The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-12-09

1.-THE opening CT this institution
the firk Of higher learning and tech
nical training in the Nor:hland, is
potent sign Of the times. 1t speaks
progress 1t tells the world that Al
aska is. ching ahead. II procba inns, In
hts name, the fact that agriculture
and ininirg are twin resources of this
rich domain Ii gives denial to the
popular f.6.ion that Alaska is a for
bidding, frozen upheaval OF ice and
snow. n emphasizes the real AL
aska, 1T will be helrful factor in
service to Alaska"
The above quotation is the first
paragraph Of the address delivered
by Gov. Scott c. Bone at the, dedl-
cation of the Alaska Agricultural Col
1ege and School Of Mines September
u, 1922
Now that the College has been
in operation for period of two
months it is interesting to get a
closeup view Of this 'Flatthest North"
institution and see whether or not 1t
Is and will continue to "be a helpful
factor in service to. Alaska
Orcns on Tins
IT must be key in NINA mat people
are pretty much the same in all
SECTORS of our country; the proper
ton OF peysanisss and o!pt imsts
maintains fairly constant ratio:
radicals aud conservatives are limits
between which safe equilibrium is
maintained, and for everyone bent
on tearing down. two or more are
building ,Sp. Conscientious critics
voiced their opinions. which from a
careful survey of the beginnings of
other similar institutions, are found
TO be identical in all material re.
specrs. The date of opening having
been determined, SOME contended IL
would be impossible to open on time;
others were. sure no students would
attend and suill others stoutly main
fafned the Federal endowment OF
$50, 900 would NOT be forthcoming for
the year 1929. All such prophesies
ran the usual and natural course,
met with the usual and natural ac.
eaiAaIrce or rejection were helpful
in measure and are now no more.
Enrolment Begins
On September is, the day of open
ing, six students enrolled 1t so
happened that President Bunnell ex-
pected iu:t abou, that number and
hid ordered textbooks and ssupplies
accordingly. This modest beginning
was due for a hundred per ceat in.
crease, and before the end of the
first month ahere were IL students
enrolled, general science; two
home economies; eight mining engi.
neering, all freshmen; and one agri-
Euialfre. taking senior class work.
One of the most frequent lnquir-
ies Is How do YOU get ont to the
College from Fairbanks?'- Wei, here
lis how it Is done Right here In
the land so many good people in the
States still persist in measuring In
terms OF Eskimo, igloos. polar bear,
d0gstdAans, snow-shoes. and endless
frozen tundra, one gets up in the
morning, eats breakfast. goes to the
depot. buys round trip ticket from
Fairbanks to the college station. a
distance or three miles on the Gov
ernment Railroad lthe charge is 25c),
getx On the electric car "Tanana,"
leaving at $50, and after getting
Off at college" on the campus, walks
a few hundred yards 40 the college
building, hangs up his hat and coat
and goes TO the lecture room or the
labora.iory just the same as do some
several hundred Thousand college
students in the rest Of Uncle Sans
One can return 10 Fairbanks
ON the noon car at 1880. or Oh rEs
ssening car at AIS.
9piendid Building
In this first year the college hasI
pne building. two story frame struc-I
!nre. So by SO feet with concrete
basement IT Is wen arranged for
sandl.ag ahe various kinds OF work
Its heating. electric light
md pumping Plant occupies a por-l