Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-07-02
I Continued from 2d paae. !

days, and wish that their lot had been
cast in some happier era of the past
but rather thank God that they live
as near as they do to the latterdays-
with so much of the old at their backs,
so much of the glores of the new
Fastening forward to meet them.
The service closed with prayer by
President Brainerd. the singing of the
hymn, 1--WE are watching, we are wait
ing by the choir and congregation, and
the benediction.
THE Y. M. Q. A. CELEBRATION.
Sunday evening at s o'clock another
large congregation assembled at the
church for the customary anniversary
celebration of the college Young Mems
| Christian association. President II. F.
Lake of the association presided and
Rev, G.. L. Leonard of Poultney, class
of 90, offered prayer. After singing.
prayer and the reading of chapter of
Proverbs the speaker of the evening,
Rev. DR.. Henry p. IIigley of the class of
1860 was introduced. DIR. Hlgley's adj
dress was an exceptionally clear-cut,
able and practical consideration of the
subject of wisdom as related to college
training. lie spoke, first, of the worth
Of wisdom, then of its varieties, and
lastly, of Christ as the embodiment Of
all wisdom, so that in proportion as we
study his life and teachings and follow
them will we act wisely and thus best
fulfil the purposes of our earthly lives.
ALUMNI OAY-rUesOAY.
The preliminary meeting of the asso-
ciated alumni was held at the chapel at
10 o'clock Tuesday morning. 4. d.
Howe, 81, Of Albany, n. Y, vice pres j.
dent of the alumni association. presided
in the absence of Dr.. II. f. Walker. go,
of New York. Brief remarks were made
by two members Of the class of n, Rev.
Asa f. Everest of Grihnell, Ia, and rev.
Peter j. II. Myers of Chazy, n. Y. Prof.
j. W. Abernethy, &c, of Brooklyn, y. Y e.
Prof. Il. +. Boyce, 20, of Middleburv,
and Prof. Samuel Sheldon, 50. of Brook.
Ign were appointed a committee to nomi-
nate officers of the alumni association
and report Wednesday morning.
The alumni exercises were held at the
congregational church at | o'clock,
Vice President Howe presiding. The
music was by Relies orchestra of Rut-
land. Prayer was offered by Rev. p. J
II. Myers. Prof. Samuel Sheldon, 50, OF
the Polytechnic institute, Brooklyn, was
the orator of the occasion. He had
something to say concerning education
and he said it to the point. Extracts
from the Grafton follow:
PROP. sHELDON's ADDRESS.
The functions of all educational insti
tutions are twOfOld, viz. to educate anC
to impart knowledge. BY education we
mean the development, in the student
to a greater or less extent, of the facul
i ties of observation, correct notation
logical deduction. and accurate and con
else expression. The possession of al
these four faculties is generally ueces
\ sary before one can lay claim to bein!
an educated person. BY knowledge W,
mean a convincing consciousness of con
L crete facts and abstract truths, a dexter
ity or facility in manipulation of instru
j. ments. or familiarity with prOCesse
l. and methods.
We quite commonly hear of the highe
J. educational institutions being divide,
into two classes, viz : the liberal or elias
steal, and the protes siOnal or technical
the classification being based upon tn
assumption that the chief function o
the former is to educate and of the latte
to impart knowledge. Without entering
upon much discussed question, it ma
be suggested that the validity of this as
sumption may be questionable Whe
used in reference to the higher educa
tional Institutions of the nited States
Technical Institutes, colleges and uni
versities, where engineering degrees ar
granted, have been forced to recOs n
le ton of the fact that the student body
Y so constituted that a know ledge which
Al is desired to impart must be accom-
panied. IL nearly all cases, by an eduCa
tional process or drill. Medical school
are well satisfied when a candidate Tor
t. degree is capable of making correC
diagnosis in all cases and accompanies
it with even moderately effective traa
ment. Proper diagnosis requires hg
development of the educational faculties
especially those of observation, notation
and logical inference. This developmer
has TO take place in the medical schools
In fact the educational institutions of I'll
United States from the kindergarten an
"a primary schools TO the universities an
professional schools, even including til
q, manual training schools, are managed i
" such manner as to be ranked as edl
% cational institutions rather than a
" acknowledge houses"
This leads us to inquire what shout
-, be the aim and end of an educationi
" course. \ little consideration will sho'
!, that this is not an easy question to al
" swer. Leaving out of consideration III
public schools, the corporations of edl
cational institutions, while they are lil
commercial corporations. in some T.
Y, spects, are very unlike them in otht
VI respects. They are dealers in know
ledge and educational wares the ST.
dents being the customers. But II
customers In many cases do not kno
>, what they wish to purchase, or, if the
j do, are unable to Judge of the genuin
T.. ness of the goods when delivered
" them. The corporations or their repr
sentatves are in the peculiar position
being able to dictate to their customer
what they shall buy. At present this
t. perhaps not so strictly true as before II
pNtppSfop of the a1ppriUa cUStap, fVb