The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-14

alleging the Ellington library and the
DR.. Zacheus Test library has been pro-
crossing satisfactorily. Earlham is
being recognized by young men and
women who are seeking professional
training in the practical work of libra
rianship, as a place offering opportuni-
ties not easily found elsewhere. Sci
entific training for such work is be0g
secured here by several students, and
the facilities in the future will be much
better even than in the past. Not the
least important among the advantages
for such preparation, afforded by the
college, is the proximity to the Norris
son-Reeves library. and a well equipped
book bindery in the city of Richmond.
The Central Heating Plant.
For the past nineteen years Lindley
Hall, Parry Hall and Earlham Hall
have been heated by means of boilers
located in the basement of the last
named building. During this time
these boilers have been inspected peri
odically by proper officials and have
consistently rendered efficient service.
When it is considered that the outside
limit of the life of a boiler is usually
placed at twenty years, it can readily
be seen that the problem of adequate
heat for the Earlham plant is an i'm
minent one. The boilers now in use
are not capable of additional work, so
that some steps were necessary for the
approaching school year, if the new
buildings were to be used. The board
of trustees was certainly justified
therefore in taking initial steps for the
construction of central heating plant,
since the only other alternative seemed
to be to shut down part of the college
plant.
Educational Progress.
But the material development of the
lrollege during the year, while extensive
land likely to attract the most public at
'tention, has not enlisted the exclusive
nor the chief thought of those entrust-
ed with it's welfare. The more quiet
and transformations work of the men,
bers of the faculty and the students has
gone forward with very satisfactory re-
suits. And this is true for all depart
ments of the college. The year has
marked important developments in al
most every department.
Religious Life.
Certainly, all will agree that, how
ever much consideration may be given
to the material and intellectual phases
of college activity, the most important
work of all with which the manage
ment of the college is entrusted by the
yearly meetings is the spiritual welfare
of the students. One hundred and ten
students were enrolled in the regular
classes in the department of biblical in
struction, Twenty-Five of them choos-
ing this work as their major subject. A
large proportion of the student body
were In the bible classes held under the
auspices of the Christian associations.
The interest in missions was pronounc-
ed. The prayer-meetings were almost
without exception. occasions of great
interest. and were characterized by
spiritual power. Many conversions
occurred during the year, most of them
being the immediate result of series
of meetings held under the leadership
y
dents volunteered during the year to
take appointments to preach in nearby
meetings. Several of these are record
ed ministers while most of the others
are not only active in the work, but
give evidence of a call to the ministry
and their gifts, in some cases, will
doubtless be recognized soon by their
home meetings.
During the year certain statistics re-
lating to the religious life of the church
and the college were prepared by Muir
ray S. Kenworthy. instructor in the de-
partment Of biblical literature 1t APP
pears that in the twelve yearly meet
ings of Friends in this country there is.
on the average. one minister to every
SO members. while among the former
students Of Earlham college the pro-
portion is one to every 40. and among
the graduates of Earlham there is one
to every IS members of the
alumni. From 1885 to 1895. inclusive.
the total number of students enrolled
in the biblical department was 123
During the years 1896 to 1906. inclu-
sive, the total number was 49, Dur
ing the last year there were thirty-four
ministers, prospective ministers and
enrolled as students of the
college. At the present time the fol- !
lowing Earlham missionaries are in the
field: In Mexico. II: west Indies. >: .
Alaska. 4: among the Indians. 9; Japan. |
.: China. ,: Palestine. /: making total 4
Of A.. The largest number from any
other Friends college is 20. while the l
total number of American missionaries |
in the field is %. Of this total. there l
fore. over 40 per cent are former Earl l
ham students. Even this. however. is
not an adequate criterion of the relig-
lous life of the college, since these