students at all hours of the day and evening.
With such a limited time for the reading of
solid literature one soon loses the taste for
it and turns his attention to the destructive
popular novels, and even if he has acquired
a desire for scientific reading it is discouraged
rather than cultivated here.
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THE action taken on our appropriation bill,
by the members of both houses at the
last session of the State Legislature is highly
appreciated by the students at Pennsylvania
State College. Not only did both the House
and Senate committees concur in giving the
amount asked for, but they increased the
amount to a considerable extent, and through
the kindly interest of Senator Reyburne,
chairman of'the Senate committee, a sufficient
sum of money to equip the armory with the
« Sargeant System ” for athletic training, was
included in the bill. For this appreciation of
the necessity of physical culture we will ever
hold the gentlemen who voted “aye” on the
bill in grateful remembrance.
Below is a direct copy of the appropropria
tions as granted :
Al’l’kOl’KlATlONS —18S9,
Foi' repairing mid furnishing the main building, . $12,500
For removing and rebuilding the old bnrn, , . . 6,000
For n building for stenm plant, new boilers, remov
ing old ones, and providing stenm equipment
and electric lighting for new buildings, , . .
For new machineiy and additions to building for
mechanic arts and industries,
For erecting, equipping nnd furnishing n cottage for
the Indies’ department
For nlteintions to the barn on the Experimental
Farm, and erecting a dairy house, . . . .
For a conservatory building on the foundation already
laid
For repairing roads, laying out nnd grading new
ones, nnd grading grounds around new build-
THE FREE LANCE.
For two residences for l’rofcssors,
For additions to the library nnd for apparatus nnd
equipment for the departments of Mechanics,
Electricity, Chemistry, Hotnny, Horticulture
and Civil Engineering, #2,000 for ench of the
fiscal years ’Sp-’go, nnd ’yo-Vjl,
For completing improvements authorized by the
legislature but not sufficiently provided for,
For equipping new laboratory building, . . . .
For gymnastic apparatus
THE many expressions of dissatisfaction in
regard to literary society work which
we have heard lately and the non-increase in
membership make the outlook for the future
not at all promising. In some particulars the
societies have attained signal success, but we
must deplore the general lack of enthusiasm
displayed by the members and their consequent
lateness or non-attendance. The ultimate suc
cess of the societies is largely dependent on the
stimulus afforded by large audiences. When
we consider that the audiences, such as they
are, are in a great measure due to the personal
efforts of a few individuals, or to special in
ducements such as music, prizes, ingenious
programmes, etc,, we find good cause for anx
iety. The literary societies should be made
one of the most profitable sources of knowl
edge that life at college offers. We have
heard it remarked by many of our graduates
that they owe as much to their training in
literary society as to any one other advantage
that they enjoyed during their college life.
Our societies have at their disposal almost
every facility for literary culture and social
enjoyment that could be wished for. Of
course the prohibition of dancing throws a
deep shadow over the social part of the even
ing, but we should make the best of these our
“ dark days,” and look forward with a stead
fast hope to the day when the ideas that have
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