Morning journal and courier., 1890-08-11
A NOTED YALE BUILDING.


Building to Begin Monday-Built I'm
1919 for CommOns-A Brief Sketch
Ofthat system at Yale-Its Uses In
Later Days-That Quadrangle
Books Being Rapidly Shelved In the
New Library Building.
When the, Yale students assemble again
and make the campus once more assume
its wonted scenes of busy activity, they
will see that one of the old buildings has
and nothing left in its place
save neatly smoothed addition to the
campus and a store of recollections. The
building in question is the cabinet build
ing which stands Just in front of the new
Chittenden library. With the erection of
~ new library building the fate of the
older one was sealed and it's destruction |
but question of time. This work of re-
moval will begin this morning in good
earnest and gang of men under the SUI
pervision of that genial and kind hearted |
guardian of the Yale building, Mr.. Hotch- |
kiss, will continue their exertions unceas- |
ingly until not vestige remains. There |
are few buildings ON the campus around |
which are welded more association than |
the old cabinet. It was originally built |
for commons and perhaps the few follow |
ing fragments of history will be of inter |
est, in connection with the building and
the purpose for which it was erected in
1918.
When Yale college was founded it APP
pears to have been universally regarded as
essential to the. efficient working of the
higher institutions of learning that their
students should be associated in family,
eating at common table and owing obedi-
ence to common discipline. It is not un-
likely that the founders of the college were
further Influenced by an anticipated diff
ficulty of obtaining board for the students
at that early day in any other mode. In
the years 1701-7 they resided in Kenil-
worth with Rector Persons, and it is pre-
sumed boarded with him. On the loca-
ton Of the college in New Haven, l716,
the students had their wants of body, soul
and spirit ministered in the kitchen, which
had been appended to the wooden build
ing that stood on the corner of
College and Chapel streets, which was
completed in f718. In 1880 new
dining hall was built and enlarged in 1903.
It has been known in modern times as the
old laboratory. 1t was removed by the
timely assistance of fire few years since.
The last building erected for commons was
the cabinet building in 1919. 1t was two
stories high with kitchen in the base
ment. The first story was divided into
two eating halls, occupied by the seniors
and sophomores and juniors and fresh
men respectively. The cabinet of minerals
was kept in the second story, and that was
what gave the building it's name. There
are many living graduates who remember
these halls and the old tables -
"swhereon were duly spread
Their weekly oysters and their daily bread"
The tutors sat at raised tables on three
sides of the hall. At the ringing of the
hall fho C41 40 cd
standing at the tables while the blessing
was asked, during the delivery of which
| two forks were sometimes sticking into
each potato on the table. In the case of
| the larger part, the food was rapidly con-
| sumed and after few minutes of uproar,
| grace was said and the meal was over
| Once, as is still remembered by many, the
| tutors being detained till after the bell had
rung, the students were instantly demon
allied and the energy with which the food
provided for dinner was hurled back and
forth by the contending factions, afforded
a striking instance of liberated force.
Commons were abolished at Yale in 1910
| after an existence of century and quar-
| ter of vigorous opposition to the custom.
There was not time that strong feeling of
resistance to it.
Its history since the adjustment of COM
mons has been more quiet and perhaps less
eventful, but the old structure has had its
mission of usefulness to perform, which it
did faithfully up to the last. Kitchen
utensils, pots and pans were succeeded by
uncomfortable benches ever devised by
human ingenuity took the place of dining
tables. Owing to the universities lack of
room he building was devoted
for recitation room purposes and the
mineral cabinet removed to the Peabody
| museum, that space for many years past
has been used as reading room. Here
the student, perched on stools every morn
ing, has been accustomed to find all the
: morning papers and magazines, which Mr.
Haskell carefully put in place. Yesterday
| all day long men were busy stripping away
everything of value, and farewell look in
side revealed state of desolation to be
sure. Bundles of old papers, magazines
ETC., were piled up awaiting their turn te
be stored in the lofts of the lyceum and
! old chapel. Gas and steam fixtures, wher
uncoupied, will be put away where they
! will come in handy when needed again
In the recitation room, made sacred by
the study of psychology and moral phil
osophy, sacriligious hands were busy tax
ing out benches and all, and across tn,
hallway the scene was the same, where
many an unfortunate has not given a salts
factory explanation to "Bebe" of this or tina
principle of mechanics, or were rather
hazy in their explanations of the solar sys
tenn and Kepler's laws. There are few o.
the students either in or away from tn,
l alma mater who will not regret the build
ing a little, even if it was such an ey'
sore and was situated so as to concea
some of the charms of her younger sister
beauty. Her seats were hard and not vel
adapted for cribbing purposes, but the.
did always have such warm
lnotherly welcome for the maj
} attempt at the impossible, name
| y, of giving the professor or tutor
! clear idea. In the dusty attic there ar
many old relics not yet rewarded tina
: have been resting there these many year
forgotten by all save one or two. Among
| these are the coats of arms of the differen
: I states painted on canvas, which used t.
: appear at the alumni gatherings in Alumni
hall. But every thing of any worth at al
will be carefully separated from tn
rubbish and nd. find ID, new ,.,a quarters tiers il
dark CELLAR a 81 'N' with thu its ~ day
of usefulness over, it will gracefully yielt
| to the inevitable and depart for the if
: that has existence only in recollection an
> | tradition. The removal of the cabine
building is but one step more toward tn
proposed quadrangle, when all the spac
| within will be clear compass, only bro
ken by stately elms and statues of the UNI
| versity's departed great. 1t is doubtfr
8 whether any more buildings wi
: be removed from the campu
r for many years, excepting, possibly
Q Old South, which is uncomfortabl
1 close to Osborn hall, but this will not hal
pen before that new dormitory betwee
9 Lawrence and Osborn is erected.
Il There is unusual activity now in the +,
4 moval Of books from the old to the ne
q library building. About 10000 volume
r out Of the no. 900 or more have bee
$ shelved already, but the work is necessaril
T slow and will hardly be completed
! | months. The Brothers library will /
n transferred with it's SO 900 volumes to til
n main portion. of the old buildin
o and its former place will be use
g ] as a reading room. The rest of the campr
t presents it's usual appearance of midsun
!, mer, with nothing to disturb it's quiet say
i here or there few men busy making SON
!: little repairs. But on September IS tt
+ students, focking back by the hundred
viii find everything in the best of ordt
8 down to the minutest detail Soon wi
9 that time be here, and another college yet
q will be begun.
|, A PASTOR INSTALLED.
A Large Gathering Attends the Cers