Fountain drained for winter

He's passed by hundreds of students a day, he's not wearing any clothes and some people even have the gall to throw money at him.

Hopefully, the only individual on campus to fit this description is Triton, the somewhat obese statue in the fountain near the Michigan League.

University officials recently drained the fountain, as they do every year around this time, and Triton now sits on a platform of rock rather than in a pool of water.

"After Homecoming, we flush out the lines and cover it up so it doesn't become a trash receptacle over winter," said Dave Gilbertson, who works for the University's Plant Maintenance Department.

The statue collects coins throughout the year, but the pennies don't add up to much once winter comes. The money raised from students' wishes is so minimal that there is no specific purpose for the change.

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily The fountain of Triton, located on Ingalls Mall near the Michigan League, was recently shut down for the winter. Every fall, the fountain is drained, but the local landmark comes back to life for commencement.

"A couple years ago, a guy took it home and put it in his kid's piggy bank," Gilbertson said.

He estimated that about $3-$4 are picked from the bottom of the pool every year.

The statue is mossy green with rust highlights, and features Triton, a marine god, and his four sons. It is surrounded by fish that spray water across the statue, giving it an almost slimy look.

The scene, titled "Sunday morning in deep waters," presents the marine god shooting water from his horn. In Greek mythology, Triton would do this to warn the coming of his father, Poseidon.

For many University students the warning signals the coming of winter, because when water stops flowing from the horn, it's the beginning of the cold season.

But water will once again spew from Triton's horn when the weather permits. It will surely be operational for graduation, Gilbertson said.

"It will be back on for commencement, whether it's below zero out or not," Gilbertson said.

Many students wouldn't have it any other way. Walking through the fountain waters has become a tradition for students on both orientation and graduation days.

The walk is supposed to symbolize first students' arrival to the University, and then their departure.

Despite its status as a campus landmark, the statue is still something of a mystery.

"We call him Butch," said plumber apprentice Jim Bogi.

Bogi was involved in covering the statue for the winter, but said he didn't know its name.

"Butch" was a gift from Charles Baird, and is "in memory of Thomas McIntyre Cooley - jurist, teacher, and philosopher of the law," according to a nearby plaque.

The statue was sculpted by Carl Milles and was "inspired by the sculptor's memories of boyhood adventures with his own father and brothers," another plaque declares.

Despite its size and history, some students insist on being disrespectful to the marine god. The water surrounding the statue was soaped 10-12 times during the last year, Gilbertson said.

"They must think it's funny to see the soap run over the sides," Gilbertson said.

The cleanup is paid for by the University's Plant Maintenance. Gilbertson said the cleanup crews have been lucky that no extensive graffiti was ever done to the statue.

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