The New York herald., 1922-08-06
Civil Engineering
AS a Profession

THE YOUNG MAN AND CIVIL
ENGINEERING. BY George Fill
more Swain. The Macmillan Com
pany
"HIS is the third book of a set
of twelve little volumes TO be
published as a vocational
series" The subjects are Obvious,
viz, the professions and callings that
men follow; the list of authors is
nor merely uncommon but actually
eminent Law has been treated by
ex-Gov. Baldwin of Connecticut;
medicine will be written by Prof.
Barker of Johns Hopkins; journal
ism by Chester S. Lord, formerly OF
THE Sun; banking by Mr.. Vanderiip,
and Government service by Chief
Justice. Taft. The choice of Prof.
swain for engineering was fortu-
nate He was professor of civil Ell
gineering for many years at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy, our true university of engineer
ing. When the "Tech" was absorbed
by Harvard Prof. Swain went along.
still professor OF civil engineering, and
he is still there He has done much
| highly important work in actual
prac ice and has served as president
of the American Society OF Civil En-
| gineers, one of the most distin-
guished professional honors that can
/ come To an American engineer.
/ Moreover, he is an experienced
wriier-clear, simple and vigorous.
Many boy now in college or
/ about to enter is wondering what
| he will do when he gets out. Many
boy already in the professional
schools s wondering il he has made
n mistake in his choice. Many
/ father is wondering what his boy is
4 in this vocational series. and those
who are thinking of engineering will
find great help, and some of them
will find comfort, in Prof. Swain's
book, for he describes the profess
sion and it's place in society, the
kind of man who can hope TO succeed
should have.
Tredgold defined engineering as
"the art of directing the great
| sources of power in nature for the
use and convenience of man." Prof.
Swain would define it as a science as
we'll as an art, would Include ma
terials ana would apply these eco
nornically. Possibly Nasmyth's def
milton is enough: Common sense ap-
piled to the use of materials"
To the enterprising and somewhat
imaginative boy the shining deeds
of the engineer appeal and the en-
rollment at our engineering schools
is already prodigious and steadily in
creasing. The supply of those willing
TO direct the great sources of power
in nature to the use and convenience
of man is ample. May they hope to
get a good living in that noble pur-
suit? To this practical question Prof.
Swain gives an interesting chapter
which is summed up in a sentence:
Even Lord Bacon must have recog-
nized in his day that the engineer
was the main factor in making a
nation great and prosperous" He
does not mention our theological
student Perhaps he has forgotten
him, but he points out that the train
ing of an engineer is the best pos
sible training for almost any calling
The engineer must learn to think
straight. He must be honest with
himself. He cannot cheat even at
solitaire. No sophistry, no faith how
ever strong, no eloquence will make
a bridge stand up or a bearing run
cool. Nature attends to that. Could
there be a better training, moral or
Intellectual? OF course there are
quacks and takers among engineers,
| but We do not remember one who
.ss+Sr.ss