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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1884)
HESPERIAN STUDENT UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. Vol. XIIL LINCOLN, NEB., NOVEMBER i, 1SS4. No. III. Professor Philip SchatTD, D., in a recent article in the New York Independent, gives many interesting fads concerning Sweden. These were gathered during a day spent in Upsaln, the historical and intellectual center of that country. It is the scat of the first University in Sweden and is, next to Stockholm, ihe most interesting city in that northern" kingdom. The University was founded in 1-177 and wa richly endowed by Gnslavaa Adolphus. It numbers about fifiy professors as many lecturers and tutors and over 1,500 students. The teachers are divided as in Germany into nrdinarv and extraordin ary professors and private lecturers. The students arc grouped into "thirteen nations" corresponding to the dif ferent provinces of Sweden. The student must join one ot these division but is at liberty .to choose. In connec tion with this venerable institution arc rich collections, a botar-ical garden and a chemical laboratory. In the bo tanical lecture room is a marble ttaluc of the famous Linnaeus 3s only one of a number of great men Sweden has given to the world. In chemistry we arc indebted to her for Beizilius, in history for Gyer, in poetry forTegncr and Bellman, in music for Jenny Lind and Nilon. Tiie library of the University contains over 200,000 vol umes and 2,000 M S S. Its greatest treasure however is the "Codex Argentius" -so-called lrom its rich s.lvcr bind ing. It conmins the Moeso Gothic version of the four gospels. It Is written on 188 leaves of reddish parchment in gold and silver letters. It was captured by the Swedes with many other treasures at Prague in the "thirty years war." Among other places of interest to the visitor is the cathedral which was begun in 12t9 and finished in 1435. It contains the tomb of Gustavas Vasa who libera ted Sweden from the political yoke of Denmark aud from the eccV-siaslical yoke of popery. "Old Upsala" which is about three miles from Upsala proper, is noted from the fact that here ate the three Kungshogar or hills of the Kings. These are named after the Scaudinviau gods. '1 hor, Odin and Freyar which have left their impress on the names of three days of the week, Thursday, Wedues. day and Friday. The three northern countries, Norway, Sweden and Finland says Dr. Schaff are thoroughly protestant and reilecl great credit on the influence of the Reforma tion. Among the many distinguished names which ap pear on the pages of Swedieh history none shine forth with a brighter luster than those of Gustavas Vaas who introduced the Reformation and Gustavas Adolphus the hero of the Thirty Years War aud protector of Protestantism. From a lecture receutly delivered in this city by Mi6s Agnes Carey, a returned missionary, we gather souie glimpses of life in Persia as she saw it. The government of Persia is an absolute monarclry. The king has the complete control of the life and proper ty of his subjects. Different offices arc aot bestowed by the king on those best fitted for them, but are given to the highest bidder. Thus the king accumalaics wealth and likewise the inferior officers. The city governor is the man win pays him the largest sum of money. He in turn takes large sums from those who seek inferior offices. Taxes arc levied aciording to the whims of those in power. These arc not used for improvements, or for es tablishing schools. The only roads arc the camel and donkey paths, except one for the king and his retinue wnich extends some twenty miles fnim the capitol. When Missionary work was started in that country there weie no 3chools, asylum prisons or pour houses. "With a population of 10,000,000, the poor were all in the streets. Criminals are put 111 deep pits and punished by flogging and pouring water cm the head. The only food they have is furnished by their friends aud if there is not enr ugh for the keeper and prisoner, the latter must go without. There arc three sects in Persia, Mohammedan, NestarHns and Armenians. The last two are nominal christians. The recognized religion as Mohammedan. It is the religion of the Court. Tnereare Moimons in Per sia as u have them here. The father is absolute lord of the household as long as ho lives. The sons as they many take their wives home. When the father dies the oldest son assumes the lordship. The house consists of one room built of mud with a hole in the center ot the floor for a fire and a hole in tlie roof for the escape of smoke. Their food is placed in one large bowl and all take from it with thier hands first the father and sons and then the mother aud daughters. No tables or chairs are to be seen there; of these they arc wholly ignorant. The lecturer said they had made no advance on the style in which Abraham lived and knew much more of the cus toms than we do. They live as they did in Old Testa ment times The first schools were established by the Missionaries. Mohamedan children are not allowed to en ter them. Only Neslarian and Arnier.an can be brought in. They seem destitute of all practical as well as all book knowledge. Their incredable ignorance of disease was shown by an incident in Miss Carey's experience. As she entered the schoolroom, she noticed a woman with a sick child in her arm and on laying down her shawl it was taken by the mother to wiap around the child, When questioned as to the nature of the disease her re. ply was, 'Oh! It is nothing but the small pox." The peo. pie tiiere are greatly afflicted with sore eyes and a com mou remedy used for this trouble is a combination of the heads of mate, es with brick dust acd tallow. The poverty of the people in the lower classes wai vividly portrayed and one cause assigned was the burdens im posed on the officers. In going from place to place they are often attended by a large retinue of servants numbering sometimes one hundred or more and thej- are supported by the people for weeks together the best they have being claimed by these officers. These with many other descriptions of heathen life show the degradation of a people without christian civilization.
