The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-22

AN INDIANAPOLIS VISITOR RECORDS
HER IMPRESSIONS.
The College n Little World I'm Itself,
where the Seventies Of study
Have Many MitigatiOns.

an old one and one with something OF a
history. 1t is identified with the early po-
litical life of New York and IT was for a
short space the state capital. Hamilton
made a splendid fight there for the tenets
OF his political faith Governor Clinton's
residence Is pointed out to the visitor as an
evidence Of the early dignity of the place.
The town to-day in spite of its ugliness is
one Of considerable wealth Doubtless its
5000 inhabitants are not without civic
pride. Doubtless, too, they are inclined to
think of vassar College. a mile and half
away, simply as an adjunct Of Poughkeep-
sic. as one OF its causes for pride. With the
students OF vassar the matter is the other
way about. They regard Poughkeepsie as
a necessary evil, as a town one must go
through in order to reach Vassar College.
They regard the long line OF shops, which
can scarcely be said to adorn the main
business street. as a college storehouse.
Out OF the abundance and the exiguity of
their purses they are, however, kind enough
10 patronize this storehouse rather con-
stantiy. The cars which cover the distance
from city TO college, and cover il with a
lurching motion supposed to be the peculiar
property Of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
are always filed with girls on shopping
bent.
A number Of the shops cater to the de-
fusion prevalent among the young ladies
that Poughkeepsie Is an outpost or suburb
OF vassar by the wares they display-wares
particularly designed to tempt tas taste
and pocket Of the college girl. One shop
makes q speciality OF furnishings suitable
for college apartments. another deals in
dainty ties. stocks and collars the variety
Of which cannot fail to win custom with
girls who ara at an age when the proper
setting OF a shirtwaist has more than the
value Of a rel gious observance.
As Is usual in college towns, the stu
dents have unlimited financial credit,
though this system is not abused as it is
IN the towns where the students are
men. So great is the confidence of the
shop keeper in the financial integrity OF
the vassar students that even their visit
ors are included. The writer one day
offered TO call at jewelers. for an UNI
brella which had been left there to be en-
graved- Before she reached the shop she
forgot the name OF the umbrellas owner,
remembering only the description Of the
article. The obliging jeweler handed over
the umbrella without question.
The amount Of money spent on eating by
the vassar students must cover fair share
OF their allowances. These young women
do not belong to that ethical class which
Byron admired and celebrated in we'll
known lines. They have very pretty ap-
petites and the courage not to be ashamed
OF them. Smiths is the most popular
place in Poughkeepsie for breakfasts
luncheons, dinners and soda water. The
food to be had there is uncommonly good,
and no one can perfectly be said to know
vassar who has not dined there. Certainly
1t is-not possible to imagine a pleasanter
exercise OF hospitality than that Of enter
tanning there jolly dinner party OF Vas
sar girls.
WHERE THEY HAVE TEA"
The Inn divides honors with 'Smith's'' in
the opinion Of the collegians. This place is
not more than an eighth OF a mile from the
campus and on account Of its accessibility
has a large patronage which Is practically
confined to college girls. Dainty luncheons,
suppers and dinners are TO be had there
and afternoon tea Is served. From in
the morning till z In the evening, at
which hour the chapel service calls all the
wandering college children in, one may find
vassar representatives at the Inn.
Poughkeepsie and its shops, the vassar
sfreet-car line and the Inn are among the
approaches to the college grounds. The
first glimpse one catches of these grounds
| Is through occasional breaks in the screen
or hedge OF arbor-vitae which masks the
campus frontage. The car stops In front of
an old red brick entrance lodge through
the arch OF which one views Main Hall, a
huge picturesque old building, oblong, with
wing at either side and an extended mid
die portion Until very lately the space i'm
mediately outside the lodge was occupied on
fair days. from O. in the morning till
In the afternoon. by a chattering mob
of small bootblacks. who besieged the in
coming and outgoing girls to have a
"shine," and who drove thriving trade
This autumn the college authorities de-
cided, In the interests of dignity, to do
away with the practice and presence of
these little imps- To the writer who once
listened with delight to their impudent
tales of woe and to whom. I'm the quality of
visitor, the picturesque seemed more val
uable than the preservation of discipline,
their loss was blow.
The campus Is a pleasant-lying piece of
ground, covering about 400 acres and dotted
with several sorts of trees. the finest of
which are the pine cedars. Some of these
are enormous, and their isolated individual
quality gives tone and character to the
landscape The ground is in some spots
rolling. even hilly. and is cut through by a
brook or two.
One OF the attractions OF the campus is
the Circle. a great round cleared space in
which the sports are carried on-running,
jumping. hockey. basketball. tennis and 9TH
er games The Circle Is incIosed by a ring
Of pines. Inside this ring is a footpath.
and Inside OF this a border of flowers which
tncloses the space for games. In its sea-
son every sort OF flower blooms in this
circular garden. and by the payment of 81
year q girl gains the right TO pick as
many flowers as she chooses. In this way
. young woman. at a ridiculously small
cost. may have flowers in her room through
September and October. April. May and
June
The buildings. consisting of several DOR
mitories. recitation halls, the infirmary, the
gymnasium, music han and observatory
are scattered irregularly over the campus
They are. for the most part, solid, substan.
tial buildings OF red brick dignified in ap-
pearance. but without much architectural
beauty. The dormitorfes are well lighted
and well heated From the second and
third-story windows. facing westward
one catches lovely glimpses OF the hills