446 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



shall be men sought by students from everywhere, for sake even of the 

 one man. 



The feeling of democracy is cultivated; and every discouragement 

 possible is thrown in the way of dividing into high and low castes, 

 upper and lower strata, cliques or classes. 



The tuition fee is nominal. The directors wish it understood that 

 while the school gives courses in engineering and the trades which are 

 on an equal footing with other institutions, yet it is not the aim to 

 turn out skilled or practised engineers or mechanics. What is claimed 

 is that the institution can turn out those who are capable of becoming 

 better engineers and mechanics than those who have lesser opportuni- 

 ties, or training not so good. That which only can develop the mature 

 engineer or mechanic is future practical experience. 



Another aim of the institution, already very effective, is the finding 

 of employment to aid indigent students in working their way through. 

 It is not claimed that employment is provided for every student who 

 now applies for it; but that much is being done, and much more will 

 be done in the future. During 1907 over 600 men students applied 

 for employment through the secretary of the schools. Approximately 

 350 positions were offered, and nearly 300 positions were filled by 

 students, making up an aggregate earning capacity of upwards of 

 $25,000. 



The Western University of Pennsylvania is, with one exception 

 (the University of Xashville), the oldest institution of learning west 

 of the Appalachian Mountain ranges. It has an enrollment to-day of 

 somewhat more than 1,100 students; and besides the Department of 

 Astrophysics (of which, more hereafter) there are five main depart- 

 ments, namely: Engineering, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry. 

 The buildings are now scattered; but the plans for the future involve 

 the concentre don of all departments on a new site. The location is 

 most admirable, consisting of 43 acres adjacent to the Carnegie Insti- 

 tute, and the Technical Schools. A race for development seems not 

 unlikely to grow up between this institution and the Technical Schools, 

 both of which seem destined to become strong educational factors. 



It was in the year 1867 that Samuel Pierpont Langley was ap- 

 pointed to the chair of astronomy and physics in the Western Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania; and beginning almost from that time the 

 Allegheny Observatory has held a place among the working observa- 

 tories of the world. The equipment contained only a thirteen-inch 

 equatorial telescope; and necessity, then as always the greatest spur to 

 progress, stimulated Langley's fertile brain for a means of providing 

 his observatory with better apparatus. For some years he labored with 

 the problem of electrical time signals for railroads, in which he was 

 finally successful, introducing the time signals on the Pennsylvania 

 system, and other railroads in the district. Since then observatory 



