The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-09-09
VASSAR COLLEGE.

tourist looks for but does not always
find, It is situated about mile and a
half from the Poughkeepsie landing
from which it is hidden by intervening
objects. It commands magnificent
sweep of scenery-mountain, valley
and river-and, being finely gardned
and parked, is almost a realization, as
a writer in Forney's Chronicle OBJ
serves, of Tennyson's dream of "The
graduates with golden hair" from
every State in the Union, here pass
through thorough university course,
the studies of which are as severe as
those In the colleges of Harvard and
Yale. The grounds cover an extent of
about 800 acres, includinga lake fed
by springs, where boats are at the dis
posal ofthe students. There are shaded
walks, woodland retreats, which are
favorite spots for study and reading,
and large circular laWntennis and
croquet ground, which is surrounded
by flower garden divided into ten
foot sections for each of the young
ladies who have taste for fioricul-
ture. A floral society has been formed,
and besides the privilege Of using the
flowers for botanical dissection and for
personal adornment, there is quite
rivalry among the members in the
cultivation of the plants. The stud
ents are obliged, as part of the daily
routine, to report at least one hours
excerise, either in rowing gardening,
skating, croquet or gymnastics. The
recitation hours are from 8 in the
morning to 4 in the afternoon, and the
pupils are free to spend the remainder
of the day either in the building or out
Of "a lot inn t,xy far ~
popular In fine weather. Pleasure
boats, manned by young ladies, skim
across the lake with speed that shows
their physical development has not
been neglected with schedule of tho
dietary proves that the "cramming"
process for intellectual Improvement
is not done at the expense of the "inner
man" These delicate creaturet devour
daily (oh, tell it not in GathD $50
pounds of beef, mutton or lamb, or rs
shad for dinner after IT'S pounds of the
best steak for breakfast? They con-
sumo $50 quarts of milk per diem and
100 pounds of butter also two thirds Of
barrel of granulated sugar, pounds
of coffee and s pounds of tea in the
same time? Think of the nerves, like
harps of thousand stringe, that are be-
ing strung for future curtain lectures.
Canned fruits of all sorts are eaten in
enormous quantities, and twice a week
at dinner the fragile dears do away
with 200 quarts of ice-cream. Fari
naceous food abounds. Several varie
ties of bread are always on the table ir
and butter, are always supplied at tea
Winter brings buckwheat, corn ane
rice cakes, and from thirty to fort,
barrels of syrup are used in a year.
In addition to the clasS-rooms, lee
ture-halls, refectories and dormitorie
are school and gallery of art, museums
of natural history, geology, botany ant
other kindred sciences, riding-schOo
and chapel. In the main building
are Students teachers and officers
rooms, a telephone telegraph and post
Office. The library contains 10 ,OOt
works of the highest order of literature
history and science. A marble bust O
Matthew Vassar, also of the first presi
dent of the college, DIR. Raymond
whose widow still resides in the build
ing, adorn the library. In the reading
room may be found the daily papers and
periodicals, including those of Il scien
tific nature. a separate building il
devoted to astronomical science, which
has a revolving dome and contains one
sidereal clock and chronograph
transit instruments, and tho small tele
scopes, with all the necessary apparatus
for astronomical and weather obscrva.
tions and for observing and photography
ing the sun, the museum of natural
history, containing a fine collection OF
minerals, birds, ETC., and many rare
specimens and works on cOnchoiogy,
occupies large building, with the
gallery of art, bowling-alley, gymna-
SUM, and the 40 pianos for tho daily
practice of music-pupils. The students
have, beside the floral society, a phal-
ethan society, and ono of religious
inquiry, of natural history, II fine arts
club, a Shakespeare club, and Others
for mutual Improvement and for social
recreation. Each young lady has Il
room to herself, fitted up with II set O.
oak furniture, and each suite of three
rooms has a common parlor The
students take especial pride in tlecorat
ing their rooms during their tire,
years stay, and some of them are mad.
charming with many evidences o
female taste and skill.