ADDRESSES ΤΟ ENGINEERING STUDENTS. EDITED BY PUBLISHED BY WADDELL & HARRINGTON, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. 1911. COPYRIGHT, 1911 BY WADDELL & HARRINGTON. The Schooley Stationery Co. Kansas City, Mo. 158953 A PREFACE. For some time the compilers of this work have been considering the advisability of editing and publishing the papers of which it is composed, although from the very start they were firmly convinced of both its necessity and the great amount of good that it is capable of accomplishing for the engineering profession. Finally, in February, 1911, in order to settle the question, they sent a circular letter to some six hundred and fifty instructors in American and Canadian. engineering schools requesting their opinions, which later proved to be almost unanimously favorable. This letter asked not only each professor's idea concerning the advisability of the publication; but also whether he would use the work as a text book and, if So, how many copies per annum would probably be required for his classes. While the number thus ascertained to be needed was not as great as might have been desired, it was large enough to warrant the Editors in undertaking the work. Just here it is pertinent to mention that the compilation has not by any means been undertaken as a money-making venture-far from it because the Editors have not only done gratis all the work involved in its preparation, but also have themselves paid the cost of typesetting and providing the plates, in order that the book may be sold to engineering students at the actual cost of paper, press-work, binding, and distribution, the latter being reduced to an absolute minimum by cutting out all possible profit thereon. This has permitted of the book being sold to students of engineering, when ordered in large quantities, at seventy-five cents per copy and to the general public in single copies at one dollar. The Editors were guided in this action by the following reasons: First. They want the book not only to be widely read but also to remain permanently for reference in the libraries of those who read it. Second. As the compelling of students to purchase an additional text book is looked upon by some persons to be in the nature of an imposition, it appeared advisable to minimize to the utmost the gravity of such imposition. In preparing the book the Editors have been governed by no sordid nor selfish motives, but solely by their desire to aid the stu dents of engineering and young engineers to make the best of their opportunities for development and progress, and thus eventually to benefit the profession. The Editors were led to the issuing of the book by the recognition of the following facts: "First: Most students who enter technical schools have no adequate idea of the standing of the engineering profession nor of its importance to the world; and the already excessive demands upon the instructor's time make it very difficult for him to impart much information along these lines. "Second: As a rule, mainly because of the excessively large classes that engineering professors have to teach, students are not given sufficient friendly advice concerning how to make the most of their course of instruction, and are not taught how to study to best advantage. "Third: For the same reason, students usually are not taught enough about ethical matters for their guidance both at college and in practical life afterwards. "Fourth: With a few notable exceptions, students generally are not instructed at all adequately in good, sound, forcible, engineering English." The reader will notice that many of the "Addresses" have been prefaced with editorial notes telling in certain cases who the writer is or was, and for what special purpose the address was prepared, besides pointing out and emphasizing a few of its most salient or important features. No apology is needed for this prefacing, because such notes should certainly prove both interesting and valuable. The following quotation from the Editors' before-mentioned circular letter will indicate their object and the methods by which they hope to attain it. "Our desire is to catch the freshmen as they enter, tell them what a great and important profession engineering is, inform them as to what they must do in order to obtain the greatest amount of value from their technical course, rouse their enthusiasm for study and work, develop in them high ideals in respect to ethics and accomplishment, and encourage them effectively to use their utmost endeavor to make themselves a credit to both the college and the engineering profession. "Please note that the book could be used as a text book throughout the entire engineering course, some of the papers applying specially to the completion thereof and to the starting of the engineer's life work. "As the papers of which the book would be composed are written in excellent English, the instructors in that language could employ it to good advantage as a text book or book of reference. We firmly believe in the importance of instructing engineering students in good, modern, engineering English, instead of teaching them mainly from the ancient classical literature." No apology is needed for the omission of portions of certain papers, for the parts thus elided either were not of special interest to students or dealt with matter treated fully elsewhere. Anyone who reads the book from cover to cover (and the Editors earnestly hope that there will be many of its readers who will do so) will undoubtedly find that some points have been discussed by more than one of the writers, thus involving more or less repetition; but this is not objectionable, because such points are generally of great importance, and their reiteration simply adds emphasis to the statements. An agreement of authorities on any subject will tend to convince the reader of the correctness of their opinion and to impress it forcibly on his mind. Occasionally it may be found that the authorities disagree; and in such cases it will be necessary for the reader to form for himself his own opinion. However, on all essential matters the various writers. will generally be found perfectly in accord. The numerous addresses composing this volume are arranged in the order in which the Editors deem they may most advantageously be read by students of engineering. If the book were used as a text, the first eleven addresses might pertain to the work of the freshman year, the next seven to that of the sophomore, the next seven to that of the junior, and the remainder to that of the senior. Such a division is merely suggestive and need not be followed. The earnest freshman student who desires to obtain the greatest possible benefit from his course of instruction and who has ambition to succeed later in the profession and make a name and a position for himself therein, will probably read the book from Preface to Finis, then will begin to study it anew, and will continue to review it during his entire course. If he does so, he cannot fail to be greatly and materially benefited by its perusal and study. In fact, the Editors feel confident that such a use of the book will often eventually prove to be the determining factor between success and failure or mediocrity in the reader's professional career. Recapitulating, the Editors beg to express the hope, and even the conviction, that this compilation of addresses will result to an |