There has always been among Kansaus
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