3 6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tific research if they desire it. But here, again, that curse of our coun- 

 try, mediocrity, is upon us. Our colleges and universities seldom call 

 for first-class men of reputation, and I have even heard the trustee of 

 a well-known college assert that no professor should engage in research 

 because of the time wasted ! I was glad to see, soon after, by the call 

 of a prominent scientist to that college, that the majority of the trus- 

 tees did not agree with him. 



That teaching is important, goes without saying. A successful 

 teacher is to be respected ; but, if he does not lead his scholars to that 

 which is highest, is he not blameworthy ? We are, then, to look to 

 the colleges and universities of the land for most of the work in pure 

 science which is done. Let us therefore examine these latter, and see 

 what the prospect is. 



One, whom perhaps we may here style a practical follower of Rus- 

 kin, has stated that while in this country he was variously designated 

 by the title of captain, colonel, and professor. The story may or may 

 not be true, but we all know enough of the customs of our country- 

 men not to dispute it on general principles. All men are born equal : 

 some men are captains, colonels, and professors, and therefore all men 

 are such. The logic is conclusive ; and the same kind of logic seems 

 to have been applied to our schools, colleges, and universities. I have 

 before me the report of the Commissioner of Education for 1880. Ac- 

 cording to that report, there were three hundred and eighty-nine,* or 

 say, in round numbers, four hundred institutions, calling themselves 

 colleges or universities, in our country ! We may well exclaim that 

 ours is a great country, having more than the whole world besides. 

 The fact is sufficient. The whole earth would hardly support such a 

 number of first-class institutions. The curse of mediocrity must be 

 upon them, to swarm in such numbers. They must be a cloud of mos- 

 quitoes, instead of eagles as they profess. And this becomes evident 

 on further analysis. About one third aspire to the name of univer- 

 sity ; and I note one called by that name which has two professors 

 and eighteen students, and another having three teachers and twelve 

 students ! And these instances are not unique, for the number of small 

 institutions and schools which call themselves universities is very great. 

 It is difficult to decide from the statistics alone the exact standing of 

 these institutions. The extremes are easy to manage. Who can doubt 

 that an institution with over eight hundred students, and a faculty of 

 seventy, is of a higher grade than those above cited having ten or 

 twenty students and two or three in the faculty ? Yet this is not al- 

 ways true ; for I note one institution with over five hundred students 

 which is known to me personally as of the grade of a high-school. 

 The statistics are more or less defective, and it would much weaken 

 the force of my remarks if I went too much into detail. I append the 



* Three hundred and sixty-four reported on, and twenty-five not reported. 



