8
THE BATTALION.
train properly. It may be of interest
to compare some of our records with
those made by the winners at the
State athletic contest recently held at
Fort Worth. We tied their record of
0:11 1-5 for the hundred yard dash,
but fell slightly behind in most of the
other contests. For instance, in the
running high jump their record was '
feet 3 3-4 inches, while ours was 5
feet 2 inches. Brown made it easily
practically without any previous
training, and did not try for a record,
and he could undoubtedly have tied
or beaten the Fort Worth record.
Brown is a promising man, and with
proper training will make a fine ath
lete. In our half-mile run we were
beaten by 3 3-4 seconds; in the hop-
step-and-jump and in the running
broad jump by five inches, and in the
hammer throw by about 31-2 feet.
And we came this close to the winning
records without any previous train
ing, many of the boys never having
tried before in their lives! Now, why
can’t we enter these yearly contests?
Why can’t we train up such men as
Garrett, Markham, Carswell, Brown,
Boettcher, Hurst, and the scores of
other promising men and send them
up to the State meet next year and
carry off that banner, with the inscrip
tion, “Amateur Championship of
Texas,” which the Fort Worth Y.
M. C. A. carried off in triumph this
year? Why can’t the A. and M. be
first in every kind of athletics, even
as she is in foot ball? .
“Everybody lend a hand” now, and
next year, with fine training, our col
lege boys will stand without a rival in
the Lone Star State.
3*
To see the prettiest picture in Tex
as, one has but to look at our cam
pus, decked out in all the glory of
Spring’s green grass and beautiful
trees. It forms a most striking con
trast to the bleak and barren appear
ance that it presented only a few
weeks ago. The only defects are the
piles of piping and dirt, which mark
the lines of the newly laid sewerage
system. It is to be hoped that thes^
will soon be removed, and then noth
ing will mar the fine effect of the long
lines of shade trees and hedges, and
the plots of green grass scattered ev
erywhere.
.j*
Boys we want every one of you who
have the least bit of literary ability
to help us out in our commencement
number. The majority of the cadets
are very backward in contributing to
our paper, and unless they do bestir
themselves and take an interest in the
literary department we can never hope
to produce a sheet that will do jus
tice to our college. A man with a par
alyzed arm is handicapped in every
way, and so is a college which is par
alyzed in one of its chief branches.
Those who grumble at times of a poor
paper, perhaps do not realize that
their indifference is one of the main
causes of the paper’s deficiencies.
■J*
Only a few short weeks now and
Commencement will be here with its
crowds of visitors, and the college will
put on its holiday regalia. All are
eagerly awaiting it, and are in a very
fever of expectation of home and
friends. But we must not let this in
terfere with the success of our com
mencement, but let us all brace up
and make the commencement of ’00
the greatest success, and the one to
be longest remembered ever held at
the old A. and M.