Mat

The language of this letter is so stilted and mechanical that it comes as no surprise to us to read the final words, which confirm that these opinions on professional training come from the advice of others whose wisdom he has sought. Miller McKim had no fortune to leave his children, and he puzzled over how to improve the prospects of his underachieving son. The profession of engineering, he had heard, could advance a youth quickly. Especially given the opening of the American West, mining engineering seemed the best ticket of all. Charlie had never shown much inclination for science, but pressure was now placed on him to go to the best American college and to enroll in the program with direct employment prospects.