University Items

Tliere are hundreds of them- echoes we menu - just now ringing through the various Unlversity buildings. The hainmers of the carpenters are busy ; the bruslies of the painters are plylng to and fro, to and fro, forward and backward unceasingly; and the purifying calcimine is being spread in the same way. There is not much harmony in the chaos of noise, old boards and tiltil being dug out oL the buildings, for an artistic eye, but wheu the work is all completed it will be pleusing to eyes artistic and otherwise. It will oe reinembeied that the last lejrislatuie appropriated the sum of $22,000 wlth which to put in repair the buildings belonging to the state on the Umverslty cam.us. Of tlus amonnt $11,000 became arailable this year, and 11,000 bccomes su during the year 1880. For many years the repairs have been neglected because of the continued growing of the University and consequent continued demands ui)on its purse striiiLts. Jt is an actual fact that tlic L'uiversity authorities in Ann Albor have built up a great institution of learning - a free one at that, and one of the grealest in the world - with an amount of uioney that a third-rate college would consider insufticient for its wants. But we are on repairs now. MAIN 11U1LD1NG. Under the supervisión of the Steward and Secretaiy, Mr. J. II. Wade, who is a man of practical common sense, with a great buinp of econotny fully developed, tlic repairs are progies.sing The painters have about flnished the entire outside of this structure with two coate of paint on all except the dome, wheie four coats have been put on. This incliule all the ouuiile woodwork, such as wiiidow sast), doors etc. Upon the inside the carpenters are busy laying floors. The mail) hall has been relaid, and also Uooin A, while the I'resideut's room is liaving a real beauty in the way of a ftoor, conslsting of altérnate strlpes of red oak and white or sugar maple, put down out of seleoted boards. The workmen have taken unusual paina with It, and polnt to their work with pride. Tliere will be ;(0,000 feet of inapk flooring laid in thia building, Includlng the north and south wiiigs bcfore it is completad, all of which is givcn plenty of oil to soak up. In the north wing all rooms except Xo. 21, Prof. Payue'a loom, and No. 24, the music room, will have new floors, these two having been attendcd to last season. Also eizlit halls re-floored and elght stairways re-built. The stair sides will be sealed up instead of made with hamsters, and it taLes 190 feet of new hand rails to top theui off. In the south wing, all rooms except the society and Christian association roouis will be given new floors. Onc-half of the rooms in both wings will be calcimined, where that was not attended to last year. All Inside woodwork, iu both wings, will be given two coats of paint. The tin roof has been repaired, new gutters and new Conductor supplied, and so on. UW BUILDING. The contract has been let to paint the entire outside woodwork. A new slate roof will replace the present shingle roof. New floors in the halls and iu Prof. Hutchins room; Uut further repairsnot fully deteruiined. CHEMICAL LABORATOEV. The outside woodwork has been painted, and the inside woodwork will be painted also, two coats. Secretary Wade has a plan in contemplation to improve the looks of this building about 500 per cent. or more. The structure was iirst erected with the idea of covering the brick wlth stucco, but that is rather too ancient for to-day. Now, Mr. Wade proposes the smoothing of the surface of the walls by the use of mortar, grinding bricks, etc, and paintiug the whole with a preparation that he warrant to last as long as the brick will. The body and panels to be brick-color and penciled.and the columns and trimmings brown stone. There will be a great deal of calcimining here, also some new floors and stairs. medical building. Commencing at the top, the old part will have a new slate roof. The outside wood has been re-paiuted already, and the inside wood is to have new coats froin top to bottoiu, the walls will all be calclmined and about 4,000 feet of new floorlng laid on all the main halls, ampitheatre and aisles. UOSPITALS. The University hospital is where the meáis are to be served at the coming meeting of the American Science Association, and work here is being pusued'. The entire outside has been or is being' repainted, including the dirty old rookery of a 8tucco building in the front. The inside woodwork is also being re-painted entire, much new plasteiing bas been doae on rooms surrouiidiiig the ampitheatre; about 1,500 feet of new flooring is being put in; all rooms calcimined or walls painted; Dr. Dunster's room bas been doubled in size by au addition; and tUe structure made to look as neat and smell as sweet as nt-w. Ko one can spleen against meals served therein. The Homceopthic hospital is to besiinilarly treated. New walks will he laid in front also. lmn lioriatoü.ia ., i ,. tn hf fiirnUlipii the hospitals herenfter, wlth woven wire mattresses, takiog about GO in one and 25 in the ollier. president's hocse. A new roof wlll grace this structure; basement kitchen has a new floor and ce-iling; the parlón and hall have been gtven new ceilings, while the library and several of the rooms are being re-papered and calcimined, and new paint is doing ts work also. A new iron fence is to grace the front of the yard hereafter. DENTAL, COLLEGE. As an enlargeuient of tbis building is becomlng an imperative necessity, no repairs have been decided upou yet. GENERAL REPAIRS. There will be many things done not enuinerated. The walks in and ábout the grounds will have to be repaired, etc., etc. MECHANICA!. LABORA TORT. The new building for this most excellent bruncli of instruction will be built as soon as the plans whlch, are beinjf rapidly perfected by Mr. Lloyd, the architect of Detroit, are completed. liegen t Shearer and Prof. Cooley are supervis ing the drawing of the plans. The building will be located adjoining the present machine shop, which becoines a wing of it. REMARKS. Mr. Wade is sliowing good judgment in the overseeing of tuis vvork. The vaiious janitors, firemen and workmea eniployed about the grouncis are doing much of the work, therebv saving the University considerable expense. As a matter of curiosity, and to show the surfiice to be covered by paint at the University hospital alone, Mr. Wade intorins us that he bouglit for that building 4,400 lbs., of white lead, six barréis of linseed oil and two barrels of color, and not a drop will be left when completed. It is designed to have all tlie repairs in the main hall, north and t-outh wings and University hospital completed before the 25th of next mouth, but there will have to be llvely work if some portion of it ilofM not remain in an incomplete State. The contracta for paiiiting have been taken by Oscar O. Sorjf and by Albert 8org, and they are each doing their work well. Prof. A. II. Pattengill left Momlay for Charlevoix. Major Soule and wife leaves Ann Arbor to-morrow for an absence of soine three weeks at Maekinac. Prof. Dunster and family left Monday for Martha's Vineyard, to remain the balance of the summer. The wife and danghter of Secretary Wade of the university are spending the vacation at Jonesville. Dr. Wood, the new homeopathie professor, was in the city yesterday, lecurlng rooms, etc., preparatory to ugumlng his duties next SepU If you are anxious to know why sucli a gracious smile lighteup the countenance of Prof. Calvin Thomas, read the tirst two Unes of the sixth verse of the uiutli cliapter of Isaiah. Gerald Griffln, law class of '77, now practicinj? in San Antonio, Texas, is to be oiarried to-day, at Austin, Texas, to Miss Mollie O'Donnell, of thelatter city, services to be held in St. Mary's Cathulic church. It is asserted that on Wcduesday night of last week burglars raided the house of Prof. Prescott and secured considerable many valuables, forcinjj the profftMOr at the inuzzle of a revolver, to divulge where they we re secreted.