1880.] DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING. 41 



duties of engineer, contractor, etc. Retaining walls include the methods 

 of obtaining the resistances of various forms of Avails, forces acting upon 

 them, classes of masonry, composition and manufacture of cements, mor- 

 tars, artificial stone, and kindred subjects. The course throughout is shaped 

 to the needs of the engineer after he leaves college, so that he can — as most 

 of them must do — make a living from the close of his college life, and by the 

 aid of the knowledge obtained in his engineering course, rise rapidly in his 

 profession. No study is put in the course because it is in some other civil 

 engineering course, or because it would look Avell when printed in the 

 course of study. But each and every study is put there and taught for the 

 sole benefit oi those most interested, viz.: the students. 



As to methods of teaching, these must vary with the subject and size of 

 classes. The same methods cannot be employed in a class of fifty as can 

 with fifteen, nor with fifteen as can with five. Nor the same with students 

 just commencing the course as with those who have nearly completed it. 

 The equipments of the department are not excelled anywhere in the West, 

 and we consider the course of study, as tested by results, to be one of the 

 best to be found anywhere in the country. The question asked the young- 

 engineer seeking employment is, what can you do'? hence the object of the 

 instruction given is to teach the student to do and to depend on his own 

 r> sources in doing. Nothing is more valuable to a student than to work out 

 in his own way the various problems, and to fiud his ovkji mistakes by com- 

 parison with his fellow student. And this is expecially valuable in engineer- 

 ing, where one never knows in what shape a problem may present itself. 





