Correspondence (incoming) - W-Z

As to the place for them: It might be obtained by building a belfry on one of the end towers, placing the four clock faces on its sides. The tower might also include aroom for the ringer. At Cornell, we select every year a needy and meritorious student, of musical talent, who for a very small compensation takes care of the clock and chimes the bells, and I know of nothing which better repays the outlay. There are always a number of students musically inclined to choose from. As to raising one of the towers and placing a belfry upon it,if done under the direction of a good and tasteful architect,it would help the general effect rather than hurt it, giving variety and an additional and interesting break in the sky-line of the buildings. Other buildings: I noticed while at Palo Alto designs of wooden buildings for various departments of instruction, to be placed somewhat in the rear of the stone edifices. The erection of these seems to me wise, and their design perhaps satisfactory. As to cottages for the Faculty:- Having had much experience in living in them, and in planning them, allow me to make a few suggestions: It is very important that they be fairly commodious, convenient and attractive. We have had these three qualities in view in all our plans for cottages at Cornell, and yet I am satisfied that it would have been wiser for us as a rule to favor the erection of a somewhat better class of cottages than we have done. An increased additional outlay,of which the interest is a very small sum, represents frequently the difference between

a house in which a professor's wife can live comfortably and contentedly, and one in which she cannot. The want of a few small conveniences which make house-keeping comparatively easy may make a valuable professor's household unhappy, and lead him to accept a call elsewhere which he would otherwise decline. Even the presence of an attractive little veranda or bay-window may hold a wife against an advanced salary for her husband elsewhere. It is on this account that I have steadily at Cornell sought to provide everything which might make the lives of the professors and their families attractive, and diminish household cares as much as possible; and the comparatively small additional investments required for this purpose have certainly been wise. I am glad to note that the second range of your professors' cottages is a decided improvement on the first, but I think it would still be wise to remove their sheds for wood and coal so that they will adjoin the kitchens, and to give back-stairs to the upper floor and cellar wherever possible.

Dormitories:Your two dormitories are exceedingly attractive. Encina Hall is certainly the most beautiful building for students' residence in the United States; but if you were to furnish more, accomodations for students, I would urge you not to repeat the Encina plan. For a family hotel it is perfect, and the time is coming when excellent families will be glad to pay well for such accomodations on your grounds, to be near their sons and daughters, but

the fundamental principle in erecting dormitories for students is separation and segregation. This, is no mere theory. It is the practical outcome of all experience here and at all the other universities in the world. In all these institutions, old and new, the plan is now adopted of having "entries" with short cross halls and stairs from top to bottom of the building, and only two to four double rooms at most on each landing. This makes it difficult for students to do too much visiting with each other. With long halls making it easy for each student to run to and fro and call on every other, making assemblies in various rooms, on the slighest pretext, a thing of course, the temptations to too much social enjoyment, with its waste of time and suggestions of mischief, are greatly increased. So, too, the difficulty of controlling such a hall and keeping it quiet is greatly diminished when students are thus separated. A student is comparatively little likely to go down two or three flights of stairs, to go out into the open air in the evening, and then climb up two or three flights of stairs, to talk with companions. I have lived as a student in both sorts of college buildings and I know that the disorder consequent upon long halls is far greater than in dormitories where the cross halls and entries make the running together of students difficult. I do not mean that the fault showed itself to any marked extent at Encina Hall during the month I lived there. On the contrary I found the students exceedingly well behaved. But

it, must borne in mind that you have few if any sophomores or upper classmen yet. The main difficulties in university government generally arise in dormitories. So fully is this fact recognized, that at Cornell we have gradually got rid of them almost entirely, so far as the young men are concerned. True, - students are better than they were formerly. The new system of greater range of choice in study has vastly increased the percentage of those who really take interest in their work, but there must always be some few worthless young fellows, city bred, sons of rich parents frequently, who feel no need of work, and only heed the desire for "a good time", and a few of these in a dormitory where they can easily get access to all the other students may make much trouble. Should you desire it, I can send you tracings of some designs for student dormitories, made in the light of the best experience on that subject. Naturally, an experienced professor like myself has accumulated some knowledge regarding this subject; just as an experienced machinist has regarding the construction of shops, or an experienced manufacturer regarding factories, or an experienced railroad regarding railroad building. Material:I was especially struck by the beauty of the stone used in the construction of your buildings. I have heard many speak of it and have frequently sopken of it myself since my return. The fineness and richness of its color, harmonizing as it does with the color of the tiles, adds new beauty to the architecture, and indeed

to the whole landscape. Therefore it is that I hope that at least all your central group of buildings will be made of this beautiful material. No artificial can ever be as baeutiful; and certainly none can have that character which is given by stone. Supervision:But, in my view, absolutely the most important thing of all is to have near the university a consulting architect of the highest class, to advise and direct regarding the whole system of buildings. Without this, your present plan, beautiful as it is, will certainly deteriorate. A single mistake might detract enormously from the impression made by the whole. Such a supervising architect should be one who has proved himself good both from the constructive and artistic side, and all persons employed on plans should work under his direction. In the long run such a man will save the university much money. At Cornell inferior architects have cost us far more than superior ones. Now you are fortunate enough to have in California one of the most talented young architects in this country. I have given much attention to the subject and have had much experience practically with architects, but I have seen no recent work which has pleased me more and no man whose ideas have seemed to me more promising than those of Mr. Page Brown of San Francisco. He distinguished himself first in our architectural department at this university; then he went abroad to the great government school of architecture in Paris; then returned to San Francisco, where he has been the architect of the Crocker building, opposite the