The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-02-27
MOST LEARNED STATE.
Illinois rerrs That Proud Distinc-
tlon. Although Her Population
IL Not the Largest.

the unionY
Don't answer off hand. Take a
little time to think IL over Your
FIRST and most natural guess would be
Massachusetts, wouldn't 1.-THE proud
parent Of Boston, that center Of po-
etry, music and art, the Hub of the
universe, the locality of Emerson, the
apex Of culture and the home of the
gentlemen most noted for their sci
ence in literature and fistics.
Well, you're wrong. Massachusetts,
Isn't among the first six states which
stand for the higher education. Now,
tiy again. Which state gathers within
in its borders the most students? Not
the greatest number of children en-
gagged in puzzling out the mysteries
Of the three RS" but the common
wealth boasting the largest total of
attendants at the universities and col
leges, where the most advanced ideas
are handed down by learned profess
sors and grave and reverend seig-
neurs.
Illinois it is. Yes; Illinois, the roll
ing, the loud of voice and of clothes.
Illinois, the place where the Chicago
river flows. Didn't associate Chicago
with the higher education, did you?
Didn't give the city and the rest of
the state credit for teaching the great
est number of young men and young
women the principles of advance
ment, did you? Looked on the coun-
try as a place where they raised pork
and anarchists and railway riots,
where the men ate With their knives
and the women talked with more re-
gard to twang than grammar. Listen
Illinois leads the United States in
learning. There are 13,7s7 students
enrolled in the various colleges and
universities of the Sucker state. And,
remember, Illinois isn't the first state
in poiht of population in the union,
New York has more people within its
boundaries. So has Pennsylvania.
New York comes second. We're
pretty learned here in the east. Our
record is not far behind that of Hi
nois The figures are 1907. And
after us comes another eastern state
Pennsylvania Bhe Keystone insti-
tutions hold 1896 persons who are
being familiarized with the higher
forms. Ohio is close up. Her rec
ord for students of this class is 1929.
And then comes a point for our south
ern friends. Tennessee stands fifth
They run to learning down in Dixie.
Tennessee has 7,139 students to her
credit. Missouri is sixth, With a
showing of 6,513.
So much for the higher education.
Now try the same question as applied
to the common schools. Where does
the greatest percentage of enrolled
scholars obtain? You might as well
save yourself the trouble of guessing.
You would hardly pick it out in
dozen trials. Kansas Bleeding Kan
sas! Considered with regard to its
total population, the enrolment IN
Kansas is really remarkable. The per-
centage is 27.S7, and the figures show
ing the number Of scholars Of the pub
lie institutions are 370,240.
The west is away ahead of the east
in this proposition of public school
ing. Following Kansas comes West
Virginia, where the number of en-
rolled scholars is 236, ,1ss. which is 27.27
per cent of the population And
Utah, which we are hurling stones at
Utah, which we consider lost TO saw
ing grace and lots Of other useful
things-Utah looks after the school
ing of its young. The figures show
that there are 70,s7s scholars, per
centage of 25.75. And then comes
Iowa, with percentage Of 26.1a, and
again Tennessee, where 1866 per cent
of the population are enrolled schol-
ars. Mississippi is sixth, with a per
centage of 1928 TO her credit. Massa-
chusetts has percentage of only
1893, and New York isn't much ahead
of the Bay state, for its figures are
1886. Verify, there is more common
school education In the west and the
south than was dreamed of in the
eastern phiIosophy.-N. Y. Herald.