, 1907-07-26

As was pointed out to the board, mum.
bers OF those registered from Laramie
really reside on distant ranches In this
and ~neighboring counties. the custom
having obtained of registering from
the university city as more convenient
than giving a private ranch name.
These students are In no sense con-
nected with the Laramie school dis
trict, and 1t could not be held respon-
sible for their preparation.
Laramie has always been willing to
give instruction In the higher grades
in the public school and 1t is her mis-.
fortune, not her fault, that the parents
of the university city are quicker to
avail themselves Of the advantage Of
the splendid equipment Of the insti-
tuition than are the parents Of other
portions Of the state. thus dividing the
interest in the high school and Grip
pling 1t to a lamentable extent. 1t Is
unjust and unfair to this community
to ascribe this condition to sordid rea
sons. The same state OF AFFAIRS has
occurred In neighboring states and In
towns where colleges other than state
universities are located. In such in
stances parents persisted in removing
their children from the public schools
at a certain point and sent them to
college instead, cheerfully paying
tional advantages to be derived, and
this practice broke up high school
classes for years n until such time
as the growth of the community per-
mitted of free facilities at least equal
to that offered by the college. The
abused parents of Laramie spend with
equal cheerfulness considerable sums
OF money each veal for naturalization
fees, expensive text books, uniforms
and other expenses incidental to uni
yersity life instead Of continuing in the
cheap and easy way which leadeth to
the Laramie high school and are round
ly abused by the members Of the com.
mission and other citizens of the state,
whose dog-in-the-manger policy in this
matter is hard to understand. With
only one high school in the state fit
ting for the university and that taking
four years for what Is done by students
of the same caliber in the university
in three, with vast sections of the
state which have no facilities other
than country schools Of eight grades.
the trustees and faculty Of the insti.
tuition have carried on preparatory
work as a necessary ant sacred task.
only to be censured severely, b. i'm
Iputation at least, by these gentlemen
of the commission who evidently over
looked the fact hat the preparatory
department of the University OF Wyo.
ming has already been a stepping stone
to many OF the young men and wo.
men of the most sparsely settled re-
gions Of the state.
SohSS os' pSSPAS
also resent the imputation that they
are disloyal to the University Of wy.
oming. 1t was easy for the muckrak.
ers, the mudslingers, the habitual
scandel-mongers with which every
community is afflicted to turn their at.
tention for the day toward the univer-
,;ty owl tla ro,hharc ~ tbo commits.
sion sought Cut these, interviewing
privately all who had been heard to
cast imputations upon the institution
and who, by the way. refused to state
publicly their ISLANDERS. Did the COM
mission seek out with equal diligence
the loyal alumni OF the institution?
Was any call made for testimony from
students and parents who love the
very stones in her gray walls? Could
retiring citizens, under such circum-
stances, force themselves into the mat
ter and sing the praises Of an insti.
tuition which they consider above re,
proach? Is it not somewhat confus-
ing to learn from the report Of the
commission that we are and we are
not in the same breath-that we are
disloyal to the university and that we
are prone to- selfshfy claim it as all
our own? II Laramie people are at
fault, 1t is because they did moi take
the matter more seriously and devote
some time to the refutation Of SIAN
ders before the commission. The ex.
PLANTATION Of this lies in the fact that
no reliance is placed in the city upon
the source from which the charges