Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-03
SOUTHERN COLLEGES PROSPEROUS.
Baltimore sun.

Baltimore sun.
There are many indications that the
South, despite the lamentations of polit-
ical Jeremiahs, is in solid and fairly
prosperous financial condition, and among
the facts that prove this is the improved
and improving condition of its colleges
At the close of the civil war, and for FIVE
years after, there We're few institutions
worthy of the name of college in exis-
tence in the South. Endowments had
been swept away, buildings had been
burned, libraries had been destroyed, and
the patrons who had supported the col
leges In ante-bellum times were now i'm
poverished. The academies and prepare
tory schools that fitted boys for college
were gone and the institution of the public
school system impeded their revival. In
Virginia the university and several col
leges were able in the fall of 1866 to re-
sumo their work. They prospcred greatly
for time. the lack of like institutions in
other parts of the South giving them an
exceptionally large attendance. There
were minor institutions in operation in
other Southern states in 1870 and earlier,
but they We're few in number, ill-equipped,
| and embarrassed by want of patronage
and income. They langushed by reason
| of the poverty of the people. The policy
of reconstruction imposed vast burdens
of taxation and the colleges suffered along
with the other interests.
But wealth, which consists chiefly in
the possession of comforts of life,
| was being slowly accumulated. The vigor
| that sustained the South in arms for years
| against the unlimited resources of the
North manifested itself in steady work,
4 nd hxy InI -.
| made in replacing what had been de-
stroyed. Since that date marvellous re-
suits have been achieved in diversifying
industries. The Atlanta exposition signi-
fed to the world that the South was fast
becoming a mining and manufacturing
country. 1t was shown there that, with
its own savings and with the help Of i'm
ported capital, the South had developed
its dormant mineral and numbering re-
sources and had ut the same time devcrsi-
fled its crops. The older towns and cities
have grown in size and wealth. and hun
dreds of new towns have sprung into
existence. The vast development of rail
ways in the South is in itself a convincing
evidence of an enormous growth of mater
ial wealth.
But the Southern people have always
valued education, and their achievements
| III this line have exceeded all others.
They have founded many new institu-
tions, some of them of the highest stand
ing. Johns Hopkins University, Wander
bilt University, Tulane University, and
the University of Texas are new crea.
tions, but they rest on the firm founda.
tion of large endowments. They are wei
attended. and. along with the University
of Virginia, are doing great work.
| The increased wealth of the South il
more adequately indicated, however, in
the multiplication and prosperity of the
lesser ADMINISTRATION of sucf
merit as to he classcd by the Commits
sioner of Education in his report fol
1S91-92 among the colleges of the United
States. of these, Alabama has 8: Ar
kansas, 5; Florida, 4; Georgia, 8; Ken
lucky, 10; Louisiana. o; Mississippi, @
Missouri, 81; North Carolina, IL; Soutl
Carolina, 8; Tennessee, %; Texas, II
Virginia, s; West Virginia. g. Each la.
besides one or more Colleges of agricul
ture and the mechanic arts" endowed b,
Act of Congress. most of which include ;
classical course in their curriculum. N,
doubt many of the so-called colleges ar,
of low grade, but Virginia has seven in
situations of indsputable value and stand
, ing; West Virginia, 2: North Carolina, A
; south Carolina, 3; Georgia, 4; Alabama
3; Mississippi. 2; Tennessee, 4: Kentucky
4; Missouri, 3; Arkansas, 1: Louisiana, 3
Texas, 2. Most of them have good en-
dowments. all are well equipped. and al
. have large attendance What is spec
tally significant, the students at these in
situations have money to burn" Tha
,, is to say, they have plenty of money /,
| .,,,. h., ,