The Henson Journals

[76]

Thursday, September 26th, 1912. Minneapolis.

A fine bright day, but cold. After breakfast mine host & I walked into the city. The wide street bordered with trees, & bright strips of turf, behind which the handsome separate houses with their flower gardens made a brave show, moved my admiration. We went to Mr Clark's office, & then I wrote a letter to Beeching. Then we called on President Vincent, a strong–looking man, who speaks with intelligence & distinction. He suggested that England might be declining from a high standard of commercial morality, & America rising from a very low one: & thus the pessimism of the English moralists might be as well justified as the optimism of the American. We talked of schools, & he said that snobbery was more prevalent in the public or state schools than in the private schools which were being conducted on English public school lines.

At 12.15 I lunched with the Civic & Commerce Association, & addressed the members on the Putumayo Atrocities. The large room in the Western Hotel was crowded with several hundreds of men, & many stood in the doorways. There may have been as many as 500 present; the Chairman (Mr Freeman) said there were 700. They listened admirably, & at the end carried unanimously a resolution supporting the efforts of those who in England were labouring to terminate the abominable misgovernment of the Indians. I think the men were really impressed.

[77]

After this we joined Mr Clarke at the Club, and made a call on the Bishop of Minnesota, a rather feeble–looking person, who has been ill. He was easily persuaded to go with us to the Experimental Agricultural Farm connected with the State University. Here we were met by some of the principal teachers, & shown over this extremely important, & successful institution. I was told that during the winter the young farmers come in from their farms, & go through a course of instruction at this institution. I inquired who were found to be the most satisfactory students. It was replied that the Scandinavians were the most industrious & persevering, but the Irish quickest witted. I was much interested in the system of cooperation by which the dairy–farming of Minnesota – more than 60 per cent of it – is carried on. Students come to this Agricultural School from every part of the Union, & even from foreign lands. So great is the demand for instructors in scientific agriculture, that every competent student can count on remunerative employment as soon as his course of training is completed.

Rather fatigued by my exertions, I returned to the house, where I found that my wife had managed the packing: we dined & departed.

Tickets with sleeping compartment from Minneapolis to Philadelphia cost 81.75.

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Issues and controversies: Putumayo