JNo. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 185 



the men in the rural regions accordingly should see clearly for 

 themselves that they have not only to take care that their own in- 

 dustry shall be such as to hold and lure and satisfy the ambitious 

 young men and young women of those regions, but they have it also 

 in charge to see that these young men and young women are raised 

 to a degree of intelligence that will enable them to compete with 

 the most intelligent classes of the great cities where every oppor- 

 tunity is spread broadcast before them. 



It is from that point of view that I welcome, not in any perfunctory 

 words, but with the sincere expression of my heart, this great and 

 representative body. I call it a great body; it is a sifted body. You 

 have come from various parts of this great Commonwealth, the 

 queen of all the commonwealths in the Union. You have come here 

 selected by various processes of choice, until this morning you repre- 

 sent a sifted body, and you are going back to your communities, 1 

 hope, having secured some new light, some fresh inspiration and 

 some higher purpose, because each of us from day to day ought to 

 make substantial progress toward higher advancement in the future. 



The College welcomes you, then, with the most cordial feeling and 

 with the greatest satisfaction, welcomes you to everything here; 

 welcomes you to it because it is yours and not ours. The College 

 regards itself as the charter of a great public interest supported by 

 the State, cherished and nurtured by the labors, prayers and tears 

 and the constant faith of many good men and good women. 



We have just begun the erection, to meet our growing needs, 

 of a large hall, which is to be a dormitory and dining-hall, and v,^here 

 I hope, next year, when you come here, as I trust you may, you will 

 find here conditions that will permit us to entertain you. 



We have named the hall after one of our earliest trustees, one of 

 the original founders of the institution, who stood by it and encour- 

 aged it amidst the most discouraging circumstances. We have called 

 it McAllister Hall. 



Here, on the top of the mountain, on this central plateau, over- 

 looking, as it were, the whole State of Pennsylvania, we hope to per- 

 petuate the names of the men who have done good things and great 

 things for their fellow-men. 



The College will be open to you in all its departments, not only 

 where you hold your own sessions, but everywhere. Many things 

 will naturally lure you away. I understand that the main purpose 

 of this gathering is for business;, and I see that Mr. Martin has, with 

 what seems to m.e great skill, prepared the program in such a way 

 as to have the work of each session fully occupy the time; at the 

 same time we hope you will find opportunity and time to take in 

 some view of our regular daily life. It is going on to-day and will 

 be going on each day. We assemble in the auditorium every morn- 

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