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COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1968
Number 24
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Days Of Old, ‘Old Army 9
Told In 1888 Letters
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'assing grades, the need of
mey from home and complaints
ut food are subjects today of
st letters to parents from col-
_e students.
l( lron t It was also that way more than
1 goiri; years ago, attested by a packet
letters acquired for Texas
lUadroi &M archives by Board of Direc-
quadra President L. F. Peterson of
(layoff; irt Worth.
1 3 gde Significant information about
iM’s history can be bleaned
Class 37 letters written be-
i w i n j 1 j een April 23, 1888, and Feb. 4,
Mexica by Cadet W. Lucius Holman
Her ^' s mother and uncle in Pilot
int.
B 6 ^ 'THE DOCUMENTS provide
'Or tllf ne ' n ^ eres ^* n 8' and historical
JD the’ orma ^ on on those early days
‘ our university,” noted Presi-
f. nC ® it Earl Rudder in accepting
-- ^ rom Peterson. “Archivist
’ ^ nest Langford has known of
jUtnen ,j r existence for quite some
agile, ^ e ,.
Peterson, Fort Worth oilman
id 1&36 A&M graduate, said he
y Ivmd “some of the letters quite
* Iteresting . . . Cadet Holman’s
^l^omplaints about the food and life
fi.0l n campus.”
w l, en || A&M was 12 years old at the
caps kit r e freshman wrote his let-
a ]„( , rs. The college was about to
tball pa ® u ’ re the services of its most
flown early administrator and
„ . iesident, Gov. Lawrence Sullivan
pe “ oss (1891-1898).
f jljjjjd HOLMAN frequently wrote his
o nap P er > Mrs. P. G. Weeks, and
, j t W(S ncle, often penning four letters
rone fit ^ ow i n & longhand in six days.
Postal rates were reasonable,
Charlwwever. Holman’s letters to Pi-
A&M diet Point, a North Texas town 18
1956 aBesi north of Denton, bear two-
in to pi cent stamps.
sco l ' Frequent requests for money
rming, did not support extravangant liv-
,as nio'p- He mentions going to Bryan
irt of for shopping purposes only three
numte;’times j n 5y 2 months. Holman
piade Apparently left school with ty-
off f phoid fever in February, 1889,
Jene never to return.
in'P 0 j He also requested parental per-
Kini‘1
stabili*
ne up'
ive cW 5
, Knifi
of
movef
Ission to leave campus early for
Sristmas and a “corps trip” to
Mas for the state fair.
bon plan for attracting and hold-
His financial requests were
strictly educational in nature.
‘TVE NOT HAD a chew or a
cigarette in three months,” he
reported.
Holman usually itemized re
quests, such as $21.25 for a uni
form, $1.50 for a wood plane, 50
cents for a square and other
prices for shop tools required by
Prof. F. E. Giesecke, 1886 honor
graduate who assisted in teaching
shop and later became a revered
professor of architectural engi
neering and Engineering Experi
ment Station director.
Holman apparently was a mod
erately good student with a weak
ness in math. He majored in
agriculture.
“I can pass into the third class
in June,” he scribed in one letter,
“but all the faculty said it would
be best for me to stay in the
fourth class next year.” In this
he cites a favorite professor,
Louis L. Mclnnis, who was ap
pointed faculty chairman in 1887.
A dorm was recently named for
Mclnnis.
A&M’s CAMPUS then consisted
of four main buildings, all since
razed or burned. They included
Old Main in which students re
sided and attended classes, Gath-
right Hall for dining, Pfeuffer
and Austin Halls. There also were
five residences for professors.
Students didn’t have far to go
to find open countryside. Holman
borrowed a professor’s shotgun,
bagged 12 quail from three covey
and “at the railroad tank, shot
four ducks and four green heads.”
“I gave the professor six
quales (sic) and two ducks,” the
freshman informed his mother.
“He said I could use his shotgun
any time I liked.”
HOLMAN’S PROWESS with a
rifle was further attested.
“I went with Lt. (Guy) Carle-
ton (A&M’s fifth commandant,
1886-1889) and the first class to
target practice. He said if I could
hit the black spot (bull’s eye) out
of five shots, he would buy me a
lemonade.”
A&M Directors
avor No. 3,9
mendments
he A&M System Board of
ectors has formally passed
icluations supporting votes for
.endments No. 3 and 9 in the
eral election next month,
passage of Amendment No. 3
>uld permit broadening of the
vestments of the University
[rmanent Fund, in which the
iversity System and the Uni-
ity of Texas System share,
mendment No. 9 would permit
Texas Legislature to improve
fctirement benefits for members
“f the Teacher Retirement Sys-
i of Texas.
he board’s resolution endors
ing a vote for Amendment No. 3
Pointed out the cost of construct
ing and equipping all buildings
nnd other permanent improve
ments for the various divisions
the A&M system must be
^■lanced by a share of the in-
■me from the Permanent Fund.
|“A policy of investing more
woadly in high grade securities
uld provide more adequate in-
tome to the Permanent Fund for
&ese important public needs,”
Je board’s resoluation empha-
dzed.
i The board’s resolution support
ing Amendment No. 9 stated that
toe present retirement plan is
dequate for the needs of re-
ned teachers and other employes.
Retirement benefits are an
ffesential part of the compensa-
be-
^ . | competent teachers and other
, ('Employes,” the board noted.
r e ■ The board members pointed out
' Vmt a better plan would permit
: • | |he state’s colleges and universi-
'i Bes to compete more effectively
I ^ the employment of outstanding
ti® 5 * B eac hers, researchers, scientists
I and other employes.
j University National Bank
f I “On the side of Texas A&M.
I I —Adv.
JACK K. RUNKLES
Dr. J. R. Runkles
Named Director
Of Water Institute
A soil physics professor, Dr.
Jack R. Runkles has been named
acting director of the A&M Water
Resources Institute, Agricultural
Dean H. O. Kunkel announces.
Kunkel said Runkles has al
ready assumed his new position in
the Agricultural Engineering
Building.
He succeeds Dr. Ernest T.
Smerdon who resigned to be
come chairman of Agricultural
Engineering at Florida Univer
sity.
Runkles new responsibility in
cludes direction and coordination
of the forthcoming annual Water
for Texas Conference which has
attracted national and state water
resource leaders to the A&M cam
pus for 13 years.
The Soil and Crop Sciences De
partment agronomist joined the
A&M faculty in 1964, coming
from South Dakota State College.
Runkles had taught and conducted
research in soil physics since
earning a doctoral degree from
Iowa State University in 1956.
Runkles special field of research
is soil and plant water relation
ships.
A former A&M student, he re
ceived his B.S. degree in agrono
my in 1950. His M.S. degree in
soil physics was awarded two
years later.
X;
I
“You know I’m not one to brag,
Ma,” Holman wrote, “but I hit
four out of five and the lieutenant
met his obligation.”
The years 1888 and 1968 were
much alike in terms of rain, ac
cording to the cadet. He wrote on
Jan. 26, 1889, that it had been
raining since he got back from
Christmas (Jan. 2).
AN ASTUTE observer, the
freshman’s letters mention six
boys being expelled for dueling,
a fire which burned winter feed
for A&M cattle and the drummer
“beating up” for chapel.
Rapidity of today’s communica
tions by news media is reflected
in a Nov. 11, 1888, reference to
the presidential election.
“I’ve been grieving for the last
two or three days about the
election,” he wrote. “I am afraid
that (Democratic incumbent
Grover) Cleveland will get beat
by that Yankee (Republican can
didate Benjamin) Harrison.” He
did.
Polls Close-7:30
Polls will close at 7:30 to
night in the run-off election for
two Student Senate posts.
To be decided at the voting
booths in the typewriter room
of Francis Hall are senior Sen
ate representative from the
College of Business Adminis
tration and sophomore repre
sentative from the College of
Veterinary Medicine.
Competing for Senior BA
representative are Arthur J.
Erickson and Robert Edgecomb.
Tommy Henderson and Mitchell
J. Timmons are running for
Sophomore Pre-Vet representa
tive.
Weather Clear
For Baylor Game
Dry, cool air, light winds and
generally clear conditions are ex
pected to prevail over Central
Texas this weekend, date of Texas
A&M’s football engagement with
Baylor in Waco.
Weather station meteorologist
Jim Lightfoot said a dry cold
front to move through this area
Thursday will dominate the
weather.
“It appears there’ll be no pre
cipitation with the passage and
none before Tuesday or Wednes
day next week,” he predicted.
“The weather looks to be gen
erally clear to partly cloudy and
mild in Waco Saturday,” Light-
foot went on. “Waco’s Saturday
afternoon high should be 74, same
as for the kickoff. Winds will be
light and variable, with any at all
from the southwest at 5 mph.
There’ll be low relative humidity,
from 30 to 35 per cent.”
He indicated the Saturday
morning low will be 50 degrees.
The Aggies and Bears kick off
at 8 p. m.
Preparations Begin
For Bonfire Work
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‘LIKE SHUFFLING CARDS’
A featured movement of the Texas Aggie Band’s halftime performance at the A&M-Baylor
game Saturday in Waco will be an oblique divide and fold, likened by Lt. Col. E. V. Adams
to “shuffling cards.” Height of Baylor Stadium seats will afford a good view of the for
mation, the director says.
Band Set For
In First Road
‘Card Shuffle’
Appearance
A drill that takes advantage of
the high angle of view afforded
by Baylor Stadium will highlight
the Texas Aggie Band’s first
road appearance of 1968-69.
A&M’s band directed by Lt.
Col. E. V. Adams will march
Saturday at halftime of the 8
p.m. Aggie-Bear football game.
Described by one fan as “thun
der and blazes under tasteful re
straint,” the 267-member band
will offer a traditional “serpen
tine” entrance to the stirring
strains of the “Aggie War Hymn”
and its closing signature, the 50-
yard tall, field-wide block “T.”
In between, a unique move
ment aptly described by Adams
as like “shuffling a deck of cards”
will split the band by rank obli
ques and riffle it back together.
A sideline-to-sideline rank of
75 trumpets and comets also will
be featured in part of “Semper
Fidelis.”
Other music to be played by
the Aggie Band, which is synony
mous with excellence in precision
drill and martial music, will be
the popular 1967-63 march, “The
Ballad of the Green Beret.” The
music was reissued this fall by
popular request.
Directing the huge organiza
tion in its third field performance
of the year will be drum majors
Michael B. Benton of Dallas, Law
rence A. Lippke of Yorktown and
James J. Hall III of Corpus Chris-
ti. Band commander and right
guide is Cadet Col. William R.
Howell Jr. of Brenham.
The “dean of Southwest Con
ference band directors,” Adams
is in his 23rd season as Aggie
bandmaster.
Though invited to participate in
Baylor’s Saturday morning Home
coming Parade, the band will ar
rive in Waco in time to form for
the game and return to College
Station immediately afterwards.
Speaker Barnes To Address
A&M Women’s Social Club
MSC Leadership Committee
Postpones Trip Until February
The Memorial Student Center
Leadership Committee has post
poned its fall trip until next se
mester, according to Tom Condry,
public relations manager, “when
hopefully plans will be complete.”
The trip to Dallas, originally
scheduled for November 10-11,
has been set for February 9-10
due to planning problems.
“A Dallas lawyer is making
the arrangements for us.” said
Paul Mabane, chairman, “and,
due to his busy schedule, he was
unable to complete plans before
our deadline.”
The purpose of the trip, says
Condry, is to recognize senior
student leaders at A&M and give
them an introduction to culture.
“This way,” Mark Fairchild,
fall trip chairman, said, “the stu
dents gain a background in social
WEATHER
Friday — Cloudy to partly cloudy,
winds North 10-15 mph. High 74,
low 47.
Saturday — Partly cloudy, winds
light variable. High 76, low 43.
Waco—2:00 p. m. Partly cloudy,
winds Southwest 10-15 mph. 74“
humidity 40%.
graces and are able to feel more
at ease with them after leaving
A&M.”
Fairchild, junior physics major,
also said that this will be the
first trip to Dallas; the previous
13 have been to Houston. “We
plan to branch out to other Texas
cities from now on,” he said.
The student leaders, chosen
from each college, the Corps, ci
vilians, the MSC Council and Di
rectorate, and other groups, will
have a busy two days. Their
itinerary calls for a visit to the
Southern Methodist University
Fine Arts and Communications
Center, a tour of Neiman-Marcus,
a concert by the Dallas Sym
phony, and the play, Taming of
the Shrew, at the Dallas Theatre
Center.
In Dallas, the leaders will be
staying at the Adolphus Hotel,
and will dine at the Dallas Club,
Ports O’ Call, and other fine
establishments. They will be host
ed by prominent A&M graduates,
and will view the art collection
of a prominent Dallas family.
“We also hope to view an ‘in
teresting’ architectural exhibit,
and in general have a good time,”
said Fairchild.
Ben Barnes, speaker of the Tex
as House of Representatives and
Democratic candidate for lieuten
ant governor, will be featured
speaker for the monthly meeting
of the A&M Women’s Social Club
at 2 p. m. Friday in the A&M
Methodist Church.
A club spokesman said Barnes’
Apartment Group
Elects Officers
For Coming Year
The University Apartment
Council has elected Don Taylor
president for the 1968-69 school
year.
The Apartment Council’s func
tion is to help solve problems that
arise in the university apartment
areas. Personal grievances of the
residents are reported to the rep-
resenatives of the various areas,
who start actions to solve the
problems.
The council represents student
residents and their families in the
university-owned apartment areas
of College View, Hensel, and
Southside.
In the past the council has
solved such problems as securing
parking space for the residents
and requesting night patrols by
the Campus Security through the
various housing areas.
Members of the council also
host the children of apartment
residents at Hallo w e e n and
Christmas parties and an Easter
egg hunt. On Civilian Weekend
the members act as servers in
the barbecue line.
Other new officers are John
Bendele, first vice-president;
Richard Anderson, second vice-
president; Eldon Welch, secre
tary; and David Shoemaker,
treasurer. R. L. Chapman, day
student counselor, is the sponsor
for the organization.
Bryan Building & Loan
Association, Your Sav
ings Center, since 1919.
—Adv.
talk is titled “The Rising Expecta
tions of Texas.”
In 1965, Barnes, then only 26,
was elected by his colleagues to
serve as speaker of the House of
Representatives — the youngest
man ever selected for the office.
Barnes studied law at the Uni
versity of Texas after attending
Tarleton State College and Tex
as Christian University where he
was named a distinguished stu
dent.
He received honorary L.L.D. de
grees from McMurry College and
Texas Tech and was named one
of the five “Outstanding Young
Texans” by the Texas Junior
Chamber of Commerce in 1965.
Rodeo Deadline
Set Wednesday
Entries for the 1968 All-Aggie
Rodeo will be accepted only from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday ac
cording to Charles Stewart, pres
ident of the Texas Aggie Rodeo
Association.
With the exception of barrel
race contestants, entry fees for
the rodeo, scheduled for Nov. 1
and 2, must be in at time of
closing books.
Persons interested in entering
should contact Mrs. Warren
Moore, 206B Spruce, College Sta
tion. Phone: 846-3138.
Teacher To Talk
About Counseling
Elementary school counselor
preparation in Texas will be dis
cussed Wednesday (Oct. 30) in
an Education Department col
loquium at Texas A&M.
Mrs Beatrice L. Wehrly, de
partment instructor and doctoral
student, will make the counseling
and guidance program presenta
tion.
Liberal Arts Dean Frank Hu
bert, acting department head,
said the 8 p.m. colloquium will be
in room 406 of the Academic
Building.
Next Meeting
Of Committee
Set Oct. 31
By DALE FOSTER
Battalion Staff Writer
Many hours of hard work and
numerous grade points are des
tined to go up in smoke next
month as Aggies start work Nov.
23 on the world’s largest bonfire.
The bonfire will be lit before
several thousand spectators on
Nov. 26, preceding the Thanks
giving Day clash with the Long
horns.
Signifying “the xmdying love of
every Aggie for his school and
the burning desire to beat the
hell out of TU,” the bonfire will
culminate a three-day effort of
cutting and stacking logs by stu
dents with final touches being
added up until the last minute
before torches ignite the greatest
symbol of Aggie Spirit.
“EACH YEAR’S bonfire is the
bonfire of the freshman class,”
emphasized Head Yell Leader Bill
Youngkin, head of the Bonfire
Committee. “How big and how
good they want the bonfire to be
depends upon how much effort
they want to put out and how
much pride they have in their
work.”
“This is the biggest undertak
ing of students at A&M as far as
labor and time are concerned.
Each class strives to build the
biggest bonfire ever built, and the
things that make it are a lot of
blisters and a lot of determina
tion,” he added.
THE BONFIRE is the result of
much planning and coordination.
Preparation began for this year’s
stack with meetings back in April.
The next session of the Bonfire
Committee will be next Thursday
in the Memorial Student Center.
“One of our aims this year is to
have the Corps logs ready and to
have the lanes into the cutting
area cleared before the actual cut
ting begins,” Youngkin said.
“The curing area is the same as
last year, about six miles out of
Bryan on the north side.”
“THE CENTER pole will prob
ably be here Tuesday or Wednes
day before the work weekend and
will probably approach about 80
feet above ground,” he continued.
“Guardshifts will start as soon
as it arrives. Approximately 30
to 50 men will watch the area at
all times, usually working in four-
hour shifts.
“Those who are not physically
able to cut, carry, and stack logs
volunteer to guard the bonfire.
Classes will be let out Nov. 23 for
work on the Bonfire.”
The head yell leader noted that
a lot of help is received from
many people. The only problem
ever encountered is getting
enough equipment. Gasoline and
oil are bought at a cut-rate price
from a local consignee.
“THINGS have gone efficiently
so far, with equipment promised,
and we hope they continue to do
so. Everyone that has access to
trucks, tractors, hand saws, and
items of this nature can call me.
It would be appreciated” he com
mented.
In the past equipment has come
from all over the state, with for
mer students, parents, and other
interested parties helping. Al
ready this year a bulldozer has
been promised by Tenneco of
Houston.
SAFETY meetings will be held
before the bonfire work begins
to instruct workers in the proper
handling of axes and to show
freshmen the correct way to carry
logs without hurting their backs.
Youngkin noted that safety will
be continually stressed because
too many accidents is the one
thing that could cancel future
bonfires.
He added that the MSC Radio
Committee will be used for an
elaborate system of communica
tions. It takes a lot of control
for the work to be carried off
correctly. Radio Committee Chair
man Jess Rhoden will serve as
communications chief.
BONFIRE coordinators besides
(See Bonfire, Page