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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1902)
w ' r f 1 ttw T- t --X tMt i v THE DAILY NEBRASKAN. "Jl- U THE DAILY NEBRASKAN k nrippr deroted to the lntarsiti of kht University of Nobra ska. Published nt 184 Nortli llth 8t , by THE HESPERIAN PUB. CO. (Incorporated.) DIRECTOR: J. W Crnbtree, President O. L Towne, -ccrctnry-TrcnMtrcr. J. I. Wyer, T J Hewitt, It W Wnshtnirn A CONSOLIDATION OF The Hcsperlnti, Vol XXXI 'I he Nehrnsknii, XI The Scnrlet and Crcnm, Vol III Sterling II McCnw, R. W. Hnrbor, -Chns I. Inylor) Chnii E Wells J R. T Hill, MnniiKin Hditor KdUor In Chief Iluslncss MnniiRcrs Assistant Editor AuRoclnte Editors, v r Untie. R A McNown. II G Nelson, Wm Cnse, Dun Gutlctien Tha aubsortptlon price of the Daily Nebras Mn U $2 (or the college year with a regular de UTery before ohapel each day. Notice, com aaunlcatlons, and other matter Intended for pub lication, must be handed In at the Nebraskan office before 7 p. m., or mailed to the editor be fore 8 p. m., of the day previous to that day on which they are expected to appear. Bubtcrlptlons may be left at the Nebraskan office, at tho Co.Op., or with Business Manager. Subscribers will confer a favor by roportlnji promptly at this offloe any failure to receive the AlVchanires In advertising matter must be In she office by 8 p. m. on the day previous to that a which they are to appear. Address all communication! to the Daily Ne braakaa, Ui N. llth Bt., Lincoln, Nebraska. Telephone 479. Entered nt the post office nt I.iiicoln, Neb , ns second clnfis mail matter In today's edition of tho Nebraskan, devoted to the Interests of tho oloc trlcal engineering department, It may be fitting to call attention to the re markable success of tho graduates of that department In tho great world of business, as shown by tho s mont presented. A careful lnvestlga tlon shows that practically every former studont of the department who proporly prepared himself, Is now drawing good wages and Is doing work in a responsible position. The conclusion can fairly be drawn from tho data given that there la work along these lines to bo done by all who fit themselves for it. Probauiy there is no other calling in life in which there is better opportunity for advancement afforded to tho ambitious young man. Tho universal success that has fallen to tho lot of tho graduates of the de partment can not but be a criterion of the work done In that department. Wo commend to our readers, and es pecially to those who are contemplat ing a course In electricity, a careful perusal of the matter presented here with. 4 The Young Mnn and the New Force." (Abstract from article by Prof. Francis B. Crocker, In Saturday Ev ening Post.) Speaking of the quick Buccess of electrical engineers, Professor Crocker says: I have personally followed the ca reers of several hundred men who havo entered tho field, and am con vinced that in most instances they have gone ahead more rapidly than would have been possible In any other lino of human effort. Where the men possessed exceptional ability, their -advaneea-have been much nore rapid than that likely to occur in any other pursuit. There are probably two reasons foi this. In the 'first place the business Is so new and has expanded so enor mously that opportunities for promo tion havo been created almost more rapidly than they could be filled. Thus many men have actually been forcoi ahead by circumstances. The other reason Is the fact that oloctriclty Ib n peculiar subject. In its pursuit goner al Intelligence or knowledge 1b not sufficient for pronounced success. A man possessing special tasto for it soon differentiates himself from the others working alongside who may not bo endowed with tho samo advantages. Such a man will forgo ahead of his fellows at a rate that Is absolutely impossible In any other calling in tin. world. Tho successful electrical engineer has more than mero ability. Ho is gifted with a special talent, liko the successful artist or the musician. Electricity is to my mind tho only me chanical pursuit which has "soul." Tho successful electrician is born. Many of the qualities that are his are intanglblo, Just as tho lino musician' qualities are. But there must also bo tangible qualities, certain fixed mental trails. Ho must havo great moutul alertness, the ability to think quickly, to graBp a given situation at once. He must bo of tho analytical turn of mind that is, able to reason from cause to effect, or vice versa. In electricity one thing follows from another with absolute certainty, For example, It Is possible to calculate within a frac tion of a per cent, boforo an electrical machine is built, exactly what it will do. This is impossible in any other branch of mechanics. The idea bo common, that electricity is vague and not capable of being definitely con trolled, arises from tho fact that we do not know what electricity is. But in point of fact, we know as much 01 the ultimate nature of electricity as wo do of gravitation or heat. We know already what are tho laws of both electricity and gravitation, as well as tho results that they produce, and it is very doubtful if our ability to control, measure, and utilize these agencies would be improved even 11 wo understood their exact nature. Tho laws and applications of hydraulics would be Just as definite and success ful even though tho facts were not known that water is composed of two atoms of hydrogen and ono of oxy gen. It is possible that methods of generating electricity may bo ad vanced when its real character is dis covered, but it is not likely that this knowledge will greatly affect the methods of handling and using it. But in tho popular mind tne ab sence of tho ultimato knowledge, has left the impression that electricity Is not only something unknown, but 1111 knowable. Its Bubtlety, extreme ra pidity of action and astonishing achievements make it appear most mysterious and occult in comparison with tho ordinary forms of energy. The experience of the electrical en gineer is supposed to consist of a series of surprises and shocks to his mind as well as to his body. This no tion is not confined to tho ignorant, but is possessed by many educated persons, including non-electrical en gineers. This Idea has sometimes been the cause of actual harm to the prog ress of electrical engineering. The profession' has been considered to be hardly legitimate, thoso who practiced It being regarded as either wizards or charlatans, or a combination of tho two. N Yet, as I have said, there Is hardly another science or profession where f-the conditions are so exactrns-ln elec tricity. Known results are figured out with a decree of accuracy that Is truly amazing. Many of these results are so unique and astonishing that we still regard them with wonder even after we have become familiar with them. Some of tho most striking of these examples are the locating of faults on. aubmarlna cables telephon- lng a thousand miles or more, trans- mitting power over ono hundred miles, sending simultaneously a number of messages on one wire, utilizing the power of Niagara, producing the Roentgen ray, and telegraphing with out wires. Thoso and hundreds of other wonderful feats aro not accom plished by chance, or by groping in the dark. And, great as thoso facts are, new and almost equally startling results aro coming up almost every week, it 1b the first duty of an electrical work er to fall In with rapid advances and radical departures. Therefore, a nee osBary qualification for tho succossful olectrician is an interest in things that are now becauso they are new. Any one with a strong conservative tendency would bo at a disadvantage In tho electrical field. This Is prob ably tho reason why Americans have got along faster thadany other nation in the development and uso of olectric ity. An American prefers a thing that Is now, whereas a foreigner considers newness in itself an objection. The man who is interested in ancient lit erature or in archaology cares little for electricity. This Is a fact I havo observed among my own friends. Thoso who havo gono into olectric ity with tho idea of saving themselves labor havo made a great mistake, be causo electricity requires fully as much application and intensity of pur pose as any other lino of work. Mr. Edison was once asked to advlso a young man how to succeed In electric ity, and his characteristic reply was, "Don't watch tho clock." What he meant was that a time server, ono who simply worka so many hours a day for so much in the way of compensation, would never riso high in the electrical business. Electricity requires that high order of interest which Is tho de votion to art for art's Bake. Edison considers that his own success is due to tho fact that ho tried harder and worked more hours a day than his rlvalB. In regard to physical qualifications, it is, of course, an advantage to have a strong body, but so long as one is sufficiently well to bo able to keep at his work, tho mere possession of physical strength is rather less of on advantage in electrical pursuits than in almost any other. This is due to the fact that It 1b essentially lntelloc tual; it exemplifies the control of mind over niatter. One can control thou sands of horse-power by an electrical push-button. This 1b true In no other branch of industry. Even the control of a steam engine by tho working of a valve requires a certain strength. Given tho inborn qualities I havo mentioned, tho next question is in re gard to the best preparation or train lng to bo followed. Ten or fifteen years ago there were no schools giv ing a course of study In electricity ex cept of a very elementary character. Therefore all thoso who entered the profession at that time were obliged to pick up their knowledge as they went along. At tho present time, how ever, there are many first class Insti tutions all over tho world teaching electrical engineering very thoroughly and giving it a prominent place in their curriculum. The large compa nies, such as the General .Electric and Westlnghouse, In most cases require, and in all cases prefer, that a young man entering their employ should be -agraduate of some electrical courso of study. This is in itself a very Big nificant fact. In engineering departments of the various companies, and in all positions Involving the design, construction, in stallation, and operation of electrical machinery, it would seom that a bc1 ontific and technical knowledge is practically essential. There aro, of course, many prominent examples of self-made electrical men; In fact, as was pointed out, all tho older elec tricians must havo been self-taUght. If we look around on tho younger men, however, wo find with few excep tions thoso coming to the fVont aro graduates of technical schools. The case Is similar to that existing In the relation of West Point to tho army. Almost without exception tho great generals havo been West Point mon, but there are a few Funstons and Mllsos. The bulk of tho army officers have boon, and aro, West Point men, however, and on them we depend. Of course, succoss is a somewhat relative term, and It Is rather hard to say what proportion of men succeed, as success may bo measured in variouB ways. But it is probably fair to say that nearly all electricians make a good living within a year or two after they graduate. It is probably a fact that at least half of tho men make what can be called a substantial suc cess within three or four years after graduation. 1 havo in mind several young men who havo reached prom inent positions, and won a national reputation in their profession, within five yearB after graduating from Co lumbia University. Ono of them is chief electrical engineer in tho Niag ara plant, the largest in tho world. Anothor Is professor of electrical en gineering in a prominent university. Anothor became chief engineer of a well known manufacturing company in less than two years alter gradua tion. Tho large number of startling and valuable inventions that havo beon made in electricity during tho last twenty years have brought many men to tho iront, and they have been hand somely rewarded for their iuuois. lirveii during tho present year several im portant inventions havo been brought out and undoubtedly this will con Unue. But thougn great progress win bo made, It is a fact that many of the fundamental principles have been evolved. However, the application ot electric ity will uudoubteuiy extend even moro rapidly in the future than it has in tho past. In electric railways there will bo constructed not only the pres ent trolley cars for local passengor service, but high speed railways lor long distances between large cities. There is practically no limit to the speed of an electric locomotive, since its armature may rotate at a thousand or more revolutions a minute. With steam, on tho other hand, it has not been found practicable to run a loco motive faster than about three hun dred and fifty revolutions a minute, and, since we are practically limited in the sizo of tho driving wheel, wo can evidently expect no great increase in Bpeed with tho present steam ser vice. An electric railroad between Berlin and Hamburg is now being do signed and constructed, on which it is hoped that the trains will run at a speed of a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Of course, at such high speed there is considerable danger of tho train leaving 'the track, but some posi tive means to avoid this danger wi.i undoubtedly be provided. The transmission and distribution of electrical power to motors In mines, factories, and mills is anothor field which Is nqv being, and will be, rapidly-extended. In fact, it-looks as it practically all mining, metallurgical, chemical, and manufacturing establish ments will bo operated by electricity in the near future. Tho advantages apply to mines of all kinds, iron works, machine shops, cotton, woollen, and other textile mills, chemical works, printing establishments, and almost QYjery Industry in which power- driven machinery is used. The oppor- f' 1 i r5