Nobby Cutaway and Sack Suits at Steinberg's Clothing House.
The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journal Circulation In the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the
COURIER COMPANY. For Kansas University Students.
CHAS. LYONS. President. | O. B. TAYLOR. Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF,
ASSOCIATE:
JOHN PRESCOTT          W. R. ARMSTRONG,
F. C. KEYS            NAN, LOVE,
C. E. STREET           H. F. MEAER,
H. F. B. MAER           GIENTE FRÉMAN,
H. F. M. BAER           GEITÉ FR HUNNUCTI
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
EARLE L. SWOPE. | WILL. A. JACKSON,
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
The Kansas Accademy of Science meets in Topeka in its twentieth annual session from Oct. 26 to 28th. During this meeting a great many questions of importance will be discussed. Questions which are and have been puzzling the'minds of Scientific men for the past years. New inventions will be brought before the assembly and new thoughts will be open for debate. Leading scientifics of the State and men of National reputation will also address the meeting. The State University should be well represented not only by her professors but by her scientific students. A cordial invitation has been extended to all interested in the advancement of science.
KANSAS is proud of her crops; she glories in her educational facilities and is elated on looking at her growing manufacturing enterprises. But when she turns her attention toward her great and popular statesman and prominent men all others sink for the time being into oblivion. Senator Ingalls in his speech at the celebration of the constitution closes with the following sentiment on the future progress of the United States. "The next century will witness a growth in glory, wealth and prosperity in this republic which the imagination cannot conceive, and to which the annals of nations afford no precedent or parallel. Perils there may be without, and dangers within, but the rolling drums and the martial tread of the armed hosts that yesterday saluted the flag are an assurance of the determination of the people to make this a government of laws and not of men, and against anarchist, or nihilist or foreign foe, to preserve unimpaired those sacred objects for which the constitution was ordained—union, justice, tranquillity, liberty for ourselves and for our prosperity.
About the first question asked a student by his friends, when they learn of his intention to take a college course is, "what profession do you expect to study for?" Now fully nine-tenths of the students when they enter college have no well defined deas concerning their abilities or
astes in any given direction. Several years of thorough collegiate training are necessary to give the student a broad basis on which to work. He is now enabled to look at the many different phases of life with much more intelligence than before and to tell better in what line his natural abilities can be developed to the best advantage. Although as I have stated, but few have any intelligent or well-defined idea of what they wish to do. Yet very many have pumped at the suggestion of some parent or friend regarding some calling of which they know practically nothing, and after a year or two of college work in which the foundation of a broad and liberal education is neglected for branches pertaining to his supposed profession, when he at last awakens to the fact that he is utterly unsuited to the work in hand that he is so disgusted with himself and his college that he gives up and goes home never to return.
A Plea for the Literary Society by an Outsider.
According to a late decision of the University authorities no literary society can meet save in the day time, and as recitations are conducted at all convenient hours in the day, the rule is in effect a prohibition to literary work.
With due respect to the above authorities, as an outsider, I deem their action arbitrary, unjudicious, and unwise.
It is a course adopted contrary to the custom of like institutions all over our land; and though it may have precedent, such precedent is not founded on the best usage of standard schools. The majority of schools have encouraged such societies, and respected them as valuable adjuncts to regular work. In fact schools generally take pride in having a well constituted literary, and advertise it as one of the inducements for students to enter them. Nor have they in general set arbitrary rules for their conduct or time of meeting, but have left it for the respective members to decide.
And why not meet at night? Other schools have not been known to have suffered much thereby, at least we have heard of no unusual disadvantage arising from such a course.
Trae there may be some drawbacks,but can a good rule be laid aside to accept a worse? No one can doubt the advantage of a good drill in literary work, nor can a school which is alive to its interests afford to cripple one of its valuable organizations in such a maner. In fact no school can complete an education to meet the matter of fact issues of the world without giving the student the advantages of literary work.
Few will deny that evening is a more suitable and convenient time than any other. It is the only time that outsiders can be expected to attend, and that students in general can participate. It affords more ample means for social benefit. It secures more time for extended exercises and it commands an audience without which there is little incentive to lofty debate. ALPHA.
Subscribe for the Courier.
EDITOR COURIER:—I don't suppose you want any advice. Your taste basket is already running over with it and your ears are aching with its sound. However, I don't know anything about running a paper; and on regular principles that act entitles me to give advice on the subject. I've just seen enough of the business to be ignorant of my ignorance. I floundered around in college journalism a little, got tossed onto the board of editors as "local" and when I became too offensive a partisan, was rendered harmless by being made editor-in-chief. The lusty of editor-in-chief on the Courier in those days was to write articles that would mean nothing. My ability in this direction was recognized and I was unanimously elected. If the editor-in-chief wrote of the University or any of its affairs he was trespassing on the local editor's territory. If he mentioned another college paper he got a black eye from the exchange editor. If he referred to some new invention the scientific editor was insulted. If he spoke of the drama, woe unto him! The business manager had the sole prerogative to touch up the plays; his critiques being tempered by the number of dead-head tickets he received. That the editor-in-chief might have no loop-hole through which now and then he might drop a word of sense, a department called "Topics" was to treat on everything the other editors didn't claim. The editor-in-chief had the rest! But this is not what I started to tell you. I see you've started out your reign with the regular announcement that the Courier is run by the students and not by the faculty. That's good. Sometimes its buncombe and sometimes truth. I suppose you mean it for truth. Yet buncombe is valuable capital in a college paper. We started the Courier on it. We announced with a flourish of trumpets and a pot of paint that the Courier had $800 to run a year's campaign and would go it that long though the heavens fell and not a cent of advertising came to our pockets. That was buncombe. As a matter of fact we didn't care a copper about the heavens but we did have a wonderful concern about the advertising. Had not Crew and Abe Levy, and other advertising friends who have proved "standbye," come to the front, the Courier would have sunk out of sight. The whole crowd of Courier stock-holders couldn't have paid for the first issue. But to return. You're going to run the Courier independent of the faculty. Now, be a "leetle keerful." The faculty is a dignified body and dignity always has corns, so tread easy. Why a professor should be dignified or a preacher solemn and gloomy, nobody ever yet found out, for a jolly professor and a sprightly preacher are always popular—possibly because so rare. I have come to the conclusion, however, that professional dignity is an assumed article. My opinion was greatly confirmed the other day by hearing one of my revered professors, who has left the craft, say he was "mighty glad to get out of the ___ business." I leave blank the portion of the quotation that wasn't dignified. Yet as a paper "by the students, of the students, for the students" have a care not to offend professorial dignity, else you will not be a student. Now you want to make this volume of the paper one that will be known to successive generations of students. You can easily do it. There are themes, that, sprung unheralded on the University, would cause astounding sensations; themes which, like diamonds have lain uncovered these many ages. That you may have the full fruition of my thoughts, I divide these subjects into sub-heads as directed to do by Prof. Canfield in preparing orations.
From Our Ex-E. I. C.
LITERARY SOCIETIES.
1st. Literary societies in the University are on the wane. 2d. Fraternities have injured the literary societies. 3d. Value of literary societies to students. 4th. Methods of reviving them.
ATHLETICS.
1st. Neglect of athletics in K. S. U. 2d. Need of gymnasium. 3d. Duty of regents in making appropriations. 4th. Need of greater interest by students.
COURIER.
1st. Subscribe for the Courier.
2d. Pay your subscription.
To these subjects add "College Fraternities" and "The Advantage of Co-Education." Such topics, if but slightly touched, would rock the University to its foundations. While the foundations are undergoing repairs, however, it would be well to touch upon only one of these topics at a time. I commend me to these
East vs. West.
SMITH.
There is a question which has been long discussed in regard to the superiority of eastern colleges over the western institutions. As a matter of course eastern men settle the question in favor of the older schools and a large enough number of wealthy men are to be found in the west who are willing and anxious to send their sons east to attain superior culture, to give much color to the eastern claim.
My experience has been, however, that the western boys are not one whit behind their brothers from New England in education or polish, and if anything, are endowed with more energy, vim and capacity to take hold of work. In the last year I have met a number of eastern graduates and have noticed a feeling among them that a diploma from Yale or Harvard goes a long way towards making a man successful. This opinion is often changed after a few months hard knocking around. I think I may safely say this, no man can depend upon his college education to earn his bread and butter. It won't do it. It will help and that greatly if a young fellow will put his theory into practice, where it can be practically applied and changing it where it cannot be. If a college course has been of benefit at all, it has taught the graduate to think and to work in a quicker, better manner; it has given him his tools for his life work, but those tools need to be sharpened by practical experience.
The question is often asked by students, which is the best practical
course? My answer would now be, any course which gives you culture, refinement, knowledge—any course which teaches you to think.
"Languages are of no practical value." So? Don't let any such sophistry mislead you. Latin, Greek, German, French, all, are of great value in teaching you the structure and derivation of your own language and you are a queer specimen if you can find no pleasure or see no benefit in understanding your own language and literature.
Literature is only good in college as it creates a taste for the pure and admirable types of literary works. If a study of English literature does not do that I think its most ardent admirers must concede that time spent in its study is time lost. If a young man is so absorbed in his chase after wealth that he can find no time for reading or improving himself, he had better turn to a business college.
The same is true of sciences to a large extent. If you want money and care not for refinement let them off with an easy trial.
I think that the lot of the man who can see beauty in every rock or bush or flower is a happy one. He who has the real true learning does not confine his thoughts to the number of dollars in his bank account, he can find delight in art and nature, he can apply enough of his college sciences to his everyday life to make it pleasant and profitable in the pleasure it affords.
There is one branch of study which most students are prone to slip over as "hard." I see now, that it is the most valuable of any. Mathematics, the best and greatest of the exact sciences, should be required of all to a greater degree than now. There is no study which tends to develop the intellectual powers, to clear the mind and make it of value in its operations. Mathematics is the true logic, the best form. He who is a real mathematician must be a logician. Mathematics teaches habits of industry, of exactness, of perseverance, for no one can master the subject without these, and these are of practical value in themselves. Mathematics is as good a discipline for the mind as learning Greek congregations or zoological classifications. I believe and hold that a full course of mathematics, including higher branches, is the most practical course offered in our colleges and that it is indispensible to a man who wishes to be well educated.
In any course I can see no superiority of eastern over western schools except the mere name and reputation of being a graduate of some great University. I could name a number of our graduates who work side by side with eastern men and who do their alma mater no discredit. The education can be obtained in the west just as well as in the east, if the education is wanted at all. Western professors are bright, ambitious and as a rule young. Such men will win. Western students are, as a rule, poorer and more from the farms, not a bad class of students as they usually mean business. So on the whole I think I see why our State Universities are bound soon to equal and excel even, the boasted great Universities of the east. R.E. HENRY.
Co
The proges $4,00 head cook ton—Ex
The D such clea and also the avera
The late but its liters the sane had for
The C paper dc editorial are not used in
The f
nouncec
abolisl
allow t
Base B
The C brilliant pages, i. ments a ales are still woo
The bble brill and goo presses Pharos censors
The to our and u change its mation fré
Near
Univer-
wear
them u
the con-
fashion
The us from theless little p rather what c
We Phare pathie "the feelin, with unwis
Of yet re ly is about Germ partn of su
It Univ
gove
numl
for t
cord
per s
Best Lump Coal. A.J.Griffin, 107 Winthrop and 1003 Mass. Streets.
facto serio Ruslan lace to sall ctain