710-11
FACE and BATH SPONGES, at RAYMOND & CO.'S.
The Weekly University Courier.
The Largest College Journal Circulation the United States,
Published Every Friday Morning by the COURIER COMPANY For Kansas University Students.
O. B. TAYLOR, President. | DENT. HOOGEBOM, Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
JOHN A. PRESCOTT, EDITOR-IN-CHEIF,
ASSOCIATES:
CHAS. JOHNSON
F. C. KEYS, H.
GRALE, KEILEE
FRED. LIDDEKE,
HARRY BUCKINGHAM
V. L. KELLOGG,
AGNES LOVE,
MARY CAPILLAN,
MAY HAIN,
MARY CHURCHILAM
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
WILL. A. JACKSON, | S. T. GILMORE.
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
Several stalwart sub-freshies have a bad habit of going down the south flight of stairs on a tear, apparently with the intention of making as much noise as possible. For a University student, such conduct is simply outrageous. Perhaps, some day these few boisterous preps, will awaken to a sense of propriety and go from one lecture room to another in the deliberate manner of a gentlemanly student. We don't like to say hard things, but this sportiveness should be stopped. Surely, if these students would for a moment think, they would not be guilty of such gross behavior.
Now the students might not only add to the collection but to its interest. In many of the larger eastern colleges it is customary for the graduating classes to present the classical department with one or
On Professor Wilcox's bulletin board, is a Greek calendar having a quotation from some ancient Greek author for each day of the year. Many students, as well as professors, are very much interested in reading these quotations every day, and some of them are perfect gems. Last Monday some thoughtless youth conceived it to be hugely smart to tear off a whole week's quotations in advance. Just where the smartness comes in is, perhaps, known to the offender, but, surely no one else is likely to appreciate it. Let not this offense be repeated.
The classical department is now in possession of a splendid collection of ancient Greek and Latin statuary. This collection, when once set up in the classical museum, will not only meet a long felt want in the classical course, but will also be of interest to everybody. It is, however, by no means complete. In fact, the collection is but a nucleus of what it ought to be. Additions, of course will be made from time to time, but judging from the chariness of the State Legislature thus far, the collection will not increase very fast.
more pieces of fine statuary, thus leaving very acceptable tokens of their loyalty for their Alma Mater, and increasing tenfold the interest of the students in this line, since around these tokens cluster pleasant associations. This, no doubt, is a new idea here, but it is nevertheless entitled to consideration. Why might not this custom be adopted here? There certainly should be no want of loyal spirit for this institution, nor would the cost be a serious consideration.
Formerly our graduating classes lavished foolish sums, in order to make the exercises of the commencement week imposing. Favorites on the programs were sometimes literally loaded with costly wreathes and bouquettes. This custom, we believe, has been wisely discontinued. But a small fraction of such expenditures would buy one or more fine statues or busts which would form most interesting additions to the museum. Nor need such statuary be for the classical department alone. It would be just as acceptable to the departments of modern languages. We take even a greater interest in the busts of modern authors and other noteworthies, with whom we are better acquainted. Many students expend great sums in fitting up and beautifying fraternity rooms. Alumni make liberal donations to the same effect, and few students are any the wiser for it. And this is all very appropriate. But why not show some such zeal toward the University where many might be benefitted? One would naturally think that the first fruits of loyalty are due to the Alma Mater.
Thomas Brower Peacock has just presented the library with a copy of his new book, "Poems of the Plains and Songs of the Solitudes." It is a neat octavo volume of about three hundred and fifty pages, bound in blue cloth and quite prettily decorated. The frontispiece is an engraving of the author.
The volume opens with a preface containing a short biographical sketch of Mr. Peacock together with critical remarks upon the character of his poems, written by Prof. Thom as Danleigh Suplee, A. M., Ph.D. F. R. S., of New York. Prof. Suplee says: "In form, Mr. Peacock's poetry is not conventional. One of the first and strongest impressions one gets from its perusal, is a certain freedom from the restraint of regulation poetry which is seventywhere apparent. There is relaxation from those cast-iron rules pertaining to metre and now and then to rhyme which grace the concluding pages of text-books of grammar and composition. * * * He is pre-eminently imaginative—a seer of visions, a dreamer of dreams, a creator of pictures, and whether it be vision or dream, or picture, he sees, and dreams, and creates in a way that is singularly imaginative. * * Mr Peacock is essentially romantic and is never more thoroughly inspired than when singing the praises of true woman." We think that this is all true though perhaps not in the
exact sense in which Prof. Suplee meant it.
The "Poems of the Plains and Songs of the Solitudes" is the fourth volume which Mr. Peacook has published. It contains the poems which appeared in his previous books, carefully revised, with a number of later poems which have appeared, from time to time, in the papers but are now for the first time printed in book form.
Mr. Peacock is probably best known, in Kansas at least, by his "Rhyme of the Border War" which was published in 1880. It excited considerable comment at the time on account of its marked peculiarities. It is a Kansas poem by a Kansas author and deserves to be read, whatever its merits may be.
Mr. Peacock resides in Topeka and was for eight years associate editor of the Kansas Democrat.
The matter of the instruction in elocution received in the University has been greatly discussed. The general tenor of the discussion has been to decide that we seriously lack necessary elocutionary training, yet we believe that a wrong conclusion has been arrived at.
The State Normal, at Emporia, maintains a department of elocution, there being employed an instructor whose only duty is to teach those students who come under her care what she can of elocution. The Professor of English and Oratory at Baker University is a professional elocutionist.
We should be exceedingly sorry to see either one of these, or any other instructor in oratory of similar elocutionary stamp, given a chair in our University. Declamation, declamatory speech, we do not care for: and happily, we have no opportunity to perfect ourselves in such foolishness in the University.
But we do want, we do demand the necessary advice which will enable us to write and speak clearly, strongly and even with beauty. That assistance we can get here. Notice the really marked improvement between Stebbins' work at our local contest and his triumph at Baldwin. His improvement is due to the training received during that short time in the University. He has words of highest praise only, for the methods and teachings of his instructor, the Professor in English.
Our record in the State oratorical contests is satisfactory. We have been victorious in three out of five contests. Then, because we have no professional elocutionist teaching us to mouth our words and to scatter ourselves over the rostrum, let us not be troubled; rather have we reason to congratulate ourselves.
Theorists for many years have attempted to invent and bring into use a language that can be understood the world over. The latest attempt is probably the most successful and is attracting no little notice. The inventor, Johsun Schleyer, of Constanz, calls his new language Volapuek, from its own vocabulary: vol, world, and puek, speech. Its advocates claim that a person can converse and correspond in it after a
study of only a few days. The great argument urged in its favor is that it would benefit international trade and communication. The merchant or statesman, instead oflea rning the language of every country with which he has dealings, would only have to study one, and that an easy language. The idea is a beautiful one; but we insist that it is as utterly impracticable now as it always has been and always will be. A language with no nation to cherish and propagate it; with no literature to attract study; with no traditions to interest even the curious, can hardly grow into vigorous life through the efforts of the comparatively few who would find it advantageous.
There is a little book, written recently by the Rev. Josiah Strong; and entitled "Our Country," that every lover of the United States ought to read. The facts brought out there will ensipe him with new love for his land. Building on the facts there proved, one can hardly doubt that the English is destined to be the language of the world and of the future. It is spoken by the two greatest estates of all time—the United States and Great Britain. The English-speaking people rule one-third of the earth's surface. They possess nearly all the inventive genius and enterprise there is in the world. They possess the only lands having room for more population. They are attracting all races to them and assimilating them. They are controlling all the centers of trade and binding together all parts of the earth with their commerce. Already foreigners have recognized the fact, if they wish to be abreast with the civilization, the trade, the enterprise of the world, the first thing to do is to learn the English language; the next, to associate themselves with Anglo-Saxon energy.—University Quarterly.
A great deal of space has, of late, been devoted by college journals to the discussion of the recently invented language, Volapuek. It is a subject of special interest to educational institutions, since its adoption or rejection will depend greatly upon their influence. If it is adopted and an attempt is made at its establishment, they must teach it if it comes into general use. Arguments have been brought forward both in favor of and against it, but the majority of college journals seem inclined to think it impracticable. The above clipping is, in brief, a fair expression of their views upon the subject, and, we think, contains some good ideas.
The great obstacle in the way of an artificial language proving a success is the difficulty of securing its universal adoption. If it is not generally used, it not only totally fails in its object, but even serves to further complicate the difficulty which it is intended to avoid by adding another language, used only by a few, to the already large number in existence. A language cannot be created; it must grow. No people can be forced to adopt a language in a day, or a year. They must grow up with it, and learn to love it as their mother tongue. Now if a single people cannot be brought, within a reasonable length of time, to adopt a language as their own, much less can it, within a few years, be made the language of the world. As the above writer has said, a language, to become widely known and generally
used, must have a fostering nation behind it to propagate it and give it a commanding interest. It will take generations for a few to teach a nation the Volapuek and long years for the nation, after having learned it, to teach the world. If the English language continues to spread with its present rapidity it will become a universal language long before the Volapuek can become a national or even a commercial one.
Prof. Canfield has just placed the library a copy of the official bulletin of the National Teachers' Association. It contains the program and much necessary information relating to the annual meeting of teachers to be held at San Francisco, July 17 to 20. It is a thirty-two page pamphlet, and is by far the neatest bulletin that the Association has ever issued.
To the Editor of The Courier:
We are to have another lecture next Tuesday evening. I am glad to hear it. The public lectures at the University this year have been so few and far between that the students have almost forgotten that we ever had such a thing as a good lecture course.
That the lecture course was dropped, was not, I think, the fault of the faculty. They have always favored its continuance and have put forth earnest efforts to keep it up, even at times contributing from their own salaries to its support. Such contributions were, of course, entirely voluntary and exhibited a generosity on the part of the Faculty which, considering the extremely meagre salaries which the professors recieve, the students have no right to expect. I think too much blame for the discontinuance of the lectures, which we all enjoy so much has been cast upon the Faculty. Had the regents displayed half their zeal for this object we could have long since been enjoying the much desired boon. In their petitions for extra appropriations, I think they have been altogether too modest. If they would a-k for more they would get more. That they have the best interest of the University at heart, I am certain; that they have striven earnestly for its advancement, is evident from the large measure of success which has crowned their efforts. That they have omitted to ask for an appropriation to support a good lecture course is, I believe, because, amid the struggle of the various departments for special attention (which, no doubt, each one of them sadly needs), the importance of such a course and the benefit and advantages which would arise fom it have been over looked.
If this is true, the subject should be given more prominence. If the regents do not realize its importance it should be brought to their attention in a way which will entitle it to serious consideration. Let the students look into this matter and see what can be done. If we are to have a lecture course next year, it is time to begin to agitate the matter.
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