The Faculty were long deciding as to where it should be placed. Finally, at last, they have decided to join one end to the Mausoleum and the other to the Gymnasium. It will in all probability cost $175,000. Is not this an improvement?

It is also rumored that the two dormitories are going to be brought around and placed one on each side of the walk leading from the College down to the Chapel, leaving a space wide enough for two persons to walk side by side. Of course, necessary doors and gates will be looked after in due time. There is also a report that the Chemistry room, the Civil Engineers' room, and the Law room, will be, during next vacation, placed on top of the main building.

The next and last improvements are the Railroads. Four great Railroads are to bisect each other soon, just at the South end of the Gymnasium.

First, the great P. C. & T. (Pitch, Coal and Tar) Railroad, running in an air line from Pittsburg to Richmond; another, the C. W. & N., running from Chicago to Lexington, and no to New Orleans. The third, about which there is some doubt, will probably run from New York to San Francisco. The fourth, about which there is a great deal of doubt, runs from Collierstown to London. It will be called the Great American, Transcontinental and European Railway. A grand ball and torchlight procession will be given in honor of each. (Don't understand us to mean that the College is going to give the balls.) The first ball will be given at the hotel; every body invited; entrance free for fifty cents, lady and gentleman one dollar. The proceeds will, of course, go to the College. The next ball will be given at the Blue Hotel; entrance fifty cents, lady and gentleman and child, under ten, one dollar. The proceeds will, of course, go to the College. The next one will be given in the old Y. M. C. A. room. suspension the day preceding, and all the students will be marched in regular order to the Natural Bridge and back. Old Jim, in all probability, will be General Commander-in

There will be

Chief. Entrance the same as the others; proceeds will go to the same place. The last ball will be given in the old Kahle building, opposite the Presbyterian lecture room-entrance one penny, lady and gentleman two pennies. It is as yet undecided whether the proceeds will be given to the College or Episcopal church. The College claims the proceeds, but most people seem to think that the College is trying to monopolize things most too much, and the matter will probably be left to arbitrators. All these things will, of course, take place as soon as time and circumstances will permit after Commencement.

In consequence of these conjunctions Lexington will arise from her summer stupidity and dullness and will be deservedly called "The Modern Athens."

The College is going to possess itself of a small engine, which will run around from the Chemistry room by the bulletin board, down between the dormitories to Chapel, through the Chapel into the Mausoleum, through the Mausoleum into the Library, through the Library into the Gymnsasium, through the Gymnasium to the depot, where, of course, it will make connections with the various railroads. This engine is for the Civil class next year. It is the intention of the Professor of Chemistry to try to run it first by electricity; if that does not succeed he thinks he can manage it with a certain combination of chemicals which he is now compounding. The reason that electricity or chemicals is prefered is that in emitting the steam every now and then, or the whistle on each arrival from the depot, there would be caused too much disturbance during recitation hours.

Who dares to say that these are not real improvements? Two years from now the College will be at the zenith of her glory and her sons will surpass any of ancient eras or modern times. [COMMUNICATED.]

ALUMNI.

M. A. DeL. Van Horn, '68-'69-'70, is assistant editor of the Monroe Democrat, a weekly published at Stroudsburg, Pa. He still remembers Washington and Lee, as is seen by an editorial.

C. W. Smith, '73-74-'75-'76, is on the staff of the Union county Times, Eldorado, Arkansas.

Lewis Berkeley Cox, '73-74-'75-'76, is proprietor of The East Oregonian, Pendleton Oregon, and drives the pen with "great freedom."

Edward Randall, '75-'76-'77-'78-'79, is studying medicine in Philadelphia.

H. K. McCay, '76-'77-'78-'79, is at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. Kent, "carry arms!"

NEW YORK CITY ALUMNI.

Frank Montgomery, '68-'69-'70-'71-'72-73, is a Doctor at Bellevue Hospital.

R. W. Preston, '66-'67-'68, has been a lawyer, railroad man, and is now a gentleman of elegant ease and leisure; boards at the Brevoort House.

W. R. Pryor, '72-'73, is attending the college of physicians and surgeons, and çan be addressed at 76 Wall street.

Roger Pryor, '73-'74, is practicing law with his father, 76 Wall street.

Walter McCorkle, '73-'74-'75-'76-'77-'78, has been in New York one year, and is located with a leading firm, Miller & Deckham; he is doing well and has prospects of better.

PENDLETON, OREGON, February 6, 1881. DEAR COLLEGIAN-Having but recently learned that you continue to exist, I write, claiming to be once more numbered among your subscribers, and

at the same time (in the classic language of "Chinook" jargon) "pot-latch' that which I know from experience to be the most soothing unction to the B. M.'s soul. Please put me down as a standing subscriber and send such back numbers for this year as may be conveniently obtained. Of course, the COLLEGIAN is not to us of so many years severed connection from our Alma Muter what it was as students, or for a year or two thereafter, but then it still seems a sort of fraternal bond, and, too, it should be the duty of all W. and L. boys to support it—from old associations, if from no other motive. Few things in after years afford more pleasure than this chronicler of our college days. I have just been reading old files and quite forgot present surroundings in reviewing scenes and incidents of the past, and am very willing to contribute my mite towards its support as a "relic preserver" for the present,and future generations to come.

But it is said "brevity is the soul of wit," or we will consider it said for the occasion, and I will not encumber your columns with an extended communication, where there are so few to recognize the penmanship, but will give you such few "personals” as I can and close. By the way, this is the most attractive feature of the COLLEGIAN to an alumnus, and on behalf of the brotherhood at large, can only ask that it be well looked after.

Of the Oregon boys, we are four.

George E. Chamberlain, A. B. and B. L., '75-6, is located in Albany, is a member of the law firm of Flinn & Chamberlain, is married, has a son, and represents his county in the State Legislature.

S. F. Floed, Wash. Declaimer's Medalist of '78 is managing editor of one of our best papers published at his home, Roseburg.

G. A. Brodie, A. B, of '76 or '77 is practising Law in the same town and is highly spoken of as a promising young man in his profession, as in every other respect.

L. W. Napton, '74-5, is engaged in raising stock in Montana, but writes of moving to Oregon in the spring, as the winters of Montana are too severe for his enterprise.

H. P. Napton, C. E. of '75, is practising law in Joplin, Mo., but also has an idea of migrating to Oregon.

The undersigned is pursuing the same avocation, together with editing and publishing a local paper in the town of Pendleton, same State.

What are the other boys doing?

Yours most truly,

L. B. Cox.

EXCHANGES.

We welcome the Columbia Spectator as a real live College paper. It has quite an artistic make-up, and is the most successful of the few illustrated College papers. Instead of essays, it has interesting and amusing stories of College life. Now, while we by no means wish to be understood as condemning essays, we think their exclusion is necessary to the attainment of that peculiar kind of excellence which the Spectator supports with success and even éclat.

We don't get enough politics from the newspapers; so the University Herald, from Syracuse, N. Y., administers us a dose ad nauseam. There is nothing in the Herald worthy of particular notice. The locals are mediocre. The contributed articles are by far the best. Bismarck's critic shows himself no master of his art. We are left under the impression that the mind of the said critic is singularly retentive of facts and figures. Bismarck is praised for accomplishing "that most daring and dangerous feat of taking the government in his own hands and ruling without parliament." It is hardly necessary to remark that such an arbitrary and despotic mode of proceeding is in direct opposition to what ought to be the most cherished principles of the American citizen. The critic, therefore, who is an admirer of Bismarck, had better find something more to his hero's credit, if he wishes to awaken in others the admiration he himself feels.

The title page of the Varsity, which has been so severely criticised, is that paper's most attractive feature. We never tire of admiring it. There they stand-the studious youth with open book and the interesting maiden intently gazing at the strange hieroglyphic scrawl on what seems to be