New-York tribune., 1903-05-03
IN THE HARVARD YARD.
Hosc affairs of the Grounds and
Buildings 4re Cared For.


body of New-York last fall. the Crimson Uni
versty this spring transform its historic yard
into something approaching Garden Of Eden
AS the weather permitted work was be
gun carrying out elaborate plans drawn oy F. L.
olrnstead. instructor in landscape architecture at
Harvard. for the beautfyfng Of the old campus
These plans provide for the planting of shrubs
wistaria and all kinds OF creeping vines wherever
there is chance for Improvement. The space around
the new lecture hall will be greatly altered, and
all the gates. which were erected with the
fence two years ago, will be fairly buried un-
Ger a mass Of shrubbery and flowers.
when all the Improvements have been made
wonderful transformation is expected in the Har-
ward Yard. In places trees will even be
planted. this being especially true of the open
space between Robinson Hail. Sever Hall and
ouincy-st. where several well grown oaks will re-
lere the scene.
About the only part of the yard which will not
be changed is the rectangle between Holworthy
and Grays. where all the old dormitories To-
Gated In this inclosure the old elm trees
which go far toward making Harvard famous: but
because an uninterrupted view from end Of the
rectangle 10 the other IS desired the planting Of
intervening shrubs is thought undesirable
There is belief prevalent in many parts OF the
country that Harvard much Of its growth and
greatness 10 the rusticity of its immediate sur
roundings and the metropolitan environment Of the
nearby City Of the Hub. To the outsider visiting
~ Cambridge the metropolitan atmosphere of Har-
ward presents little appeal. Little cares the
enraptured sister that Crimson students can reach
the best seats in the theatre in less than thirty
minutes. or can leave Harvard Square and be
browsing in the second best library the world
within hardly than half that time
No; this is not what interests them. What they
care for is to see the huge elms towering in the
yard; to study the dear little old buildings; to
get just peek into of those quaint OLD
rooms and to wonder that all this freshness and
luxuriance and Verdure flourish within only
mile OF the greatest city in six States.
II visitors knew the whole story of this rustic
fty; if they knew the time and money and infinite
panstaking labor which are expended year after
year just TO keep things looking old; II they
knew that under their very feet, they walk
sdmirinsly over the green yard, pipes and tunnels
and archwsys and tubngs interlsced Ike veins
in q human body. and in most artificial, non
rustic manner withal-f they knew all this per-
haps, their wonder and admiration would be
changed From worshipping nature they would
turn TO admiring genius. They would praise the
hand which has artihciaIly preserved elm trees
kept dormitoTfes from decaying and impaired TO
Harvard air of nature which otherwise had
long since perished with the past.
The truth is that Harvard has a second fac
uty,' whose existence is seldom recognized Schol-
ars- philosophers and historians get their full
share Of the glory. but the large or larger body
Of university employees who keep the grass green
the buildings old" and the yard a paradise for
visitors almost ignored.
The 'physiosraphical faculty OF Harvard Gf If
may be called is. like the higher body, organ-
lied and divided and carried by its own little
boards and oyerseers in highly efficient and CEN
tralized manner. over the whole body like Presi-
dent Eliot the real faculty. presides Nj.
Burke. superintendent Of grounds He has the
real executive power Cas well legislative and
5udiciaD. and is sort Of prime minister. with a
cabinet Of five members ready to do his will
This cabinet consists Of W. H. Eveleth who has
charge Of the grounds: w II Moore the head car
penter; W. II. Cutler. the jolly and energetic head
janitor; T. b. Stoddard. the engineer and J. S.
Folensby, who has charge OF the painting depart
ment. Each of these has large force of men ur-
Ger him. and superinten3s annual expenditure
Of money that would surprise those unaoquainted
with the cost Of running a university plant. The
force. in al. comprises something like 175 men
MI Cutler. for instance. has forty-six buildings
under his care and employs twenty-eight janitors
and porters. besides ninety-two goodies 10 look
after the separate rooms. The carpentry DEPART
ment employs six or eight carpenters all the year,
and when some of the older buildings are I'm i'm
mediate danger OF falling to pieces increases this
toTce 10 eighteen twenty. Then there are
masons lawn mowers fremen. engineers paper
hangers and doers Of all sorts of odd jobs from
the assistant who empties ashes up through
the Instructor the assistant professor the
professor" the dean Superintendent Burke
himself
OF the innumerable pipes and tunnels which un-
derlie the Harvard Yard. making il really arti-
hcial. where the surface nature is in so full
bloom. the greater number from Uni
yersity Hall. and. although il takes an immense
amount Of care and labor to keep them in running
order. il requires equal skill and genius TO pre-
vent many evils which inevitably must result from
them All Harvard men. and especially those
living on the yard, take keen pride In the i'm
mense elms which furnish delightful shade in the
hot weather Of May and June. Now and then one
Of these Old patriarchs, seemingly without cause
bends 10 some my ysterious will and when the STU
dent returns in the fall he finds 1t gone and the
sod growing where stood its familiar
stem The cause of this may be d leak In a gas
pipe If the leak happens TO be in the neghborhood
Of the trees roots and after trees had died
# came TO be regularly established custom of
tracing gas leaks by the sickly appearance of
stately
Up 10 The present time twelve or fifteen Of these
old trees have been lost in this way. Some Of
them were IN the yard. One was a Quincy and
Kirkland and others in different parts OF the
grounds. But, matter from what locality. their
loss has been a severe to Harvard. Ordinarily.
elm trees supposed stand for hundreds Of
years. and IL is reasonable suppose that barring
outside influences. the towering eIms in the yard
may live indefinitely. Yet gas pipes and sewers
still get in their deadly work. and although the
faculty is becoming and more expert in
battling them. now and then. despite the utmost
efforts their nvidious influence results IN disaster
and
A good example of the deadly way which gas
piDes destroy the beauty Of the yard was given
last year when. without any apparent cause. the
Garner Of Massachusetts Hall. near Matthews the