LOCAL HISTORY OF
A. & M. COLLEGE
(Continued from Page 1.)
languages; R. P. W. Morris, applied
mathematics and military tactics; Dr.
D. Port Smith, college physician, and
General H. P. Bee, steward of the mess
hall and superintendent of the farm.
Four three-year courses were offered
as follows: (1) A course in litera
ture, (2) a course in mechanics and
engineering, (3) a course in language
and literature, and (4) a course in mil
itary tactics.
Since there were no shops and no
professor of engineering, no farm, no
equipment and no conception of scien
tific agriculture, it can easily be seen
that the first two courses amounted
to nothing. How the authorities could
see any need of a three-year course in
military tactics, we cannot understand.
Tho called the A. and M. College, the
school was nothing more than a liter
ary institution of the old type. In
fact, it is said that public opinion de
manded such training and that edu
cators of that day could conceive of
no other kind. The vast subject of
agriculture , with its multitude of sub
divisions, was placed under the care
of the professor of chemistry! The
courses were at first almost entirely
elective.
Early Conditions.
The college opened with an attend
ance of six students. However, the
number swelled to 106 before the end
of the first year, and 331 before the
end of the second. The accommoda
tions were not sufficient for anything
like this number. The second and
third floors of Gathright, the second,
third and part of the fourth floors of
the Main Building were used for bar
racks. So crowded did conditions be
come that some of the students were
placed in the president’s office, some
in the hallways and some even in the
tower rooms. The students owned
their own axes, cut their own wood
at the common wood pile, and carried
it up in their arms. The first floor
of Gathright was used as a mess hall
and the first floor, only, of the Main
Building was available for class rooms.
Prof. Robert Smith in his history
tells of conditions on the campus in
early days. “The campus was such a
wild waste that it was not considered
safe for children to be out at night.
The howling of wolves furnished an
every night and all night serenade.
On one occasion a wild animal wan
dering over the campus threw the
whole community into a frenzy of ex
citement. An alarm was given and
the whole battalion of sonie thirty
students and professors turned out to
kill it, but in the high weeds of the
campus it easily escaped.” We learn
from other sources that deer were fre
quently seen on the campus, and that
wolves sometimes stuck their noses
in the door of what was then used as
the mess hall.
From the writings of W. A. Trenk-
mann, ’79, we gather the folowing in
formation. “The rapid increase in at
tendance brought with it other
troubles than lack of room and over
work for the teachers. Many parents
imagined that the military discipline
at A. and M. would prove a cure-all
for their wayward sons, and many of
the latter came with their minds set
on getting just as much fun as pos
sible out of their banishment. Major
Morris and his successor, Captain
Olmstead of the U. S. army (the first
“Bull”) had their hands full in trying
to control these young rebels. Strict
regulations only added zest to their
violation, and stolen excursions at
night were all the more delightful
when all the floors were guarded with
sentries by fixt bayonets. A light
ning rod furnished the means of es
cape from the fourth stoop. Gamb
ling and drinking cropt out, and it was
only by the united efforts of the
faculty and the more thoughtful stu
dents that a better spirit got the up
per hand. The students officers, es
pecially, were in a trying position, for
young men who had not learned to
respect parents or teachers at home
were reluctant to obey the orders of
fellow students wearing the stripes of
corporal, sergeant, or other officer;
Finally the precedent was set and the
rule established that certain differen
ces between officers and privates were
not to be taken before the comman
dant but were to be settled in the
primitive method by an honest fist
fight, and while this method was not
strictly military results were quite
satisfactory.”
In the very beginning of its history
the college thus came to be looked
upon as a reformatory and this re
putation persisted for many years
thereafter.
Literary Societies.
The literary nature of the new col
lege was shown by the fact that in the
first year, 1876, a portion of the stu
dents met and organized a literary
society which they named in' honor of
the great Texas hero, Stephen F Aus
tin. This society grew rapidly in num
bers and prestige and came to wield
considerable influence in the lives of
the students.
Three years later a rival appeared,
apparently having been organized by
revolting members of the original so
ciety. This second society was
named the “Calliopean,” in honor of
the Grecian goddess, Calliope, god
dess of heroic poetry and literature.
These societies both met on the
mathematics; John T. Hand, ancient
languages; William A. Banks, modern
fourth floor of the Main Building. The
historian of the Calliopean in 1895
states: “Not more than ten years ago
the societies were noted for throwing
dead animals of the feline species
across the hall at each other. But
this being a progressive age, they
have discarded the cats and now throw
bricks.
“Last February the societies re
solved themselves into a legislative
body for a session of two months.
There was a big talk about which
should act the part of the Senate,
which was finally decided by pithing
‘heads and tails’ with a five-cent piece,
both treasuries being low at the time.
The Austin man, ‘by a simple twist of
the wrist,’ won, and his scociety be
came the Senate, the Calliopean the
House of Representatives.
The First Mess Hall Man.
The first steward of the mess hall
was Gen. H. P. Bee, a gallant soldier
and dignified Southern gentleman. Out
of the generosity of his heart, he fed
the boys so well that he came near
bankrupting himself. His wife, too,
was a motherly, kind-hearted woman,
who never let a sick cadet go uncared
for, even tho he were merely home
sick.
Dissensions Arise.
The board of directors and the origi
nal faculty had a stupendous under
taking before them when they attempt
ed to build up an agricultural and me
chanical college, for the few schools
of that type then in existence were
but experiments themselves. It is not
strange, then, that the true purpose
of the college was not at first carried
out, and that the institution was made
a classical one.
The chronicle of James Hayes
Quarles will give an idea of the diffi
culties under which the faculty la
bored: “At one time six professors
with an assistant or two were attempt
ing to teach over 300 young men.
This, without apparatus, agricultural
or mechanical, chemical or physical.
The students were crowded together.
Discontent arose and complaints were
heard. The attempt to accomplish im
possibilities resulted in failure. Then
it was that those who for various rea
sons sought grounds for complaint
readily found them. Unfavorable crit
icism soon discovered the great per
version of the course of instruction.
A hostile spirit was developing in the
Legislature and in the newspapers.
The college was named a nursery of
military aristocracy. The farmers
looked coldly upon it and pronounced
it a humbug. Beset by complaints
growing louder every day, the faculty,
with no means to remedy the evils
complained of, fell into dissensions
among themselves. These at last ne
cessitated a meeting of the directors
on the 18th of November, 1879, at
which meeting the college was reor
ganized by the election of a new fac
ulty.”
Bernard Sbisa.
Bernard Sbisa, the present steward,
who had been placed in charge of the
mess hall on January 1st, 1878, and L.
L. Mclnnis of Bryan, who remained
with the college for many years there
after, were the only two who were for
tunate enough not to be included in
the wholesale dismissal. Mr. Sbisa
was born in Austria and reared in New
Orleans. In 1864 he opened the Com
mercial Hotel in Matamoras, Mexico,
and four years later he opened the
Washington Hotel and Restaurant at
Galveston. In 1874 he built the Grand
Southern Hotel in the same city, it
being destroyed by fire in 1887. From
Galveston he came to A. and M.
Somewhere along in this period the
negro janitor, “Uncle” Dan, came to
the college and has now served it
faithfully in his humble capacity for
something like 35 years. The Long
Horn one year devoted a page to this
unique character.
SOUTHWESTERN DEFEATED
BY A. & M. FIVE 17 TO 10
Interesting Contest Held on College
Grounds, With Gilfillan as Star.
The Southwestern University basket
ball team met defeat Tuesday night at
the hands of the A. and M. squad by
the score of 17 to 10. The game was
fast thruout and proved one of the
best contests staged here this season.
Gilfillan proved the star for the
Farmers. The visitors had two good
men in Hay and Betts, whose work
stood out above the remainder of the
team. The line-up was:
Hanson, Gilfillan Hay, Betts
Forwards
Braumiller McCorkle
Center
Barnes, Burkett Weimers, Smith
Guards
Umpire—Firth (Chicago).
The Campus Reading Club has given
$10.00 toward a reading tabale for the
Y. M. C. A.
Tib® Ebma© @1!
CHARLOTTESVILLE
WOOLEN MILLS
Charlottesville, Va.
Manufacturers of
HIGH GRADE UNIFORM CLOTHES
For Army, Navy, Letter Carriers,
Police and Railroad Purposes.
And the largest assortment and
best quality of Cadet Greys, in
cluding those used at the United
States Military Academy, at
West Point and other leading
military schools of the country.
Prescribed and used by the
Cadets of the
Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas
DR. ALGIE BENB0W
DENTIST
Office Over First National Bank
BRYAN, TEXAS
FOR SALE.
Stove wood, $5 per cord, delivered.
Good, cut kindling, $5 per cord, de
livered. Phone T. M. Reddell, Feed
ing and Breeding Station, 87-3 rings.
DIXIE THEATRE
A Swell Bill Saturday Afternoon
BEAUTIFUL ALICE JOYCE
In a Classsy Two-Reel Drama, Two Good Comedies and the
“News Weekly,” a Good One.
QUEEN THEATRE
Thursday Miss Gladys Hanson in a Powerful Paramount
Drama
“THE STRAIGHT ROAD.”
Saturday the Famous and Beautiful Dancer
GABY DESLYS
In a Masterpiece, “HER TRIUMPH”
Thursay, Feb. 25th, Tyrone Power in “ARISTOCRACY”
Coming, Blanche Sweet in “WARRENS OF VIRGINIA”