The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-04
THE PURDUE ALUMNI.
Governor Mount, President Smart and
Others Respond to TOasts.

The annual banquet OF the Purdue Alumni
Association, held at the Denison House last
evening, was attended by about fifty of the
alumni, with their sweethearts and wives,
and it was goodly company that gathered
about the tables in the spacious ordinary
James w. Noel, the retiring president. pre-
sided, with Dr. Smart at his right and
Governor Mount and wife upon his left
The banquet began at o'clock and an
elaborate menu was served, but so adj
mirably brief were the toasts that the party
broke up at the seasonable hour of IL
o'clock.
AS soon as the last course was disposed
of, Governor Mount was introduced and re-
ceived with applause. Speaking to the
toast of "Fhe College and Agriculture, the
Governor said:
II am asked in a few minutes to blend in
unison two elements that have been re-
garded in the past as incompatible and in
congruous. College education has been re-
garded by the majority of farmers as an
unnecessary expense in their equipment for
farm life. This sentiment, am pleased 10
say, is undergoing revolution
Farming must now be regarded in the
light of a science demanding research and
investigation and as a profession calling
for the highest order of thinking. Physical
forces are no longer the dominant factors of
success. The ability to work intelligently
and to plan wisely must now measure the
reward upon the farm. Extensive operations
must give place to intensive methods. The
farmer must understand the forces which
are constantly at work IN nature $ Sreat
laboratory. He must understand something
of the elements required in the growth of
crops. He must conserve and restore to the
sell elements of plant food in the most eco
nomc manner He must be a student of eco
Monies. Production and consumption, sup
ply and demand are the basic principles
upon which the farmer must build If he
hopes to win success. The science Of mar
lxafs ho Of
are the great problems in successful farm
ing to-day. The ravages of insect pests and
fungus growths are new elements to be UNI
derstood.
II have referred briefly to important fac
tors of success that must be mastered by
thought The power to think. to reason $50 10 20
lege training. In this era of agricultural
colleges, experiment stations and farm in
stitutess; wonderful progress Is being made MADE
is greater than muscle. Manhood is more
to be sought than money. The measure of
true success upon the farm will not be de-
termined alone by abundant crops and prof
liable herds. Grander than financial sue
cess will be the achievement OF the country
home that sends forth intelligent, Vlf1uous,
noblb manhood and womanhood to bless the
world"
Prof. Stanley Coulter made a bright
sreech upon 1.-The Discipline Committee"
Miss Martha ]. Doan responded to the toast
of 1.-The Woman in Science" and DR.. Joseph
r. Perry talked lad libitum," and kept the
crowd laughing saa fbustum." Miss Kate
Wentz paid her compliments to logarithms.
and Prof. A. Welmer Duff talked of every
thing else but college politics. the subject
assigned to him. George w. Sloan talked
of the school of pharmacy, and said that at
Purdue was one of the best in the country,
He said in the course of his talk, that he
did got regard pharmacy law as neces-
cary. DIR. j. N. Hurry called up with
nothing assignedfto him as a subject, and
talked about it very entertainingly
DR.. James H. Smart president OF purdue,
was the last one introduced and was APP
plauded when he arose after Mr.. Noel had
told with what courage and energy he had
oratory after 1t had burned. He had been
assigned THE Ideal University. After re-
marking that it was time for them to go
home, he addressed himself to the subject.
Nobody had any notion, he said, that ne
you'd talk Of Any other institution Than han
was not a univergitI as that term was com
monty understood. 1t was special school,
a school of technology, and they hoped to
association of guilds, or colleges, with many
faculties, where man could go to study
everything that makes for civilization.
There are some great universities in this
country. but Purdue'was not one of them.
1t might be an ideal school, and he hoped
in time it would. Yet it might be called a
of Yale were burned, all her endowments
C st and her faculty dismissed, the uniVer-
sity would still be there, it's traditions, it's
history, it's spirit. These were what made
the university more than the men.
The spirit of Purdue was the effort to
educate men for purpose, not merely to
turn out educated men. He doubted wheth-
er the educated man" were worth the
making. knowledge was useless unless APP
piled The spirit of Purdue was that her
graduates should go out and use their
knowledge for the benefit of themselves
alone, but humanity Educated selfshness
was a greater danger to the Republic, he
thought than ignorance. At Purdue they
taught men to be useful. 1t might have
something of a commercial tinge but the
preacher, the lawyer and the physician, as
well as the engineer, worked for money in
part. Yet while working for themselves
her graduates are taught to work for their
felloW-men. The man who builds bridge
and feels that there is no more to his
service than the money he is paid for it is
a mighty poor sort of man.
He said he had ambition to make Pur-
due the biggest school in the country, but
he was ambitious to make 1t one of the
best. There were no little things in this
world 1t was the man behind the thing or
the thought that made it seem big or lit
tie, and the great thing to be accomplished
is to give attention to the thing in hand
| and make it worth the effort DIR. Smart
| spoke of the spirit of patriotism inculcated
at Purdue and made an eloquent appeal on
| the subject of state pride, enumeratng a
whole catalogue of things the State of In
Dr. Smarts talk the following officers of
| the association for the ensuing year were
elected:
President-Henry A. Beck.
Vice PreSident-A. r. Kipp.
Secretary-Harry Cox.
Treasurer-George w. Sloan.
Executive Committee. r. Francis j. ~
Hurry and John S. Wright.