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<sup>†</sup>
President.
O. B. TAYLOR
Secretary
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR-IN-CHEF.
ASSOCIATES:
JOHN PRESCOTT,
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
N. F. HENRY,
C. E. STREET,
L.A. STERBINS,
MILLIE FREEMAN,
GESTIE DE HUNNCUTTI
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.
OURLITERARYSOCIETIES
OUR LITERARY SOCIETIES.
Scarcely a student ever enters the University without having heard something of college literary societies. He has heard of the work that they do, of the opportunities which they offer for practice in debate and public speaking, and of the benefits which may be derived from them, by those who take part in their proceedings. He comes here with a high ideal of a literary society, and if he is at all anxious to become skillful and polished in forensic speaking, he looks forward with joyful anticipation to the advantages which these societies will give him.
But he has formed his ideal after hearing the stories of men, who either attended colleges where the literary societies were promenent factors in college life, or attended K. S. U. when Oread and Orphillian were at the height of their glory. His ideal is made up entirely of the best and most attractive features and has no knowledge of the defects and faults which are often so prominent.
What must be his disappointment, then, when he becomes fully aware of the present deplorable state of things.
For the last three years the literary societies have fallen far short of the ends for which they were instituted. Most of their time has been spent in wrangling over elections, or in contending for positions on the December or June contests. These contentions have been carried so far that it has seemed as if the whole object and purpose of each society has been to carry off the laurels in June and December. These semi-annual contests are good things in the proper place; but they should not be permitted to rise in importance to such a degree as to entirely obscure the higher and nobler aims of the societies.
These mistakes of the past have brought about their only legitimate result. All interest in literary societies has been lost. They have become burdened with debts which they have been unable to dissolve. And finally one has discontinued its meetings altogether, and the other has ceased to hold them with regularity.
We believe that no college should be without good literary societies, properly organized and properly controlled. They can satisfy wants which no other college institution can; wants which, if left unsatisfied, leave the student's mind but comparatively developed.
The Science Club, the Philological, the Pharmaceutical, and the German societies each have their separate fields of work and are excellent in their special lines of research and discussion. But the scope of any one or all of these societies is limited to meet the needs of, or to even be of interest to, all the students. If one is pursuing a course of study in Physics or Pharmacy or Chemistry, he will probably be greatly interested in the proceedings and discussions of the Science Club, and will derive great benefit from them. But another who is studying Political Science or Psychology or English Literature will hardly be as much interested in, or benefitted by, the discussions of the Science Club as if it were a society where political philosophical, or literary subjects were debated.
The students need two good literary societies whose meetings shall be open for the discussion and investigation of all those broader and more general questions, both of the present and the past, which are of interest to and ought to be thoroughly understood by every liberally-educated man. They should be so organized as to offer their advantages to all students who wish to take an active part in them. Their purpose should be strictly literary, and they should in no case become the arenas of political conflicts, for these disturbances, as past experience has proven, tend to disorganize them, and to destroy much of the good which they might accomplish.
There should be two such societies because one cannot long maintain a high standing and produce the best results without a rival to cause it to put forth its best efforts, that it may excel.
If the effort which is now on foot to organize a society for the discussion of current events prove successful, and Orophilian, revivified, again takes up its work in earnest, a want, which is beginning to make itself severely felt, will be satisfied. The tendency has lately been to divide up into numerous small debating clubs. But these, while they may offer great opportunities for improvement to the few who belong to them, cannot reach and benefit the great body of the students. A great many can only be reached by large societies.
Let all the students encourage the two societies which at present seem to be the most promising, and help to organize them so that they shall be of the greatest good to the greatest possible number.
In one of our former issues of this year, an article appeared concerning the different appropriations of our various state institutions. We understand some erroneous statements were made. The Courier is willing at all times to correct any mistakes, and as soon as we can learn the facts in the case, we will willingly publish them to the public. Until then ye honored regents and professors hold thy peace.
They will repay all effort and time spent upon them, and will bring out and develop faculties of the mind which can be properly educated in no other way.
Our Heating System.
Our Heating System. Misfortunes will occur in the best regulated business enterprises and unlooked for and unforeseen events are constantly trying the patience of society.
A great deal of comment is being indulged in by the students concerning the incompletion of our boiler house. Comments unwarranted in any particular by the facts. It is unfortunate that during the inclement weather of the past week that the University has been cold and damp. But to lay the blame on the management of the University, is a gross injustice. On receiving the appropriation to move the boiler house and erection of a more commodious structure, the committee on building and grounds immediately asked for specifications from the proper officer, our State architect. Some delay was experienced in receiving the above specifications. Immediately on receiving, advertisements were made for bids. By the stringent law recently enacted by our State legislature in relation to expenditure of public money, a great deal of care and caution had to be taken in letting the contract. After the specified time of twenty days the contracts were opened and it was found that the lowest bid far exceeded the appropriation allotted us.
New specifications had to be drawn up and new contracts received. This consumed at least thirty days. In the mean time our able superintendent had been sent to inspect the various systems of heating etc., adopted by various public institutions. As soon as the last contract was received work was immediately commenced. Judge Olis, Chas. Gleed and Chancellor Lippincott, members of the committee above referred to have pushed the contractor as much as possible in his work. A great deal of difficulty was experienced in securing workmen; a great drain having been made on the city of Lawrence and vicinity by the large number of buildings under construction in the larger and more progressive cities throughout the State. The contract called for the completion of the work by the middle of October and under the ordinary condition of weather no fire would have been needed before the latter part of October as has been the case on previous years.
One thing however is absolutely necessary, that is that the library should be opened to the students during the present circumstances. This would enable them to procure reference books for special subjects and would be of great advantage to them.
It will be seen by the above that circumstances, not mismanagement has been the cause of the delay. Mr. Crocker, the superintendent, informs us that fires for heating purposes can be built by a week from next Monday, under the present conditions. We therefore hope that our students will bear with the present condition of affairs. Of course it is aggravating to be deprived of recitations and the comforts of usually attending our University, but what can't be helped must be borne, so take your medicine and keep thy peace.
Colleges in Kansas.
With the over production of any commodity or product, a decrease in price and value inevitably follows unless restrained by some foreign factor. This, if we mistake not, is an economic fact and principle and this fact holds true also in regard to the over production, the reckless, unheeding, improvident and imprudent building and establishing of inferior colleges throughout our State. Kansas, ever progressive in all things tending toward the good of humanity, has permitted its ambition to overcome its good judgment until to-day we have within our border sixty-two institutions claiming to be a college or University. The supply already far exceeds the demand and yet there seems to be no decrease in this unwarranted and unnatural growth. Every denomination must establish a school. Every city must "boom" its town by the endowing of a so-called college. This is a detriment to the attainment of a higher education, it is a deterioration to all schools and colleges of standing in the community.
The idea of the establishment of seven colleges in one town, all claiming equal advantages and lauding the standard of their curriculum, is absurd. And yet this is the number claimed by one of our western cities.
Even if that city or denomination desiring to establish a college, can endow that institution sufficiently to bring it up to the standard of a University, which very few are able to do, it must first find a location or community able to support such an institution. There are three requisites for the establishing of a first class college or University; a large endowment, good professors and a large number of students sufficiently advanced to pursue a course in higher education.
If colleges of the same denomination are sufficiently separated from one another and have a large endowment they will in all probability succeed. In the State of Kansas there are not 100 students belonging to the two higher collegiate classes and yet we have our sixty-two colleges. Prof. Chas. F. Smith in the Atlantic Monthly says, "The greatest evil in education just now is the fact that we have so many colleges and Universities. Any one who will study the question carefully will come to the conclusion that in the United States culture is in the inverse ratio to the number of colleges. Where you find the largest number of "colleges" you will find the fewest fitting schools and the lowest state of what we call higher education."
The following is a statement of the condition of affairs at the University which Chancellor Lippuncott so kindly offers to the public:
EDITOR COURIER:—DEAR SIR:— Many inquiries are made very naturally by students and friends of the University as to the progress of the work upon our new boiler house and the cause of the delay. Your own personal inquiry as to the facts in the case leads me, with your permission, to make a statement in the COURIER that shall give, first, the reasons for the delayed work and secondly, the
probable time when the new steam apparatus will be ready to be put in operation.
The bill making appropriation of $16,000 for "removal and enlargement of boiler house and for boilers and steam heating apparatus" was passed in March. These funds were not available until the first of July. The new regents came into office according to law the first day of April. The regular annual meeting of the board for organization, etc., is "the second Tuesday in April,"—this year the 12th. In order that there might be no needless delay in this work a special meeting of the board was called about the first of April. The first business that received attention after organization was the erection of a boiler house. An architect was at once employed and required to prepare plans and specifications upon which to call for bids upon the work. The whole matter was then placed, with proper limitations, in the hands of a building committee consisting of A. G. Otis, J. A. Lippincott and C. S. Gleed. When the plans and specifications were ready the committee advertised for bids as required by law. Meanwhile the most careful inquiry had determined with a very near approximation the cost of boilers, fronts, grates, steam pipe, etc. The committee met at the earliest possible day and opened the bids for boiler house and stack. It was then found that the money appropriated, $16,000, which must be made to cover the entire expense, would not allow the acceptance of the bids as offered. There was nothing to do under the law but to reject these bids, modify the plans for the boiler house and advertise again. But for this delay, plainly unavoidable, the steam apparatus would have been ready for the fires in ample time for the cold storm which is now
Mr. Schneider, who contracted to build the boiler house and smoke stack, claims and with evident justice, that the work has gone slowly on account of the difficulty in Lawrence of securing the services of good mechanics. Still, he is under bonds to finish his work within a certain stipulated time. It may be well, however, to remember that it is not necessary to wait for the completion of the boiler house or even the smoke stack in order to build a fire. The smoke stack at its present height will carry enough fire to warm the buildings sufficiently for any weather we are likely to have in October. The builders and fronts are now in place and a part of the steam and return pipe. But little more work, comparatively is required to connect with the steam pipe and radiators in the buildings.
It is, of course, a matter of great regret that there should be any interruption of University work; yet it may be well to remember that the cold storm is very unusual. Last year we made no fire until October 5. There is generally little need of steam in October. It will undoubtedly be warm enough to resume all our class work within a few days at most. Mr. Crocker, who has charge of the steam fitting and the setting of the boilers assures us that he will be able to build the fires, if necessary one week from next Monday, October 10. I am sincerely yours,
J. A. LIPPINCOTT.
6
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