The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-06-16

could DO said on this subject,
Tho tendency In education to-day 10
10 deal moro with practical instruction
In tho various studiei together with
tho accomplishments, or In o.hcr words
10 equip q young man with knowledge
In tho usotul and mechanical aria 60
that DO eau apply himself iutclligcnlly
to tho trades and professions when lo
leaves college, and in this direction tho
university has taken aloag stop In tho
establishment OF technical aud proios.
eional schools IN civil, electrical md
mechanical engineering and tho me-
chnnical arts. Tho school has now an
industrial plant In working order, and
tho muterinl equipment Of these do.
pRrsments include such apparatus, tools
and machinery. and supplies Of Btock,
material and motive power Us we'll ell
nble tho work OF instruction and OF con.
structioh to DO carried on efficiently.
This ia really ono OF tho most important
branches OF work in tho university.
The workshop and power house OF
this plant give ample facilities for work
In all the trades and professions Taught,
and an additional bull ling will o DO
finished. In this building Is located
the dynamo which supplies electric
light for the grounds and the different
schools Of tho university. The wiring
oil the entiro system was done by Stu.
dents In this school, and has been high.
ly complimonled by exports. Instead
Of strnYlng of into expensive technical
Institutions the young mon Of WGst
Virginia will ind 10 these departments
all tho advantages they seek ut consid.
erably lesa expense. An inspection
visit to the unworthy will reveal to
them many surprises In this particular
which arc impossible TO specify In tho
scope OF this article.
OF tho collegiate course Il Is not ncccs-
sary 10 dwell on ut length. Tho chairs
are 6llod by compton. professors, and
whose schools arc supplied with tho
latest appliances necessarily to . thorough
instruction In all tho branches taught
Taken as q whole tn zero Is no other uni.
versity that Is so we'll equipped In all
that goes toward making up first class
school. This Is not abatement prompt.
ed by state pride, but the truth. and 4
matter Of common justice. Ono too
frequently hears expressions Of con-
tempt for homo institutions, and how.
over much thia Is due TO plainly evil.
dent ignorance Of thelr truo character
or mn affected superiority that discovers
the fool, 1t is too prevalent 10 pass by
without merlted rebuke md rciu,ation.
Morgantown, In fact, ofTers many ad-
vautages over Yale or Harvard. and
while n diploma from tho West Virginia
University may not have the sentt-
mental associations that are connected
with those institutions, It will prove
Just ms valuable for the practical pur-
poses for which It 10 sought,
The croature comforts enjoyed by stu.
dent life in Morgantown Is IN clement
not to be ~disregardod in thla connection
together with tho advantages Of cultl-
waited and refined society. Tho yearly
expenses OF the student whose tastes
arc not superla,ivoly luxurious arc as
tonishiugly low, 4 fairly liberal esti-
mate ranging from $50 to 300. Ger
taiuly this Is as moderate no uny rea-
sonable person could wish for when tho
privileges enjoyed arc takou into con.
sideration.
The importance OF military training
cannot DO over estimated, teaching
students at tho impressionablc ago,
promptness aud e%1actncss, and instill.
ing method!cal habits, obedience and
n~eatness, in addition to the physical
benefit derived. Tho usefulness OF
this department 10 the state, which Is
liberal in its treatment OF tho cadets,
was made apparent in the present labor
troubles. All ofthe line officers OF the
First regiment, Of tho state militia, TO-
ceived their military instruction a. the
university, besides tho colonel and
many OF the staff officers. This Is true
also OF tho colonel Of the Second resi.
ment and other officers. Here Is n
service rendered 10 tho state that has
repaid it for all the money expended in
this department. This school Is always
undor tho direction OF an officer Of the
regular army OF the United States.
An analysis Of tho roster OF students
In attendance durin. the year which has
Just closed is very interesting. OF the
224 enrolled only twenty wero
females. While this is not u
very encouraging showing Tor the
advocates OF co-cducation its complete
failure is not q logical sequence. There
are many things that rctari tho growth
Of the university in this respect,
tho most important being the
entire absence OF mt OF their sex in the
departments Of instruction and the lack
of a dormi;ory whore students from
abroad would be under the wa.chful care
Of Il matron. Tho boy is morcindepcnd-
ent Of his surroundings; tho girl is not.
The system il in very successful opera
ton at Bethany college, where there Is u
dormitory. 1t would be equally pros
porous ut Morgantown under Il like con-
dition. Only thrce states arc rcpre.
scntcd, West Virginia contributing $50.
Pennsylvania u and Ohio s. or tho 81
couutics In tho state only 80 are epre-
sented, Mon ongaiia leading the list with
So and Ohio next with only II, ak OF
whom arc from Wheeling. This city
can and ought to do better than this.
1t is not in tho province Of this ar.
licle to criticize tho policy pursued by
the board OF regents, vulnerable as sone
OF their actions have been. They might
BIO worse. But 1t Is only too evident
that tho constant uncertainty OF tenure
oil Office docs not tend, to put
i. mildly, to increase the etfi-