Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-01-20
NEW MEXICO'S PRIDE
The Territorial College Of Agricul-
ture and Mechanic Arts at
Mesilla Park.
STEADILY FORGING TO FRONT
Carefully Prepared Special Article on the
Facilities, Plans and Work of
This Practical School Of
Instruction,

This Practical School Of
Instruction.
The New Mexico College of Agricul-
ture and Mechanic Arts, at Mesilla Park.
may be said to be the pride of southern
New Mexico, and should be of the entire
territory. While the university may be
considered as the logical head of the
educational system of the territory, it
must be some years before it can, with
its necessarily limited income. be able to
really assume that position. Meanwhile
aided by the immense endowment re-
ceived from the bounty of the federal
government. the Agricultural college
has steadily forged ahead and attained Il
high place among the educational insti-
tutions of the west Its growth has
been quite rapid, having been founded
only nine years ago. -Four years ago it
had one building for the use of the
school and experimental station and an
adobe farm house. Now it has four for
the school and station work besides a
young ladies' boarding house and dormi-
tory. The country in the vicinity has
also changed greatly and many fine,
new residences have been erected there
and occupied by the professor and
others.
Two new buildings. science hall and
dormitory, have just been completed
and are now receiving the finishing
touches. They supply a long felt want.
The main building scarcely accommo-
dates the work at the very outset and
when the attendance increased and new
classes were added the Cvercrowding be-
came so great that classes We're forced
to recte in the halls for lack of room
elsewhere. In 1895 the legislature APP
Sis, 900 for new buildings but
this remained unavailable for over two
years owing to the delay of congress in
giving it's approval. Work was begun,
however, on new adobe building for
the engineering department with some
other funds then on hand. A wooden
building had been erected as a wood and
blacksmith shop during the previous
year. These buildings were put up un-
der the direction of the professor of
engineering and largely by student
labor. They contain wood, black
smith and machine shop, foundry,
room and laboratory. All
these are furnished with the latest and
bestappliances and machinery.
The new science hall is fine two
story edifice Of red brick containing Is.
rooms. Eleven of these are on the
ground floor and are for the use of the
chemical department. Upstairs is to be
devoted to the biological department.
These two have hitherto been crowded
into five rooms in the basement of the
main building and will be greatly bene-
flied by the changes, which will enable
them to greatly extend their work.
These two departments devote much of
their time to the experiment station
work.
The quarters vacated by them will be
occupied by the preparatory school, thus
McFie hall to be devoted to the
uses for which it was originally intended.
The library, which has hitherto been
oyercrowded, will also be greatly re-
lieved by the change. Before 1t was
used both as study room and Office OF
the college clerk. Now room is to be
fitted up for the latter purpose. The
college has been quite successsul and
has graduated four classes of 13 men,
bers, all with the degree Of b. s.. and
has conferred the degree of M. s. on one
post graduate. The business depart
ment has also been quite successful, es-
pecially the shorthand branch. The de-
mand for first-class stenographers in
Mexico seems to be almost unlimited and
the supply is very small as thorough
knowledge of Spanish and ability to
take dictatiOn In it is essential as most
Of the correspondence Is necessarily in
that language. Book-keepers and as
savers are also in great demand there.
The laws of Mexico require all books to
be kept in Spanish. Situated as this
college is, almost on the Mexican bor-
der, where the Spanish language is in
daily use among the majority of the
population, an opportunity is here Of
fered to obtain practical knowledge of
it unexcelled at any other institution in
the United States. The course is very
and extends through several
years. A number of students have To-
Gated in Mexico and have done well.
The stenography department has located
a number of graduates there and has
had more demands than it can fiji.
I. The faculty and institutions are al
most the same as last wear with few
additions. President Jordan continues