New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-22

aPPOINIfENlt IT INN OF hLt' ~ ram "'E'' NJ
Cooover, the Street Commissioner. y-steresy made
the following appointments:
Syre,fntnd~nt Of Rr1rs and Srpp'ies-John n Keyvsr
Svp,irrderi@ Street Irsrop, seats James '" Baker
cc.,,ar, Ckrk-wlI.m Aos.
Ttn C's-k-J.mes u. Pollock
S>evrG Bo0kkeeJer-John Gown
CAMP MxzrIsc.-The African NJ. f.. Zion Church
Of this city intend holding their camp meeting this
year in DR.. Parmees Wool, near Port Washington,
N j., commencing On Wednesday next, the 26th inst
COLUMBIA CoLLEGE.-The obiterstiOn Of IN old
Landmark very naturally produces a disposition to
inquire into it, history. With the death Of noticeable
men comes the publishing Of biographies. In this
way would we account for the lingering steps Of many
who now pas along the new block on Park place, and
for their distracted looks upon the excavations be-
ing made on the site Of the old Columbia College build.
ings.
The FIRST beginnings of Columbia College were in
the vestry room of the school-bouse belonging 10
Trinity Church, where in July, 1854, DR.. Samuel
johnson Of Connecticut commenced the instruction of
a class of students He had been invited to become
the President of the proposed institution, but did not
absolutely accept of the Presidency until Oct 81 54.
at which time the charter creating Kings College was
granted by the Home Government, and it was enpow-
clay. Church and Murray streets and College place,
which had been previously destined by the Trinity
| Church Vestry as a site for the College edhce.
The first positive movement that led to this estab'
lishment was an act Of Assembly passed December,
l746. which authorized the raising of moneys by
public lottery, "for the encouragement of learning
!" and toward the founding Of college," 10 Novem-
her 1851, these moneys thus raised were vested in
Trustees. of whom more than half were ofthe Church
of England, or vestIymen Of Trinity Church.
popular apprehension lest this disposition OF the funds
and the liberal proposition of Trinity Church were but
an introduction Of church establishment within tho
province, caused such violent opposition, however,
to the plan that was two years later before the
! Trustees began to cast abou. for President
The erection Of the buildings just torn down was com
mepeed in l755 and there is now in the new College
Chapel in Forty Dnh street the corner stone bearing
that az its date Of being laid together with other par
tcuars of the foundation, in Latin, and rudely cut
| The occupation Of The new edfice not until May,
| 1850.
| In 1907, under the government Of Sir Henry Moore,
grant of "A 900 of land the northern parts OF
the province was obtained for the College, but this
was annued upon the erection Of Vermont into sep
arate State. During this year. medical s,hool
was established in the institution which was not dis.
| continued until 1913.
An account written by President Cooper, who sue
ceeded DIR. johnson in l763, contains the following
paragraph:
hundred and fifty from the bank of tho Hudson Rive,
stands extensive and beautiful prospect of the opPO
site shore and ceunt, Of Jersey the City and island Sf
ts islands the Nsrow forming the mouth Of the harbor etc
And being totally BY any adjacent aud
quarter has the benefit Of agreeable and healthy stu
| alton as possibly be conceived"
During tie Revolutionary war the business of the
| College was entirely suspended, and there were no
eraduations from l776 to about 1882. short time
previous to the breaking up, Alexander Hamilton at
that time junior and is years Of age, addressed the
students and citizens from the stone steps, midway
between the two largest sycamores, on the subject Of
the war, and gave brilliant promise OF his future success
In May, 1884 al the seminaries Of learning in the
Stale of NewYork were by act Of Legislature placed
under the authority Of the Regents Of the University
These Immediately commenced a regulation Of the
College, and among other things changed its name
from Kings to Columbia College. At this time, too
tradition says the old iron CROWN which long 10
the old and is now in the new library, was taken
from the dome of tie cupola, which it graced.
After the war there a very considerable success
sion of Presidents. The portraits of these now adorn
the library but those who able to identify the faces
| are fast passing away. The stranger who nov looks
upon their stern features and antique gowns may well
meraize on the ambiguity Of that distinction which
confounds the Tory Cooper with his or less re-
publican SUCCESSORS.
The additions and alterations TO the buildings, which
brought them to the condition in which they were pre-
vious TO their late demolition, completed id lS-V
| II was then that the wings added. Nine years
| later the Grammar School building which faced on
| Murray street finished ard in 1888 Prof. Charles
Anthem was appointed its rector. In 1886 both courses
of study pursued in the College were much enlarged,
particularly the literary and scientific, for which latter
the Trustees appropriated $4,000 to buy apparatus,
| &C. This literary and scientific course met with 80
little public favor that was discontinued in 1873
For SO long life, therefore, the Of Columbia
College hardly be called an eventual one. Had
not the extension Of trade made its real estate 80 m-
mensey valuable has, there is but little re ason to
suppose that it would either of itself or through the
energetic support of the citizens of York, have
progressed with any greater rapdity the future thsn
il has in the past is real estate alone To have
| been its aid and impulse to Improvement. This was
evident as early 1910, when new amended charter
empowered the College to extend it, leases from u to
g. years; for in view OF this privilege, it, 10 1909,
raised the requisites for entrance and established
new and severer course of discipline and study.
The recent INC vemeDt OF the College and coinciden
extension in all its branches of usefulness has also
grown out Of the late sudden enhancement of the pro-
oucveness of its old estate by the extension of Park
place ard the rise in its uptown property This latter
source Of its wealth is what the Botanic
Gardens. These were proposed and completed by DR..
Hosack at immense expense but he, finding that to
continue to hold them would be his financial ruin, in
dueed the State Legislature to purchase them. The