THE miTILlOH
Published every Wednesday night by
Students of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Texas
Subscription price $1.25 per year.
Advertising rates on application.
Member of Texas Collegiate Press
Association.
A. E. BURGES, '15....Editor-in-Chief
J. F. HADEN Business Manager
F. A. HOMANN, '15. .Associate Editor
W. Li. RUTAN, ’15 .Asso. Bus. Mgr.
E. McR. CLAYTOR, '15...Ex. Editor
MISS LOUISE PROCTOR..So. Editor
M. T. GARRETT, ’16 Agr. Editor
UEL STEPHENS, T6 Eng. Editor
S. P. McFADDEN, ’16...Sport. Editor
G. C. MOFFET, ’16. .Y. M. C. A. Editor
D. H. KIBER, ’17 ’Frisco Editor
Cartoonists
P. T. CROWN, ’15, J. M. BURKETT, ’16
Assistant Business Managers
S. B. HAYNES, ’16, J. B. ROBERT, '16,
Circulation Manager.
H. A. SAWYER, ’16.
Reporters
J. R. BARNES, J. B. JOYCE, T. W.
TEMPLE, F. W. HALSEY.
All material for publiication should
be signed and turned in not later than
Monday night.
Entered as second-class matter at
College Station, Texas, February 17,
1905.
IN THE SPACE OF FIVE YEARS.
One issue of The Battalion for 1910-
11 contains a cartoon representing a
cadet with his feet resting upon his
desk dreaming of things to come. In
his dream he sees a new Library
Building, a Y. M. C. A. Building and
an electric interurban stretching away
to Bryan. The carton is labeled
“The Dreams of an Optimist.”
But lo! What the cartoonist then
considered wild dreams are now pro
saic facts. A. & M. has been remade
within the last five years.
Five years ago a large part of the
corps was living in tents stationed
along the side of the main driveway.
Since then three large fireproof dormi
tories and six other handsome and
substantial buildings have been erect
ed and the tents are now but a tradi
tion.
The two things for which the corps
has so long hoped—an electric inter
urban and a Y. M. C. A. Building—
are now realities, and one can hear
the honk of the car at almost any
hour and see the hospitable lights of
the “Y” Building from his window any
night. The great problem with which
campus and corps has so long
werstled—lack or social life—is now
solving itself.
We are even beginning to acquire
a few luxuries; before commencement
we shall be enabled to desert the
muddy road and take to concrete side
walks.
The faculty has been strengthened
by the addition of new and capable
men, the moral tone of the corps has
visibly improved, the equipment of
the departments has been greatly im
proved, the number of courses has in
creased, the entrance requirements
have been raised and the hours of
class work decreased, and the faculty
and cadets are now working in har
mony.
The prospects for the next five
years are even more encouraging
than the accomplishments of the past
five.
TIMES THAT TRY MEN’S SOULS.
“These are the times that try men’s
souls,” wrote Thomas Payne when
this nation was in the throes of the
birth of freedom, and the words are
particularly applicable to these times
of war and rumors of war.
And in these trying times the heart
of the nation should go out in sym
pathy to the lonely man at the White
House who has a nation’s peace and
prosperity resting in the palm of his
hand.
Since freedom was born in America
and baptised in the blood of heroes,
the United States has not faced a
greater crisis than now confronts the
nation. A hasty word from the lips
of Woodrow Wilson would plunge the
United States into the vortex of the
hell which now curses almost all
Europe.
It is the task of Woodrow Wilson
to safeguard the rights of American
citizens and to keep the honor of “Old
Glory” unsullied. At the same time
be owes a duty to humanity. He
must, if it be within the bounds of
human possibility to do so, keep the
United States from taking part in the
great struggle.
And on every hand he is being
urged by the loud-mouthed patriots
who fiercely favor war and then stay
at home to protect the women and
children, to guard jealousy the honor
of this great nation. These critics
boast of the glory of the nation’s past.
They call upon the names of George
Washington and Andrew Jackson
They despair because the warlike
Roosevelt is not President for just a
little while.
Such talk is not becoming to true
Americans. All who love this nation
and its traditions should bless the
stars of destiny that Woodrow Wilson
is President. And in these trying
times all patriotic Americans should
extend to Woodrow Wilson their best
wishes for the success of his policy
of strict neutrality.
Not only is he entitled to the sym
pathy of all Americans, whether po
litical differences exist or not, but he
also should be taught by the nation
wide approval of his course that the
citizens of this country rely fully upon
his honesty, upon his patriotism, and
upon his love for humanity.—Ex
change.
“LET TEXAS FEED ITSELF.”
Active Campaign to Arouse Interest
in Diversification.
“Let Texas Feed Itself,” is the
slogan of a movement which has
strated in Dallas and Fort Worth and
which is backed by the commercial
interests of those two cities.
This movement is not to be con
fused with the former movements de
signed to insist upon a reduction of
the Texas cotton acreage. Rather it
is a whirlwind campaign in which the
bankers, merchants and land owners
of Texas will be frankly told exactly
the situation as it appeals to the men
behind the movement and informed
of the necessity for the Texas farmer
raising on his farm every product
possible for the support of himself
and the feeding of his animals. Hav
ing given heed to the first essential
of supporting himself as nearly as he
may, it is believed this will accom
plish the desired result in making of
cotton the cash money crop which
will represent in a large part a sur
plus, since money realized from the
sale of the cotton crop will not neces
sarily have to be spent for food for
man and beast which is bought out
side of Texas.
It possibly will surprise many well
informed Texans to learn that the last
United States census shows that on
92,000 farms in Texas there is not a
single dairy cow; 124,000 farms are
without a hog; 60,000 are without a
chicken; 306,000 raise no forage; 369,-
000 raise no sweet potatoes, and that
27 out of every 100 Texas farms raise
neither hay nor forage.
Texas buys over $300,000,000 worth
of food products every year from
farmers outside of Texas. Of this
amount $54,000,000 goes for pork and
$52,000,000 for corn, wheat, oats and
hay.
It is to correct this drain that ways
and means are to be discussed by
representative business men with the
bankers, business men and land own
ers of the State with a view to in
ducing Texas to feed itself as nearly
as it may.
A party of Dallas and Fort Worth
business men, representing this move
ment, will arrive at College Station
February 3 for a conference and dis
cussion of this matter with local
bankers, business men and land own
ers.
“SKY” BOETTCHER, THE INDOMIT
ABLE.
“Anybody else? Peanuts, popcorn,
chewing gum and candy!” Such was
the incessant cry of “Sky” Boettcher
of Houston, when he appeared on the
campus last fall as a cadet. “Any
body hungry? Hershey’s? Yes.
How many?” Wherever there was a
crowd, “Sky” could be found. Always
he had a ready reply for any shaft of
wit, but he never forgot that his busi
ness was to sell candy.
At first many were inclined to look
upon him as a nuisance, especially
when at ball games he got between
them and the players on the field, but
his persistence and energy were so re
markable that his critics made inquiry
about him and learned that he had set
in to go thru the four years of college
with no money whatever and no as
sets but his indomitable will to suc
ceed. Their attitude then changed
from that of censure to admiration.
One of his cries during the football
season showed this purpose of his:
“Peanuts and popcorn! This is
strictly an educational feature!”
Boettcher is a remarkable example
of how a cadet who is really in earnest
about getting an education can find
at this college a means of support
while he gets it Surely no more un
inviting prospect can be imagined
than was his when he entered last fall
without money, influence or dependa
ble occupation, and took up the task
of winning a living from money spent
by the corps for luxuries in a year,
when the cadets could so ill afford
any luxuries. But “Sky” has done a
land office business, so much so that
some accuse him of now being richer
than he will admit.
While it is possible that he may go
thru college without holding any ranks
or receiving any class honors, when
he comes to graduate few of his class
mates will be as well equipt for life
as he, or will have attained the greater
honor which he will have achieved if
he accomplishes the task he has be
gun.
0 O
1 Stontm |
-p- &
•0- o
Concerning Ourselves.
Saturday night, February 20, the
writer had the pleasure of attending
a smoker given by the Press Club in
honor of those men among our visi
tors who are connected with college
publications.
This is a means taken of unloading
a little pent-up emotion that would
have been out of place in seeking ex
pression among our visiting fellow
students.
Does it mean anything to you to
know that the majority of these men
who were called upon for a speech
frankly admitted that they came here
shaking in their boots, expecting us
Lo act like cannibals? Does it mean
anything to you to learn that the peo
ple over the State who do not per
sonally know us think we are a bunch
of “roughnecks,” not considerate of
the rights and liberty of others?
That is just what is being brought
home to us, and the hard part of it all
is the fact that the opinion strangers
have of us is not without foundation.
You, possibly, have not been instru
mental in bringing about this state
of affairs. It may have been started
years ago by someone’s thoughtless,
rowdy act, and you inherit the good
(?) name and the traditions. Does
such an inheritance fill your heart
with pride?
We must face the issue squarely
and do all \Ve can to create a friendly
feeling toward the college where such
feeling does not exist. If you are not
to blame for it, certainly a large re
sponsibility rests upon you to show
the people by your actions and words
that this place is worthy of the best
manhood of Texas. We want to look
back upon our Alma Mater with pride,
not shame, in the years to come. Else
it means nothing to us.
The faculty, the costly buildings,
the equipment, the grounds are all
a credit and a help to us, but we have
the making or the marring of our own
destinies and our college. What is
your sheepskin going to be worth to
you? Are you willing to let a few
thoughtless ones cheapen it by some
act of vandalism or rowdyism? Is it
not going to be worth your while to
do all that lies in your power to make
this college worthy of the respect and
admiration of your home folks? The
eyes of Texas are certainly upon us.
Incidentally, these boys were unani
mous in their praise of our hospi
tality. We have made a good im
pression. They found us to be human
like themselves, and a clean lot of
fellows. They seemed glad to find
that they had been laboring under a
wrong impression. Keep this good
word going. It means onur very ex
istence and will command respect and
attention. A FELLOW STUDENT.
LODGE AND SOCIETY EMBLEMS
WEDDING FLOWERS
FUNERAL DESIGNS
CUT FLOWERS PLANTS
Phone Direct
SCOTT FLORAL CO.,
Navasota, Texas
DR. ALGIE BENB0W
DENTIST
Office Over First National Bank
BRYAN, TEXAS