4
THE BATTALION.
capacity of 750 lights, taking 50 volts to
the light. The College viewed from a
distance at night looks like a large city.
2nd. The Ice factory. This was an
addition long wished for by the boys.
The factory has a capacity of two tons
every 24 hours, but upon a test it made
three tons and sixteen pounds in 21 1-2
hours, showing the machinery to be su
perior. The ice is used exclusively for
the benefit of the College.
3rd. The steam laundry. The laun
dry is as well equipped as any laundry
of its size in the State, the work 'being
the Troy. Although the hands employ
ed are inexperienced, being students,
the management being by an experi
enced man, still the work done is, con
sidering this, as well done as any laun
dry in the State can do. It employs
eight men and has a capacity of 600 bun
dles a week, allowing sixteen pieces to
the bundle. These plants are in brick
buildings and are managed by experi
enced men, the students working in all
and receiving for their labor a fair com
pensation, which is paid from the Stu
dents Labor Fund. This work is so
done as not to interfere with the stu
dents duties; and by this Fund many of
the students pay their own way through
the College.
4th. The Stand pipe. This pipe is
one hundred feet tall and ten feet in
diameter and holds about 59,165 gal
lons of water, furnished by an artesian
well close by. Pipe connections run
from the pipe to the different machinery
halls and to the natatorium.
5th. Natatorium. This natatorium is
the pride of the College. The college
has needed this for many years and now
it has one, and one of such rare beauty.
Just to think of a fine natatorium con
sisting of a handsome frame structure
about 80 feet in length and 40 feet in
width in which is a large pool 51x26 feet
and tapering from five to seven feet in
depth and filled with water above 98 ° .
On both sides of the pool are rooms..
On one side dressing rooms and on the
other are nine small bathing rooms in
which beautiful marble slab bathing
tubs are placed. There is also a large
sitting room in the building. This nat
atorium is the most beautiful one, con
sidering its size, in the State.
The foregoing improvements, together
with the many minor ones, constitute
the improvements around the College
for the past year, and what more could
we want. As an agricultural and me
chanical college it can compete with any
in the United States and then be a lead
er. To those youths who wish an educa
tion in this branch and who have never
visited the A. and M., I will say that in
the agricultural or mechanical depart
ment a thorough education may be ob
tained. It is true that many ears have
been poisoned by words detrimental to
the college, but they were spoken by—
yes, students, if I must degrade the uni
forms they wore, who had violated the-
rules of the College and in consequence
were expelled and they had by these
cowardly means sought to revenge them
selves and had condemned the College
to the fullest extent. But as a student
and cadet of this institution I will bold
ly say to those who perhaps have heard
assertions of that nature, that they are
wholly unwarranted and if they would
take the trouble to look into this College
and see the good it is doing for this
grand State I am sure they would coin
cide with me in my assertion.
In the section room we are trained
carefully and skillfully, and by our mil-