The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-15


CE1zSI and pillow of land in a
day than any other boy in college"
Rather a remarkable statement fora college
president to make concerning a college student,
yet hardly more remarkable than the institution
which the student is attending Blackburn col
lege at Carlnville, Ill.
Blackburn, a matter of fact, occupies posi-
ton unique among institutions of learning in this
country No other college. perhaps, is conducted
along exactly the lines. Its aim is to train
young men to be not only scientific, but practical
farmers. intoxicating in them at the same time a
love of the soil, and to make or girls and young
women practical housewives who will be able to
cook and sew. and to take of a home. Also.
and this is where the unique feature in, it is
conducted upon plan of sef-help. whereby young
men and women of the most limited means are af-
fOrded opportunity to avail themselves of
standard college education
The plan has been tried only year. but during
this period it has proved successful, literally
knocking the high cost of living all to pieces. that
the great problem next fall will be what to do with
the students.
The charges for the year Blackburn have
been placed at 500, and three hours work per
day at some sort of manual labor This pays for
a furnished with heat and electric
light, board and tuition
The first thing is likely to say hearing
this is, It's too cheap; il can't be done" That
exactly what the college trustees said when
after calling DIR. William NJ. Hudson the pres-
dency, they listened his revolutionary scheme
for rejuvenating Blackburn.
out of his past experience. He was optimistic and
persistent SO finally the trustees agreed they
might well try it for year 1T may blow
up" they said, but better that than rotting down.
At any rate, an explosion will attract more atten-
ton
1t was nearing the hour when l reached
the little group of college buildings nesting in
grove of fine old elm and oak the outskirts
of CarnviIle, and the president suggested that
would better go down and see the girls getting
dinner
Here something In the present age.
when the average college girl spends goodly por-
ton of her time in social amenities and athletics.
the idea of students preparing their own meals
decidedly novel. Yet there they were dozen
of them in school dresses covered with long
white aprons busily engaged in preparing
which had been written blackboard In the
kitchen-a kitchen by the way, as immaculate as
the most exacting housewife could desire.
This combination of earning and learning is one
of the unique features of Doctor HudSOn's plan.
The young women get the theory of domestic
science in the classroom and then put it into prac
tce in the kitchen. They do all the cooking, with
the exception of a certain amount of help from
of the young students. That they also
do it scientifically and well was attested by the
meal that followed little later. This meal con-
sisted of cream of tomato SOUP roast beef, baked
potatoes, creamed celery. bread and butter, tapi
and cake, and there was abundance of each
made bold to ask if dinners like that were
served every day.
Certainly" replied Doctor Hudson. IT'S not a
visitors menu by any means. We didn't know you
were coming. and if had would have gone
along just the same"
"And the cost?" inquired.
For answer Doctor Hudson beckoned Miss
Sparks, the capable head of the domestic science
department, who not only teaches the subject but
plans the various meals and figures down the cost
70 d quarter of cent. emitting such small
things as the flour in the gravy and the salt In the
potatoes. and repeated my query.
.aFhe cost per capita for the materials" said
Miss Sparks. was fraction under eight cents
Bv way of making the lesson more impressive, she
added that the only other expense since the stu
dents do all the cooking and serving. was for the
fral consumed in the range, amount small
that it could hardly be figured out as SO much per