fund left to the University by its founder consisted for the most part of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stock, and when about ten years ago the railroad ceased to pay dividends. on its stock, the income of the University was cut off. Twice the citizens of Baltimore raised liberal sums to pay the expenses of the University; but this was only temporary relief, and at length, in 1898, the Legislature voted to give the University the sum of fifty thousand dollars a year for two years. Thus Maryland followed the example

of so many of her sister States in giving aid to the great University within her borders.

Older Institutions.

A much older institution is St. John's College, at Annapolis, which was chartered in 1785 and began its work in 1789. The older King William's School was merged in it at the time of its foundation. Three years earlier, in 1782, near Chestertown, on the Eastern Shore, was founded Washington College, and these two colleges together were to constitute the University of Maryland. This University existed in

name until 1805, when the State discontinued its regular grants to the two colleges. The old charter was never repealed, but the University simply died out. The two separate colleges still flourished, however, and have since

received aid from the State. There is also the present University of Maryland, chartered by the State Legislature in 1807, and consisting of schools of law and medicine, in which many of the foremost lawyers and

physicians of the State have received their professional education.

The Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, dating from 1825, owes its foundation to John H. B. Latrobe, who first suggested the idea of forming a mechanics' institute in Baltimore. The Institute was incorporated in 1850, and work on the present

building was begun in 1851. Besides its use for exhibitions and lectures, the building has been the scene of some notable events. Receptions were given there to Kossuth in 1851, and to George Peabody in 1857; the body of Dr. Kane, the Arctic explorer, lay there in state; and the first embassy from Japan to this country was received

chere in 1860. The hall has been several times used for national conventions of different political parties. An important part of the work of the Maryland Institute is its art school, in which are taught drawing, painting, modeling, and sculpture. The number of pupils attending the school is nearly a thousand.

Maryland has the honor of having founded the second agricultural college in America. In 1856 the Legis

lature passed an Act establishing the Maryland Agricultural College, where practical farming is taught and Other Schools agricultural experiments are made. The Coland Colleges lege is situated on a farm of over four hundred in the State. acres in Prince George's County. There are also in the State Mount St. Mary's College, at Emmitsburg, founded in 1808; St. Charles' College, in Howard

County, founded in 1830 by Charles Carroll, of Carrollton; Frederick College, at Frederick, chartered in 1830; New Windsor College, in Carroll County, established in 1843; Loyola College, at Baltimore, founded in 1852; Rock Hill College, near Ellicott City, chartered in 1865; Western Maryland College, at Westminster, organized in 1867; The Woman's College of Baltimore, chartered in 1885; Morgan College, at Baltimore, first organized in 1866, and chartered in 1890; and also a number of theological seminaries and professional schools.*

The Public

School System.

Throughout the State are many other schools of high standing; but especially to be mentioned is the excellent system of public schools, ranging from the primary and grammar schools to the Baltimore City College and the State Normal School. The first permanent fund for the support of free schools in the State was appropriated in the year 1812, and four years later nine School Commissioners were appointed for each county to distribute this fund and supervise the schools. But the present public school system dates from 1825, in which year the "Primary School Bill" was passed. In the same year the Legislature passed an Act giving the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore authority to establish public schools in that city, and in 1828 a board of commissioners of public schools was appointed. On September 21, 1829, the first public school in Baltimore was opened in the basement of the Presbyterian Church, on Eutaw between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets. It was in charge of William H. Coffin, who was the first public school teacher in Baltimore. One

* See the "History of Education in Maryland," by Bernard C. Steiner.