The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1916-07-14


day than any other boy in college
Rather a remarkable statement for a college
president to make concerning college student
yet hardly remarkable than the institution
which the student is NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. col
lege Carlinville III.
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 same lines. It's aim is to train
young be not only scientific, but practical
farmers, intoxicating in them at the time
love of the soil, and to make of girls and young
women practical housewives, who will be able to
cook and sew, and to take care of "A home Also.
and this is where the unique feature comes in 1t is
conducted upon plan of sef-help, whereby young
and women of the most limited means are af-
forded an opportunity avail themselves of a
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 at Blackburn have
been placed mt 500 and three hours work per
day at some sort of manual labor. This pays for
a furnished with steam heat and electric
light, board and tuition.
The first thing one is likely to say hearing
this is, "It's too cheap; it can't be done" That
exactly what the college trustees said when,
after calling DIR. William NJ. Hudson the presi-
dency, they listened to his revolutionary scheme
for rejuvenatng Blackburn.
But Doctor Hudson had some convincing figures
out of his past experience. He optimistic and
persistent. SO finally the trustees agreed they
might well try it for n year. at may blow
up" they said but better that than rottng down.
At any rate, an explosion will attract more atten-
ton
1t nearing the hour when l reached
the little group of college buildings nesting in a
grove of fine old elm and oak trees the outskirts
of Carlinville, and the president suggested that
would better down and see the girls getting
dinner.
Here something new. In the present age
when the average college girl spends goodly por
tion of her time in social amenities and athletics
the idea of students preparing their meals
decidedly novel, Yet there they We're, dozen
of them, in school dresses covered with long
white aprons, busly engaged in preparing a menu
which had been written blackboard in the
kitchen-a kitchen. by the way, immaculate
the most eXacting housewife could desire.
This combination of earning and learning is
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
tice in the kitchen. They do all the cooking with
the exception of certain amount of help from
some Of the young men 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 We're
served every day.
Certainly" replied Doctor Hudson. Its not a
visitors menu by any means. We didn't know you
we're coming. and If had we would have gone
along just the same"
''And the cost?" inquired.
For answer Doctor Hudson beckoned to 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
quarter of a cent. not even Omitting such small
things the -four in the gravy and the salt in the
potatoes, and repeated my query.
1.-The cost per capita for the Materials, said
Miss Sparks ''was fraction under eight cents !"
By 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
fuel consumed in the range, amount SO small
that it could hardly be figured out as SO much per