1111
Nobby Cutaway and Sack Suits at Steinberg's Clothing House.
The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journa Circulation in the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the COURIER COMPANY
For Kansas University Students.
CHAS. LYON$_{s}$
President. |
O. B. TAYLOR,
Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR-IN-CREW
ASSOCIATES.
JOHN PRESCOTT,
F. C. KEYS,
L. A. STERHANS,
L. A. STEHENS,
F. H. M. BEAR,
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
NAN, LOVE,
LILLIE FREMAN,
GERTE D'HUNICUTTI
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
EARLE L. SWOFE. [WILL A. JACKSON,
From the Press of P. T. FOLKY
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
OUR CONTESTS
Why so few contestants in the Oratorical Association? This is the question which greet us on every hand, but of five hundred students only four have the energy, grit and ability to write an oration. Did I say ability? This term is not applicable in this place. It is not on account of the lack of ability which caused the vast majority of students to shun a contest. It is not on account of a deficiency in English that the average student dismisses the thought of entering the contest with a sigh. It is on account of the lack of oratorical training. It is on account of the neglect of our faculty or regents to furnish the student with a Professor of Elocution; it is on account of the blindness of some one who abolished chapel rhetoricals, where the student obtained at least a little training in this direction, placed nothing in its stead and consequently one of the most important of all studies, in a broad and liberal education, the ability to express fluently one's thought, is entirely removed from the curriculum. Probably no other University or college in this country considers this branch of training of so little consequence as to entirely ignore it.
On looking over the catalogue we find that next year the Senior class will engage in the study of theoretical execution. Of course the theoretical leads to the practical, but the limited time allowed for this study in even this late stage of a student's course is of so short duration that the practical teaching must of necessity be ignored.
A man of ability should also be procured to take entire charge of this study. The professors of English have not the time nor have they made enough of a specialty of the subject to give the attention it deserves. The University is too large an institution, has too great a reputation, is to progressive to be so negligent in this respect.
Ad Astra Per Aspera.
BY A K. S. U. GRADUATE.
It was in the Fall of 1879 I think that I found myself at Lincoln, Nebraska with only seven dollars in my pocket and a determination to go to Lawrence in time for the opening of the Fall term of college.
I boarded a freight train and paid a breakman one dollar and twenty-five cents for a ride of seventy-five miles; I then paid three dollars and fifty cents, the regular rate to Atchison. There, after getting dinner. I walked to Leavenworth, reaching there after dark very tired, and hungry.
I wanted to save my money so as to have a little left when I reached Lawrence. Accordingly I got a cheap supper, and hunted up a clean box car and lay down in the corner of it and was soon sleeping the sleep of the innocent and tired. Before long, however, I was awakened by a friendly voice that told me that if the "cops" caught me sleeping there, they would arrest me, as there was a city ordinance against sleeping in cars.
Being but partially awake from a sound sleep I could not think what was best to do.
It was a pleasant night, and I had much rather sleep out of doors, than take a cheap bed, where I would probably have too many bed-follows. A good hotel would cost too much money, and I was too tired to walk out into the country.
In the innocence of my heart I thought that if I went to a policeman and explained matters to him, he would let me sleep out of doors unmolested.
After hunting around awhile, I found a policeman and explained my wishes. He said I might sleep at police head-quarters. I asked him if they published the names of those sleeping there as "vagrants." That question seemed to arouse his suspicions, and after watching me a little while—making me feel very uneasy—he grabbed me by the shoulder, and struck me on the head with his fist, and said he would take care of me over night.
He would not allow a word of explanation but marched me to the cooler and locked me in.
By the time I was behind the iron door I was thoroughly awake. I slept no more that night.
The first two or three hours I was in a raging fury. Every time any of the officers came into the hall, I demanded why I was locked up. I wondered how a writ of habeas corpus was served, and demanded of one of the officers that I be granted a trial at once. He said I would have a trial Monday morning. Then, for the first time, I realized that it was Saturday night, and I would have to be in jail over Sunday.
I tried to get them to send word to one of the ministers of the city, hoping thereby to get out in some way at once. The officers refused to take word for me to anybody.
Towards morning I got cooled down a little and tried to summon strength to take it philosophically.
I thought of Bunyan and John Brown and all of the good men that I had ever heard of that had been in jail. But the comfort was taken away when I thought that they had suffered for a principle, while I was paying for my stupidity in ever going near a policeman.
The only solace I found, was in watching a couple of "darkies" sing and dance that, were locked up for vagrancy. If I could only have taken my confinement as good-naturedly as they did it would have been a relief to me.
Besides the two darkies and myself there were two soldiers (drunk); a middle-aged man who looked like a hardened criminal; and "sport"—a young man with fine clothes and perfumed handkerchief—arrested in a house of ill-fame. The darkies were by far the most agreeable company of the lot to me.
In the morning a new thought struck me—there would be some Sunday services at the jail, and I could then have an opportunity to send word to somebody outside.
They told me that usually some minister or some women, came Sunday afternoon, and held services there. How I longed for the hour to come.
The day dragged slowly by, but no friendly face appeared. The fat Dutchman that furnished meals to the pri-oners made a clear profit on me that day. I asked him to take word for me to some minister of the town, but he only laughed at me, and said that I was trying to play innocent. At last it grew dark again, and then I knew that I was in for it another night anyway. I climbed to the upper bunk, as near to the grated window as I could get, and weariness overcome my wrath and I slept.
In the morning we were all marched in for trial. All day Sunday I had planned my defense—how I would accuse the policeman of drunkenness (for he was too full to walk straight) and demand of the judge why none of them would take a message for me to the outside world—ask how they could take up a man for vagrancy who had money enough in his pocket to pay his lodging etc. etc. I was going to create a sensation in court, by accusing the officer who arrested me—I threatening to prosecute him for damages. But when Monday morning came a reaction had set in, and I felt anything but brave.
I thought of the hoaxing I would be sure to get at college if the matter was once found out. I concluded that if the judge would quietly dismiss the case I would, and I'd count my experience there as a bit of political education worth as much perhaps as a lesson in Greek.
I followed the good counsel of the judge and walked over to Lawrence on Monday, and the next day Tuesday was serving as special police at Bismark Fair.
The affair attracted no attention, and I was glad of it, for I felt more ashamed than angry after it was over; I will here take leave of my kind listeners, and will only add that I have been preaching the gospel of peace for several years; I tell this story at the request of some of my old friends.
When my case was called, and I had given my explanation the judge was inclined to doubt my word; but when I described Professor Canfield, and gave some of his peculiarities, he was convinced that I was a University student, and dismissed me with the advice—rather unnecessary—that I go directly to Lawrence, and not try to sleep in box cars again.
LIBRARY
A large part of the work in the department of History and Political Science consists in research outside of the text book adopted for the class. This is undoubtedly the best method of studying such subjects. It is less inclined to give a student narrow and one-sided views of leading events and prominent men in History, because he is required to read the opinions of different men upon them. In this way points may be fully investigated which could not be brought out in any other way. To the proper discussion of principles such as are laid down in Political Economy, International Law, and in fact, in most of the branches which properly come under what is called Political Science, this method is absolutely necessary. Every author who treats any one of these subjects has his own peculiar views, which it is the purpose of his volume to bring out in the most attractive form possible. If the student should read only one writer upon such a subject he could not gain a broad conception of it, nor would the ideas which he formed therefrom be unprejudiced ones. It is necessary that he be familiar with several views or theories, in order that he may see the fallacies and doubtful points in each and be able to avoid them in the idea which he forms for himself and for his future use.
It is in view of these facts, in part at least, that the present method of studying these branches has been adopted. We recognize it as a very admirable and efficient method, and the best one that could be chosen. But there are at present some obstacles which prevent its being carried out to its full extent and reaching its greatest efficiency. Among these is one which confronts the student at the outset. This is the lack of books in the library. Not that there is not a sufficient variety of works on given subjects, but there are not copies enough of each work. There are some treatises by which almost every student in the department of History and Political Science is obliged to constantly refer. But of each of these works there is only one copy, and when one student is using that, all others are shut out from its use. Thus it often happens that one is unable to obtain the book he wishes for several days. This cannot but hinder him, and impede the work of the department. The only remedy for this trouble is to have more books in the library. We hope that the Regents will consider the matter
and apply the remedy as quickly as possible. If they should do so, they would greatly facilitate the work in one of the best departments of the University.
ANOTHER COLLEGE.
The Presbyterians have determined to establish another college in Kansas. The fact was announced to the Topeka Board of Trade a short time ago, and that body was asked to "put in its bid for the college" for Topeka. We have not heard of any action of the Board upon the matter yet, but presume that they will take the usual steps to obtain its location at the capital.
The Presbyterians already have at least one college (so-called) in Kansas, and though their zealous desire to assist in the thorough education of the rising generation is very laudable in itself, it is hard to see why they should wish to establish another college in this State, where they already have one which ranks very little higher than a preparatory school. Would it not be better for them to put more energy and money into the school which they have already established and try to bring it up to a respectable standard, than to establish a new college in a state already over-crowded with weak institutions of the kind? Or if they must, in their zealous desire to disseminate learning, establish a new institution instead of invigorating an old one, why not establish a preparatory school and call it a preparatory school or academy instead of a college. The academy truly has a mission, and an honorable and important one. Then why could the denominations not better establish a good academy and thus prepare the way for the existing colleges to raise their standard of work, than to leave this place unoccupied and establish another poor college, which can only tend to lower the standard of higher education throughout the State?
The reason the Courier did not appear on time last week was that some of the pencil pushers did not arrive till the middle of the week, and thus failed to get their "copy" in on time. To those concerned friends that were so anxious last week about our welfare, and who thought that possibly the Courier was dead, we will say that she still lives, and is likely to enjoy a proper existence for years to come.
Prof. Canfield has invited the city and county assessor to be present during the recitation of the class in Political Economy in order that they may ask such questions of importance as they may wish concerning the topic, "Taxes," which is at present under consideration. The introduction of men well acquainted with the practical side of the question of taxes is of great benefit to the student and the unpracticability of the present system becomes very apparent.
E. L. Ackley was one of the committee appointed from the Young Men's Republican Club to present ex-Governor Anthony with a pair of gold spectacles, he having lost his on a recent visit to this city.
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