New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
JOHN THE ORANGE MAN.
A HARVARD INSTITUTION THREATENED
BY AN ITALIAN INVASION.
From The Boston Post.

From The Boston Post.
One by the old institutions at Harvard
giving way to the new. Last week ii was
the old pump. which the Med Fac blew up The
college has now decided not TO put in a new one.
Now it is John the Orange Man who seems
doomed.
For nearly fifty years John the Orange Man has
been about Harvard. Year in and year out he
has been the mascot and the fruit vender of the
college. To-day he is the best known Harvard
man He stands alone with President Eliot in
the point Of known men, He is the link be-
tween the past and the present He is the most
revered of the college relics.
But day by day John grows old and feeble,
and his calls at the door with his cry. Fruit
to-day. frin. grow less frequent And In the
place OF Johns grizzIed and toothIess face comes
that of Francisco Beninati, round. smiling son
of Italy.
The old Irishman IS slowly losing his grip. Age
has enfeebled him The young italian. educated,
polished and insinuating, comes to the front.
Old Johns place in the hearts of Harvard
men is unchanged He is still old John. He is
still helped out when his cart gets old. and he
still is the mascot But fresher fruit and moro
regular calls win trade. That is why Francisco
Beninati is daily gaining ground.
For fifty years John has had the field to him.
self College sentiment has kept rivals away.
John has made money. He has defed custom in
his bookkeeping He trusts every body. He never
calls for his cash Yet he makes 1000 per cent
He has built a house and has neat pile
boarded.
But his Italian rival comes recommended Pro-
fessor Charles Eliot Norton knows him BENZ
Hdtl Is not q QdSO. He IS an educated ltal1an-
Professor Norton is the head OF the Dante SOci-
ETY.. He is professor of Italian. He finds Bent
natl a cOngenial and worthy man. That is
why ne recommends him worthy OF help.
And Hugh Bancroft, the Oarsman, gave him a
letter also. Beninati needs help and he
this method of getting IT,
But he is ordinary fruit vender When he
mas shown his letters and sold his fruit he drops
you q little card The card tells YOU that he is
an experienced tutor in Latin and Italian. BENZ
natl, II he succeeds, will not end his days the
Harvard fruit vender and mascot. He may yet
DE the professor Of Italian and Latin
But he is starting as John started He is going
John did this up TO the eighties. Now John has
p 10keY and several carts. the gifts of classes
And John says the freshman class has got TO
have tnoS" carts painted. Perhaps the Med Fac
will DO it. They keep their paint brushes going
of late.
John is much a part of Harvard as the old
yard- He IS as much a sight of Cambridge
the glass flowers the Washington elm.
Visitors 20 Cambridge want TO the college
yard. the glass flowers and John. Every man or
woman who has ever attended football game
has seen John He always drives round the
band on his head. and in his hand a Harvard
Tag with which he whips his lazy donkey into
a tTCt. Again he staEgers about from age among
tho crowds in the stand and sells his popcorn
cakes and oranges. Even there a Harvard man
has but to say;
iii pay You next time, John"
And Johns answer always is: All right,
frn."
Beninati is not so well known He is new
But step by step he is adding to his list of custo
mers- And John. siXty-eiSht years DID, has diff
Guilty IN covering the widespread field.
Years ago Beninati a student at Tertio
Couegius. in Italy. His father was Well to DO