THE BATTALION, College Station Texas.
another of our summer additions—will be in running order in
a few weeks.
The machine shops have been filled with the best kind of
material, new engines, etc., and the foundry is nearing comple
tion.
Ail over the grounds are beautiful beds of rarest flowers.
Shrubbery, trees and grasses adorn every walk, and all in all
the view of our grounds is magnificent. *
Good lights, ice cold water and a fine bathing place, among
all our many other luxuries! What more could we wish for?
The question is settled. Our A. and M. is the best fitted up
in the South. Long may it live.
Our* Obieets on Entering College.
In looking around the inclosure of the beautiful institution
with its towering edifices, its numerous instructors anxious to
impart knowledge to the large number of youths congregated
here within its walls, from the four corners of this great state
of Texas, especially when I take my own presence here into
consideration, three questions present themselves to my mind.
1st. What is the force of attraction that brought us
hither?
2nd. Finding ourselves here, what arc the purposes, ob
jects and aims that we desire to accomplish?
3rd. If the desire which we wish to accomplish be of a
laudible nature, what means must we employ to reach the
ends?
To those who view education from a personal stand-point
only, regardless of the true principles underlying it, naturally
an answer to the first two questions will readily occur, and
■while it may be an innocent assumption, yet, not a true one.
They undoubtedly feel the sting of ignorance. They realize
that the scope of their thinking faculties is such as only to en
able themselves within their limited bouderies, and therefore
conclude to acquire an education, an instrument with which to
ameliorate their condition. But, if the question involved in
education be simply of a personal character, then certainly a
knowledge of arithmetic, reading and writing would be all we
require, and we would have no use for those higher branches
of study which made men illustrious and for which men be
came immortalized. Fortunately, we find men who regard
education from a different stand-point, and while they have
due regard for the personal advantages which are derived from
an education, they also bear its true objects in mind. God
lias endowed us with faculties, by the cultivation of which we
rise superior to all animal life. He gave us a mind with
which to lay out plans, and organs with which to execute
them. In short, He intended for us to be the instrumentali
ties whereby mankind as well as nature may lie improved.
Being prompted by such motives we come to college to fit
ourselves to take our assigned station in life, The ques
tion recurs, what must we do in order to succeed? The
answer that suggests itself to my mind is, the first thing
we must do, above all others, is to cultivate a moral char
acter, which is the axis around which all our actions in life
revolve. To have a high conception of duty, which is the
highest step to success. We find men who, notwithstanding
the fact of their having received an education, are steeped in
the lowest degridation, and it would have been for them, per
haps, much better if they had never looked upon the sacred
walls of learning. It is because they have allowed their char
acters to go down in proportion to their higher degrees of
learning. They have allowed the foundation to become dis
integrated, and when it could support the edifice no longer it
collapses. Euery man is his own architect and when he comes
to college to build for himself a mansion in which to live in
his mature age, he must see that, he lays a substantial found
ation for it—to build up a moral character. Having done so,
when the storm arrives and the billows serge against the
walls we will then realize that we have built our lives upon a
rock.
Exchange Department.
A. M. FERGUSON
The man who has a fine large box, . ,
And inviteth the editors not,
Shall appear in our next issue
In a style that is red hot.
The map who has a fine large box,
And biddeth the editor fair,
Among the slams of our next issue
Will find his name not there.
—Ex.
SOpG op TpH PECO CADET.
I want to be a pacer,
And with the pacer stand—
A gun upon my shoulder,
A white glove on my hand.
My pantaloons are spotless,
My belts they are so white,
My dress coat is so giddy,
My buttons are so bright.
When I go home at Christmas,
Oh, how the girls will stare— |
Why, here I’m sweetness wasted
Upon the desert air.
—Exchange.
We cordially request exchanges from all magazines and ’ *
college or university publications. ' It is a custom ot most all
collegic journals to have an “Exchange Editor,” to examine
the various exchanges and use the scissors and pen in such
manner as will best promote and develop a lasting friendly
relationship between the institution he represents and others
of similar character. College students generally regard them
selves as constituting an unorganized fraternit}q more espec
ially editors of college papers.
In assuming the duties of exchange editor we beg the in
dulgence of our readers, pleading inexperience, of course.
However, we pledge good, honest efforts to make it interesting, i ”
By this we do not mean to convey the idea that it shall be
made specially interesting to our contemporaries, but interest
ing to the general reader as well.
We were deeply interested in an editorial in the Southern
Collegian, (Washington and Leo, Lexington, Va.) which opens
with the following words: “To one viewing only the results
accomplished, college journalism would seem no very great
care to student editors, yet to those who have been born dur
ing a session the responsibility of issuing each month a credi
ble number of a college magazine, realize very fully that there
are few tasks more difficult.” He complains of the lack of ap
preciation and sympathy in the student-body for whom he is ^
trying to make a credible showing, and says: “In these days
of rampant athleticism the majority of college students are in
terested in their magazine about as much as in some mission ^ 1
in Kamtchatka, and of the rest very few think they owe more
to its support than its subscription fee. The editor must over
come this indifference to literary work among his feliows or al
low his periodical to perish.” Boys of the A. and M., shall
our editor in chief ever have cause to complain of not being
properly supported by his brother students? When you are
called upon for an article show your interest in your paper by
responding to the invitation.
A German student has taken a great deal of pains to look
up the facts and concludes that it cost $7500 for Columbus to