Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-12-30

! eft of them to all who desired, its duty in
4 this respect was discharged its work done
1t to leave the widest scope for
every student to pursue the course that
/ seeueed best fitted to his tastes and
: powers, aud give him an opportunity to
make The most of himself in the world.
! But he history of the college shows that
/ ten per cent. of its grad yates have
become agriallturists. II the college
were a representative republic this ten
per cent. OF food producers would be
amply sufficient, at remunerstive prices,
! to supply the entire population with the
means of subsistence. We have too many
4 farmers to- day, and no farmer could hail
with JOY competition in this line OF bust
ness Our farms have declined in value,
and are begging for a sale; our products
4 giut the market at starvation prices
4 because our food producing capacity has
far outstripped the increase of populs-
1 ton,
No farmer who sends his boy to this
| college desires that he shall make any
| thing less or different than hat the Al
! mighty intended when he put him to-
+ gether Five per cent. only of its grsdu-
/ stes have entered the professions, thirty
/ per cent. OF its graduates have become
praCticed engineers, class urgently
needed in tins mechanical age TO unite
i the forces OF nature with the skill Of man
i in he futl development Of alt eur uatur-
I al resources and capacities.
They tell u this college l. expensive, It
/ has too many professors. The catalogue
shows thirty-two professors; but seven of
these are professors in the experiment
stat ion. 1t is not to he denied that
scientific college ofthis class is more ex-
peusive than a classical college. The
course OF instruction differs from The old
line OF colleges by emitting ancient Ian
guages and introducing modern Lam
gusges, the sciences. and especially by
great deal OF laboratory work, which
brings the students to handle the things
| which they study.
In the agricultural or natural history
studies the students dea! with the living,
growing things in addition to the book
descriptions OF them. 1t was in order to
develop the laboratory met hods hat these
institutions were established. This
popularity explains the expensiveness OF
this college-the large supply OF appli-
ances needed for practical instruction.
and the large number OF instructors re-
quired.
In Greek all that is needed = pro-
tessor and few text books N meehsn-
ical engineering instructors, models,
drawing rooms, laboratories shop. etc.
The drawing room. laboratory and shop
work require a large number OF instrue-
tors, for students in practical courses
need personal attcnt ion. Some O. the
laboratories need one teacher for each ten
students. whereas IN classroom work
enc teacher can take care of thirty
pupils. Nearly ninety per cent. OF the
students are sons Of farmers and me
chanIcs, and nearly all are sons OF poor
men.
In the future, a. III the past, from the
bone and sinew Of the nation, the labor
ing CLASSES, viii emanste the men Of brains
" no VIII direct the business, the civil al
fairs and the destiny Of our republic.
Ii i safe 20 say that there ! no other
college in New England IN which the ex-
pens. to the student il SO low at Orouo.
\ fair estimate places the average ex-
pense at about $50 In the school OF
technology in Boston, doing very similar
work, the tuition alone il 800, ana in the
scientific department OF harvard college
the annual expenditure OF Il 900 j. not
unusual. The college is but in the infancy
OF it, growth and power. II has graduated
but tweuty-tour classes, and Yet from
these have gone forth All unusually large
per cent. OF young men whose scientific
discoveries and practical work have left
their impression upon the age.
Prot. Bsientine WAS one OF the first
American students to pursue his studies
in Europe, and place agriculture on an
equality with other branches Of learning.
His discoveries in regard to insoiuble
phosphaies for plant food, VIII eventually
be worth millions to the country, and
rank among the most important scien-
tlfiC attachments.
Prof. lords n, the director Of the New
York experiment station, holds the most
important position OF the kind in the
country. His Work on the digestibllitya
OF foods Is OF a high order and one OF the
most credltable pieces OF work ever done
in the state.
Prot scribner, formerly OF the Gniyer-
sity OF Tennessee and now OF the depart
ment OF agriculture, WAS recently recon-
nentcd for position OF expert in grasses
and iorsgl plants by the leading botanists
OF the country.
Prot. harrington is a: he head of dairy
ing in the University OF Wiscon-in, hich
is the leading college for that line OF
work in he country. Among the engi-
neers there are many distinguished men.
1t is prot bic there is not line OF rail-
road in the United States with which
some graduate OF the Maine state college
has not had sonnet hing to do. Many
OF he railroads in the northwest and
southwest have been almost entirely con-
structed under the supervision OF these
graduates. Wherever these graduates go
their personal attachments will be Ia
source of inspiration and illumination