La Junta tribune., 1908-11-07
r. ". PATTERS0

their day, would De neltner great OF
glorious in ours. The glory of Ok
ford Is. In my opinion. in the past
1t is not the peer OF the modern
university. It's spirit. It's ideals of
education. its courses of study. its
customs and its methods and equip
ment are aged and moss grown. as
are it's buildings today. The gate
keeper said to me. ANY one can get
through creditably. II he will study
two hours per day. But the majori-
ty OF these fellows will not study
two hours each day. Many scarce
ly study at all--at least. until the
very last. then they get some one
to read for them and try to pass.
which many of them fail to do.
Some return. year after year. and do
not pass the "smalls is the
preparatory studies-and. II they fail
to pass the ''smalls" within three
years, they are barred from further
privileges Of the college" There
are about three thousand students
In Oxford They attend but six
months of the year. They assemble
for the first term today. The es-
pret du corps OF these old English uni
versities, and in this. they are today
being opened by the old eastern
American colieges-is boating. crick-
ct, golf, polo. with the modern stu
dy' of football and baseball, just bor-
rowed from the American college
not brain work. knowledge or genu-
tne culture. those elements that are
the fundamentals Of education. Had
I a son. would not send him to
Oxford nor Cambridge. nor would l
send him to Yale or Harvard. at least
until he had secured substantial
college education elsewhere. The
culture he will receive is not that
which will make the most of him,
in fitting him for the serious work
of life. but, what is most objection
able is the environment These
young men are young men OF wealth.
They have simply to spend money.
They worship society, term that
means much that is perverse In
human nature. Unless young man
INDUCES in the society fads and func-
tions, he is cipher and counts for
nought in these colleges. and Is not
recognised by the college cult. The
course OF study requires three years,
one year shorter than Is required In
our best American colleges. They
are not up to date in scientific equip
ment. They do not give science
the Importance which is recognized
in the western world They devote
their energies to Latin. Greek. mathe
matics and philosophy, much as they
did centuries ago. 1t requires about
three hundred pounds per year to
take a student through comfortably.
the sum granted with the Rhodes
scholarships. The land on which
oxford is built belongs. am inform
ed. TO these colleges. is part OF
their endowment and leased on long
leases, even the railroad depot and
right Of way.
While at London. ! made side
trip to Tring Park. one of the es-
tates of Lord R0thschilds. l arose
at an early hour and set out at
seven o'clock for the railroad sta
tion. l had never been In that part
of the city and did not know the
way. There was dense London
fog over the city, SO thick ! could
not see further than across the
street. / had been given directions
the night before, but l could only fol-
low them by frequent inquiry The
fog did not rise until after nine
O'Clock, and did not clear away until
one or two hours later. rode the
distance, about thirty miles, to Tring
Park without a view OF the beautiful
country through which was passing
This was a great disappointment to
me. for l love to see the country !
travel through, hence. I always Sit
near the windows and generally trave
on slow trains. as they stop at the
local stations and give one much
better opportunity to study and learn
the country and towns. Besides,
one travelling on the local trains
meets the local people and learns
much from them Of the things Of in
terest in the country, as well as
has an opportunity to study the peo-
PIE themselves.
rrins Park surrounds the little.
old fashioned village Of Tring. which
IL about two miles from the rail-
road station. A beautiful road leads
from the station to the village, pass
ing three or four quaint old houses