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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1894)
14 THE BATTALION. welcome. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted. The program was then taken up and the first man, Mr. Watkins, read a few extracts from addresses delivered before the Texas Legislature upon a bill to pro vide for the babe of the Alamo. Mr. Cartwright then read an essay on “the Republic of Texas.” The paper was well gotten up and contained many rare treats for students of Texas history. Mrs. B. C. Morse next entertained the audience with a vocal selection which well merited the applause with which it was received. Mr. Gross (Abe) then aroused to overflowing the already manifested en thusiasm of those present by a declama tion entitled “The men of the Alamo,” The echo of Abe’s voice had scarcely became inaudible when Mrs. Geisecke favored the society with a solo. As the last notes of the beautiful song poured out and died away in the vastness of the grand hall, the curtain was drawn, thus ending the first part of the excellent program. While the sounds of applause were still ringing throughout the beautiful building the Glee Club filed upon the stage in front of the curtain and delight ed the spectators with a choice selection, which was received with enthusiastic delight. Suddenly a hush falls upon the as semblage. The first orator, Mr. Fergu son, has appeared before the curtain and in glowing terms commences to picture the early days of Texas. He begins with the first grant of land secured by Moses Austin, and in beautiful terms tells us of the trials of the first colonies. He passes over the difficulties faced by those hardy pioneers who laid the foun dation of our grand state, and trans ports us to the opening of the Texas rev olution. As he pictures the soldier bid ding farewell to home and its happi ness the lights go out, and while the hall is in utter darkness the curtain is drawn. At first everything is indistin guishable ; slowly a faint light begins to glow upon the stage and by degrees the entire stage becomes brilliantly illumin ed, and standing with rifle in hand, blanket on shoulder, his face glowing with patriotism, is a node Texan youth bidding farewell to mother. The moth er with clasped hands and a look of in tense affection, is gazing perhaps for the last time upon her son. The lights be gin to grow dim, and as the curtain is drawn a murmer of admiration starts around the hall, swelling in volume un til at last it becomes one mighty shout of applause. As the audience becomes quiet, the second orator, Mr. Mitchell, appears and taking up the subject where it was left by the previous orator, in impressive language he portrays to us the scene in the Alamo. As in burning and impress ive words he speaks of the heroism and patriotism of Travis and his noble band and their final doom, a faint suspicion of tears is shown in the eyes of many. While he is describing the scenes in the Alamo when Travis draws the fatal line and invites all who wanted to die as he roes to cross over to him, the lights are again turned out, and when the cur tain is drawn the scene which had just been described was reproduced. On the left of the stage was a group of seven or eight men, some standing, some lying down and others seated ronnd a cot on which a wounded man lay. Standing apart from the group was a single man gazing intently on his com rades, suddenly he draws his sword and makes a line along the ground, when as if by a sudden impulse the men cross