The San Francisco call., 1896-07-21
COGSWELL COLLEGE
A SEAT OF WAR;
An Alleged "Cut- t-Throat
Policy" Is Vigorously
Scored.
"a VENERABLE BIPED."
Professor Griffith Hauls the
Administration Over the
Goals.
ART HERE AND IN EUROPE.
The Educator Pays a Compliment to
the Management of the Late
Principal.
ART HERE AND IN EUROPE.
The following communication is self

The following communication is self
explanatory:
To the Editor Of the Cau-sIR: Since the clos
ing of the Cogsweli School on the 18th ult, l
have been repeatedly asked by students and
their friends regarding the opening next year,
stress being given as 10 who the faculty are 10
be and what studies are to be taken up.
Reviewing my connection with the school
during the past year, do so with certain
amount of satisfaction irrespective of the
feeble eneoura cement received at the hands
of the board of trustees. From its very incep-
tion certain member or members OF that
august body had become antagonistic TO the
teaching OF clay modelling, considering 1t as
useless source Of amusement With that low
opinion OF art it is no wonder that l should
find one or more members placing obstacles of
the meanest kind in my way, simply TO thwart
the progress OF my pupils.
With that ignoble Indifference TO the future
welfare OF these young folks, the trustees at
last have resolved to discontinue the model
ing class in the future, and have therefore to
q considerable degree damped the aTdor of
some OF my most promising pupils, who were
endeavoring to obtain some knowledge of the
art in anticipation of utilizing it 10 some ma
terial profit in future, by teaching OF other
wise. y Jew came to study expressly for that
purpose. Others, on the other hand, were de-
sirous of cultivatlng their taste so as to
beautify their homes.
Turning TO the utility OF art. which this
board OF trustees by that blind impulse which
speeds them on to a vortex of inevitable un-
certainty has ignored, l ask, 'Of what benefit
can modelling be?'' 1 answer, "Come and
learn"
An author whose name 1 now forget SAYS
''The ethics OF a nation may be judged by its
progress in art" All the arts may be included
viz: sculpture, painting, architecture, spoken
and written language. music and dancing-all
OF which, in conjunction with science go to
build up, as it were, the so-called fabric of our
modern civilization. It has often struck me
whether what we call civilization is but an
other phase of the savage state which we are
now passing through, for there are so many
strange characters among us whose cultured
antics seem 10 be much in common with those
OF our prehistoric forefathers of thousand
centuries ago. But to the credit of these
ancient people be it said that they could draw
and carve, and this alone is a bit of history
handed down to our anthropologists from the
remotest epoch.
Gibbon, the historian, said that had he no
other materials at hand there were extant
sufficient number of coins aud medals to
write the history of Rome from. Apart from
its value as recording historical events the
study OF the plastic arts must necessarily train
the eye to beautiful forms, as much as the cul-
tivat1on OF sound must develop the acoustic
faculties of the ear as TO enjoy the enchant-
ing sensations produced by melody and har-
mony. Whatever beauty there is in art man
viii invariably find considerable enjoyment
whether 1T be by the agency of the eve or the
ear and this Will unavoidably contribute to
tFe amelioration of mis- social and physical
well being.
Reverting to the work of my pupils during
the past year may say that over $50 plaster
casts were made from their models VARYING in
size from life-sized bust (of which there were
eighteen1 to simple foliage, parts OF the human
figure, and animals. There were left at the
close OF the school four clay models in prog
ress-three of the Venus of Milo and q lion
These students have now little or no hoDa of
finishing them.
In wood-carving progress was not so marked
as in modelling, owing TO the insufficient num-
Der of tools which were repeatedly asked for
1t was impossible to start the whole of the
junior classes for this reason. However the
lew pupils who began carving did exceedingly
we'll Tor the short time they were at the school.
II is strange, but true, that the state of bliss
ful ignorance OF clique OF woud-be leaders
OF education cannot be evolved from their pres
ent chaotic conditions of Indifference to the
future OF the rising generation and learn from
the experience OF other countries that wood as
well as stone carving is an industry of no mean
pretensions and may become SO here were the
advantages favorable TO its growth. feel q
certain amount of pride in saying that many
OF these students have shown considerable tai
ent in so short time, and would, l am sure,
with careful training under the guidance OF
an experienced tutor develop into artists of
considerable merit. But, so far, the trustees
OF the Cogswell College have strongly ex-
pressed themselves more in favor of hammer
ing iron and chopping wood only, without
having the slightest inclination for any artistic
feelings.
"Ignorance," says Sabartha, "is a crime, and
In evidence of its truth sometimes meet
with those contemplate parasites of society
who are the bsneful obstructionists of an
otherwise progressive age" These are the au-
tocrats OF liberty who claim their heritage OF
freedom to crush the freedom OF Others ,
The bondage OF iniquity is chained up with
links forged by superstition and ignorance.
Would to God that the sycophants OF
this age and race of ours would go
back TO the art schools and academies
OF Europe to preach the destruction
OF their buildings by little misplaced mat
ter" in the form OF clay, as they have done to
me at the Cogswell school. Before their re-
turn, II they should possess sufficient intelli-
gence, they may learn that the autocracy OF
lntelleet relgns more supreme there than it
does In San Francisco.
Speaking OF the trustees of the CoRsWeil
College, and their scurriIous treatment of the
faculty, have repeatedly said that the best
friends OF the institution were those who abb
sented themselves from the school. On onr
appointment last year we were asked to ac-
cept as our salaries the pitlful sum of $1,000 a
year, with the promise of an increase should
the pending lawsuit be decided in favor of the
trust, poverty being the plea for the munifi-
cence OF the board in rating our ability at that
sum.
Letters dated March 81 were sent to mem
bers of the faculty to the effect that, owing to
the uncertainty of the result of the legal de-
eision, no contract for our employment for
another year would be made. On June the
board OF trustees, in conjunction with the
faculty, had meeting to discuss matters in
the interest OF the school In answer to a
question from the principal, we were assured
that the school would be continued the forth
coming year, as heretofore, until the decision
of he court. However, the court decided in
favor of the trust the following day. Next
morning it was announced in the papers On
the morning of June IL we ali received a
dainty little envelope enclosing the following
note dated the previous day:
At ameeting of the board of trustees Of the Cogs-
we'll Polytechnic College held this day, IL was re-
solved: That The position of each teacher now
employed in the college be declared vacant on and
after June 10, and that their salaries be paid to
July 10. Yours sincerely,
]. II. CULVER, Secretary
This oscilIating and deplorable uncertainty
which the board has taken. upon itself seems
10 have staggered almost every member of the
faculty, but on collecting our thoughts, with
our previous experience, why should we be so
surprised at this erratic action in doling out
their "eleemosynary," which the trust deed
speaks Off
With the presentcutthroat policy which the
trustees have inaugurated, it is sad to note the
baneful effect which it has already had upon
students whom l have seen since the school
closed (and have seen a great many. They de-
clare they will not return e all, or if they do,
it will only be for two or three days week.
Although six members of the old faculty
have been reappointed no official notification
of the fact had been made to them for at least
two weeks after and possibly not made up to
this date. Personal inquiries had to be made
to know their fate.
As to the notice which appeared in your
issue of the lst inst, where IL mentioned that
the college had an enrolment OF 800 students,
] do not know why this erroneous number