The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899, February 01, 1895, Page 11, Image 11

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THE HESPEKIAN
11
eral hours, Prof. Fosler was found in an un
expected room without a class. "Well," he
said, "the German department can only lay
claim to being the second largest department
in the Uni. The English department holds
first place, and ought to move out into the
campus. I am carrying 27 hours work;
Prof. Burnett carries 22, and another assis
tant 20. This mt'kes 66 hours per week of
teaching German. While there is only one
third year class now, next year there will
have to be more, and there is not a spot to
put them. It will then be simply a case of
necessity to have more room and more as
sistants. For three years I have had no
room of my own. I have been obliged to
move into the garret, and next time will
have to move up the flag pole. The ap
proaches to my room are enough; the room
is right under the roof and is smoky and
dingy. Even the janitor objects to coming
up there, because it is 108 stairs to the top.
It is an awful climb for students when they
come from another building, but at 11
o'clock, when I hold my class up there,
there is not another room vacant in the
building. Every day 1 teach in four rooms
and have no home at all."
To look at the pleasant face of Prof. Bar
bour one would think his work was in the
most prosperous condition. Consequently
the reporter hesitated to ask him if he was
being inconvenienced by the crush, and was
greatly surprised that because he had heard
none of the others say anything about it, he
was considering himself the only one crowd
ed, and had therefore kept still. "Why,"
he said, "my geology class recites in the
same room where Latin, mathematics, zoolo
gy, and something else, are taught every day.
No charts or figures can be put on the board
to last over a day or none can be put on at
night, because the next man has to use it.
We had an order from the east for some
charts, and I was delayed in getting the
charts ready for two days, because I could
not have the use of my room. Ten per cent
of the students are in the geological depart
ment, and there are laboratory arrangements
for eight. By crowding tables together and
letting them come in at odd hours, I have
managed to get along. I expect soon to
turn my other two rooms into laboratories
and pen myself into a space eight feet square.
I haven't room to put boxes when they come
in from the west. They have to staud in
the hall, and I can only open one box at a
time. With such crowding good work cannot
be done. I cannot accept gifts to the Univer
sity because the museum is not large enough,
and is not fitted up for valuable collections.
One set was sent here from New York, val
ued at 30,000, but as the building was not
considered altogether safe and as there were
no suitable arrangements, they were sent on
to the Methodist College at Colorado Springs.
These are very serious drawbacks, for very
few colleges receive 30,000 collections, and
often a loan of this kind is a gift. If I were
writing this up I should put it in red ink,
with an anarchist flag at the bottom. As I
cannot, I shall continue to set traps for fat
legislatorc by putting the desks in the mu
seum as close as possible."
THE UNIVERSITY A NECESSITY.
I do not recall where 1 once read a sen
tence to this effect: "People have had, and
will alwayB have, as much liberty as they de
serve. " I think that history, perhaps, would
confirm this statement. Another fact is at
least equally true: "Government (meaning
power, vested and installed) need never fear
a revolt of ignorance;" I care not if -that
government be tyrannous and brutal. When,
however, a cause can enlist the brain and
heart of such men as Patrick Henry, John
Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin, Ham
ilton, Washington, Mirabeau. Danton, La
fayette, Cromwell, let government beware.
It must recede or succumb. Why? Be
cause ignorance is imbecile; knowledge is
power.
I do not say that knowledge itself creates