The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-10-30
WTftten for the MONITOR.
GIRARD COLLEGE.

A round about ride on the street car, and
a walk of five squares under an unclouded
sun with the mercury standing at 90c in
the shade, brought US to the entrance to
Girard College, and after showing our pass
with one hand and wiping the Precipitation
with the other, and signing our name in a
large book kept for that purpose, we en-
tered within the walls. Immediately be-
fore US rose the main building with all its
imposing grandeur. In front of it stretch
ed a lawn beautifully ornamented with
tropical plants, gerapiums, etc. A broad
avenue, paved with cement, led to the
right and to the left to the farther ends Of
the grounds, with narrow paths leading to
the different buildings near by. We fol-
lowed the avenue to the left. passing the
greenhouse with its fine floral display, and
the stately chapel. This latter building
is built of white marble after the Gothic
style, aud in 1t the moral training of the
students is conducted by addresses by the
president and such laymen as may be III
vited; no minister of any denomination is
admitted to the college on any account,
either as a visitor or otherwise.
After passing the chapel we came to
building No. 8, in which are located the
kitchen and the dining hall. Having no
special desire to investigate the cooking
department, we did not enter the kitchen,
but passed on to the dining hall. This is a
spacious apartment, lighted throughout by
electricity, and containing four rows oil
tables with sixteen in a row, each accom-
modating eighteen boys, thus making it
possible to feed 1852 small boys at one
time. Each boy is seated on a round stool,
and is provided with a plate, cup and sau-
Ger, a napkin and a napkin ring. Here
the boys are supposed to lay aside theii
troubles and anxieties and forget the puz-
zling problems of arithmetic and all i'm
pending punishment, aud pay attention
only to the duty before them-the dissolu-
ton of cooked viands.
After passing through the dining hall
We entered building No. 0. fitted up with
school rooms, section rooms, or sitting
rooms for the students, and dormitories.
The school rooms usually accommodate
40 scholars seated at four tables.
Adjoining building No. 8 is the play
ground, on which the West Philadelphia
Y. NJ. G.. A. nine We're competing with the
college nine in a game OF base ball. This
playground covers about an acre, and is
kept entirely free of grass. 1t is surround
ed by long benches on which the smaller
students were seated, enjoying the game
in spite OF the hot sun. The Students
were noticeably quiet, owing no doubt to
the presence of their teachers, who were
also watching the play.
Below the playground is situated the
pond. This is an oval basin about rs
yards long by % wide, with plank bottom
and sides. 1t varie. in depth from three
to five feet, and at the lower end is a
fall Of ~ feet, below which is another
pond of smaller dimensions and reetang-
ular in shape. This pond is used for
bathing in summer and skating in winter.
Ice is also gathered from it in winter to
fill the ice house near by. A grove Of
small trees surround the pond, with W.
rows of weeping willows nearest the bank.
At the western end of the grounds is
the Technical Building, erected in 1888 at
a cost Of 500, 600. 1t is built of brown
stone, and contains all the necessary ma
chinery and tools for instruction in mechan-
les and many of the trades. Every stu
dent beyond a certain grade is required to
spend five hours a week in this building.
Passing east ard along the central av-
enue by the playground again, the next
building we came to was No. 7, opened in
1877, and considered the finest building
on the grounds outside of the main build
ing. 1t was planned by a graduate of the
College. 1t is of white marble, and, like
the chapel, of Gothic style OF architec-
ture. 1t contains over ninety rooms fitted
up as school rooms, section rooms, mat
ron's rooms, dining rooms and dormitor-
les. 1t has a frontage of 400 feet.
Next GENES the Infrmary, No. 6, and
close beside it stands No. 5, another COL
lection of school rooms and dormitories.
Then follows No. 4 and No. 8, standing
just west of the main building, and fitted
up similar to No. 5, but of palmer archi-
lecture, being part of the original College
As designed by Girard.
Between No. 8 and the main building
stands a beautiful monument erected in
1869 to the memory of those students who
died in the Civil War. 1t is built after the
style Of an open temple, the roof supported
by four pillars between which stands a
white marble statue Of a soldier at rest
1t has four tablets on the granite base
containing the names of the pupils who
died in the War and a short extract from
| the will OF Mr.. Girard.
The next building is the College proper,
the first building of all in symmetry and
grandeur. 1t is rectangular in shape, 20s
feet long and 152 feet wipe. A portico 81
| feet wide with "a massive marble pillars
| surrounds the entire ediice. The pillars
are each So feet high and fleet in diameter
-. a..ul A. .-&s~a 1ap,tb and