OCR Text |
Show a POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. I What Salt Lake City Needs. A poljtachuio institute in t'is city would prove inv.i'cablp. Toe amour; of untrained intelligence and unskilled un-skilled labor to be had can hardly be realized, and the unfortunate feature of the aPair is that heretofore t'lere neB been no apparent prospect for an opportunity of belt-ring the condition uf th'3 laburiun c'aaea or the traies classf?, h g vmg them an opportunity opportu-nity ol iniurrnim: themselves on tleo- rtticul sut-jeiti. Ii we had something after itt cbaia;!aro! a polytechnic inatUutt , 7i bore iu iur tuctiona on topi t-e ol in ten-et to inhering clashes ciuld be bad, the bone tits to be derived would be invdiuabir. Bui it takes money to establish such an institution, and it t k-a t;me for growth, and it needa to be foaiortd. We have from 25,000 lo 80,000 inhabi ai a in this city, wilb a wealth of abor which, by propar direction, could be made to bring in grcit revenue above the amoant now produced. This is only to be done by educating lubor, and Burely wilh the great num hois of tradesmen we have here, aud the number ot young persona leirniog trades, an institution ol tbe k-nd mentioned might be ta-t?d and Butta'med. The evening class now commenced in the Social Ja!l, under the management of Dr. Park, for the instruction of young men in mechanical engineering, engineer-ing, drawing and calculation, is pei-hapa pei-hapa tbe best beginning tbat coald possibly be dtvised J.ir tbe formation of tuch an iuBtituliou as is mentioned above. If ihe class now in existence, and of which Wm. J. Silver is tbe instructor, in-structor, should prove a auocess, other classes, in which instruction in different differ-ent branobes ia to be given, will follow, fol-low, until in the whole range of practical prac-tical sciences there will be zoze but which can be acquired here. The beginning be-ginning is humble, just as it should be, but just contemplate to what a great extent it could be developed. The benefit tbat would follow the growth of this institution cannot be imagined, and wh'la the good would be apparent in all our industries, iu our sciences, and in everything else, it would be a source of increasing weaith, and reflect the greatest credit on the city that f ottered and sustained it. We Bay this in behalf of young men who have never had an opportunity of attending schools eo aa to become acquainted with the higher branches, and who will be compelled to remain in ignorance unless some Buoh institution insti-tution ia opened. Tbe atudy of chemistry, (or instance, ia one with which every person should beoome acquainted to some extent, as it lends power to tho individual, and occupies such a prominent position in all manufacturing, mining and agricultural agricul-tural induBtrieB, that ever eo little knowledge of its principles iB a eource of economy, thereby a Bource of wealth, and lends an intelligence to I tbe work of the laborer, that renders his employment a matter of necessity to hia employers. So it ia with other studies whiob are generally termed higher branches, but which, in reality, are at the foundationof wealth and power. If we go on aB we bave been doing, persons from other localities, who have seen the value of the knowledge of whioh we speak will come here, and as a result of their Buperior knowledge, will take the inialory in matters of value to the manufacturer, and the youth of this oountry will be compelled to work under othera, whereas he might just as well have commanded the position himself. Employers should encourage tbe apprentice to obtain a knowledge of the theoretical part of his business, aB well as the praotical. It is a matter of iuterost to himself that be should do so. He must know that intelligent intelli-gent labor is always preferable, because it ia the more valuable; and he muat also realize that by educating all he can obtain intulligunt labor at the Bame price that he now paya for mere trained muscle. It ia a matter of actual economy, and one in whioh every inhabitant of the community ia interested. In hia endeavors to establish this institution Dr. Park Bhould be Boconded by tvery one; tbe influence of all should be brought to bear to encourage it, and those who render the moBt assistance will be the greatest benefactors. It is not often that an opportunity ol this kind is a fiord ed, and it should be taken bold ot and j puabed ahead. There is co perBOn who has had to force his way through great obstacles in acquiring information, informa-tion, but can realize ths benefit of thia idoa; there in no person possessed . of the knowledge which would here1 be imparted but knows its value, and appreciates the service it would render ren-der to struggling young men; and there is no young man with a proper degree of eolf-respect, who iB fired with a laudable ambition to excel, but feels the need ol thia institution and would be grateful to iIiobb that helped it along and gave him an opportunity to eduoata h:msel( at night and while tbe thoughtless waste their time. |