The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-20
STANFORD AND ADYVRSEFATVS
EARTHQUAKE caps THE DIFF
CULTIES 1T HAS MET.

Stanford University, the richest insti-
tuition OF learning in the United States and
one Of the richest in the country, has had a
varied and interesting history since it was
opened for students in 1891. II has passed
from extreme poverty to extreme riches,
and ~weathered more than one storm among
its faculty. The great building scheme,
which allows for an almost indefinite ex-
pansion in the number Of students, was
just on the verge Of completion when the
trouble came, aud the university, which
had been spending the income on it's en-
dowment for buildings. was preparing for
a great expansion in departments and
teachers.
Leland Stanford, Jr., only child Of Sem
ator Leland Stanford and his wife Jane,
died OF RomfApfever in Italy in 1887, at Che
age Of 10. All the hopes Of his parents had
centred on him; and after his death his
mother forsook the gay life which she had
led as wife of one Of the richest and most
prominent Californians and devoted her.
self to charity. In his later days the boy
bad dropped a remark about what he wanted
to do with his money; and this. 1t is said,
determined them to found in his memory
a great free university for the youth OF
California and Of the world. Senator and
Mrs. Stanford travelled abroad studying
the great institutions OF Europe. Senator
Stanford spent days with President Eliot
Of Harvard and other educators learning
their views on education and the best use
of money for educational purposes, and the
result was a university which In its ideals
gives the greatest freedom to the individ
ual and make its aim preparation for
usefulness ia life.
Stanford was not a university man. and
he recognized his limitations. 1t was his
plan to 60 to the best Of those who should
know and take their advice on details.
In the character Of the university he had
been guided largely by Eliot. In planning
for the external features he went to Rich
arison, the architect of Trinity Church in
Boston. Richardson laid it out on the
plan of the old California missions, an
adaptation by the architects among the
padres OF Moorish arohite cture to the
peculiar weather conditions Of California.
His imitation was not slavish, however;
he departed widely from the model and
escaped the formlessness which has marked
most modern buildings in the so-called
California mission style. The main fea-
lures of the plan were an inner quadrangle
surrounding an inner court and a series
OF outer q~uadrangles of two and three
story buildings. In that inner quadrangle
were twelve one story buildings, low and
massive, but roomy n affording excellent
recitation rooms. The main feature of
the plan, however. was the arcades, which
ran everywhere about the buildings and
which provided against the rainy season
since they made it possible to go from any
part OF the main structure to n other
without getting wet. The whole mass,
in the plan Of Rcha rdson. was capped by
a low, massive arch which formed the
centre Of the front facade and backed by
the pile Of a great church in Italian Renais-
sanoe style. Thanking the main buildings
on either side wee Encina Dormitory for
men and Roblo for women.
The inner quadrangle. three isolated
engineering buildings and the two dor
ma were completed when the univer-
sity opened for instruction in 1891. They
were all built according to the plan. Upon
Encina Hall in particular Senator Stanford
La Wished great care. He insisted Upon
sinking the foundations twice as deep as
was necessary. and all the work was done
by the day and not by contract. 1t was
his idea to ha We 1t and for centuries-"Eve
against earthquakes" he said. Stanford
men in New York are eager to know
whether Encina stood the strain as we'll as
Senator Stanford expected that it should.
When the university threw its doors open
the authorities hardly expected en- immedi-
! ate response from students. AS a matter
of fact in two years they had nine hundred
men and women in attendance. At the
end OF those two years Senator Stanford
died, and two things happened which nearly
swamped the institution The hard times
struck the country, greatly depressing the
securities upon which the university de-
pended for it's life, and the Government
entered suit for the restoration Of the value
of the bonds upon which the Union Pacific
fortune rested. There is no space to dwell
on the details of this case. Had the Govern
ment won the university ould have gone
out of existence. While the estate was
tied up in the courts about 5000 o a year
was awarded to Mrs. Stanford as a living
allowance. That was al! that the university
| had to run on, She reduced her own per-
' sonal expenses to 500 a month and handed
| all the rest over. The next two or three
years brought a heroic struggle to keep
the university alive through the clipping
of salaries to the lowest point, the sale Of
every chattel not tied mp in the courts,
and sven of Mrs. Stanford 8 personal jewels.
Several tines, only the courage Of Jane
Stanford and her loyalty to the ideal Of
her husband prevented the closing oil the
university. The case ran through all the
courts, with final decision in favor Of the
university. Finally it was out Of the courts.
the hard times were over and she went
ahead to finish the building scheme while
she had her strength.
Mrs. Stanford, unlike her husband. inter
fered with the plans Of the architect The
result was several features which folks
of an artistic bent regarded as blots The
arch was raised thirty feet from the original
plan, and il stuck ur out Of the mees Of
buildings high beyond all proportion.
Further, ittwas desecrated by a horrible
frieze, The chapel, too. was plastered
outside and inside with Venetian mosaics,
considered out Of place in such architecture.
These, however, were only minor blurs. In
the main, the noble plan Of Richardson was
carried out. The university as it stood
had first the main macs Of buildings, about
two dozen in all. Apart from his stood
the dormitories. a chemical laboratory,
the most successful single building in the
whole place, a museum ard a set Of engineer
ing buildings. Work was under way on
a great library to supplement the one al.
ready in use, and ground had been broken
for gymnasium and athletic field.
Several years ago Or. David Starr Jordan,
president Of the university since its founda-
ton, got il considerably into the papers
through the so-called Ross controversy.