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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1912)
THE BATTALION The Battalion Published every Friday night by the Students of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Editor-in-Chief: A. G. WILSON, T2. Business Manager: T. G. HUTH, ’12. W. A. WENDT LAND. Secretary: Assistant Business Managers: D. T. STEVENS, T3. R. E. BAYLOR, T3. G. F. JORDAN, T4. Associate Editors: R. E. DICKSON, T2. G. A. MISTROT, T2. Assistant Editors: JAMES F. BROWN, T3. R. B. SIMON, T3. F. P. HAYS, T3. G. R. ALEXANDER, T4. J. C. SIMMONS, T4. Company Athletics: E. LANGFORD, T3. Exchange Editor: M. D. MORLEY, T2. Cartoonist: PERRY BARLOW. Society Reporter: B. E. GIESECKE, Tl. Alumni Editor: F. J. SKEELER, TO. Entered as second-class matter at College Station, Texas, February 17, 1905 Price Per Annum $1.25 SOON BE GIFT TIME and nowhere else will you find such TASTY GIFTS RIGHTLY PRICED Park’s New Jewelry Store POST OFFICE BLOCK, BRYAN us there ought to be a rigid inspection ! of all the state’s buildings and meas ures taken to bring about more vig ilance than seems to be practiced.’’ J JAMES F. BP.OWN Ed/tor the Battalion. 1312-13 In the days of old or among the most barbarous classes of today, the eating with the fly could be excused; \ but we,, a people supposed to be in the civilized part of the world, can hardly be reconciled to dine with such an obnoxious and disease spreading animal. We are, however, wading through clouds of dust to sit down to a table covered with the pesty fly, with a seeming welcome to its partak ing of everything we eat or drink. We even sit back with courtesy and wait until it has taken a swim in our milk or tasted our bread before we interrupt his actions—the reason is: there are too many for us to handle barehanded. Now, the Mess Hall is suposed to be screened, and we all agree that it does have some screens placed about in the most conspicuous openings. But anyone who has had any experi ence with fighting the fly knows that DEAN DORCHESTER, Business Manager Battalion 1912-13. College Station, Texas, May 31, 1912. The editor-in-chief is afflicted this week with his tri-yearly attack of studies. He has confined himself in cell No. 92 Legett for a term of seven days, and amuses (?) himself by vi ciously mutilating all his spring term C. E. books. Owing to the nature of his affliction, he is not able to get out The Battalion this week, and this is sue is published by his assistants. It is to be hoped that the closeness of examination and the attendant worry regarding the coveted sixty-six or seventy will cause the many defects to he overlooked. Moreover, there is some consolation in the fact that since this is the first issue coming wholly from the pens of the assistants, they can offer the plea of inexperience. Here’s hoping that every single Sen ior gets what he wants in this week’s “exams,” that he may have the time of his life during Senior week, and that each and every one captures the long-worked-for diploma on June 11. — j just merely tacking up some wire net- have been deferred as easily as not ting and thinking the fight, won, there to a time when every Senior felt bet ter prepared for mental gymnastics. At least some compassion could have been shown by giving an optional question. Of course it is understood that everyone is supposed to .hav- mastered his studies before examina tion week, but practice does not work out as theory. And this term there have been so many interruptions -^at only a John Newton could in the spe cified time mastered as many subjects as we are supposed to have learned. after sitting back and making no fur ther efforts to eliminate the pest, is as futile as hobbling a lion with a string. This is the condition which we face now in the Mess Hall. There should be some other attempts to drive out the enemy. Arm the waiters with fly-swatters and let them put in their extra time batting the inseef to death, or any other means that would prove suitable. We have not much longer to stay with our Hotel de la Fly, but the Fly should be knocked from its name, if for no other reason than to prevent the exposition of the fact that we eat with such obnoxious pests to our commencement visitors. It seems that the Senior class had to undergo somewhat of a hardship Monday. Many, in fact practically all of them, those who had “A” for a daily grade as well as those who had “E,” studied Monday until 2:15 a. m. At that time the Main Building caught fire, and our worthy upper classmen, true to that spirit which has ever characterized their actions at this school, abandoned alike books and sleep and hastened to save the lisin Building. They did not get away from there until 4 a. m. and at 8:30 had to stand an examination. Is it small wonder, then, if poor work was done? It looks like these examinations could The Dallas News of May 28 has the following to say editorially regarding tlie recent fire: “The second fire at the Agricultural and Mechanical College within a few Of all the losses caused by the fire, months, causing this time the destruc- that of the library is the one which tion of the main o%ice building, is an- will be felt soonest and most keenly other reminder, of course, of the im- by the corps. The college, through providence and folly of erecting flimsy | the untiring efforts of Colonel Quarles, structures for public service, but also had obtained a collection of books it suggests that there is something which neither time, money nor trOPble amiss in the precautions that are' can replace. For three years has Col- taken against fire at the college. Yes-1 one! Quarles, merely for the sake of terday morning’s dispatches give no j building up a magnificent collection of information as to how the fire started, books and without receiving one cent but we venture to think that wnen | reimbursement, labored on our library, that information is forthcoming it will | It can well be imagined how he felt be seen that it started from an easily when he saw his three years’ work go preventable cause. The top part of up in smoke. this building, it seems, was built of When Colonel Quarles took charge wood, a gross blunder within itself: of the library, it consisted chiefly of government documents, magazines and antiquated textbooks stacked in the greatest disorder in the two rooms of the third floor. When he took charge he immediately began the work of re ducing things to order. At the same time that he was carrying on his mul titudinous other duties he brought or der out of confusion in the library. For three years he bound magazines, sorted documents and books, and in dexed the whole in order to make it of the greatest convenience, and as funds became available added new and useful works. Last week the finished product stood a priceless work; today it is in ashes, and the work must be done over again. You never miss the water until the well goes dry, and next year when the student body starts to work in a libraryless college they will realize how much they owe to the work of James Hays Quarles. One of the fastest pieces of phe- tographical work that has been pulled off around College in quite a while was that of Smith Bros, when the Main Bulding burned. Colonel Quarles gave them an order for six pictures of the ruins at 11:30 a. m. and Smith had them ready for the northbound Cen tral at 12:27 p. m. This shows the kind of work that Smith Bros, are capable of turning out. SAUNDERS PARK BEAUTIFIED. but that blunder having been com- mited, extraordinary precautions ought to have been taken to avert the natural consequences of it. Governor Colquitt, we believe, has stated that every building erected while he is governor will be made as nearly fire proof as possible. His attitude in this respect is commendable. But it ought not to be left a matter of discretion; general law ought to be enacted making it mandatory on all who ex ercise authority to make state build ings fire-proof. Meantime, it seems to “Pete” Saunders, to whom the little park was dedicated, has placed two fine lawn swings in amongst the ce dars, which add a great deal to the comfort and the beauty of the place. “Pete” is figuring with Prof. Giesecke for placing a water fountain in the park. This would place things in tip top shape and would be highly appre ciated by the corps. “Pete” has got the spirit, and if some of those older men who have been drawing pensions here for years would follow the exam ple of the newest inhabitant of College Station, it would not take long to make our campus the prettiest place in the state. This and “Bobbie” Smith’s addition to the flag pole are gifts that will be remembered always by the boys.