Year: 1873

We commend to the attention of the
friends of education and Of Vermont in
stitutions the following, from the pen
of M. H. Buckham, one Of the best citi-
zens and best educators in the state
We believe that the colleges of our own
state afford those who seek liberal and
thorough education, just as good an op-
portunity as can be obtained without
the state. AS citizens Of Vermont, we
ought to feel an interest and pride in
the welfare of our own colleges, and by
our patronage and influence, make them
as popular in regard to the number OF
students. as they are in literary merit.


ED.


To the Alunni and other friends of


the University:


This Institution is now in condition
that will justify us asking your aid in
extending its influence and increasing
its patronage It's Faculty is made up
of vigorous men earnestly devoted to
their work its new departments are in
successful operation its number of stu
dents is more than respectable. We are
confident that as thorough, useful and
finished an education can be acquired
here as in any other college, great or
small. What we especially desire of
you, is that you should direct the atten-


tion of young persons in your vicinity or


under your influence, first to the value


of college education.


The notions now generally current in


our communities do not encourage young


persons to set true estimate upon the


higher education. 1t thus becomes the


duty-and it should certainly be one of


the pleasantest duties-of the educated


man, to put this matter before the minds


of the young in its true light Many of


you know from your own experience that


without such encouragement and direc-


tion, but few of them would ever reach


College at ALL Show them that what


commonly passes for a practical educa-


tion," or 'sgood business education,


is in reality no education at all, but a


mere mechanical facility in doing certain


things, leaving the mind unexercised in


the use of its own powers, and unfit to


grapple with the great problems of life


Set forth to the young man the satisfac.


tion of entering upon the work of life
with well-trained powers. Urge upor
his attention the dignity, the public es
TEEN that an education confers, the ave
nues to personal enjoyment it opens, and
above all, the grand work it empowers
one to do for God and for man. This
is theme which claims attention from
the Press, the public Lecture, the pit
This is a subject of vital Importance t.


society at large. Statistics show tina
the number of educated men is proper
5 tionally less than it was thirty year
1 ago. If this decrease continue, evel
though elementary education may be
= come more widely diffused, shallowness
, superfciality, false doctrines of socia
| life, of politics, of religion, such a
I smatterers conceive and only deep think
4 ers can expose, will invade our literatur
and philosophy, and lower the tone Q
4 our moral and political life.


: We ask you next, to show young me
: the feasibility of a college education as re
s CARDS expense, even for the poorest. N
e demonstration can be easier More tha
]. half our students work their own wa
b through college. If a young man ca
t borrow thousand dollars in small sum
# from time to time, insuring his life fo
e the security Of the lender, he can pa
/ the whole within two years after gradr
e ating. But few actually leave Collee
e with larger debt than they can canct
} in one year. Some, by extraordinar
e economy, and by availing themselves
W scholarships and other helps, contrive
r keep almost entirely free from debt
n But such extreme parsimony is not Il
le best economy. Of course your kindne
L to the boy you befriend would be f;
e greater if you could not only show hi
l. the way to College, but help him alon
s. If you could hear the boys talk abo1
in men that helped them, and if genuil
D. gratitude and afectionate remembran
ID are sweet to you, you might, perhaI
a. learn new way of getting enjoyne
IN out of your money. In most cases it
it. better to lend than give money to a st
al dent. But perhaps you have no mea
is to use in this way. Can you not int
II, est in the boys behalf some one who b
ce the means to aid him (?


ey Still farther we ask you to dire
"a young men to the university of Vermo
N. as desirable place in which to purs
of their education. We do not feel like
ia sisting too strongly that Vermont b
he should come here merely because Il
ht is Vermont Institution. We cheerf
'e- ly concede to him the right to go wht
ne he can find the most advantages. Or
Pc let him not be duped by the essentia
he vulgar notion that merit and gentil
fe, increase with distance from home, /
os- be induced, by the persuasion of teat
IL L