The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-27

When he has reached the higher
branches, no language must be used,
no formulas introduced, that have not
been included in his course on the way
up. The textbooks cost the school, or
at least they have cost 1t so far. more
than its buildings. The nature of the
methods by which they must be stu
died make It necessary for them to be
filled with illustrations. The textbooks
are prepared by members of the fac
ulty Of the school, working In con1unc-
tion with eminent specialists and edu-
Gators who are called in to assist them
The specialist, OF course, puts In many
things that the principal Of the school
must cut out, because 1t cannot be pro-
Vided for in the preliminary work
through which the student must pass,
and the preparation of the courses Is
therefore manifcstly tedious process.
1t has been Mr.. Fosters ambition to
prepare a course in electrical therapeu-
tics which would be of value to gradu-
ates in medicine who are practicing
their profession at a distance from
medical school. His specialists and
others have been working on this
course for two years and II is not yet
ready to be catalogued in the school
prospectus. Another course on which
nearly as much time has been spent is
| one called "motor principles" BY it
motorman on electric street railway
| may study the machinery Of his car
until he becomes sufficiently proficient
| in electrical science to go higher on the
payroll. This course Is being written
| by one chief electrician of the Brook
| lyn Rapid Transit company, but it has
! not yet ben worked into such shape
| that 1t can be laid before the pupils OF
| the school,
CORPS OF INSTRUCTORS.
| Mr.. Foster said that he had found no
| difficulty in providing competent in
| structors for his work. Most of them
| were found in Scranton. and were
| graduates of schools of sufficiently high
| grade to enable them to correct the
| question papers in most of the lower
| branches of the school without par
| ticular preparation. OF the school s
| $4,000 students under instruction, fully
| -fifths begin at the very beginning,
| and by the time they have reached the
| higher mathematics, Mr.. Foster is con-
| tident that he will have trained up a
| sufficiently numerous corps of instruc-
tors to take care of them. The in
! structors are as well paid as the teach
ers in public schools of the same grade
in New York. None of them receive
less than $50 a month, and many re-
ceive s75 and Mr.. Foster holds out the
prospect that their salaries will be In
| creased as their proficiency increases.
The business of the establishment Is
a great machine. The whole United
| States Is plotted out into districts oVeI
| which there are superintendentS. EaCh
superintendent has under him num-
Der of assistant superintendents, and
under each assistant there are three OF
four solicitor collectors. who go about
drumming up students in certain towns
or groups of toWls or parts of cities
and collecting tuition fees Sometimes
a student making his payments on the
| instalment plan will become discour'
| aged or lazy after two or three months
and allow his payments to remain un'
| paid. The solicitor collector lmmedl
ately calls upon him and urges him "fOl
| his own good" to take up the Worl
| again. Special rewards are given tC
| collectors who succeed in reinvigorat
ing such tagging spirits. AS further
| inducement to hold students to thet
| courses, a complete set of textbook!
| for the entire course he Is to under
| take, bound in half morocco. Is sent t
him after he has made his second pay
ment. The title to these books remains
with the schools until the course Il
completed, and If the student gives III
the course he has to give up the books
| The instruction pamphlets are sent Il
| him just as though he had not received
the bound volumes, which he ma.
therefore keep unsoiled and in high
| ly ornamental condition.
THREE PRIVATE CARS.
The schools have three private car
on which a group of their solicitor
travels about the country soliciting
students and lecturing on the work o
the schools. The form of soliciting
seems to appeal with great force t
railroad employees and to workmen il
factories which have sidetracks upol
which the car can rest for two or thre
, days while the soliciting is going on
The school exhibits bundles of hun
| dredS of letters from students an
| graduates testifying to the satisfactio
; the writers have gained from pursuin
their courses and the increases of sal
! ary and promotions that have resulte
, | from it. These letters have every ap
? pearance of sincerity. and confirm MI
r | Foster in his belief that in adoptin
: | and modifying the plan of Presiden
, Harper of Chicago university, for cor
! | respondence instruction, he has foun
d legitimate and profitable way of sup
, plying the needs of the working me
| and women of the country.