Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09

| two years / have personally been before at
least 75.0O0 people OF the state and in al
most every instance have submitted the
question to the people as to whether they
would be willing to be taxed more for
schools. OF the large number who have
given expression the subject have not
found ten who would express themselves
as being opposed to taxing themselves Tor
better schools"
University of Mississippi.
| The University of Mississippi. which has
| had its ups and downs since It's organization
/ in 1S4S. like all other higher educational in
situations in the south, has recently en-
| joyed a revival of prosperity and public In
| terest Within the last ten years there has
| been large gain in the attendance and IN
the thoroughness of the work done It's
| scope of instruction has been widened and
| its usefulness enlarged by the addition OF
| departments of engineering. medicine and
education, and by admitting young women
| the active duties of intelligent citizenship
| and for professional and business life.
While the population of the state has in
| creased II per cent the attendance of stu
dents at the university has increased 81 per
| cent during the last ten years. The total
| attendance last year was 2S1, of whom
| fifty were women: 33 were in the law de-
partment, 10 in the medical department and
| ~ In the engineering department. The in
| come of the institution has also been con-
| siderably increased, which has enabled the
struction, especially in the scientific de-
partmentS.
| An equally important institution is the
Agricultural and Mechanical College, where
about 300 young men are studying agri-
culture and the mechanical arts. The in
stftution Is divided into three schools,
| OF agriculture, engineering and textiles.
each with its own director, but every stu
dent in each department is required to take
| So much book learning in addition to his
practical work. Nearly all of the students
come from families of small means; more
than three-fourths of them pay a portion
| of their expenses by labor. and seventy-five
pay all of them. They are enabled to do
| this because of a liberal appropriation by
the legislature to pay for student labor,
| and the president declares that if the fund
were withdrawn more than one hundred of
the most promising young men would be
compelled to leave the institution
Laboring Students Respected
mo money appropriated by the state"
he says, "accomplishes so much good. 1 be-
| lieve that every student ought to be taught
as far as possible. what it means to earn
| money by honest labor, and that all honest
, labor is ennobling. No student around this
college hesitateS to work for fear of injur-
ing his standing. The overallS con-
sidered as honorable as the overcoat. and
there Is absolutely no prejudice against
pupil because he Is compelled to labor for
his education. AS proof of this statement
working boys, and they We're elected by the
votes of their fellow Students
Outside of it's purely educational work
the institution Is doing a great deal of
good by conducting farmers Institutes in
different parts of the state, for the purpose
of teaching the best methods of cultivating
the soil, raising live stock and other ways
of securing the most profitable results for
labor. These Institutes reach about 5000
farmers most of whom are uneducated and
have no means of keeping up with dis
coveries and improvements.
They stand not only for more corn and
cotton, for better live stock and farm prac-
tice. but for better and broader country
| lives. better roads, better schools, better
churches and better homes, with all that
that implies"
Since 1885 there has been a similar insti-
tuition for women. called the Industrial In
stitute and College of Mississippi 1t is in
| tended to give the daughters of families Of
small means not only a good education in
the arts and sciences, but Industrial train
Ing, to qualify them for teaching telegra-
ply, stenography, bookkeeping, photogra-
ply, pharmacy, drawing, engraving, paint
Ing, music, dressmakng, millinery, and
other domestic sciences. so that they may
be capable of self-sGpport. Since its estab-
llsfment, 1926 young women have been
under instruction there, and have made
their influence felt throughout the state.
Colored Industrial School.
The colored industrial school Is called the
Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege, in honor of the late Senator Alcorn.
1t is supported by annual appropra ton
OF s4o, 100 by the state legislature, most of
which comes from the proceeds of land
grants made by Congress. The present
buildings accommodate only about 500
students. Every inch of room is filled to
overlooking and not less than 800 appli-
cants were turned away last fall because
they could not be accommodated. This is
the most lamentable fact l have found in
the south. If buildings and other facities
We're provided, two to three thousand
young colored men and women would be
there, learning the trades. getting a good
common school education, and thus quail
flying themselves to perform the duties of
life. Upon such institutions depends the
future OF the race In the south, and that
involves all the industrial problems and the
prosperity of the white population as we'll
the black.
The men students at Alcorn are taught
agriculture, horticulture, stock raising
dairy1ng, masonry, carpentering black
smithing, cabinet making, shoemaking and
other trades. The women are trained for
dressmakers, milliners, sick nurses, cooks,
laundresses, and for other household SER
vice
There are quite a number of public insti-
buttons around Jackson. Millsap College,
founded by Major Millsap of jackson, under
the care of the Methodist Church is one of
the best-equipped institutions in the south;
while Bell-Haven College for young women
stands equally high, and st. Joseph's
School, conducted by the Sisters of the
Sacred Heart, attracts the daughters of
the south
Jackson College and Campbell College are
church institutions for colored youths
There are several state institutions here
also-the insane asylum. blind institute and
school for deaf mutes.