The times., 1899-11-07

new elecsric car line from this city
IS soon 10 connect with the world in
stitution which viii always have a peculiar
interest for the outside world on account
Of the connection with it Of DR. Phillips
Brooks This is the Theological Semi
nary Of the Diocese Of Virginia, situated
about three miles from Alexandria. and
perhaps seven miles in a direct line from
Washington. From this school Bishop
Brooks was graduated in 1883. Bishop Ran
dolph was graduated in 1888, and Bishop
Henry c. Potter in 1857. Before the Civil
War the institution. as Will be seen from
the names of these graduates. was one OF
the most famous in the country. Today,
although in a condition Of reasonable pros
perity il plainly does not hold the na-
tional place il once did.
There is something peculiar about the
fact that ia these days Of the much en-
phasized reconciliation Of the North and
South, the young men OF either section
are not going TO the other for their cdu-
cation 10 half the extent that they did
before 1861. when the existence Of slavery
was engendering so much sectional dislike
and distrust. AT most Northern colleges
the attendance of Southern students to-
dsy is very much smaller in proportion
than it was of old. This is usually eX-
planned by saying that the South now
has its own colleges. which its young men
can attend, and so they do not need 10
90 10 Harvard and Yale for an education.
But how does il happen that Northern
students no longer go 10 this Fairfax
Seminary. when in the earlier days half
its pupils We're from the North2
Few Northern students.
The latest catalogue shows that Of its
present attendance g pupils come from Nir-
Einia. from West Virginia, . from South
Carolina. from other Southern points,
and j each from the diocese Of Penusylva-
mis-. central Pennsylvania. and Connect
cut What is true of this school is true of
many others throughout the South; they
have never regatned their Northern patron
age. The specific case might perhaps be
partly accounted for by certain tendencies
within the Protestant Episcopal Church, for
this is notably a Low Church institution
and very evangelical in its tendencies
The bringing Of Seminary Hill into direct
communication with Washington by cleo
tricity is OF doubtful advantage in many
ways
The Charming Isolation.
The student community now enjoys a
charming isolation. The visitor who makes
his way TO it is surprised that any place
can exist so near the city and yet so far
out in the country. This is due 10 the
lack Of transportation facilities. The semi
nary catalogue sets forth with almost
touch Of unconscious humor, the fact that
"an electric railway runs hourly TO Wash
LnEton and passes the seminary about two
miles 10 the east" This refers TO the
Mount Vernon line and not TO the new one
in process Of construction; the two miles
OF distance is q cross-coUntry computation
from e flag station known as Lloyd, little
this side Of Alexandria. There Is also
station on The Southern Railway, known
as Seminary. which is also about two miles
from the institution. The new electric line
viii 90 sqUarely 10 the gate. and make
Fairfax Seminary easily accessible, but ii
must inevitably destroy much Of the charm
Of the old place.
The Old BuiIdines
Nearly all the seminary buildings were
IN place before the Civil War St. Georges
Hall in which Phillips Brooks occupied
room. was erected in 1856. and was the gift
Of woman belonging TO ST. Georges
Church in New York, whence its name; il
has recently been somewhat improved. but
IS used entirely as a dormitory. The main
building is known as AspinwaH Hall. On
its cupola may still be seen in carved let
tiers the initials OF various Union soldiers
with the numbers Of their regiments. for
this whole institution was utilized by the
Federal authorities for hospital purposes
throughout the war. The carving has been
filed in with putty Not infTequently
Northern veteran visiting this city, goes
out TO the seminary to awaken recollecuons
OF old hospital experience. One man was
there q few days ago looking for an old
pump, which had been removed. eager 70
drink Cuce more Of the water that he had
once found so refreshing The view from
The cup0la IS one OF the finest in this
region The Potomac can be seen for miles
In either direction. and the cities OF Wash
ingtCn and Alexandria so figure in the per-
spective as 70 offset largely the difference
in their size The view on the Virginia
side Of the hill. looking away from The Ma
tionsl Capital. is that Of beautiful forests
now clad in gorgeous autumnal foliage.
A New Chapel.
The chapel IS a new building erected in
1880. On its walls rest marble tablets in
memory OF distinguished instructors and
alumni. The old chapel is now used as
library. and this contains many qua Mt CO
lonial relics, particularly manuscripts and
old Bibles. The conception OF the semi
nary dates back 10 the Virginian Diocesan
Council Of 1875 A theological class was
established d few years later in connection
with the College Of William and Mary at
Williamsburg This class was transferred
in 1923 TO Alexandria and four years later
the first building on the present site Of the
seminary was begun The seminary has
given 10 the Church nearly ], 600 ministers.
and more than fifty men to the foreign MS
sion field.
Foreign Mfssfonuries
Its alumni ii is said. have founded al
the foreign missions in the Protes. ant
Episcopal Church In the old prayer hall
70 which Phillips Brooks often referred in
his letters, may now be seen portraits and
other llkenesses Of those OF It's alumni who
have founded foreign missions or been
identified with such work A great chart
now hangs on the walls. on which a series
OF little squares iu groups OF different
coloTs mark the adherenls OF the various
religions OF the world Protestant. Greek
Roman Catholic. Nohammedan and heath
en-. Beneath is this inscription. Each
square represents l00e 600 souls What ef-
fort are you making 10 give them The bread
of lifeT Near 10y are portraits OF early