JANITOR'S LIFE

"I F SOMEONE OFFERED ME the job of President of the United States, or even ot a foreman, I'd stay right in New Hamp Hall," Art said. "I like it here."

Art Kendall, veteran college janitor, who will be 59 in December, has seen nearly seven generations of college men live in New Hamp—twenty-seven years of watching them bull and study in their rooms, seeing them wake up in the morning with familiar inertia, hearing complaints and compliments, and helping mothers put up the curtains. "I remember every one of the men," he said, "and if I should forget a name after twenty-odd years, all I have to do is find out the room number, and then I place them."

When he came to New Hamp in 1013 after Harry Wells had given him the job over 250 other men, the College was stil concentrated on the east side of the green; Fayerweather Row had been built. but Topi iff, New Hampshire's present mate, was yet to be constructed. The Gymnasium, the field house, the stadium, Baker Library, the Gold Coast, and Dicks House were Dartmouth's future.

Students drank kegs of beer on the sidt of Balch Hill, instead of spending the afternoon at the Nugget. the freshmen up to the old Phi Sig barn and introduced them there to colegiate life. "A six foot soph was breaking the door of a freshman's room nailed boots," Art related, "and I told him to stop. He wouldn't, so I socked him on the chin and laid him out. New Hamp is noted as a tough dorm."

He remembers these early days, "Some how I like the old gang better- From what I've seen they're not so tough today, are more studious, though I don't mean to say they're perfect. Maybe it's because there's more freshmen in the dorm and all the upperdassmen are in the fraternity houses or off-campus. This 1940-41 crowd is the quietest I've ever had."

"Swearing? Well, they swore most when I was first up here. But none of them ever did swear as much as I did.

"Yes, I remember the fellows who were here during the World War," he reminisced. "They were one of the best bunches I've ever had. We talked about war, just like now, only today the mess seems a damn sight worse. I used to say that the government ought to take men like me and leave them to finish their studies and begin their lives. 'Like hell it should take you,' they told me. 'The government should draft us, and leave you with your wife!' You know, you don't forget students like that. Many of them did go to France."

Art believes that a janitor shouldn't ask questions. He doesn't interfere with the life of the students because they don't want him to. As for stories about them: "I hate to tell. I know too much!"

According to him, the undergraduates haven't actually changed much in the past 30 years. They seem to dress the same. They still take week-ends. They still insist on women and bull-sessions about them. They like their beer. Holes are still kicked through the walls, extinguishers turned upside down, fire hoses turned on, and windows broken. "One thing they don't do anymore, though," he said, "is j throw each other through the wall. I'll i never forget the kid whose head went from his room into the one next door."

Only two real accidents, however, have occurred in New Hamp since Art Kendall has been in charge of it, and he is proud of this record. "The heating may be queer, switching from 60 degrees to 85 without warning, but New Hamp is all right."

Eight, 10 or is years ago, he isn't sure of the exact date, a student from ConnectiCUt who roomed in 15, now 201, placed a Pile of lumber in the fireplace and the sParks from the wood set fire to the roof, Another man South Hall saw the flames He called the fire department immediacely lately. but rather than wait for it to come, ran to the top floor of New Hamp, climbed through the toilet window to the roof with the helP of a friend, and had this assistant hand him the dormitory hose.He put out the fire before the fire diparment arrived. "The funny thing about this,"Art said,"is not so much that the student Put out the fire single-handed as it is The Dartmouth gave all the credit to the fire department, which didn't do anything. I think it's about time the student got the credit."

At the time Art Toan was student dorm chairman a few years ago, the College gardeners left overnight in front of New Hamp a load of dirt and grass they were going to use for landscaping. "A gang of them, the janitor told, with amusement, "went outside and carted the entire load into the dorm. They had finished turfing the first floor toilets and were watering the grass and starting to landscape the showers, when Toan found them. Heneage was leading the watering crew and a little guy from Chicago—he roomed in 113, I think he's a doctor now—was on his knees smoothing the dirt. Toan bawled them out, and this little guy said go to hell.

"Well, Toan told me about it the next morning when I was transplanting the garden. I told Spud Bray. Spud came down and finally located the little guy sunning himself behind the dorm. Spud was in the basement and shouted, "Why didn't you obey last night?' The little guy yells back, 'To tell the truth, Spud, I don't know what a dorm chairman is for!'

"Spud took him to the Ad Building. That's all I remember. But the students are still like that. They ain't angels yet."

ART KENDALLGenial Janitor of New Hampshire HallLooks Like He Can Take It.