Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-04

New England Conservatory OF Music
during the past winter, has been able
10 draw at least one parallel between
her native State and this modern
Athens, and that in the general freak
ishness Of the weather at large. II
the vagaries of a West Virginia win
ter can be matched anywhere it is
right here in Boston, where the mer-
curry goes up and down with surpris-
ing rapidity, and where the coquetries
of the Gulf stream. with the thermom-
eter. have alternated days Of summer
warmth and brightness with the win
try blasts. Just at present March Is
wearing a lamb-like countenance, as
if in kindly sympathy with the hard
worked CONSERVATION student whose
Easter vacation permits Of endless
rambles both within and without the
city's historic limits, and whose lels-
IRE is apt to be spent in sightseeing.
For the patriotic there are Bunker
Hill Monument a jaunt TO PiymouJh
Rock, Faneuil Hail. the Old state
House with its relics Of colonial days
and portraits Of colonial Governors,
and the present state House whose
gilded dome OvershadOws the city Ike
q huge gilt ball, and where there is an
array OF tattered and bUlleJ-torn pat
tie flags. that speak muJely OF the OlL-
ter fray long past. Boston is lull oil
interest for the siEhJ-seer; one cannot
turn a corner without running aloul
of some object worthy Of attention,
some mementO of revolutionary or CO.
lonial days.
To come down to the present time,
one Of the places most worthy oil a
visit in the city is the New England
Conservatory Of Music, and no place
receives a greater share Of attention
from visitors than it does. A look a.
THE VISITORS BOOK
viii reveal the greatest names Of the
age. a line Of celebrities quite impOs-
ING in It's array. The extent and mag
1lhcence Of the Conservatory quar-
tsrs is q surprise to some who do not
know how extensive is the scale upon
which it is organized and managed.
An army of students is yearly regis
tered here. and no army is better drill
ed or disciplined than IT, Nothing IL
Illustrates this army-like discipline bet
Ter than the pass system in vogue at
the Conservatory. No student resi-
dent is allowed to leave the building
without q pass stating explicitly her
movements. lit may be a white. red or
blue pass. according to the length Of
time she is TO be absent, and after be-
ing made out is received by the stall
wart pOrters who guard the entrance
as inexOTably as Modes and Persians,
and placed on the bulletin over the
number of her room. where it remains
until her return. The advantages Of
THIS PASS SYSTEM
have been practically demonstrated at
the Conservatory. where it has been in
operation for several years. In the
first place, some such supervision is
necessary. where there is such q large
number Of pupils and any possible ir-
regularity OF conduct prevented by this
means. But its greatest advantage,
and the one which led 20 the adoption
of the system, is that i'm case of any
nee cssity arising OF communicating
sudden and important news 20 pupil,
her whereabouts rs az once ascertained.
In such a case she is rung for and if
not i'm her room the class register is
examined to see III she is in class, and
if not, then the bulletin Of passes is
examined 70 see ii she has left the
building and III for a walk, shopping
the theatre. or elsewhere, and messen-
gers are at once dispatched TO hunt her
up. The New England Conservatory
combines the features of college life
with those Of conservatory. Within
its four walls from September until
July. lis enacted a scene Of stirring life
In itself an inspiration. All the arts
ind q home here. though music is
queen OF them. and her reign is indi-
Gated everywhere. Mingled with the
rich harm0nies of color in the stained
glass windows are the names of great
musicians. Their portraits and scenes
from their lives line the walls. Every
jutting angle bears a bust or plaster
cast of some famed composer. A cab
met of rare and ancient musical in
struments enchains attention, for it is
uneQualled I'm the country and was a
lifelong work of Doctor T0urpee, the
founder and protector of the COnser-
vatOry, and includes gifts from many
foreign governments. The wide mar
ble-tiled corridor into which the Wis
itor is ushered is the main artery of
the New England Conservatory life.
on il, open pariOrs, library. reception
rooms, the big dining room where
daily four hundred girls are seated
AT it's upper end are the Offices through
which the business Of the COnserva-
tory is transacted. Here we find the
central Office which is a bureau of
information. the managers Office. post
Office, registrars Office, where at the
beginning OF the terms an amount of
money lis handled far beyond that of
some banks. and so on through a line
of Offices, until the
CLASS-ROONS ARE REACHED.
These are endless Through them the
whole field OF music is easily ira
versed. They are hardly cIass-rooms
I'm the ordinary sense Of the term, for
in the higher grades each has the lux
urious equipment Of two concert grand
pianos of the best make. and which are
always kept in most perfect tune and
condition I'm truth they are pianos
for artists. A visit 20 the Conserva-
tory should not fail to include In his
visit the basement and the Observa-
tory At the turn Of the main stair
case be viii see the way TO the School
OF Fine Arts. and descending another
flight Of stairs viii find himself in
what appears % be an art annex. Sew
eral fine copies Of model pieces Of
sculpture notably the Venus of Milo.