Albion Again

To the Editor of the Coukif.r: Dear Sir. - I have lately sren in your paper an open letter to Bev. Dr. FUke, President of Albion College, purporting to have been written by au alumnus of the institiuion which is so plainly mxllclous In its spirit, and so utteily misleading in many of its inslnuatioiisand statements, that, fcr the sake of the interest concerned. J tliink oughr not to go unoimllcuJ, or uucontradicted. But befóte I proeeed to notice the mlsrepresentatlons of the article, I want to cali the aUention of your readers to the unmanly method of its author's attack upon the college and lts faeulty. If he has any just critirisms to make why not make tiiein jike a man and sijrn his üwii real name to thein? Is he ashamed of what he does? If not why not do the manly thing and give us liis name? I submlt that it is b'Uli cowardly and unfair for any man to say such contemptnous tliings abont otherx, and then hide himself iway under the cover of a tictitious signature. In this article he undertakes to contradict and refute the President' statement, that the Conservatory of music niakes 110 extra deinands upon the treasury of the college. Does he inean to say that if tlie literary work done by the conservatory studente of the college were ruled out entirely it would nave-monoy to the treasury that is now being paid out beenuse of it? Does he mean to say that the professors of the college proper, are paid extra money becau#e of the work tlity do for these students? If he does he simply States what is not true, and if be does not 'lien his statemnit is without auy iLtiifiuance in the case. He claims also that the cdlege professors are "compelled to devote a larue, peruaps the largor share of their enurjrfe to the Consm vatory studies." How any man in pousessiou of tlie fttCtsln the case coultl make auy tucll statement is a uiystery to to me, and liow he could make il without the faetJ is a still greatcr inystery. It he bad consulted the literary requirements of study in the conservatory courw, lie must havo leen that tiiey prescribe no studies for the department of Latín, Greek, mathematira and astronomy. Ue would al8o have seeu that onlj' three studies are prescribid tor the department of Natural Science, and these would i qulre the organization of no new classes. These live professors, tlien are surely not amoiig ilie nuniber of tliose who are faiiiy , bent down beneatu the extra buiden Imposed upou theui by tliu conservatory ; studonU. Ue goes further aud gives it as a fact that one of the "most dutlnguished memben of the faculty a man of marvelous industry and learning, succumbed to the burdens whloh liad doubled opon his suouldcrs 6ince ttie infloeking of tlie coii6ervatory preprfrations." What does he mSSA&ï:!f''e"coJ?f?1 '.U'J "CI 'ara toilet" Rev. Dr. 'iïopkmsrïoniierii Latiu Lansuafïe and Literatura As to the author's estímate of Dr. Hopkirw, I have nottiing to say in dptraction thereof, but that he succunibeil and resigned because ol the burdens wbieh had doubled upon his shoulders In consequetice of tlie inflockiug of the cooservatory students is plainly false, as uone of the Conservatory studeuts are required to take Latin Agáln he undertakes to contradlct the statement of the president that a majority of the studeuts, catalogued as havinir tlieir residence at Albion, are here, or that their parents are here with them, piimarily for educational purposes. He says that he has been here and "failtd" to learn this as a fact, í too, have been here. I am here now. I have been here for over two years and a half. I have not failed to learn this as a fact. lf he will consult the last catalogue of the collt-gi-, he will lind that of the tweuty in the college proper whose residence is giveu uo ot Albion. twelve of tliem are liere rimanly and prlncipally for educational urposcs, and in all probability never vould have been lieie II it had uot been or tbc college. As to UU unraanly thrust at Professor )iekie, I scarcely knew wliit to gay. II piofessor has a rijfht to '"hold the view' uit the sale of intoxicants oughi to be sallnweil,'1 has lie not the right to say so f hecli'Oies? But the insinualion thal Jrof Dickie spenils inore time n hw mbl'ic advocasy ot proliibition, than he loes In liis woik tis college Professor i 18 base as it is false. He talks a thourli t were the custom of the ProlHMor to pend six nights in the week in leetnriDjl n prohibition, and then Uüiiests tliat there can be but little zest for istronomical work after that. lnstead of six public ectnreson prohibition in a weik, I challeii"ed tle author to name the places whcre the professor hasgiveii sixlectures of the kind iu a whole year. His effort to throw contempt on the work and ment of the conuf rvatory department of the eolle-re will liave but little efivct upou those wlio know it. 'lo assuine that a musical and lileiary cdu catión, such a is provided for in Uw conxervatory course, Is ai insigniticant thinr or eyen a coutetiiptuous tliinjr, U to makê himself ridiculous In the presence of the growlnfi WDtlmuat iu its favor. That the college is bsviug large prosperity can not be denied by any who liaveciindidly investiated the facts in the case. I have not been a disinteresteu spectator of the condition and work o! the college since I have been here. My relations to it are uch that the ainplesl op)ortunity has been ailortleü me hu obtervation. Thatithasalwaysbeenalovc possible ciïlicism no ono will claim fpr a moment but that it is iloinp; splendid work and is liaviug a rapid growth I unqualifledly assert. To indícate Borne ot this growth and proress let me mentlon that wlien I first carne here the museuiii was a must Inilgniflcant aflair. It contained simply a few specimens in niinerology, with scarcely notlilng in natural lnstory. Now there is a museum of considerable extent in both these departments and ulso in others, neutly anaiigi-d in excellent cases, and all In all a museum ot considerable merit. A few years ago, the lnboratory was but a meager aöair, now it it one of considerable diniens-ions, excellently supplied and in whicli at the proper ï.mt, may be seen a most entliusiastic lot ol laboratory students. A lew years ago the libra y was of llttie account. H was only opened on certain days, aud at oertain hours. Now It ibeiiifi constantly iminoved by tlie inl.roduction of uew and valuable bookn, it ir . open eveiy day and all the time, with au ' excellent librarían in constant attenüanee. You may go into it at almost any time 1 and see eager students pouriiig over bomt of ts volumes in pursnit of extra lines ol ' study perseribed by these ropccUve pro ' fessors. The libiaiy is worth live tbnei 1 as much to the college to-Uay as it W ¦ as many yeare ago. And then It is wel knowu llint Prof. Dictie lias successfully canied through a ten thousand dollar observalory e'.terprlse, the building for wbicli is already completed, and the instrmncnts will be put iuto their place in a very few weeks. Tlien too Hiere have been such changea In the courses of study, and such a readjnstment in the relations of study in these courses, as to conimend it to the progression spirit of the age. Aurl heaideS all this. thon haa hoon o rapid increaseiii tuenumberof itsstudents. Theie has been a.i increase of at least tifty per ceut. In both the conservatory and college departuients proper, within th uut two jeais. These thiugs have come within my own observation, and are they not reasoiis tor encourngement? Ünfriendly critics raay atteuipt to deny the college prosperity, but she is having it all the saine. And if her prosperity and progresa in the next ten years shall be at all comparable with that of the last two and a half, you will see right here ut Albion, one of the finest institutiona of learnine in methodisin, and one of which the JMicliiiran nietiiodists may justly feel prouil of. Albion, Micli-, April 18, 13S4.