Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-08-30

PCloOh0 40 1Ilcly uCoAlC W ASSClNO Ill
struction in chemistry, metallurgy,
mineralogy, geology, mining, milling,
engineering, mathematics, mechanics,
drawing, the fundamental laws of the
United States and the rights and duties
Of citizenship, and such other courses
Of study, not including agriculture, as
may be prescribed by the board of
trustees" The scope Of the work thus
prescribed is broad enough to include
all means necessary to the attainment
Of the object Of the school. On account.
however, of circumstances connected
with the public school system of the
territory, later legislature found it
necessary to provide for a preparatory
course by which students could be fit
ted for the technical work of the insti-
tuition. Such course has since been
maintained.
SUPPORTED BY THE TERRITORY.
The creating act provides that the
school of mines shall be supported by
an annual tax of one-fifth Of mill on
all taxable property within the terri
tory. It was thought that this levy
would give the institution an income of
about 100000 a year, but it was not un-
ill 1898 that a special appropriation was
made for a suitable building to enable
the school to be organized in accord
dnce with the policy of this act, and
the great financial panic of that year
so reduced the assessed valuation of
property within the territory that the
schools income was reduced to only
about one-half of the amount antici-
pated. However, the last territorial
legislature generously and wisely in
creased the levy for this purpose to
271a -100ths Of a mill.
FEDERAL AID EXPECTED.
The friends of the school are now
hopeful that it is soon to receive such
federal aid as will make 1t possible to
place the institution on a much higher
plane of usefulness than Is possible un.
der present conditions. The first ses.
sion of the fifty-sixth congress took the
preliminary steps toward extending tt
the mining industry the same aid thai
is extended to that of agriculture. Sew
eral bills were introduced, all having
the same object, that of giving fedora
aid to stimulate and promote scientific
research in the various branches o.
mining and metallurgy. The friends O.
these several bills finally united upor
one introduced by Senator Tillman
which passed the senate without dis
senting vote, and was reported upo1
favorably by the committee to which i
was ItlcIIVO ala NlC uOu0Cs ALI lIlSuu;
Of the measure feel warranted in be
lieving that this bill will become Law
at the adjourned session of the presen
congress in December. The Tillmal
bill provides for an annual appropria
ton to schools and departments Of min
ing and metallurgy, beginning will
$4,000 and increasing by $1,000 eacl
year until $4,000 Is reached, at which
sum the appropriation Is to remain I
permanent fund.
LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL.
| The school Of mines Is located at So
corro, the county seat Of Socorro coun
ty. Its campus consists Of twenty acre
! of level land about mile and hal
northwest of the railroad station. Tn
laboratory building Is near the cente
| of these grounds.
THE CITY OF SOCORRO.
Socorro Is a city Of about 1000 inhab
titants, situated about mile west of tn
Rio Grande, on the main line of tn
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad
seventy-five miles south Of Albuquer
que, and 175 miles north of Ell Paso. I
has an elevation of 1900 feet above SCI
level. The climate Is mild and dry an
exceedingly healthful. The water sup
ply comes from O warm spring that Is
sues from the base of mountain abou
four miles west of the city. A carefu
chemical analysis has shown this wa
ter to be exceptionally pure and whole
some.