The morning call., 1893-04-19
COGSWELL'S GIFT.
Future of His Polytechnic
College.
HE WILL NOT POCKET 1T.
The PhiiantIiropist Will Have More
Blacksmithing and Bread Baking
and Less Latin.
He WILL NOT POCKET 1T.

The affairs of the Cogswell Polytechnic
School have been 50 mudded ever since
the row between DR.. CogsweIl and the
trustees began that hardly any one has
known just how the situation stood or what
was likely 10 become of the institution.
Since the announcement the other day
that the trustees who have been holding On
to the school under the deed of trust had
decided to give up the fight and resign the
institution to the philaDIhropst's complete
control, great deal OF speculation has been
INDUCED in by interested people as TO what
would be done with it now, and a report
was started that DR.. Cogswell would APP
point trustees who would recOrYey the
property to him. Then he would give the
building and put the big endowment back
into his own pocket.
This DI. Cogswell denies and says that
the school will even be improved.
Almost from the time of its establish
ment, five years ago. the "CoCswell Poly
technc College," as 1t is pretentously
styled, has been a source Of trouble to its
founder and managers. Difficulties still
beset it.
The original purpose of the institution
was officially declared TO be "to give the
boys and girls of California q practical
training in the mechanical and industrial
d.
With a million dollars endowment this
idea of promoting manual training seemed
quite practicable, hut subsequent events
have proved that between a conception and
an execution there exists wide gap.
DIR. II. d. Cogswell, the donor of the
college. is capitalist, as eccentric as he is
philanthrOpie. For six months after the
opening of the institution IL was visited
regularly and frequently by him and his
wife, but at the expiration of that time the
donors interest began to wane, dissensions
speedily arose among the trustees concern
ing the course of study to be pursued, the
expenditure OF money, the sale of real
estate, etc. Financial embarTasementS were
the inevitable result.
In August, 1889, the college, with its
equipments, was leased at a nominal rent for
three years to the San Francisco Board of
Education, and its name was changed to that
of the "COgswell Mission Bigh School,"
Commenting upon this transfer Superin-
tendent SWEET says in his annual report for
1892: The COgswell Mission High School
alone has cost during the last three years
about 1900 year. or 100000 in all. The
leasing of that school building for 81
month was good bargain for the board of
trustees of the COgswell Polytechnic Col
lege. bu. bad one for the San francisco
School Department. Under wise
and economical management 1t can be made
a valuable institutions"
An item of $4,000 was paid to Mrs NJ. E.
Arnold to induce her to withdraw from the
institution and to relinquish her claim uu-
der deed of trust TO life salary of $500
year as secretary. Mrs. Arnold had
aroused the Jealousy of Mrs. COgswell, and
The relations of the trustees were still far
from harmonious.
At the expiration of the lease to the
Board of Education last August the finances
OF the college were in satisfactory condi-
ton, but DIR. and Mrs. Cogsweil were still
at loggerheads with the remaining trustees.
Principal James G. Kennedy, by whom the
college had been planned and organized
declaring that he WAS tired of these cease
less chickering's, resigned to enter the
Franklin Grammar School in July, 1891.
Elisha Brooks filled the vacancy until July.
1892, when he in his turn was succeeded by
George a. Merrill.
As a result of the recent litigation against
them. Trustees G. w Gibbs, T. i. Bishop,
James SDieTs and c. b. Stone have agreed
TO step down and out so soon as DR.. and
Mrs. Cogswel are prepared to announce
their successors. While this is in a sense a
victory for DIR. Cogswell, it does not in any
way inYalidate the deed of trust.
DR.. CogSwell." said his attorney, Will
liam /. Baggett. has no wish to break the
deed of trust so that he can get back his
property. The talk to the contrary is all
EOnserce. II that had been his intention he
would not have consented 10 the dismissal
of the suit, for | could have won it, The
trustees have not carried out DIR. COgsweII's
Intentions, and now that they have agreed
to resign he is satisfied"
''0h, yes" said G. b. Stone, 81 think DIR.
C0gswell, now that he has control will
carry on the school. but find that my beer
business and his cold water fountains don't
jbe, and the sooner be appoints my sue
cesser the better"
The college, with its shops. furniture and
grounds, is valued at Sl25 coo. After Janu-
AIRY next the annual income from the en-
dOwment will be $4,000 for twenty years to
come With this sum ii is estimated that
the Institution can accommodate 200 stu
dents free of charge and still have surplus
OF few thousand dollars each year.
DIR. COgswell states that he has now no
desire to break the trust, but that he in
tends TO continue and to improve the COL
lege. The trustees have not yet been
selected and probably will not be until the
opening of the term in July.
The building of a foundry, the furnishing
of the machine-shop, and the adding of
varied lot of tools to the blacksmith shop
are the more notable improvements attend
ed to by DR.. Cogswell 1t is also likely that
Latin, German, French, etc, will be abol-
iShed from the course of study next term.
and that cooking will De added for the ben
eft of the girls. Eventually the institution
may be developed into regular trade
school.
At present there are only some IT'S stu
dents enrolled. but two years ago there
were nearly twice as many. The course of
study now pursued is similar TO that In the
city high schools, with the addition of the
Tua mol r1T gsir1