Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/712

 688 WISCONSIN (UNIVERSITY OF) WISE the university, which also received in 1866 the 240,000 acres of land granted to the state by congress in 1862 for the establish- ment o'f an agricultural college. Pursuant to the conditions of the latter grant, the uni- versity was reorganized in 1867. Prior to 1866 the institution had received nothing from the state ; but appropriations have since been made to the amount of $170,000, including $50,000 in 1870 for the erection of " ladies' hall," and $80,000 in 1875 for the construction of " science hall." By the law of 1876 a tax of one tenth of a mill on the total valuation of the state is to be levied annually for the univer- sity, increasing its revenue by about $40,000. In 1875 the university fund amounted to $231,- 256, of which $222,256 was productive; the income from all sources was $42,671. The productive agricultural fund was $236,134, yielding an annual income of $16,207; unpro- ductive, $65,000. The general management of the university is vested in a board of 11 regents, comprising, besides the state super- intendent of public instruction, 10 members appointed for three years by the governor, being one from each congressional district and two for the state at large. The president of the university is chosen by the regents. The system of instruction embraces a college of letters, a college of arts, and a school of law. The college of letters comprises a department of ancient classics with the usual collegiate course of studies, and a department of mod- ern classics, which differs from the preceding chiefly by the substitution of French and Ger- man for Greek. The college of arts embraces the department of general science, with a four years 1 course ; agriculture, four ; civil engi- neering, four ; mining and metallurgy, four ; mechanical engineering, four; and military sci- ence. There are also a sub-freshman course of one year, and a post-graduate course of two years. The studies of the latter are elec- tive. The law school, organized in 1868, af- fords a course of one year. Judges of the supremo court are members of tha faculty. The soldiers' orphan home near Madison has been transferred to the university and sold by the regents. With the proceeds it is de- signed to furnish an astronomical observatory as soon as the necessary funds for its erec- tion shall be secured. Tuition in the university is free to all students from the state. Since 1867 all departments of the university have been open to women. The academic degrees conferred are those of bachelor of arts, of letters, and of science ; and master of arts and letters, and of science. The special and professional degrees comprise those of bache- lor of agriculture, of civil engineering, of mi- ning engineering, and of mechanical engi- neering ; those of civil, of mining, and of me- chanical engineer, which are conferred upon bachelors of civil, of mining, and of mechan- ical engineering ; and that of bachelor of laws. The university grounds comprise about 400 acres, of which 200 constitute the farm of the agricultural department. The institution has a library of 7,000 volumes, and extensive cabinets and apparatus. In 1875-' 6 there were 27 instructors and 345 students. WISCONSIN RIVER, a tributary of the Missis- sippi, in Wisconsin. It rises in Vieux Desert lake on the N. E. border, and has a general S. course to Portage City, whence it flows a little S. of W. to its mouth 4 m. below Prairie du Chien. Its entire length is estimated at 600 m. It is navigable by small steamers to Por- tage City, 200 m. above its mouth. At this point it approaches within 1^ m. of the Fox river, with which it is connected by a canal. WISDOM, Book of, one of the so-called apo- cryphal books of the Old Testament. In the Septuagint the book bears the title Wisdom of Solomon, and many of the early church fathers regarded Solomon as its author. This opinion still prevails in the Roman Catholic church, by which the book is held as canonical. It is regarded by almost all Protestant theologians as the work of an unknown Alexandrian Jew, compiled in Greek, between 145 and 80 B. 0. It consists of three parts: in the first (ch. i. to v.) the author enjoins wisdom to the rulers of the earth, and praises it as a guide to immor- tality ; in the second (ch. vi. to ix.) he shows by what means wisdom may be obtained, and dwells on its essence and blessings ; in the third (ch. x. to xix.) he reviews the effects of wisdom in the history of Israel. A few the- ologians have ascribed these three different parts to three different authors. There are numerous special commentaries on the book, among others by Bauermeister (Gottingen, 1828) and Grimm (Leipsic, 1837). The best edition of it is in Fritsche's Libri Apocryphici Veterit Testamenti (Leipsic, 1871). WISE. I. A S. W. county of Virginia, bor- dering on Kentucky, and drained by several small streams ; area, about 250 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 4,785, of whom 68 were colored. The surface is hilly or mountainous, and the soil fertile. Iron ore and bituminous coal abound. The chief productions in 1870 were 6,844 bushels of wheat, 4,443 of rye, 90,187 of In- dian corn, 17,953 of oats, 9,842 of potatoes, 75,213 Ibs. of butter, 12,482 of wool, and 8,128 of tobacco. There were 779 horses, 1,749 milch cows, 1,981 other cattle, 6,249 sheep, and 6,891 swine. Capital, Wise Court House. II. A N. county of Texas, drained by the West fork of Trinity river; area, about 900 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 3,160, of whom 51 were colored. The surface is undulating, and the soil fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 5,819 bushels of wheat, 26,750 of Indian corn, 12,- 570 of oats, 2,575 of sweet potatoes, 14,860 Ibs. of butter, 1,302 of wool, and 21 bales of cotton. There were 532 horses, 633 milch cows, 10,336 other cattle, 629 sheep, and 3,164 swine. Capital, Decatur. WISE, hanii'l. an American clergyman, born in Portsmouth, England, Jan. 10, 1813. He