Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-02-16
Fayette, Iowa, Feb. S, 1921
Editors Manchester Democrat:

EQlt0rS manchester Democrat:
To My Delaware County Friends
It is rest, if not relax, to foregt
the sterner duties that prevail in thu
halls Of the college buildings and theil
varied and complex atmospheres ant
get out into the sunshine and gladnes:
of the environmental beauty and sub
Unity that surrounds the campus O.
old Upper Iowa University. Yes, U
Robinson. Her portrait in oil hangs
over my desk as I write. She has ar
open Bible in her hands as though
g she were turning the leaves to fine
some convincing text. She wears :
black gown and a stiff white turned
cap tied with black velvet ribbon be-
meath her firm chin. She is aged ant
her heavy eyebrows are tinged with
white, "snowflakes from the eternal
goodness" as someone has called the
silvering of hair and brow, and her
lips are rather pious and determined
in expression. On either side of heI
portrait are class pictures represent
ing not only the beautifully gowned
and beribboned Seniors and their re-
spective faculty's, but oceans of high
endeavOr and some buried ambitions
Daydreams of youth are long. l no
tice the photographs of Nettie Glare
Lewis and Harry Bradley among these
galaxies of brillints.
These gold and oak framed class
group pictures are on the wall of
the room in which l teach some of
my classes. am quite proud of this
room. 1t is the Alumnus room, it hav-
ing been at one time the assembly
hall and chapel. 1t has eleven large
recessed windows and seven steam
radiators. The ceiling is beautifully
decorated and the walls cheerful
There have been a number of stud
ents from Delaware Co., in attend
ance at this Institution in years past
and Fred Holbert of Greeley is at
present member of the Board of
Trustees. The buildings consist of the
main College Hall, a large three story
building Of white stone; the Library
and Office building, a memorial to
Col. D. B. Henderson,; the Science
building, wherein is a moose and
some other specimens; the Chapel,
the basement of which is occupied by
the Domestic Science and Commercial
Departments; and the new Gymnas-
ium. This latter is in the last stages
of completion and has modern
swimming pool and all other gym,
requisites. There is also a Girls Dor
mitory of brick, three stories in
height. The Campus is inviting both
in the summer and winter with its
many large trees and pines.
The Faculty number over a score
and the enrolment Of students is
creeping toward three hundred. The
Educational as we'll as all depart
ments, has been growing since DR..
Colegrove (Mrs. M. X. Brown and Mrs
Colegrove are cousins) has been presi-
dent. 1t is my privilege to be in
structor in this Department. We now
have an office and three class rooms.
And just now are issuing the first
in absentia" bulletin of the college
so students can avail themselves of
an education wherever they are.
But 1t is not my purpose to desribe
the Institution in detail. Suffice it
to say l have about eighty students
in my classes, that l love every one
or them, that they are faithful and
interested and are learning.
One of the most fascinating of sub
Jects is the great out-of-doors and no
other section of the state furnishes
more varied and interesting material
than that of Northeastern Iowa. 1t
would seem as though a divine breath
or goodness had touched the void and
1ormless depths and left it's impress in
scenic granduer and beauty that man,
representing the highest intelligence
and skill, might be pro-creator for,
and co-worker with his Creator.
Iowa has thus been touched by the
smile of God and her husbandmen toll
and her maidens spin in homes of
peace and plenty, for they hear the
voice that comes from the gilded
peaks, from the hills that shoulder
the sky" and l am prone to believe
that the world is better because
Iowans are in it.
One cannot resist exclaiming, "it is
good to be here!" after having come
IN touch and harmonized himself, at
least to certain extent, with the geo.
logical and botanical data of this beau
tiful spot Of the earth-Iowa earth.
Iowa lies in the vast open plain of
the Mississippi Valley. The soil is
deep and rich, the climate well suited
to the production of both plant and
animal life. It's latitude is between
4O-30 East and 40-30 North There is
a surface slant from 1900 A. T. at
Spirit Lake to AT feet at Keokuk
Southwest of the divide the slope is
toward the Missouri basin and river
The divide itself declines to the south
The divide is not a ridge but a broad |
elevated plain or table-land extending
from northwest to a southeast across
the state. There is a fall from 1900
feet to 900 feet along the western
border formed by the Missouri and
Big Sioux rivers. On the eastern
border the fall of the Mississippi is
l65 feet. The whole state is largely
Of water formation. There are num-
erous small lakes and river valleys
There are evidences of glaciation over
the entire state except that portion
known as the driftless area in the
northeastern part, and which includes
IL Of Alln,,nnlna nd l,.t- Of