The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-19

sidents, Dickinson, Burr, Edwards, Da-
vies and Finley, accordingly belongs to
the Colonial period. The siNth presidenI,
Witherspoon. ends the Colonial perlou,
and carries Princeton through the trying
times of the Revolution, and the found
ing of our national life. The next TOUR
presidents, Smith, Green, Csrnahan an
Maclean, carry the history of the college
down through what may be called the
first great period of our national h7sIory,
that d Is; e tsHca Close .s Ct the wac Givl Or w e6n.
temporary Princeton, is represented by
the administrations of Presidents NC
Gosh and Patton. Princeton is thus iden-
titled with the three periods of American
history-the Colonial, the Revolutionary
and the national.
The building periods of Princeton are
practically only two, the Colonial period
and the contemporary period represented
by Presidents McCosh and Patton.
Nassau Hall is the Oldest of the college
buildings. 1t was erected in 175&, and was
then thought to be remarkable on account
of its vast size" The trustees wished
to name it Belcher Han, in consideration
of Governor Beleher's gift of books and
other favors. The Governor refused the
honor, and suggested the name of Mas
sau Hail, in honor of William Ill Ac-
cordingly, the trustees voted that tine
said ediice be, in all time to come, called
and known by the name Of Nassau Hail."
In the Revolution it suffered much, and
Washington contributed towards its re-
storation after the battle of Princeton in
a. LIE PO-It AZ, PtatC
thereafter, was hung in a place of honor
on one of its walls, in the frame which
once contained the portrait of George II.
Here the Continental Congress met when
driven from Philadelphia in the darkest
days of the R~evolurionss here sub
sequently both Washington and Lafayette
attended commencement.
The hall has twice been injured by fire,
in 1902 and in 1856. In both cases there
was heavy loss IN private property. and
walls was so solid as to save them from
Disagreement. In 1855 the. interior was
rebuilt and made fireproof. 1t was in
one of its entries of the big Cracker,
This was made by enclosing about two
pounds of powder in a log and then. by
a train, setting it off. The explosion
bottom. This was the climax of the
great student revolution, and was the de-
dents to wreck the building. AT the open
ing of the war of the Rebellion, the ma
national flag. when first hoisted over
Nassau Hall, gave offense to some of the
Southern students, and it was pulled down.
II was raised again, however, amid the
cheers of the students. The wind at the
time blew so hard. that the flag bent the
ing to the North, where it remained un-
til the close of the war.
The Cliosophic Society was founded in
1853, and the American Wing in 1863. AS
early as the time of the convention for
forming the constitution of the United
States, both Madison's Virginia plan and
Patterson's New Jersey plan. the two
rival plans for the formation of. Federal
government, were made by graduates of
these societies.
destroyed SO many of the old American
college literary societies elsewhere. has
lett Wing and Clio halls uniniured. and
they are interesting as being the most
survivors, of student literary societies
prior to the Revolution.
The college library was probably found
ed with the college, but refunded bv a
gift OF books from Governor Belcher in
1906. The first catalogue, printed in l7e0.
shows that it then consisted of more than
the Revolutions. and it was burnt with
Nassau Hall, inA1S02. The gifts of many
liberal friends soon r~e-estabfished ii. and
Il Slowly advanced to 9.313 volumes in
crease kept It small, unta the Elizabeth
fund of $4,000 was created by Mr.. John
G. Green in 1855. When the present IL
brary building was erected by him in 1872
3. the collection contained about % 900
volumes. The library at present confains
approximately 100. N0 volumes and 25.O00
inbound periodicals and pamphlets.
The libraries of the two t.halls" and
the Phnadelphian Society amount to about
2.00 volumes, and the library of the
Theological Seminary has $4,000 volumes.
me total thus accessible in the Princeton
libraries to the college students is more
than 1850 volumes.
The Philadelphian Society is the oldest
college religious society in the country.
It was founded in 1926. when il absorhed
the Nassau Bible Society,"" which was
founded in 1913. and which was the parent
Of the American Bible Society. Princeton
Seminary is an ecclesiastical institutjon
entirely Independent of the UNIVERSITY
1t was founded in 1872, by the general as
sembiy of the Presbyterian Church. it
having been determined upon two years
before.
Bordering the street in front of the
Princeton Inn Is d row of catalpa trees.
which We're planted before the Revolu.
Il9n' and wl1ich always bloom patriotic
ally on the Fourth of July.