THE HESPERIAN,
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work in the palace. Tt is n sorics of pictures representing Hia
watha's fasting, or the origin of corn. This is made entirely
of corn. Hinwnthn is shown in r. famishing condition; food is
brought to her; soon a smnll sprout shoots up out of the ground
coming from some of the food that was dropped, then maize
is shown in its full size and benuty. All thnt is lncking is n
miniature figure of the corn pnlncc to complete the scries.
This design took first premium.
In the northeast corner may be seen Cleopatra in her Egyp
tian barge together -with other Egyptian scenes. In the back
ground is Moses in the bullrushcs. Bars nrc put up for fenr
the cows that arc in the corn in another part of the palace will
find little Moses before the Egyptian women do. Being made
of corn little Moses would not fare well in the presence of cat
tle. Coming through the rye is very nicely gotten up and is
very illustrative of the familiar song of the same name. The
next booth is a nicely furnished bedroom. This bedroom set
wns offered to nny couple that would allow themselves to be
married in the palace. The writer of this article did not arrive
at the palace in time to compete for the prize. Tnis fnct is
not deplored very much because editors have such fastidious
tastes that the bedroom set offered would in no way compen
sate for taking such n step. The Venetian floral temple is a
thing of beauty. A Venetian portico forms the back and cen
ter. These arc profusely decorated with cut floweis while on
cither side arc articles of Venetian furniture and on all sides
nre more nowcrs making tnc display as luxuriant ns it is
fragrant.
One is then transported by means of the elevator (one
step above another) over the nrchway across the street. On
this side of the street the exhibits arc, if possible, a little more
artistic than they were in the eastern part. One especially
noted for its elegance is Aurora, the goddess of the morn.
This is a large figure of a goddess smiling down upon Morn
ing Side, one of Sioux City's additions. On her left arc the
words "Aurora, the goddess of the morn, smiles down upon
no fairer god than Morning Side." Below her maybe seen
Sioux City's elevated railroad in miniature, running from its
terminus on lower Third street to Morning Side. Near here
arc the cows in the corn instead of the generally conceived
notion of the corn in the cows. Overhead in this part of the
palace southern moss is hung in abundance, presenting a very
picturesque appearance. Looking down upon the lower floor
o.ic may get a good view of the Louisiana exhibit. This, like
all '.he southern exhibits, is good. In the center, extending
almost to the ceiling, is an extremely tall southern tree. This
is covered with long trailing moso presenting, by aid of the
electric lights, a brilliant effect. At the head of the stairs arc
two pictures representing the landing of Columbus. Near by
is the "maiden all forlorn, that milked the cow with the crum
pscd horn, that ate the fodder made of corn, etc." Going
down stairs and noticing a few more county exhibits one
reaches the entrance and is ready to go out and glad that he
is able to say' he has seen this splendid tribute to the hard
work and originality of Sioux Cityans.
All ttudents should take notice that by recent action of
theTaculty no credits whatever will be given for work taken,
even though completed and closed with a satisfactory exam
ination, unless the student is duly and properly registered.
The authorities are determined that the records of the
institution shall be complete, and shall tell at any time the
true story of the work of the student. The day for carrying
a study without registering for the same, and then "working
the faculty for credit" nfterwards, lias passed. And this is
true even where some member of the faculty may be careless
enough to permit a student to cirry "work when his card docs
not show registration lor such work.
ALUMNI AND FORMER STUDENTS.
To the Alumni Editor of the Hesperian : .
Dkar Sir. Your letter requesting an nrticlc for your
department has been received. I siczc this opportunity of
relieving my mind of a few burdensome ideas.
First, ns far ns I am able to sec, the accredited high
school business, about which so much ndo is made annually
at the university, is largely froth. Yet there seems to be a
sort of a divinity that doth hedge about the shnde of the
lamented 1. J. M. thnt mnkes nn nttnek upon it scorn
almost a sacrilege. The accredited idea is of itself good
enough. But its practical application in this Nineteenth cen
tury, with its magnzine-fed( culture and its tendency to sub
stitute appearances for reality, is not much of a success.
Secondly, as far as I am able to see, the average high
school "professor" is nnimntcd mainly by a desire of display.
He fails to sec that the high school occupies a sphere of its
own and thnt it is not bettered by being made to ape the col
lege. If he would but imitate a university of high standing,
less harm would be done. But he usually conforms his
school to the denominational college with its dry injunctions
in place of ethics and logic wrenching natural theology in
place of philosophy. He institutes high school commence
ments, which, for preparatory schools, arc an anomaly. lie
is responsible for high school oratorical contests which,
equally with college oratorical contests, ought to be sup
pressed by the authorities. He gives high school diplomas
which, for schools that can give bat the rudiments of an edu
cation, are absurd. - As well graduate a child and give him a
diploma when he has learned the multplication table, com
pleted fractions, "finished" literature, "gone through" alge
bra! The culture of the high school teacher is seldom deep
enough to make him abhor posing in the public gaze. To
satisfy his craving for display and for appearing better than
he really is, he has himself called "professor" and lives in a
continued round of blue lights and fizz-bang. To "graduate"
large clnsses and thus magnify his school (and here is where
this bears on the university) he winks at all sorts of incom
petency, lie pats the people on the back by "graduating"
self-conceit and making them think it is self-confidence;
by "graduating" ignorance and making them think it is
scholarship. This is intrinsically bad enough, but its effect
on the pupils by polluting the very springs of true culture is
infinitely worse.
For the reasons implied above I do not think the schools
on the accredited list arc fit to prepare for my alma mater.
With the exception of the one at McCook not one is a strictly
preparatory school. They arc as much rivals of the uni
versity as arc the denominational schools or the business
college. They attempt to give an education complete in
itself. The graduation and the diploma "finish" the pupil'?"
education. If he comes to the university at all, hedoes so
from much the same motives that impel the university gradu
ate to go to Europe. The idea of the university course as
the logical continuation of the high school course is yet
entirely foreign to the state. Again, the men at the head of
the high schools are, in many cases, not' competent. They
do not have the interests of the university at heart. Many
of them have not the culture or attainments requisite. They
all call each other "professor," and look upon their schools
as independent and self sufficient. They rebel at entertain
ing the idea cf being preparatory to anything.
The policy of accrediting everything may fit in well with
the chancellor's policy of doing everything to get students,
Here is where the responsibility of the university in the mut
ter comes in. I should be sorry to think thnt my alma mater
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