10
THE BATTALION.
thing not in books, is true, but not an
evil everytime. It would be but a poor
sort of an education that was confined to
books alone. But the writer meant that
boys away from home at school are apt
to learn what they ought not to learn.
I admit this is true. But it is also
true that boys away from home and not
at school are equally “apt to learn some
thing not in the books - ” Boys cannot
always be kept under the eye of the par
ents. A' wiser course it seems to me
would be to give the boys such home
training as would fortify him against
the acquisition of evil habits. That is
■what the home should do for the boy,
and this is about all it can do for him.
It is my opinion that the theory of the
writer referred to leaks badly.
B. C. P
R YOUjSiG GIAJNT.
When we say Texas contains 265,000
square miles,or 169,600,000 acres,the fig
ures are too large to convey any distinct
idea of the state’s magnitude. When
we start by rail from the eastern border
and rattle along for44 hours before we
reach the western limit of the state, we
get a better idea of her size. Here is
another way to impress upon the mind
an idea of the magnitude of this great
state. Suppose the state to.be revolved
on Texarkana as.in axis. El Paso will
then pass throgh Denver, the southwest
corner of Minnesota, Milwaukee, Co
lumbus, O , fifty miles beyond Cincin
nati, within tweuty-five miles of Wheel
ing, W. Va., Columbia, S. C., Savan
nah. Ga., and Tallahassee, Fia.
Revolved on El Paso: Black Li ills,
Wy., 100 miles beyond Salt Lake City,
enters the Pacific at Los Angeles and
reaches a point 400 miles from shore and
passes entirely around the penin-ula of
Lower California.
Revolved on Texline, Brownsville-
will reach the mouth of the Colorado on
the west, nearly reach Bois City, Idaho,
Helena, Montana, 100 miles beyond
Bismarck, N. D., St. Paul, Madison,.
Wis., Evansville, Inch, Nashville, Jack-
son and Baton Rouge.
If Texas was as densely populated as
Belgium she would have 169,000,000 in
habitants. Great is Texas, and her cit
izens should and do feel a pride in con
templating her magnificence.
Take a map of the United States and
trace the outlines of Texas on tissue pa
per; from this as a pattern cutout these-
outlines in th’cker paper. Then with a
pin perform the operations mentioned
above. Y.
The Ross Volunteer hop was a glow
ing sucesss. Many distinguished visit
ors were present. About 9:30 o’clock
the challenge from the popular Hurley
band of Plouston, summoned the gay-
pleasure seekers with their favorite
march to proceed to enjoy the pleasure
of tripping the light fantastic toe. In a
few moments all seemed a dazzling
whirl, each forgetting the trials of study
to come, the cares of the morrow, or
that which has passed ; thinking of
naught but pleasure and the gay throng
of lovely faces. How pleasantly did
the music lend guidance to our feet, as
we whirled around and around in the
enchanting pleasure of the glittering
ball room. And how sweetly her ring
ing laugh blended with the strains of
the music. The youths, how gallant and
entertaining were the}'!