The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-23
The Mississippi State Industrial COLLEGE
BY catharine co.e. in N o. picayuns

u1es
At the last session of the Mississ;nr
Legislature a bull was presented calm,
for state industrial Institute and Col
lege for the white girls of Mississjnn;
This bill had been drawn up by senate
Martin, nj the instance and solieitatio,
of two Mississippi women-Mrs. Ami
g. Peyton, OF Hazlehurst, aud Mr..
Hastings. OF Port Gibson. The motto,
for the establlshment of such an institu
tioa was carried by one vote. The biz
speedily received the signature of Gov
Lowry. il provided for free industria
institute and college for girls. and Sc
aside the sum of $40, 900 to erect and e.
tabi-b such an institution.
The various cities and towns of Mi.
-f..iuyi were invited to bid for the 10
,.,ri1n of the college. The biddinp
rsu bfgn, but the picturesque and
.uItgred little city of Columbus, the
ri1v artistic Athens of the South. Sc
.urcd the college by the generosity of
r.. offer. Columbus volunteered To
.fre beautiful, wooded park of twenty
7cre- situated right in the city. a large
.nrae--toried brick building, aud fifty
-bou-and dollars in bonds that Columbus
bankers offered to cash at par value
The trustees of this new home adven
t4re boo behalf Of women were appointed,
with the popular and progressive Gov
rrror Lowry as President. Hon. James
T. Harrison. "A member of the Legisla-
fgra and a citizen Of Columbus, was ap
pointed Chairman Of the Building Com
mirtee. and in April of this year the
contract, per specifications were award
el 10 the architects, Messrs. Bartlette,
OF Des Moines, Iowa, and to the build
er- Messrs Sully, of Meridian, Miss. This
Dis all ! know Of the history of the be
ginning of a college whose endowment
and organization places Mississippi at a
single bound at the head Of the nation
in progressive ideas and action pertain
ing 10 education.
As one enters Columbus from these
rost-ruiued woods one percejves at the
right of the town the multitudinous
red, gabled roofs Of a building that
show above The tree tops like some
strangely huddled tiny village. These
peaked and picturesque roofs, through
which up shoots the red clock tower,
belong TO the Industrial College for
Girls.
In all the South there Is not a more
picturesque and beautiful building, nor
one that more readily commends itself
90 the eye. The college is situated in
the heart Of the residence portion of
Columbus, on broad, brown -graveled
street, oruamented with elegant houses,
over arched by oak trees, and known
as Washington Avenue. The group of
red and gray brick buildings begins in
the corner Of the lot and about them
trails magnificent park-a park with
a sunshiny and shadowy suggestion of
hiil and dale, with many bearded and
autIered oak, and many branching
green 'loblolly" knitting its needles in
endless music.
The college is an immense red and
gray and pale brick building of mod
esn Gothic style, presenting rambling,
roomy front. 1t is three stories and an
attic high, with a roof of piled gables.
The huge clock with long black fin
gers, like spiders creeping over the
white dial, is placed in the red belve-
dere or tower that rises above the
gables. The building is modernized
and made cheerful by numerous porches
aud galleries. The main entrance has
an Ornamented fight of stone steps,
and gives into a wide hall, that iii the
shape Of a cross intersects the main
building. In all of its appointments
this building is thoroughly complete.
IL is heated by steam, lighted by gas
aud has the most modern improvements
in the way Of bathrooms, hot and cold
~ater, water closets, elevator, bells,
dumb waiter and telephone A shaft
extends from the top floor to the base
ment; it has openings on each floor and
IS intended for the conveyance of soiled
linen, etc, 70 the laundries. Besides
dining room, parlors matron's room, and
inhrmary and culinary departments
this building contains the sleeping
apartments of the College girls. The
old-fashioned, cheerless, bare dormitory
has no place in the building. In it:
stead are numberless cozy, CHEEKY anC
sunuy rooms, providing for two occu
pants to each room. Each room has
TWO windows with inside blinds, a steam
heater. gas, pretty set OF shelves anC
Il centre table, rocking chairs, and hand
some set of black walnut furniture
There are two hundred and fifteen girl
housed in this building, and with tha
innate do'nesticity of the sex thes'
Young ladies have transformed thel
rooms into CHEEKY and home like guar
ters Many have put carpets on th'
floors, hung the white, walls with pic
lures, set about tneir treasured book
and bits of ic-a-brac, and have bloom
ing plants growing in the deep wlndoy
seats. Also on the second floor OF thl
Nuilding is a sunny wing that overhang
The Park-now all red aud faded gold
and bronze, and brown, and scar OF lea
is situated the infirmary. This is
large, cheerful apartment, with the sam
summer atmosphere that peryades al
the house, and comfortable and comfort
ing in all its appointments.
The dining-room on the first floor !
fine hall of noble proportions with
beautiful ceiling of panels of light AM
dark pine wood, upheld by graceful
columns. This room il further orns
mented by large freplaces OF natly
woods, and the arched doorways at TN
end of the hall give respectively Int
the cooking school, the pantrles an
china closets, and the great kltcher
The cooking school is fitted up with
range dainty enough for a lady's boudol
numerous cook tables, stationary ored
bowls and trays, and the walls are en-
blazoned with the necessary Implement
and utensils of the noble profession
The Professor of Cookery has not u
been appointed, but will be shortly
IN the basement are situated tue steal
laundries, ironing rooms and All u
machinery that supplies the. puiidlns
with hot water, light and neat. Al
laundresses ard cooks were secured frol
tbe Emigrants' Industrial Home.
Louisville, having been carefully trains
for their duties. In the laundry III
invention is the clothes wriBger, to whl'
the principle of centrifugal force has pes
applied. The drying rooms are y ser :
OF hot air closets and next TO these q
the mangles, and the lolg room deNo''
to ironing purposes. y
This great building, as large a. y
Touro Infirmary of New Orleans Is 60
aecsed on each floor by covered poree,n, 81,
with the chapel or lecture nan;
beautiful hall is one OF the nahosoihs
buildings in design in the ooulh.
looks not unlike some stately ana 60
modious church, with ITS reu wa
pierced by numerous rlchiy STAIN
groups of gothic windows. mere,
elsewhere, the finishings are all III nae' ~
woods imparting the softest, most IN u
low tints to the various rooms:
chapel is heated by steam and llgn' sl'
by electricity. The first hoor is oc'
pied by the Presidents and secretas =,
offices and by half a dozen lecture rool
The chemistry lecture rooms and iaoo
tories are in the basement e.
These latter are said to be the mn
a,,;,,ned Of any laboratories In
equikPS nv = . - ,,rnyidad with ser