Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-08-01

Boarding Department of the Col.
!ese Spends Large Sums An.
nualIy for Supplies.
HAS AN EXCELLENT EQUIPMENT
Extensive Repairs Now in Progress
in the Buildings at Alma
College.

Few Alma people realize the magnitude
OF the boarding department of the col
lege as a business enterprise. Last year
the sum of So, 200 was paid out for pro
visions, almost the entire amount being
spent i'll Alma or the immediate vicinity.
he wages of those employed to carry on
the boarding department of Wright Hall
during the school year just closed, cost
the college s.. 800, of which 81 900 went
/ TO students.
In purchasing supplies the preference
IS given, as far as possible, to local dealers,
outsiders being patronized only in excep
uonal cases. Potatoes and butter are
purchased in wholesale quantities, as there
are excellent facilities for keeping such
staples OH hand.
About two years ago a vegetable cellar
was built at the rear Of Wright Hall for
potatoes and other vegetables which
could not be kept in the basement. The
building is constructed of stone, lined
with brick, with an air space between the
two walls. Six hundred bushels OF tubers
can be stored in the cellar. Sandal and
Pitt, Of Elwell, supplied the potatoes last
year ana a considerable quantity of butter
was secured at North Star. During the
season of I9o5-'o6 the 200 boarders at
Wright Hall consumed $500 lbs. of
meat, $500 lbs. of butter, $500 quarts of
milk and cream, four tons OF sugar, 100
dozens Of eggs, - cases of oranges and
500 bushels of potatoes. About $500 per
month, SI,975 for the year, was spent for
meat. The butter cost $3.50 and s542.57
was paid for milk and cream.
There is large refrigerator in the
basement. The ice is stored in a separate
building, which holds 90 tons.
Wright Hall is provided with the equip
ment of good sized bakery and all the
bread used by the boarders is made in the
building. A machine for mixing dough
has been installed recently to facilitate the
process of bread making. The mixer is a
big affair and is run by an electric motor.
In the kitchen there is an oven of the latest
pattern. 1t is double decker" meas
uring 4x6 feet, inside dimensions, and
will hold 100 loaves at one time. The
heat can be kept at fixed temperature
by means of promoter
Outside of the boarding department,
other large items of expense for maintain
in" Wright Hall are for heating, light and
w,ges II the rental depa, t.. mt The
cost of heating the building last year was
SI,G3o, over ZOO tons of hard and soft
coal were used for heating and for fuel
in the kitchen. A large amount OF hard
wood was also used for fuel. The coal is
directly from the mines through
a jobber at Detroit. The electric lights in
Wright Hall cost $3.50. Wages in the
rental department amounted to $500, stu,
dents receiving 5000.
Extensive repairs are i'll progress on TIE
buildings at the college The heating
plant is being completely overhauled. A
force of men is engaged in building new
settings for the boilers and the covering
Of the steam mains leading from the
boiler house 10 the library is being re-
paired. Painters and decorators are busy
at both Wright Hall and Pioneer Hall, re-
Iinting the walls and giving the wood
work and furniture fresh coats of varnish.
improvements are also being made in the
upper serving room at Wright Hall. The
ocker room at the gymnasium will be
ised next year as a school room by the
Training Department. The
ockers have been removed to a room in
Pioneer Hall, adjoining the shower baths.