THE HESPERIAN.
In round numbers, fifteen thousand specimens have been ad
ded, many of them being noted and rare. Together with the
private herbarium of the Professor and the old collection be
longing to the University, they make an entire number of
twenty thousand specimens at the command of the student.
The recent additions are as follows:
Flowering Plants
Vasey's collection 2000
fhirtiss' Florida Plants 6
Curtiss' Florida Woods 150
Nordlingcr's Woods of the World 800
Parry's Western Plants 1000
Mosses
Austin's Mosses of N. A. 352
Austin's Supp. to same 100
Liverworts
Austin's Liverworts of N. A. 150
G&R Liverworts of Europe 660
Lichens
Massalongo's Lichens of Italy 360
S&F Lichens of Scandinavia 240
Fungi
Thueman's Herb. Econ. Fungi 700
Thueman's Myc. Universalis 2300
Linhart's Hungarian Fungi 400
Austin's Miscellaneous Fungi 130
Algae (Seaweeds)
Algae of Germany 339
Areschoug's Algae of Scandinavia 400
Rebenhorst's Algae of the World 2600
Le Jolies' Algae of Cherbourg 280
W&N Fresh-water Algae 700
Averills Collection of Algae 428
4600
452
810
600
355
sey is enough to send home the conviction that the Univeristy
is wedded to Science at least.
4747
14759
The work room is probably the most interesting place in the
whole building. Shiny brass microscopes peer out of the
cases where they stand in rows awaiting the pleasure of the
student, and mysterious cases, drawers and bottles are there
in profusion, ready to receive the homage of the scientific dev
otee. There are six Bausch&Lomb and fifteen Beck micro
scopes for the exclusive use of classes. They are plain instru
ments, but are very well made and fitted with attachments that
will enable as fine work to be done, up to a certain point, as
with the most expensive and complicated apparatus. The
cost of these twenty-one microscopes was six hundred dollars.
There are over two dozen Beck dissecting microscopes for the
use of the students, thirty-six Coddington lenses, section cutter,
turn-table, staining fluids, reagents, and in fact everything
needed for the most advanced work in this department. The
king of all apparatus yet received by the University, however,
is the large Binocular microscope, manufactured to ordet by
the famous maker, Beck, of London. Its cost was in the
neighborhood of $1500. It is perhaps the best instrument in
the west with the exception of a similar one at Michigan Uni
versity. It is simply complete. Every refinement that can
be given an instrument can be seen in this one, and the most
advanced work requires nothing better. A small fortune is
represented in the attachments alone. An attempt to describe
the power of the instrument or the many uses to which it can
be put would end in failure, and we must be content with a
single expression of wonder at its completeness. To be appre
ciated it must be seen. A visit to the rooms of Professor Bes
The general tone of the reports from the Blair Educational
Bill indicate that it will fail in the House of Representatives
A large majority of the House committee on education are
said to be opposed to it. The argument against it seems to
be that it places a premium on ignorance and, moreover, it is
urged that the general government has no constitutional right
to give aid to education, a queer statement in view of the fact
of government aid already given. The only tenable argument
of this kind must go back to first principles and deny the right
of the state to educate all. It is a perplexing question, the
amount appropriated is large and it may be well to await the
maturing of public opinion. A delay of a year or two will be
wise if by such delay a conclusion more just can be reached.
The Hesperian seems to have periodical spells of feeing
bad about the order in the library. Lest it grow lean from
continuous worrying we take time to explain matters. The
order is about the same as it always has been and always will
be until the library is no longer a rendezvous for students of
all ages, sizes, sexes, conditions, etc. If wc had some one
posted at the entrance door with a bowie knife and six-shooter
to. keep out all but those so rabid for knowledge as to look
neither to the right nor the left, we might keep order. But
as it is, the whole herd rushes in upon us. And as they arc
a human herd they are wont to behave accordingly. Social
instincts come to the surface. Nature's laws will work in spite
of us. Of course you will say that the noisy ones should be
put out, but practically, it is very hard to tell where -to draw
the line. Do away with the reading room and admit only
those who actually need to refer to books in the library, then
you will have an orderly room. But practically you canno
have perfect quiet in a room full of all kinds of students.
The plea for English in our schools, given by Prof. W. H.
Skinner, of David City, before the State Teachers' Associa
tion was little short of eloquent and those who heard it can
scarcely fail to have a stronger enthusiasm and respect for
their own tongue than they will commonly get by ordinary
classic study. The condemnation of technical grammar and
the way it has usurped the place of language itself was espe
cially suggestive to those who know from their own study
something of the force and beauty of the language of Shak
speare's age, when men learned to use language by a study
of the masters, not by using a grammar. But two thoughts
were still more prominent; that we should make all language
study tend to one great principal end, the ability to use lan
guage in the expression of our thoughts, and that when we
learn to read it does not mean that wc aie to learn to recite,
but that we learn to extract from the printed page the thoughts
of the writer. If this be the ideal, how futile has much of
the teaching of reading been that we have undergone. It es
especially becomes university students to think of these things
for on their ability to read in the truest sense of the word their
Ability and success as scholars depends.
Owing to various and indescribable repairs to the steam
heating apparatus the steam has been shut off and our office
left in semi-polar frigidity for several days during the last week
and, as a consequence, the promise as to the time of issue,
made in another column, is not fulfilled. The delay gives us
an opportunity, however, to lay before our readers some
thoughts from the speakers who have addressed the State
Teachers' Association. The addres of F. A. Fitzpatrick on