Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-23
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

special correspondence or The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
LONDON, October 4, 1906.
The London Polytechnic Institute, IA
miliarly called THE Polly" is the largest
educational institution in the world. It
has faculty of several hundred teach
ers, who will teach a student anything
that person can lawfully know, from
Knitting and swimming to SansclIt and
archaeology. 1t is only necessary for him
Ito go to the headquarters on Regent
street, register his name, pay his lee tell
the registrar what he wants to learn, and
that gentleman will find somebody COM
petent to instruct him. There is i large
regular faculty and perhaps the largest
community of specialists in the world in
London, Oxford Cambridge and other ed
ucational centers to draw from. To OBJ
tain the privileges of the Polytechnic a
student must be at least twelve years
old, but men of three score and ten may
De found in several of the classes, The
1ees vary from shillings Chat u.s. $3.50
to guinea (Which is $3.50 for 4 course
or three months in the ordinary classes
Above this, in the schools of art. archi-
lecture engineering and other of the
higher sciences the tuition is $25 and
up to $3o term Everybody pays some
thing. 1t is not charity institution, al
though it is great benevolence, because it.
H.
en- to obtain an education ana a training
for trade or profession who could not
AFFORD to pay the fees of ordinary institu-
lions or spend the time required by day
classes. The faculty are all paid. The main
staff give their entire time to the work: a
few from the University of London and
other institutions give part of their time;
there is long list Of lecturers every winter,
each of whom receives some compensation
and still longer list of specialists Nall
the lines of study that you can imagine
who may be called upon whenever their
services are needed, and are entitled to the
fees paid for instruction in their particular
branch.
The London Polytechnic has a peculiar in
terest for Americans because the late D.
L. Moody was largely instrumental in build
ing 1t up and gave substantial encourage
ment to the men who were engaged in the
work, although he never had any direct
connection with it. They had many hours
of discoura cement, and even of despair,
and afterward, in the days of triumph and
prosperity. they frequently and freely adj
mitted their obligations to Mr.. Moody.
Founded by Quintin Hogg.
Large oaks from little acorns grow, and
the London Polytechnic is an Illustration of
the truth of that familiar proverb. 1t was
founded by Quintin Hogg,. a Scotchman,
from a family that has been prominent for
many generations. He was born in India,
where his father, a baronet. man of
wealth and learning, was director in the
East India Company, and register general
at Calcutta. In 1858 he entered Elton, where
he distinguished himself in athletics rather
than in scholarship, and became an init
mate friend of the Marquis of Lorne, now
the Duke of Argyll, who married the Prin-
cess Louise, sister of the King of England.
This friendship and intimacy continued
through their lives. The duke has always
shown earnest zeal in promoting the inter-
ests of the Polytechnic and contributed an
introduction to the biography of Quintin
Hogg, which was recently published, pay
ing a glowing tribute to the character and
services to humanity of his schoomate and
friend.
Leaving Eton in 1863, Mr. Hogg obtained
a clerical position with a firm Of tea mer
chants and developed remarkable business
ability. Making the acquaintance of a
street waif accidentally one day, he gath
cred a small group of homeless, friendless
boys together and started a school for
them, as he afterward said with an
empty beer bottle for a candlestick, tall
low candle for light, couple of Bibles for
reading books and your humble servant
developed into the present polytechnic sys-
tenn of London with $4,000 students.
Growth of the Institute.
Hogg rented clubroom for teaching book
learning and athletics; then two rooms. and
then an entire building, and during the first
fifteen years he found homes for about
1900 boys from his school in Canada and
Australia. He first met Mr.. Moody in 1876
on visit to Chicago. There was a mutual
attraction They Immediately became init
mate friends and remained so during the
remainder of their lives. The Polly"
which was originally called The Youths
Christian Institute" moved from place to
place as it grew in numbers until it secured
it's present quarters in the very center of
the fashionable shopping district at 900
Regent street, and took Its present name in
1880. There are now eleven branches or af-
filiated institutions of the same kind In diff
ferent parts Of the city. The Regent Street
Central Institute has the largest number of
students, nearly $4,000 having been enrolled
last winter. 1t is now thirtythree years
old. During the first ten years the stu
dents averaged about 300 a year; during
the next ten years they averaged about
1,5OO year; during the last fifteen years
they have averaged about $4,000 a year.
The total alumni now runs up to over 300,-
600. No other institution In the world has
such record.
Mr. Hogg died of asphyXiation from the
fumes of q gas stove in his rooms in No
vember, 1902. His work was taken up by. j.
E K. Studd, who had been his assistant
for sixteen years. Mr.. Studd was one of
Mr. Moody's converts while he was stu
dent at Cambridge in 1888. and upon Mr..
Moody's advice upon taking his degree de-
cided to devote his life to beneve+ence He
was introduced to Mr.. HOgg by Mr.. Moody.
and at once took hold of the institute work
with great energy and success. Being a
man of ample fortune, he devoted his entire
life to it without penny Of compensation.
When Mr. Hogg died his mantle naturally
fell upon Mr.. Studd, who carried on the
work with remarkable success until his I'M
timely death last year.
Four Big Buildings Occupied.
The institute occupies four large build
ings as I have told you, in the most ex-
pensive part of London. Mr.. Hogg selected
that site because of its convenience to the
largest number. Nearly all Of the students
are engaged in paying occupations in that
neighborhood They are clerks, book
keepers, shop boys, engineers mechanics,
butchers, bakers and candlestick-
The institute has no endowment, but for
many years has received an annual grant
of 916,OOO from parliament. and the re-
ceipts from fees average about between
s7,000 and $4,000 year, which gives 1t an
income of nearly $4,000. Occasionally it
receives a legacy or gift in money from
some friend, but the management Is par
ticular to avoid the reputation of being an
object Of charity. 1t declares that 1t Is a
regular scientific school, supported by the
tuition fees paid by the students.
There are 600 different classes and 100 of