Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-27
GROWTH OF A GREAT SCHOOL
Romantic s.ory of the Founding and
Progress Of Girard College,
SPLENDID RECORD OF HALF A CENTURY
some Pointed Remarks About the Ne
brnskn Agricultural College
College Training of
Farmers Sons.

The story Of the founding Of Glrard col
lege, Philadelphia, as told in the Chicago
Record, reads almost like a romance. The
college has just celebrated its fftieth ami
versary and has graduated $500 young men
during the half century of is existence,
while 81, $50, 900 has been expended for its
maintenance.
Mr.. Glrard left a remarkable will. covering
'hirty-six large printed pages, containing
minute directions concerning the disposal OF
his estate, but it is with the provisions made
for the college that this article deals. The
money left to the college was to be devoted
10 the foundation Of a school for the educa-
tlon Of poor white male orphan children"
with the object OF placing them, by the
early cultivation OF their minds and the de-
velopment OF their moral principles, above
the many temptations to which through pow
erty and ignorance they are exposed" Ac-
cording to the will the children must be
admitted to the school between the ages OF
8 and 10 years, and the guardians are re-
qutred to surrender all control over them
until they are IS, when they are to leave
the institution and ''be bound out by the
mayor, aldermen and citizens OF Philadel-
phia, or under their direction, to suitable
occupations, such as those OF agriculture,
navigation, arts, mechanical trades and
ihduuldcLuIts, dCCOIulHR 10 J0e capacities
and requirements Of the scholars respect
lively; consulting so far as prudence will JUS
tify 1t the inclination Of the several schol-
ars." Therefore from the age of 6 to is the
students at Girard college are absolutely,
without Interference, under the control OF
the faculty physically, morally and intel
lectually, and the latter are bound to pro-
vide employment for them when they leave
the Institution.
Odd Provisions Of the VIII.
That part Of Mr.. Glrard's will which has
been most severely criticised, and for many
years excited a general prejudice against the
institution, which has not yet entirely died
out, Is as follows:
II enjoin and require that no ecolesiastic,
missionary or minister or any sect whatso-
ever shall ever hold or exercise any station
or duty whatever In the said college: nor
shall any such person ever be admitted, for
any purpose whatsoever, or as a visitor,
within the premises appropriated to the pur-
poses OF the said college"
For his reason eevry visitor to Iirard
college is required to write his name in a
register, and state that he does not come
within this restriction. In the will itself
Mr.. Girard explained that this condition was
made because the religious community was
divided into such a multitude of sects and
agitated by clashing doctrines and sectarian
controversies that he wished to keep the
tender minds of the orphans clear from
doubt and excitement and instill into their
minds the purest principles Of morality, a
love Of truth, sobriety and industry, so that
on their entrance into active life they might
adopt such religious belief as their mature
reason would enable them to prefer.
He provided infinitely for the system of
education, stipulated that the pupils should
not wear any distinctive dress; that their
persons and clothing shall be kept clean,
and that they shall have suitable and ra-
tional recreation" They must be instructed
in "the various branches OF a sound educa-
ton, comprehending reading, writing, gram
mar, arithmetic, geography, navigation, sur
veying, practical mathematics, astronomy,
natural, chemical and experimental philos-
ophy and the French and Spanish languages"
Il do not forbid" he says, but l do not
the Greek and Latin languages
He specially provided that IL any orphan
admitted to the college should prove to be
an unfit companion for the rest he should
be expelled.
Occupations of Students.
At the semi-centennial anniversary an
alumni committee made an effort to collect
as to the condition and career
OF the $3.50 graduates. and, while the re-
ports were incomplete, they were valuable
In dem 6nstrating the usefulness of the prac-
teal education which the institution gives.
About 30 per cent Of the graduates were
found. 1t was learned that eighteen were
members of the bar, twelve clergymen, four
teen physicians, three dentists, nineteen
druggists, three chemists, five civil en-
gineers, six architects, eleven draughtsmen,
four contractors, five teachers, two bankers,
three hank cashiers two fp1lara In hopl,
five treasurers and four secretaries Of cor
porations, eighteen connected with the in
surance business, $50 bookkeepers, seventy
seven stenographers, eighty statesmen, two
paymasters, six cashiers in mercantile es-
Establishments, five auditors, twelve real
estate dealers, ten superintendent of fac
tories, fifteen inspectors, thirty-three man
ayers OF factories, nine journalists, two pub
fishers, two reporters, fifteen letter carriers,
ten policemen, nineteen railway conductors,
twenty-five foremen of shops, ~ffty-slx
printers, four proofreaders, twenty -four
plumbers, twenty-seven carpenters, four pat
ternmakers, twenty-five electricians, seven
teen engineers, thirteen engravers, sixty
five machinists, thirteen toolmakers, thir.
teen moulders, eleven tinsmlths, ten hatters
ten miners, thirty paper hangers (of whom
nine are employers, twenty-nine painters
(of whom six are employers), seventy fac.
WY hahus, my 4 ilhelb, blAtttU
tailors, twelve blacksmiths, four designers
one sculptor, five florists. nineteen packers
and shippers, eleven upholsterers, thirteer
weavers, six undertakers, fifteen engaged II
the baking or confectionery business, foul
teachers in industrial schools. six in tn,
United States navy, one private and on,
lieutenant in the United States army, on,
commissioned OF immigration, one deput!
collector of customs, one deputy recorder
OF deeds and one court bailiff.
In all OF the inquiry 1t was found tina
only twenty eight graduates were not doini
we'll. either morally or commercially
twenty-five were reported as doing "fairl!
we'll" and only 124 were at the momen
unemployed. As appears from the abov,
statement, a much greater proportion o
the graduates are engaged in mechanical
than In professional pursuits, and thus tn,
desire OF Stephen Girard has been accom-
plished.
Huron College.
The annual catalogue of Huron, Is. d.
college has been received. 1t is a neat pam
nhlet NJ sixty-6ya naRes nicely illustrate