The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-11-14
CHEAT EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES.
Antique, Musty. Unpretentious and Disap-
pointing to the Traveller.


pointing to the Traveller.
European universities are not pre-
tentious. The University of Bern is
a surprise. One takes little turn in
covered roadway going at right
angles with the main street, just
where the main street runs abruptly
up and against an ancient house.
You would think that you were 60
ing to the back door of some saloon.
At another turn in this covered little
footway is long, low passageway,
about Is feet wide Rough and in
calculably ancient slabs pave it, and
the top of the way is of the same
material. On one side is blank wall
and on the other side is the same,
through which little windows admit
struggling and insufficient light.
You might think you were in q
prison. You are attracted by various
bulletins hung in frames upon the
dark wall opposite the windows. On
reading them you find that they are
the announcements of various pro-
fessors. You take off your hat at the
sudden realization that you are in
the noble University of Bern.
There are three low fiat stories.
Everything is old, not to say antique,
and, in fact, musty. But there is an
atmosphere of solidity about it. Tho
stairway at the end of and within
the building, leading to the various
professors lecture rooms, is broad
and picturesque in its unadorned and
even barbarous roughness. 1t is like
the steps of some of the earlier and
cruder feudal castles. The doors of
the various professors rooms are
heavy, simple, slablike affairs. On
each door is the name of the professor
who there delivers lectures. At the
end of the building was a wood pile
where a man was busily engaged
saving wood. The library is quite
unpretentious.
One is impressed with the fact that
the extra vitality of the institution
has not gone to architecture and fill
gree work, but to learning. The SIM
plicity of this great school, which is
the pride of Switzerland, is far more
impressive than the loud effects of
many of our mushroom colleges
which have back of them millions
and little else.
The University of Heidelberg is lar
ger, of course, but quite as modest.
asked the direction to it and was
told to go up little, narrow street.
Invent up this street until I came, in
a block or two, to small open space,
beyond which there was nothing
which looked like a university. /
asked again for directions to the uni
versity and was told in answer, ut
is about you" There were more
buildings than at Bern, but they
were small, low, and as much as
building could be they were "sicklied
DER with the pale cast of thought. "
The library was superb, not in APP
pointments, but in books. The scien-
tific equipment was not glittering,
but it was complete The buildings
impressed you with the idea that the
men in charge of that university
mean business. Throughout all of
these great universities one thing
overwhelmingly impresses you
their absolute and utter lack of pre-
tense. There is no sham about them
There is nothing of the boom" order
about them You could not imagine
a catalogue being sent out from one
of these universities, announcing a
faculty most of which were merely
tutors. The gray walls, the solid
floors, the unrelieved simplicity and
somberness of all, are quite in keep
ing with the real end and aim of all
universities, which is the ascertain
ment of truth. indianapolis News.