Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-10-30
Aporr nnLIrAnr ooLLneEs.
Acknowledgement Rusgies Gives
some Interesting Statistics.


Washington. Oct. 26.--AdJutant-Gen-
eral George D. Ruggies, in his annual
report TO the secretary OF war. which
was submitted last week. is now being
discussed with great interest. It con-
talns some interesting remarks on the
subject OF military colleges. as Follows;
THE tabulated statement submitted
herewith Is compiled from the reports
OF the officers on duty, rs professors
OF tactics and military science, at the
nlnety-nve universities and colleges
named. II shows that OF a total average
attendance Of 20,esS male students ca
pablo OF military duty, l2,j6O were re-
qulred by the collegiate authorities TO
enroll themselves as military studentsj
that the total number that received
military Instruction during the last
quarter OF the scholastic year was 49,
010, and that $50 students attended
artillery drills and li,72o Infantry drills.
The aptitude OF the students for mill
itary instruction and the interest man
Tested therein by them, Ia generally
satisfactory. and Il Is noted that the
Interest taken by the several faculties
in the military course is steadily In
creAsiug.
disparity exists In the average NUM-
her OF pupils at these Institutions re-
ceivng the benefit OF military instruc-
ton, as shown by the following state
ment:
schools instructing more than COO
students, l. schools instructing between
500 and 600. 1; schools instructing be-
tween 400 and 500. l. schools instrucJ-
ing between 800 and 400, 2; schools in
strucung between 200 and 300, IL;
schools instructing between 100 and 200,
"a; schools ins,ructlng between 10 and
100, l6; schools instructlng between 90
and 10. II: schools instructlng less than
90. s.
THUS there are nineteen officers de-
tailed at institutions where less than
seventy-fve students are Instructed;
and at eight OF these schools the mill
!tary professor deyotes his time to the
instruction Of less than ATTY students.
II seems unadvlsabla to continue de-
tails at small institutions.
TO secure the largest benefit obtain
able under the ass gnment Of officers
OF the army as professors OF tactics
and military science nj colleges and
universities. l am Of opinion that the
law should be amended to require not
only that institutions shall have ca
paclty to educate at the same time
not less than l50 male students, but
that there shall be actually present
that number for instruction TO receive
detail.
From the table submitted herewith
Of the forty-slX high schools having
the largest attendance It will be seen
that twenty Of them have between
200 and 800 pupils; eleven have between
300 and 400; nine have between 400 and
900, and six OF them the number OF
pupils ranges from 600 to over 500.
"rhe high schools OF Washington, D.
C.. city OF 100000 inhabitants, FUR
rish annually a battalion OF about 400
cadets which receives military .nstruc-
tlon from an officer Of the National
Guard Of the District OF Columbia. This
instruction is far-reaehlng as the ca
diets belong to families OF all classes.
During the latter portion Of the past
school year an officer OF the army sta
ton al Fort Omaha, Neb., gave mill
tary instruction, voluntarily, to the
students OF the high schools OF Omaha
IA city Of 10000 inhabltants---and Sc
cured a voluntary enrolment OF more
than 200. These youths were organ
lied into n battalion OF four companies
before the schools closed. Without the
incentives Of either arms, equipments
or uniforms. as these had not yet been
obtained, the interest aroused was
such as to secure an average attend
ance of $50 pupils.
THE greater number OF students In
structed Is benefit TO the community,
and It IS, besides, heneht to the in
structor, and, consequently. to the gov
eminent, for II fam llarzes him with
the handling OF a larger body OF men
battalion Eencrully-.than he would
ind At his station, ana fts him for
reglmental command In case OF emer-
t.cncy"