Evening star., 1909-08-19
IS NO LONGER TOUGH
Laramie, Wyo., Is Now an
Educational Center.
STATE UNIVERSITY THERE
Has IN Exceptionally Good Agri-
cultural College.
WORK OF DIR. ADEN NELSON
He Is Preparing q Field Botany Of
the Rocky Mountain
Region.
OF DIR. ADEN NELSON

By WILLIAM 4. CURTIS.
Special Corrsspcudebse Of TIE Star aud the
Chicago Record Herald.
LARAMIE, Wyo., August 10, 1909.
The name Laramie suggests "a tough
town. such as It was for many years i'll
early times when the Union Pacific rail-
road was building. 1t is also associated
with Bill Nye and his newspaper, the
Boomerang. which Is still published. He
started IL in 1852 in a barn which was
burned several years ago. modern
building now occupies the Site
Nye got tuberculosis, went to Fort Col
lins, Col, for his health. then removed
east and never came back. He sold his
paper 10 Mr.. W. f. Chaplin, afterward
editor OF the Laramie Republican. and
now register of the land office at Chey-
enne The present owner o. the Boomer
ang; n. Z. Cotheli, is a democratic leader
and lawyer of this city.
The famous Forty Liars Club, which
Hiil Nye founded. is still In existence. and
several OF the charter members survive.
Edward Root, who was associated with
Eye, Is dead. Chauncey. his brother. Is
a prosperous merchant and a soiid citt-
zen.
also recall the Cowboy Bishop the
Right Reverend Mr.. Talbot, who pre-
sided over this diocese for several years,
but was translated to western Pennsyi-
vania several years ago: bishop IaIpol
wore the garb of the cowboy when he was
ION the traii'' visiting the ranches and
the mining towns Of his diocese, where
he vas great favorite and always
welcome guest. He Is splendid horse
man. knows all the customs of and habits
- hN v,la ms
parts ever had so much influence with the
tough and reckless element as ne. he
appears as one of the characters In "Ihe
Virginian." Lin Mclean" and several
other novels, and he once wrote book
describing many of his experiences under
the title Of MY People OF the Plains"
Hanging "Bad Men"
The oldest inhabitant viii still persist
in pointing out the telegraph poles where
tile vigilantes used to hang the bad
men, who wouldn't behave and wouldn't
be run out Of town. just as the antigua
rians show you the place where the
witches were burned on Boston Common;
hut those "reminiscences are losing their
interest, for Laramie is becoming an ed-
ucational center-the place to which the
young men and women of Wyoming VINO
yersity, which was founded here in 1888.
is the youngest Of all such institutions,
as wyoming is one Of the youngest of the
states; but II is q practical school, con-
Quoted by practical men. to train up cit
izens who are to solve the economic
problems Of this practical age.
There are about go students, equally
divided between the sexes. There is a |
and the dean Of the women's department
IL Miss Minna A. Stoner. from Fort
Wayne, Ind, who was educated at Bos-
ten University and came here two years
ago FROM the chair of domestic science at
Ohio State University.
The women students are mostly In the
normal department. preparing to be
school teachers. The majority Of the
men are in the agricultural and engineer
ing departments. Both are emphasizing
irrigation engineering. as that is certain
to be an important profession in this Sec
ton Of the country. Prof.. John 8. Fit
ter. formerly from the Ohio State Uni
from tho Massachusetts, Institute of
Technology, Is In charge Of the mining |
school. and Prof. e. G. Hoeffer. from the
Wisconsin State University, is at the
head Of mechanical engineering.
Agricultural School.
Prof. ]. d. Towar, from the Michigan
Agricultural College, and for two years
in Australia, is in charge OF the agricul
tural school, and is assisted by four other
professors. He Is also director of the
United States experiment station, where
he is doing a great work in, demonstrat-
ing the best methods of dry farming and
in breeding new standard grades of sheep
and cattle. Ffof. Towar's sheep }have
been prize winners at every fair they
have visited. His purpose is to obtain an
OF larger size and better fleece than
the present run OF stock. On the Wyom-
inc ranges there Is no shelter and no food
but grass. He uses Haubouillet rams,
,.sl- H.
Wyoming ewes, and has already won
.Teat success. Many of the wool grow
ers OF the state are cooperating with
him.
Upon the experimental farm, which oc-
cupies conspicuous ridge that overlooks
the city. three or four miles away. Prof.
Towsr Is testing seeds and methods of
cultivation. with a particular view TO
t4de. which is from 1000 to 1900 feet,
and the scanty rainfall, which averages
about 13 inches. Fortunately for the
farmers, practically all Of the rain comes
August. and By careful cultivation, by
piowing the land every year and planting
every other year. thus using the moisture
of two years for one crop. they can pro-
wheat, 33.7 bushels of oats, 2s.S3 bushels
of barley. 40 bushels of potatoes, a ton
and quarter Of alfalfa. ton and half
OF timothy hay, and corresponding yield
Prof. Towar illustrated the easy method
Of conserving the rainfall in a striking
way. He dug up shovel full of soil
from land that had been plowed and haY-
roved, and IL was black with moisture A
few feet distant he put his spade into
soil that had not been so cultivated and II
was as dry as ashes.
The Normal School.
The normal school is conducted on the
same lines az In similar institutions else
where. but an experiment in educational
methods has been undertaken in the col
lese Of liberal arts. which is probably
unique and IS likely to attract attention.
Or. Merica. the president of the univer.
sity. was born In Creana, Ohio, was
educated at De Pauv, and has been en-
gagged in educational work at Lawrence
College, Appleton. Wis. whence he
came here two years ago.
TN our college OF liberal arts he
explained, I'VE have no nxed course of
study. but we do not allow students a
free elective. We have certain require
nients and certain standards, and lay out
in addition to them. Individual courses
to suit the needs and tastes and the pur-
pose OF life Of the students. This plan
would be impossible In a large institution.
hut II is entirely practical in small one
like this. ard Is especially important in
colleges where q majority OF the students
are restricted BY limited means to a few
years OF study. Most Of the young men