The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-18

THE conversion OF her various railroad holdings
into money by Mrs. Stanford is OF the highest
significance not only TO California but TO the
whole worlds educational interests.
L brings in sight final endowment OF the Leland
Stanford IT, University amounting to thirty millions
OF dollars Safely invested at a minimum rate OF in
teres, this Will yield an annual income sufficient for
the administration Of the greatest university the world
has ever seen Such an income can easily be the
means Of transferring to California the highest teach
ing talent on the planet Teachers and facilities for
original investigation make great universities When
the Moorish universities in Spain were keeping the
lamp OF learning aiame in the middle ages the work
depended upon the possession OF means TO command
the best teaching talent OF that dark age Their
ayers did not conine them TO Mahometans in the
faculties, for Jew and Gentle alike welcome 70
their ranks il they brought learning ana the gift OF
mparting i. What was true then q factor IN uni
versity policy is true nov, and has been true ever
since A university that could command the services
OF Lavoisier, Humboldt, Agassiz, Huxley, Oar
win, De Laplace, Kepler or their peers would
always have been great, matter where To-
Gated. The discoveries OF science have i'm
measurably enriched the modern world with
facts, with things known within the physical
universe that there IS on hand material TO be
tally digesed and applied that viii occupy the bright
est minds for generations 10 come. The ancient
teachers outside the school OF Aristotle had easy
task compared 10 that which IS for their modern
successors Their labors we're largely in the field OF
metaphysics The problems they had in hand were
largely psychological But the world OF those
problems has been circumnavigated and thoroughly
charted It's winds and currents are mapped, its
shoals reefs capes and headands all familiar
as the terms in which they are expressed
-,
the origin and properties OF heat, light and sound;
the effects OF gravity the origin and properties OF
cosnic matter and all the physical phenomena which
concern all forms OF life The modern student deves
in the mud shines and the relation OF every physical
force 70 the development therein OF primordial life.
He watches the hesitant stage OF that life in which it
debates q choice between the animal and the vege-
table form and he seeks for the forces which, in either
conflict or concurrence determine Its final selection.
The university OF to-day IS the prompter OF all inn
provements in the application OF natural energy to
the use OF man. Chemistry and mechanics, analysis
and synthesis the correlation OF force all OF the
problems Of matter and motion are known to be con-
vertible 10 economic use The modern field and or
chard and vineyard, the method OF converting their
product 70 human use the OF its distribution 10
the distant consumer; the study OF the rocks to de-
ternine the best purpose OF their formation and the
reduction Of ores that the imprisoned minerals,
precious and useful OF which they are the natrix,
may be freed are all the vital concern OF the modern
university.
Everything, from drop Of rain to grain of dust,
IS within the scope OF scholastic inquiry.
1t IS plain. then that a university for to-day and
the future II Il propose 10 cover the vast field OF
human interest, must have the ampest means II
adapt II 10 It's purpose.
The Alexandrian Museum, with its library and
academic organization, which is the model OF our
present day universities, had royal origin. Alexander
the Great and his half-brother, Ptolemy Softer were
pupils OF Aristotle, and both put the wealth OF the
AlexandTian conquests into the equipment OF the
Alexandrian school, 10 which the world owes a debt
impossible OF liquidation. The two Macedonian boys
were moved by the noble sentiment OF gratitude 20
their teacher and 10 that the world owes an enghten
nent that will never be Quenched 1t IS probable that
from that far time until now no school has arisen
equalng in the force behind il the one they founded
with the single exception OF the Stanford University
Its founders built and dedicated it to be the nonu-
nent OF holy sorrow. In It's development OF all
that Aristotle dy saw OF all that was then inchoate
and nceptive this great university viii light lamp in
the world that will blaze undimmed in fellowship with
that which was lighted by the conquest OF the world
In wonderful way Mrs. Stanford's energies have
broadened with the burden laid upon them She has
greatly released herself from the distraction OF
energy and attention inseparable from the manage
men OF her large investment in railroad property and
has in hand the immense resources which are 10 be
devoted to the object and great work OF her use
ul life What she has done and proposes is great not
only in itself but in its example Her work is a moral
to others who cherish plans OF the highest use
fitness 10 But California as the immediate
beneficiary OF her great motives and their conversion
into great acts sautes her with feelings ncxpressible
THE PANAMA CANAL SCHEME.