The University

A few months ago the Rev. F. T. Browu, now of the Prtsbyterian ohurch in thia city, carne here frora Minnesota to place a sou in the University. ïho followiug extract í'rom a letter written by him to the St. Paul Pioneer is a good response to certain criticisnis which have boen made upon the University : Reading to-day thocloaing article, oditorinl, " Kduoation," in the Atlantic tor January, I am moved to writo to yon about State Uuiversitios, high schools, and the like. ïhat the high schools of a State that has a graded school bystem should adapt their studies so as to prepare graduates for the university, seoms to be self-evident. This is now done in but three States, Michigan, Wisconsin and California. Gov. Davia, in his inaugural reeomnnraded the saine for Minnesota, but his reconimendation was not hoedod. The lack of sueh a connection betweeu the studies of the high school and the univeraity is vory embarrassing to a boy who graduatca at the high school with a yiew of entering the university to take a regular literary course. The grade ia as high here as at N ew Haven, or Princeton, or Cambridge. The St. Paul high school carriea some studies beyond uuiversity demands, but coiuos short in others, notably in Greek and Latin prose composition. Thore is not, probably, any other one thing that would ao surely and rapidly send studenta to your university aa to have the high schools all over tho State feeders to it by such a regulation of their course of studies that a diploma of graduation from a high school would admit to the university without examination, if presented within a year. The strong regular feeders of Ann Arbor University are the high schools of the State. Some of your readers, and notably among theui Governor-elect Pillsbury, know me as a warm friend of your Univer8ity as against denominational col leges in the State. I aided to at least postpone, and I hope defeat permanently, the project to establish a Presbyterian college in Minnesota. Referonce was made, 1 think, in the course of that synodical debate, to " the great State University of Michigan, strong in numbers and wealth, but godless and infidel in character - a warning to the Christians of Minnesota not to trust their State University, but found Christian colleges of their own." The asserted fact was accepted as true. What was said then as to the " godless, infidel character of the University of Michigan," was repeated to me when I thought of removing to Ann Arbor, and by persons who should have known whereof they spoke. The fact I have found to be of directly opposite character. I know of no city of its size in the West, or in tho land, of a more decidedly evangelical character than Ann Arbor. And the character of the University is as decidedly religious. The President, James B. Angelí. LL. D., is not only a most pleasant gentleman, but a devout member of the Congregational Church, and a lay preacher of remarkable power. And of the fifty other professors, not less than thirty-five are members of the different evangelical churches of the city, and nearly all the other fifteen are " devout " attendants of these churches. The sessions are opened every morning with reading the Bible, prayer and singing in the chapel. The Young Meu's Christian Association of the University, is large and active. About one-third of the 6tudents are ohurch members. I should say that religión is as decidedly manifested and honored in the University here as it was in Princeton college when I was a member of it. Ann Arbor is nothing if not a university town. It is as much so as Princeton or Cambridge - more so than New Haven. Fifty-one professors and 1,200 students give a character to the place ; and as mauy of th professors - all in the literary department- are authors, and some of thern of eininence, the "charaoter" is decidedly pleasant. Minnesota hasseveral representatives among the students.