The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-01-13
WHY BUILD A COLLEGE N THE
NtssT

CThis Is the first Of a series o.
articles intended TO show the wis
dom of adding a college course %
tEe PaEhandla Agricultural Institute
az CoodFeIl. Oklahoma. and making
The school b. abundant approrria-
tion adequate to the cryfng needs OF
this cOuntry.1
The chief business OF a proEres-
sive people is to educate their chill
drel. and we. the citizens of the
Panhandle claim 10 be progressive.
therefore Ee contend that oUr sons
and lighters must be trained
But TO this proposition we are, per-I
haps. all aErezd. The real question
TO be thought out and wisely set
tied is, Gould a college in the Pan
handle best serve .he states7" For
years the closest observers and most
thorough students OF the needs an1
possibilities OF this alert people
have been answering this question
in the Affirmative. The best school
men Of the country who happen 10
be familiar with this great west
are. without exception. Of the same
mind Their voice is a unit in
exclaiming: You stand in real
need OF a great school" To give
this weighty question due cOnsidera-
tion and have the points in its favor
appear as they should. il becomes
Necessary 70 arrange a series Of arti-
cles and proceed with the discussion
in somewhat orderly manner. I
will. therefore. confine the remain
der Of this article to
Its Convenience
At hrst thought one might con
slider the assignment Of convenience
for an argument as unworthy Of
serious consideration But before
jumping to a conclusion Of that
kind will you not kindly ponder the
facts submitted herein-facts which
cannot be set aside by a wave OF
the hand nor disposed OF By
grunt OF disapproval. That a school
building is conveniently situated for
a given family OF children Is one OF
the primary determining factors in
the education Of those children.
Since this is true of a single fam
lily it is also true OF a Panhandle
full of families. We all know that
a business house in the city unwise-
ly located as to convenience is for
ever Handicapped as to patronage. II
stands to reason that since citizens
in the rural district 90 some times
for weeks and even months in need
OF the common necessities OF life.
but refuse TO go 10 the city for
them because the road is long and
rough and the trip expensive. that
they will likewise in many cases
let the school years OF their chill
dren slip by unimproyed because
the school is far away.
| recall having once seen a saloon
that had been built right on a sand
bar in the middle OF the Canadian
river. On one side of the river
was that part OF Oklahoma under
prohibition. while on the other.
whisky was sold by law. Now don't
you believe for a minute that this
keeper on the sand bar was not
doing a land office business. | saw
the thirsty footmen streaming out
Of a thrifty little city on one bank
OF the river. watched then trudge
across the wide sandy river bed and
pour rto this saloon like an army
OF red ants into their den. The
CONVENIENCE Of his place of bust
ness wAs the secret OF the endless
line OF customers.
Take the location OF our Branch
Agricultural school at GoodwelI
with reference to the central and
eastern Oklahoma districts. We are
deprived Of many visits by our
friends of those sections because
they explain that the trip up here
is long and expensive. II this is
sufficient argument when only one
trip is about TO be made from that
portion OF the state to this. what
shall we say when many such trips
from here down east stretching thru
the years of college education con-
'front.' the parent and prospective
pupil. This barrier is lamentably
effective in dissuading from the con
tinuance Of an education in higher
institutions OF learning. Thus the
strength of our youth and the stall
wart citizenship OF which our chill
dren are capable are stopping short
OF fullest development. More on
this division Of the subject will ap-
pear later.
JAS o. DAVIS