an in its motives, has still to prove itself acceptable among
the engineering groups. Structural engineering, on the contrary,
"belongs." Its work consists of the design and layout of modern steel
structures--this roughly--while the minor branch known as heating and
ventilating engineering, as its name would indicate, deals with the
proper heating and ventilating of buildings, and as a profession is
closely allied with that of structural engineering. Out of these minor
branches come yet other branches, more particularly groups, with each in
the nature of a specialty, such as gas engineering, aircraft
engineering, steam engineering, telephone engineering, and so on.

Students about to enter engineering colleges usually select one or
another of the major branches and then after graduating begin to
specialize. But infrequently Fate has much to do with this
specialization, since after leaving college the average young engineer
will turn to the nearest or most promising vacancy offered him in his
chosen field--a major branch--and in the work eventually become expert
and a specialist. If it be a concern manufacturing steam-turbines, say,
the young engineer in time becomes expert and a specialist in
steam-turbines. So, too, with graduates in mining engineering, in
electrical engineering, in civil engineering, although the opportunities
for specialization in any of these latter branches are not so good as in
the mechanical field. However, entering upon a certain kind of work, the
student usually follows this work to the end of his days, which is
probably what engineering schools expect. All strive to educate only in
the principles of each of the major branches. The rest is up to the
graduate, who is permitted, and generally does, the shaping of his own
career afterward.

It is a feature of our democratic form of government--thanks be! Germany
does--or did--the other thing. Germany made careers for her young men,
instead of young men for careers, with the result that she also made
machines out of them. America is a nation of individualists, which is
what makes America what it is, and our schools and school systems are
responsible.

V

MAKING A CHOICE

About to make a choice among the branches of engineering, the
prospective student, unless he have a decided preference to start with,
finds himself confronted with many difficulties. Engineering is
engineering, whether it be mining or electrical or civil or mechanical