New-York tribune., 1903-05-17

and 2 lack Of concentration. With emu 0nSe
the professional school different a.
encountered but why should no' '7 .ha
xeloped from the beginning? In the - x-ho
ordinary student and especially tne ,.s.,.
has a rractical turn of mi1d' anu 40 - 60
f., ouaIifed for an engineering Shi' -. vo
ro.,,,g that lends interest to su''
i'.',.,'e &c o,nI,casion and the stuoeh'
.as,s should constantly bear IA iii
-. =. ,,,,,x, stuav a thing not for iheii'"' -
s, h,,, with the object or oolhe 0
-, ,.t - He should study from oAie - -
re not the abstract point OF Fie" -
D.. become utilitarian. and IL is pioD.-N.S -,
lily recognized that the nina can JUS %
\ trained by studying subjects 1h"'
PRACTICAL use and with the oe41ii -.
making them Of practical use as iii Nle -
Of scientific or metaphysical -,
,h.xo ,aaas are correct. il follows that cioseis
.Nese - - Of q science, or coincident
with II. the student should be Inaoe 70 Sc s.,
,os- some Of its applications in his professional
work a.,
The scheme of laying out single consecuUiNe
course Including both general and professpoi1-
studies will be met by the objection tii''
Young man cannot in general decide 50
what goal ne will aim az. This op1ec''0 no.
tfnrce VET II ought not TO be difficult for young
man 70 decide early along certain proao NiieN
IS for instance, between literary VI So
49, course-and as he progresses TO gradualiy
par-ou his aim toward one definite profession
Engineers of all kinds, and even professions so
o., S,1e-ens SIS engineering and medicine, re-
,,,ra % a large extent the same training In
daa5 Il ,s a question in my mind whether an
engineering training is not as good prepara-
ton as can be had for any occupation Whatever
supplemented If necessary, Of course by instruc-
tion more directly applicable; for training IN
the practical applications Of science must be OF
use to a man In any career. know artlsts'
doctors, lawyers. ministers and economists VINO
have graduated from engineering schools ana
have yet to find one who regretted ms ensl-
neering training They all unite in saying that
81 taught them to accomplish. to work with
purpose and 20 economize time, ano thal '"eS
have found these qualities invaluable
The early choice of q course OF study, theh'
ought not to be difficult within broad lines anu
with the exercise of care on fhe part oA pa
and teachers. As matter or ract' Ihe lach u W
care and observation On the part OF pareIIs anu
the slight grounds upon which young man " iii
enter upon g definite career. together WIN eiie
reluctance with which he viii give II up even
when shown 10 be hopelessy united are oh'eh
amazing.
My advice then. 10 young men who oesire 70
become civil engineers IS 70 take thoroush
oou-se sn professional and non-professioraI
x,,5.es sn q good American technical school OF
,,-,versitz II Is not now necessary to go 10
Europe to obtain the best preparation for TINS
calling Thirty or even twenty years ago TINS
could not be said, but at present our schoois
offer opportunities good as are to be founo
anywhere in the world Fortunately there
ere in this country many well equipped en-
gineering schools and so many scholarships ana
other provisions for poor persons that any
necessary. by working during vacations and
rorrow.ns money besides can obtain an engf-
reerinS education I would advise any young
man who is fitted for the profession and who
cannot obtain an education otherwise TO get IL
by the help Of borrowed money. have IN
mind one young man who took a course or rour
wears at q technical school and came out over
$1,000 in debt. His services. however, were at
once in demand, and he paid off his indebted
ness within year and halt
The opportunities presented 10 a young man
upon .he completion Of his technical education
r-riH be many and varied. Indeed. instead or
the professton being oYercrowded, there are
l,probshly few occupations in which there is SO
much room. Nor should It be forgotten that the
civil engineering graduate viii find open to him
many purely business positions for which his
training will have fitted him The range Of the
profession is continually widening, and this is
rrus not alone Of civil engineering but OF other
branches. one direction in which they are rap
idly extending being that OF administration
The Industrial development OF our country has
taken place almost entirely within the last fifty
or sixty years Within that period entire
railroad system has been built most Of our fac
tories started. works OF water supply and
sewerage constructed The construction of
these works has required the services Of most
of our engineers, while the opportunities of
profitable employment here have attracted many
members of the profession from foreign shores.
The civil engineer Of the past has been mainly
a constructor But within the last few decades
the construction Of new works. while still pro-
oeedng with great activity in certain direc-
tions. has probably on the whole. relatively de-
cliped Our railroad system. for example. is es-
sentiaIly complete, and, while branches. new
lines double tracking. terminals. and local i'm
provements will still be required, often on a
large scale the great era of railroad construc-
tion may be said TO be ended. On the other
hand the construction of urban and interurban
electric lines has within the last few years
proceeded with great rapidity; while the in
creasing growth Of urban population and the
advances of sanitary science have recently given
a great impetus to the construction Of works for
rapid transit and Of works for supplying pure
water and for dlsposing of sewage and wastes
without injury TO the public health. Indeed. the
magnitude OF the works which have been exc
cuted within q few years in and about our great
cities or which are projected or in process
Of construction. almost passes belief. Enormous
sums of money have been and TO be ex-
pended for such purposes. But the new field OF
administration has opened for the civil en-
girleer and II his services are relatively
less IN demand for construction, which is
doubtful they are certainly in increasing
diamond for maintenance and administration