Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-11

SECTION OF MAIN BUILDING, NOTRE DAME
UNIVERSITY.
little town during the school year all
under the jurisdiction of the college
authorities, and, excepting members of
the faculty, none are allowed to leave
the college boundaries without permis-
sion from the prefect of discipline In
this respect Notre Dame is like large
military camp.
There is large shoe shop, carpen-
ter shop, blacksmith shop tin shop
tailor shop and undertaking establish
ment, which are controlled entirely by
the college community. There is a large
truck farm that supplies the vegetables
needed, and bakery that furnishes
bread for the entire community There
is cold storage house with all the
latest improvements, and connected
with it meat market.
There is also an electric light plant
and gas works. In addition there is a
printing establishment that employs 80
hands and publishes The Ave Maria,
one of the largest Catholic publications
in the country. All students live at the
university and take their meals in two
large refectories, each of which has a
seating capacity of 700 persons.
In case of illness there is hospital
under the charge of sisters, where the
system Of nursing is excellent. There Is
nothing to take student from the uni
versity grounds from one years end to
another, as far as the necessaries of life
are concerned The postoffice building
is near the entrance to the college
grounds, and does almost as large bust
ness as that in the neighboring city of
South Bend, which is miles distant.
1t is doubtful if there is university
in this country which was founded un-
der more adverse conditions and nour-
ished by devoted men with greater self
sacrifice than Notre Dame. 1t has not
received an endowment in all its history.
The institution was founded by Rev.
Father Edward Sorin and six other
priests of the Congregation of the Holy
Cross from the city of Nant, in France.
Owing to the poverty of his order Fa-
ther Sorin and his companions in cross
ing the Atlantic. had to avail them
selves of the cheap rates of the steerage.
Indiana at that time was border state,
and the priests were 25 days on their
way from New York TO the scene of
their future labors.
The only building of any kind in the
clearing where Notre Dame was locat-
ed was little house of unshaped logs
built years before by Fathers Petit and
Badin and used by them in their minis
terings to the spiritual wants of the
Pottawattomies
The first winter was hard The fol-
lowing extract, written shortly after
his arrival is taken from Father Sorin S
diary; 81 have not yet seen my poor In
dians. They have gone hunting, not
being aware of my arrival Lately one
of our good brothers had his foot frozen
and another one his toes, and l had just
so cents, sufficient perhaps to permit
me to show that l was not altogether
insensible to their sufferings. We have
just one bed, and they insist that
shall take it. They themselves sleep on
the floor. Tomorrow l shall give up my
room to be used as workshop"
Surely a university was never found
ed in the face of greater poverty and
privations, A limitless expanse of will
derness, a log hut, built by unskilled
Indians, through the gaping crevices of
which the SHOWS swept inward, rising
in unwelcome heaps on the humble cots
of the occupants; young priest with a
few brothers, literally without staff.
scrip or money-this was Notre Dame
in 1912.
The original grant-of land on which
the first college building was erected
was found insufficient for the growing
needs of the institution, and from time
to time new purchases were made. The
community reclaimed hundreds of acres
of malaria infected swamp land, fixed
the indefinite tracts of flag and sedge
into forests of oak and maple and made
the barren sand dunes fit for cultiva-
tion. FRED R. FORBES