2HH 2'he ^li/iericini (rtoloijist. 
November, 1896 
(ji It unites into one harmonious whole the studies that are usually 
classed as undergraduate to those that are called graduate, and 
leads the student to consider them all as a desideratum for his 
work. It broadens his Held of view, inclines him to pursue further 
study, and diminishes his tendency to contract the mcgacephalous 
disease. 
V ITT. Experience in the Use of flw Eleclire Si/stetn af 
Uie Mirhiijan Mining School. 
When 1 assumed the position of director of the Michigan 
Mining Scliool nine years ago the institution was in its in- 
fancy and no systematic course of instruction had been laid 
out. The rigid system usual in engineering schools was the 
only one then available and it was accordingly introduced. 
The rapid development of the school soon pushed this system 
to its ultimate results, namely, the wishes of each member of 
the faculty as to the work he thought should be given in his 
department were gratified. There resulted in consequence an 
engineering course which could be successfully coped with 
only by one exceptionably able both mentally and bodily. 
Every instructor realized that tlie system was crushing un- 
der its own weight, and tliat prompt relief was imperatively 
necessary. When casting about for a solution of the long- 
foreseen dilHculty, the director, among other things, inter- 
viewed each member of the faculty separately as to his views 
on the desirability and practicability of an elective system. 
The concensus of opinion was that such a system, while ad- 
vantageous in a literary institution, presented insurmount- 
able obstacles to its introduction in a technical institution 
like the Michigan Mining School. The director, however, saw 
no other solution to the didiculties then encora])assing the 
course of study, and, notwithstanding the discouraging out- 
look, determined to test the practicability of laying out a suit- 
able scheme; from time to time he consulted each instructor 
as to his wishes in all matters relating to his department. 
After several months' labor the details of the i)lan werelinally 
worked out, obstacles surmounted, conflicting interests har- 
monized, and the completed work submitted to the faculty 
and the board. It was promptly and unanimously adopted 
by both bodies and has proven to be the greatest single ad 
vance the Michigan Mining School has ever made. 
