New-York tribune., 1903-03-29

work in departments not grouped in any one
professional school: the larger life and stronger
stimulus to ach1evement-these important
considerations to every man. On the other hand.
the Independent school is free from the impedi-
ments of non professional Influences can fit its
work precisely to its purposes in the way con-
sidered best by the expert and professional, is
less likely to be controlled and perhaps distorted
from its professional form by the non-profes-
sional faculty, and IL usually has an atmosphere
of more intense, if narrower, interest and ambi-
tion. It usually provides, also, professional
instruction, such as the professional school OF
the university commonly expects it's pupils to
secure before entrance and to supplement out
side the professional course. 1t is claimed by
the former that 1t provides better education,
on the whole, than the latter: it is claimed by
the latter often least, that Its students enter
better educated than, il. the earlier days of Its
mixed course, they left the school
A fortunate aspect of this difference of opinion
and Of practice is that each intending matricu-
liant may read the announcements and registers
Of all these schools and choose for himself. He
may be assured, however, that his SUCCESS ultl-
matey depegds upon his securing the best pos
sible blend of science and art, of theory and
practice. He will succeed better with this blend
than with the mos complete and perfect train
Ing in either element alone; but the practical
man. without more learning than the average
we'll schooled citizen ordinarily obtains. has a
much better chance of success in life than the
most learned men OF the schools without prac-
tical ability or experience. The product of the
best contemporary schools in this branch is a
vastly better man. professionally. than either,
and 1t is ne who Will in the coming days guide
the capitalists Of the country and control all
great manufacturing enterprises, gaining, mean
time his full reward.
The of the professional training OF the
aspirant in the best professional schools ranges
from unimportant charges. in some OF the State
universities, to $50 and $500 year for tuition;
frcm perhaps $40 to $50 or more for materials
and equal sums for books; and the cost Of living
IS such as the student feels he afford. Some
live on 81 a week. doing their own house work;
others club together and expend from 81 to 81;
still others board in first rate or fourth rate
boarding houses, in fraternity. chapter houses
or at hotels. These costs are usually reckoned
as aggregatng between S4O0 and $1,000 for diff
ferent individuals differently situated: the lower
being as little as health should permit, and the
higher representing the point at which, usually.
needless expense is incurred. On the other
hand a man sometimes pays his own way while
in college, by work IN spare hours. and cases
have been known in which he has laid up
money" and left college richer than when he en-
tered
A list of one thousand young mechanical en-
gineers is before me. tabuIated. The average
period since graduation is about seven years.
OF these so far as reported, one-third are hold
ing positions of independent responsibility: one
eighth managers and superintendents OF
works; 10 per cent are teaching in the profess
sional schools, and twice as many are wanted.
Ten per cent designing engineers planning
the machinery of the workshops, the manufact-
uring esta blishments. the railroads and the
fleets of the country. Several are editors; one
fourth are manufacturers; many are presidents
and vice-presidents OF corporations; others are
treasurers. and the rest are distributed through
out the whole system of industries of the coun-
try One half these not above an aver
age Of twenty-five or twenty-eight years old. and
50 per cent not above thirty-five or thirty
seven. Practically all retain their connection
with their profession. They commonly realize
and fully appreciate their advantages educa-
tionally One writes. for example: The great
value Of the training given me at --. and
especially by -- College. is brought home 10
me forcibly many times over every day, and I
prize that training more than all the wealth Of
the land"
The prizes to be won like those in all other
professions, large; there Is always room at
the top As always earnings at first are usually
small IN cash. large IN valuable experience. Up
portunities in increasing number II the
man is the right man for the higher place. More
men are needed than can be found to take the
higher positions OF responsibility and of COM
rnensurate compensation. The wise young pro-
fessonal man seeks opportunity for profitable
experience without much regard to compensa-
ton. have known a man to refuse $500 per
annum, and to accept so cents q day. where he
saw an opportunity TO secure practical expert
ence and training such as. in his estimation
were what he most needed. His spirit was that
OF Agassiz. who when asked why he refused an
important and lucrative business position is
said to have replied: Il cannot afford to give
my time to money making" Both had their re-
wards, each in his own way. in that form OF
professional success which was the highest