New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
CAREERS FOR THE COMING MEN.
OPEN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.


ways held high standard of scholarship. The
pioneers-the Rensselaer, Polytechnic and the
Military and Naval acadeTnies-have for genera
tions done admirable work, and with constantly
rising standards. To-day the public and pre-
paratory schools are teaching mathematics and
the sciences. well the older literary courses,
so efficiently that it has to be possible to
make the professional course vastly stronger
than formerly. and class of professional
schools now excels the leading institutions Of
this class In the extent the excellence of
their work In fact, the proportion of candi-
dates rejected and OF students later turned
back into the world unsuited to their pro-
fession has probably always been exceptional.
and the rigIdty Of the screening process con-
tinualIy increases. Thus the "engine-er" be-
comes the 'ingenieur."
These schools, however. range IN extent Of
professional work very broad area. Real
professional work can hardly be begun until
after second course in applied mechanics has
been completed. Thus some schools give this
course in the second of their Cusually) four
years and make It severe one; others. and
larger number. place it IN the third year, and
some even give but a weak and inadequate
course in the senior year, filling up the lower
years with non-professional work. The leading
schools haye come to be professional schools
pure and simple. giving four full years to
scientific and professional studies. sometimes de-
manding that all non-professional work shall be
obtained in school or in college before admis-
sion The schools of lesser rank give train
ing in which professional and non- professional
work is offered in varying proportions. Each
Is commonly fitted to its environment and all
are doing good work. The student who
cure good. liberal education and then COM
pIete his professional apprenticeship in purely
professional school in which the applied sciences
and practical training given in such pro-
portion as most effectively fits the alumnus for
promptly making himself in the maximum de-
gree useful is most fortunate; he who must
content himself with lesser degree OF general
culture and a mixed technical course may also
hope for his opportunities The main precau-
ton for each. however. is the same-to make
sure that such instruction is offered in his
chosen school Is given by an expert, whether
II be in applied mechanics the of ham,
mer and chiseI, in descriptive geometry or in
, technical literature. in machine design or ma
chine construction. The amateur teacher has
no place in any professional school, whatever
may be the fact elsewhere. The pupil should
select an institution, if he has choice. where
every officer from top to bottom. and every
teacher is an acknowledged expert in his ind-
viduaI work The value of any professional
course may he best weighed thus. Nor should
any one seek to enter the professional school
unless himself fitted by nature for the work
That school is best which best prepares the
aspirant for immediate usefulness while teach
ing him thosa higher branches Of technical
learning which find their application in the
higher work and with the great leaders of the
profession. The young asprant will soon see
that while learning is desra BILE and, later es-
sentIal, capability of Immediately making him
self practically useful essential to fair start.
His work in shops and Laboratories. quite as
much as that in the CIassrooms. finds constant
use. and the skill thus acquired is more likely to
be of immediate value than the perhaps higher
learning of the more advanced scientific depart
ments. The best preparation for life OF
fulness from its professional beginnings is such
theoretical and the practical as is now generally
illustrated by the curriculum OF the successful
school of engineering.
Where the school is allied the college the
university. some advantages will be had which
cannot be ignored. The broadening culture Of
contact with all sorts and conditions of scholars
and men; the opportunities for securing extra
professional instruction, when time can be given
to it, i'm other technical and scientific depart
ments or In law. In economics in languages and
literature presented by learned and famous spe-
cfaIists; the possibility OF securing often spe-
ciaI line Of work exactly adapted TO the antici-
pated future needs Of the man. BY combining