The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-12

THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS AT
LAWRENCE.
The University of Kansas has fac
ulty of "a instructors and an attend
ance of 915 students The institution
utillzeS six buildings for educational
purposes and enjoys an income of S1oS,-
600 per annum. Apparatus and Ii
braries to the extent of $220,000 are at
the disposal of the students. The mu-
scum. contains $107, 200 worth of proper
ty The students come from "a Kan
SaS counties and from every walk of
life, the largest number, of course, be-
ing from farms. Almost one-half of
them are self-supporting. The annual
income is less than that of the univer-
sites of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Hi
nolS, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Min
nesota, California or any other similar
institution The work of the under
graduate students is in every respect
equal to that done in older and larger
institutions. The instruction afforded
those seeking the bachelor degrees is as
thorough and as liberal as that within
the reach of undergraduates of any
American school.
The rapid increase in attendance dur
ing recent years has made it difficult
for the university TO keep pace with
the demands of the students. The board
OF regents makes a very earnest petit
ton for the building of chemistry
hall. 1t appears that the building now
used for that department affords labor
atory facilities for As students and seat
ing capacity in the lecture room for rs
of the department, of whom 200 are in
the freshman class alone and can
scarcely find standing room when they
come before the professor. 1t is urged
that the basement of the building, which
has been pressed into service, is ex-
ceedingly unhealthful They point to
the fact that other state universities
all nave much larger buildings for this
department, and urge that il has be-
i come practical Impossible to afford
even the most ordinary facilities for the
students who wish to pursue the work
of this department, under the present
| conditions If the legislature decides
to erect this building, it is the intention
to devote the present diminutiye chem
| istry building to the school of phar-
macy, which at present appears to be
| in rather unsettled condition as to
| house room.
The school of electrical engineering
| has become one of the most important
branches of the institution, and has rap
| idly outgrown the diminutive apart
| ments accorded to it, a hundred stu
| dents are crowded into work shop in
| the boiler house, which is really needed
| for heating purposes. The regents sug-
| gest that this department is one of the
| most practical and that a shop should
| be provided in Which the students shall
| have reasonable facilities for practical
work.
| Again, it appears from reports at
| hand that the museum. which ranks
among the first possessed by any Amer
| lean colleges, and in some respects
ranks as the first, has become so large
| that it is simply stored like baled hay
| in its present quarters. The property
| although accumulated at slight ex-
| pense. seems to have great value,
| and in it's present quarters the state
| might lose by fire or other accident five
| times the value that would be required
| to erect a building suitable for the pur-
poses of the museum.
The time has evidently been reached
| when larger quarters for the depart
| n1Pnt of chemistry
ably for the workshop of the school of
| electrical engineering, have become alb
| solute necessities. I commend the re-
| quests of the regents for more room,
| to the serious and. thoughtful consid-
| Grafton of this legislature. The Uni
| versity of Kansas was founded with
| the purpose of giving the youth of the
state liberal education at home. The
] idea was that our children are as much
| entitled to educational advantages as
| those of communities in which weather.
| parents are able to give their children
| better private advantages than we
| could secure. Only intelligent citizens
can maintain a republic, and I believe
| it is still settled principle of the COM
| monwealth of Kansas that her people
| shall be as well prepared for the duties
| of citizenship as those of any state in
| the Union.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT
MANHATTAN
| This institution has a faculty of "a
| members and an attendance of. SAT stu
dents, two-thirds of whom are young
men. The students came from y coun-
| ties of Kansas, and most of them are
| from farms. The average age is a lit
| tie less than 81. The income last year
| was $73,656.37. The agricultural coll
| lege has an endowment fund of $500 900,
which is invested in bonds bearing in
| terest at from to 10 per cent. Three
| ffths of this money is invested in .mu-
| nicipai bonds which bear per cent in
| terest. The properties of the institution
| are valued a $401, 900, of which $238, 900
| is the value of the grounds and build
| ings.
| The report of the regents of this insti-
| tuition makes the statement that the
| chemical laboratory, which has been
| there for twenty years. is outgrown and
| offers no such facilities as are needed
| The regents suggest that more room is
needed for an experiment station and
| for laboratory work in physics, and that
building could be erected for about
1000 which would serve this purpose.
| The regents also suggest the need of
| greater funds for various purposes,
which are detailed in their report.
| April 5, 1885, the residence of the pres
| ident of the college, built by the state in
| 1885, was set fire by lightning and
| completely destroyed. The sum of
1000 is requested for the rebuilding of
this residence. The regents, for the
| fourth time, request proper sum for
| the establishing of a dairy school 1t
| is estimated that $500 would equip
| such a department. The large sums al
| ready invested IN In1S 0AcSlIenl llSlIlu-
| ton are of themselves sufficient induce
| ment for further investments to main
| tain what has been accomplished. and
| to secure the good results that we hope
| for in the future.
The experimental stations have been
| continued during the last year. Twelve
| bulletins and two annual reports have
| been issued giving the details of these
experiments They have been devoted
| to the feeding of stock, the growth of
| crops irrigation and similar subjects.
| The experiments in irrigation at Gar
den City are not reported as being sue
| cessfuI The Farmers Institutes, I'M
i .l..,- a11Srnicas of the college have