i.
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG. - VOLUME 42
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT. 3, 1942
2275
NUMBER 40
Aggieland Band Wins Ride on Fitch Bandwagon
Total Fees ?! n s a ™ ,Entriei . Sophomores’
For Semester ByComingWeekend First Band
Is Canceled
Are $149.65
First Installment
Amounts to $83.25;
Payable September 14
Fees payable for the next semes
ter will be $149.65, it was announc
ed today by the fiscal department.
Day students will be required, to
pay $43.50. Students who wish to
pay maintenance by installments
may pay $83.25. These figures in
clude a $13.00 student activities
fee which may be deducted if so
desired. Fees will be collected by
the / fiscal department beginning
September 14.
Before students will be allowed
to pay their fees they must clear
up all old obligations to the col
lege such as chemistry breakage
fees and library fees. It has been
suggested by the fiscal department
that these bills be paid before
September 14 in order to avoid
congestion.
' According to the fiscal depart
ment, any student attempting to
pay his fees before meeting these
obligations will be merely wasting
his time because he will not be
able to do so. It was farther pointed
out that these bills would not,be
collected at the Administration
building after September 14.
Aggie Band Hires
Assistant Director
AnnouncesCoIDunn
Employment of Weldon Coving
ton as assistant bandmaster of the
famous A. & -M. College musical
organization, was announced today
by Lieut. Col. Richard C. Dunn,
bandmaster.
Covington for the past 11 years
has been in charge of the Austin,
Texas, high school band and dur
ing that time Ms musicians have
always finished in the first division
of state contests, have won first
place three times in concert and
have won first four times in
marching.
Born at Alvord, Texas, the new
assistant attended North Texas
Agricultural College, the Conway
Band School and received his
Bachelor of Music degree at Sim
mons University. He will receive
a Master’s degree next summer af
ter completing graduate work.
Covington directed the 143rd In
fantry band of the Texas Nation
al Guard in 1933, and has taught
in the University of Texas sum
mer band clinic for the past two
years.
Plans are underway for expan
sion of the A. & M. band and
it is expected to be one of the
largest in the United States. The
Aggie band that appears at foot
ball games and in various Texas
cities really is a combination of
two bands, the Infantry and Field
Artillery units. One band plays
daily for student formations at
each end of the big A. & M. cam
pus, but both combine for march
ing formations and special mili
tary events on the campus.
Eliminations to Be Next
Week; Organizations Must
Enter at Least 15 Men
Entries for the competitive
sing song between organizations,
“The Aggie Singaroo” must be
turned into the respective organi
zation recreational officers by the
end of this week. Richard Jenkins,
who is in charge of the “Singaroo”,
stated that eliminations will prob
ably begin in the early part of
next week and the finals will be
held the afternoon of Saturday,
September 12. Jenkins also urges
all organizations to participate so
that it.will be an event which will
afford much pleasure to all stu
dents concerned.
AH organizations entering the
sing must be represented by at
least 15 men, one third of these
being fish, one third sophomores,
and one third juniors or seniors.
Songs to be used must be ap
proved by Jenkins, who may be
reached through the Student Ac
tivities Office or at the Assebly
Hall, and the entries may use any
type of accompaniment in the pre
liminaries. Jenkins will furnish
piano accompaniment in the finals.
One song will be sung by each
group and the six best groups will
qualify for the finals. The win
ners will be presented on a fu
ture Eadet Kapers and as an add
ed attraction, the winning organi
zation will be treated to an ice
cream supper and a free picture
show.
Another Texas Aggie
Has Scored on Battle
Front-- “Enjoyed It”
According to an Associated
Press news article released yes
terday “another Texas Aggie has
scored on the battle front.”
Captain J. I. Hopkins of Pales
tine was a pilot of one of the
first three United States Army
Air Corps bombers attacking the
advancing German columns in the
Egyptian desert. In commenting
on the attack the former Aggie
said; “We enjoyed lit” He also
said that the target seemed pretty
good, and that Ms bombadier scor
ed at least two direct Mts and
some near misses.
Mrs. HopMns who resides with
her husband’s mother at Palestine
was overjoyed after hearing the
news that her husband had de
livered a blow against the enemy.
“Isn’t that wonderful,” she sobbed.
Captain Hopkins is a graduate
of Palestine High School and at
tended A.&M. four years. He re
ceived his wings at Randolph Field
and took advanced training at
Kelly Field.
Shipyard Engineer
Speaks at Joint Meet
Of ASME, SAE, lAeS
E. W. Pitman, chief engineer of
the Petroleum Iron Works, of the
Pennsylvania Ship yards, will speak
before a joint meeting of the AS
ME, SAE, and Institute of Aero
nautical Sciences tonight im
mediately after yell practice in the
Electrical Engineering lecture
room.
Pitman will lecture on the Re
gistration of Professional Engi
neers, of which he is a member of
the Texas branch.
All members of these clubs are
urged to be present as it promises
to be one of the most interesting
meetings of the year, both from
general information and educa
tional purposes.
Venereal Disease
Film Will Be Shown
By Sociology Club
A film on the causes, prevention,
and cures of venereal diseases will
be shown Thursday night at 7
o’clock in the Physics lecture room
by the State Department^of Health
under the sponsorship of the Rur
al Sociology Club.
Members of the marriage rela
tions classes, Rural Sociology Club,
and all others interested in an
educational film of this type are
invited.
Beasley’s Orchestra
Canceled Because Of
Contract Problems
Frances Beasley’s Orchestra will
not paly for the sophomore ball,
according to an announcement
made last night by the Student Ac
tivities office.
Because of contract difficulties
with the Dallas orchestra, arrange
ments had to be cancelled at the
last minute, stated Jack Orrick,
sophomore class president.
At press time it had not defi
nitely been decided whether Cur
ley Brient’s Aggieland orchestra
would play for the dance.
“Regardless of who plays for
the proip, all other arrangements
are the same,” stated Orrick, and
“we think that the dance this year
will be the biggest sophomore ball
yet,” the soph president concluded
in a statement last night.
Ramps one, two, and three of
Puryear hall will be opened To
morrow for dates to stay in if
they so desire. The price per room
per girl is 50 cents. The room re
servations may be made through
Harry Boyer’s office in Ross Hall
stated Tom Moore, of the accom
modations committee. Arrange
ments have been made through the
local Chamber of Commerce to
have a number of rooms made
available for students to engage
for their dates in case the dormi
tory space is filled.
The dance will be held in the
main dining room of Sbisa hall
and will start promptly at 9:00
p. m. \
The uniform as announced pre
viously will be the summer number
two or summer‘tuxedos if desired.
The dance will be formal.
Cadets are reminded that during
the dance they may park their
cars in the parking lot east of the
administration building. They are
further reminded that parking in
the streets is unlawful any time
during the week end.
Hurry, Hurry, Folks, TakeOff BrOil(!( tlSt Will Bl! Hl'ill ll
Your Shoes and Join the Fun p rflm (j:3() fo 7 Sept 13
They may be non-reg as a jer
sey cow, but if you haven’t got any
tall yallar shoes with button tops,
ragged overalls with just one strap
(and that tied up with grocery
twine), then feller, you had better
start hustling, ’cause come ’bout
Satiddy night you’ll just have to
come out and shuffle a wicked
foot at the annual Barnyard Frol
ic to be held in the Grove as a
corps (or should we have said,
“corpse”) dance.
Sponsored by those hearty slip-
stick farmers, the Ag Engineers,
this gala farmyard affair offers
all the joys of rural living to each
and every guy and gal (or both)
present, and what with the emi
nent Mr. Brient’s nationally-known
Aggielapd qrchestra giving out
with that right jive, fun and hap
piness will be had for the taking.
Sparking forth promptly at nine
in the evening, Maestro Curley
and all the lads will be nothing but
solid, whether the tune be sweet
or swingy, and all you fellows that
are technically known as “Aves
Caninus” can make all the eyes
you want at lovely Adeline Koff-
man, who will be on hand with the
vocals, but nacherly!
That front gate will be open
only to the kids in coveralls and
what have you. You are ruined for
life if you show up reg or in a
tux, ’cause you know you never
saw a farmer running around cut
ting a rug in anything but rag
genes and overalls.
Course now, if you don’t have
any overalls, ask the mess ? Joall
manager for a flower barrel,’mil
you some straps over the shoul
ders, and twenty to one you will
win the “best-dressed” prize. And
speaking of that little prize, we
hear tell there are a few bucks
tied up in the corniest costume
at the hop. Remember, anything
gets in, as long as it looks corny
and country. That goes for the
gals, too.
There’ll be plenty of hay and
tractors around for you to spark
your Daisy Mae on, and no light
will be allowed brighter than that
great country moon that shines
down on Birt Switch, Arkansas,
these simmering summer nights,
so loosen up from that greenback
you’ve had hidden under the back
porch all summer and come on out.
The Aggieland will dish out the
aforesaid jive, and what with them
putting the waves in the ether
is about ten days via the Hair
Oil Bandwagon, you shouldn’t
miss their last dance before they
put that old shot in NBC’S arm.
Bobby Stephens, social secretary
of the first class, radiates facts
and figures about why this Barn
yard Frolic will be the best in its
many-year history. One of these
is that this is the first time the
B. F. has been opened up as
corps dance, and second is that this
is the first time a really “success
ful” band has played for the af
fair.
Reeves of Biology
Department Finds
4 Unknown Plants
Harvard Professors Name
Specie After Discoverer;
Collection Given Museum
While in the process of collect
ing and filing all the plants of
Brazos County, Dr. R. G. Reeves
of the biology departmnt ran ac-
cross four unknown plant species,
which were sent to specialists in
California, Washington, Pennsyl
vania, and Sonora (Tex). The plant
specialist in Sonora was unable to
indentify one of Reeve’s plants,
therefore it was sent to Harvard
where the professors decided the
newly discovered flower should be
named after Reeves. Technically
the plant is called Saxifraga Re-
evesii, but commonly spoken of as
Reeves’ saxifrage.
The purpose of Reeves’ work is
to index and catalog all the plant
species in the county and prepare
a teaching manual on plant tax
onomy. With the work of his stu
dents and that of other depart
ments, Reeves has a very near com
plete collection of all the local seed
plants, which are being placed in
the Tracy hibarium in the A. & M.
museum for reference and study.
This is the first serious attempt
in A. & M.’s history to index and
catalog the several thousand local
plants of Brazos County.
To file the plants they are first
dried and pressed, then sprayed
with mercuric chloride to keep
away insects, next the plants are
dressed again, then mounted on
heavy paper and labeled.
Interesting Campus Personalities
He Has Chased Thieves, Heard
The Bones Rattle-Meet Sgt Mac
Three Mathematics
Professors Replaced
Effective Tuesday morning, three
new instructors, A. M. Blackman,
H. Clay Searer, and Albert H. Wap-
ple, took charge of their respective
Math classes in place of three
others: J. W. McClimon, W. L.
Johnson, and W. B. Coleman, who
left Tuesday.
Blackman was formally with the
Industrial Education Department
here. Searer came here from Sou
thern Methodist University, and
Wapple from Southwestern. Mc-
Climmons and Johnson left to take
a course in instruction in Miss
issippi and Copeman went into the
army.
By Tom Journeay
Talk about someone spinning
interesting yarns? All right. We
don’t have to go any farther than
Sergeant Mac. Who is he? Well,
for the benefit of some of the first
year cadets who maybe haven’t
gotten around as much as they
should have, we’ll tell you who he
is. He’s Deputy Constable, J. T.
McDonald, of .the A. & M. police
department.
Sergeant Mac has one of the
longest service records of nearly
anyone connected with A. & M. He
came here, and he remembers with
great pride the exact date, on May
23, 1921 to work in the Power
House where he was ice checker
for six years before transferring
to the police work.
It might be well to mention here
that “Sergeant’’ before the name of
any A. & M. guard doesn’t indicate
that he holds the rank of a police
sergeant. It all started back when
an old regular army sergeant be
came a guard here, and from that
day to this all guards have been
called “Sarge”.
Sergeant Mac remembers the
days when the old Toonerville trol
ley was the only means of trans
portation into the thriving metro
polis of Bryan for Saturday after
noon and evening entertainment.
Those were the days before any
kind of amusements were located
here on the campus. Matter of fact,
there was very little campus! The
Administration building, nearly all
dormitories, all but about three of
the classroom buildings, and the
gym and Kyle field had all been
built since the veteran guard has
been overlooking the campus.
Sergeant Mac says the joke the
boys used to get the most kick
out of telling was the one about
his being able to hear the dice
roll in Walton Hall when stand
ing on the YMCA steps.
He tells another interesting ex
perience about the time he went
all the way to Mount Vernon in
Franklin County to trace a boy
who broke into the Y barber shop
and stole a cash register with a
little bit of money in it.
It seems that the Satch noticed
some peculiar goings on during the
wee hours of the morning one dark
night and decided to investigate.
The culprit had an accomplice sta
tioned down near Bizell hall to
make a racket thus drawing the
guard away from the vicinity of the
Y.
The next morning the Comman
dant called McDonald in and told
him about the robbery. By a series
of moves they discovered that he
boys ha'd stolen the register car
ried if off to a secluded spot near
here, broken into it and flown the
city with the money. Sergeant Ma«
tells about how he found out where
the cadet’s home was, traced him
there and got a confession from
him when he was confronted with
the goods.
This is just one of the many in
teresting experiences, that have
happened to the likable guard that
watches out for the Aggie interests
during his shift every day in the
year.
Sergeant Mac has two sons. One
is the representative in the State
Legislature from this district, re
cently having been re-elected. for
the fourth time, and the other
works for the Experiment Sta
tion here.
Back in the old days the college
guards used to get a work out
frequently when cadets would .get
that old arrhy spirit and raise a
little comotion. The Cadets used
to pull fake murders many years
ago that used to give the guards
a good deal of apprehension until
they found out about it. It seems
ketsup from Hotajrd’s domain had
a startling likeness to blood, and
the stories that accompanied the
gory sight were enough by them
selves to start an investigation.
Even if we don’t have any more
fake murders around here, Sergeant
Mac and the whole force will be
ready and willing to keep things
under control for the cadets.
Program Consists of Leader’s Life
Story, Popular Songs and Ballads
Curley Brient, leader of the Aggieland orchestra, was.
notified yesterday by the Music Corporation of America
that the Aggieland has won the F. W. Fitch Band Wagon
contest and will be heard on the Summer Band Wagon prog
ram to be broadcast over the NBC network from 6:30 to
7:00 p.m. September 13 from the auditorium at the State
Fair Park in Dallas.
Notice of the results of the contest was made by mail to
Brient yesterday morning and confirmed by telephone yes
terday afternoon.
“This is the biggest thrill of all‘f~
our lifes,” said Brient speaking for
the orchestra, “and we want to
thank all our friends at A. & M.
and elsewhere for giving us this
chance to show the dance orches
tra world what a bunch of Aggies
can do when they make up their
mind to.”
The Summer Band Wagon fea
tures new and young orchestras
and gives way to the regular Band
Wagon of “name” bands late in
the fall.
A program is being arranged
which will consist of the following:
the Fitch signature, the Aggieland’s
theme, “I’m Livin’ My Life for
You”, a popular ballad (to be se
lected), the story of Curley’s life,
another ballad, a commercial, short
swing tune, more story, a feature
tune of the band, more story, an
other good feature, a commercial
another short “chaser”, story, a
big clSsing tune, then the signing
off with the Fitch signature. Tunes
will be selected in the near future.
“I want to emphasize again how
much we appreciate what all of
you did for ds. You did it; with
out you wouldn’t be there that
Sunday night, and by expressing
your interest so sincerely we are
forever indebted to all of you,”
said Brient.
Thp story spots in the program
will be concerned with Curley’s
life, his first interest in orchestras,
a brief history of the Aggieland,
any little intimate details about the
boys of the band or Curley, as well
as what the orchestra and its ac
tivities mean to the school and all
Aggies all over the world. j
“I’m quite sure Curley and the
band will be a credit to the school
and to themselves,” said E. L.
Angell, assistant to the president.
Rehearsals will probably be held
sometime next week, but definite
plans have not yet been formulated.
Toby Reed is master of cere
monies on the Band Wagon, and
will conduct the “ride” when the
Aggieland appears. Listeners in
this section will hear the broadcast
best over WFFA in Dallas, KPRC
in Houston, and WOAI in San An
tonio.
Brient is making arrangements
for tickets for the broadcast and
a block of seats in the auditorium
will probably be reserved for Ag
gies. Tickets are free and probably
will be made available through the
Commandant’s office and the first
sergeants.
Shortwave will carry the pro
gram all over the world to men
and officers in the armed forces,
so all Aggies and exes will get a
chance to hear the program if a
radio is available.
Norman Streppe, Dallas repre
sentative for the Music Corporation
of America, confirmed the an
nouncement of the Aggielands win
ning by telephone to L. D. Boone,
director of student activities.
Annual Horse Show
Planned for Day
After Cavalry Ball
Affair to Be Run
Strictly on Military
Principles This Year
Horsemen from the Cavalry and
Field Artillery will meet for the
twentieth time on’ October 10 in
the annual Horse Show to settle
the traditional dispute over the
respective merits of the men of the
two regiments as to equine skill.
The show will be held at the rid
ing hall on the north end of the
Cavalry drill field on the day fol
lowing the Cavalry Ball as is cus
tomary.
Since transportation facilities
are limited, the Horse Show/Com
mittee will follow the precedent
set last spring of not inviting civ
ilian showmen to enter the com
petition. When ,the war is over, a\
combination civilian and military
show will be held as in the past, but.
until tha?t time the show will be
a military one with the riders:
mounted only on government
mounts on duty, at this station.
Highlight of the show will prob
ably be the hunt event with three
Cavalry teams entered, states
Norris McGowen who is handling
the arrangements. In addition to
this field jumping, there will be
three jumping events in the ring.
Seat and hand classes are being
arranged for freshmen and soph
omores in addition to such novelty
events as a pop race and a musical
chair contest.
Jakkula Describes
Tacoma BridgeFailure
Dr. A. A. Jakkula will speak
before the student chapter of the
American Society of Civil En
gineers at 7:00 o’clock tonight in
the C. E. lecture room.
His talk, “The Tacoma Bridge
Failure” will be accompanied by a
motion picture showing the actual
collapse of the structure. The re
cent failure of this bridge claimed
nation-wide attention since it was
one of the largest suspension
bridges in the worldl
All Civil Engineering students
are invited to attend this meet
ing which should be of interest
to all.
Electronic Cop
Warns Speeders
The science of electronics has now
supplied the answer to the speed
ing motorist who tells the judge
he did not know how fast he was
going, according to Frazier Hunt,
General Electric newscaster.
“Driving at night along a high
way near St. Paul and Minneapolis,
the motorist’s attention is caught
by the sudden turning on of a
large illuminated signboard ahead
of him. A second or two later the
sign flashes the speed of his car
in lighted numbers big enough to
read a mile away. If the speed is
too fast for the danger spot ahead
the sign flashes an additional
warning in the words, ‘Slow Down.’
“Startled by this electronic speed
cop that issue no summonses, the
motorist may wonder what math
ematical genius is hiding behind
the sign and starts an electronic
timer which measures the car’s
speed. As the car passes the second
electric eye the timer calculates the
speed, and flashes the speed in
lights, as a warning to the driver.
“Electrons, travelling with the
speed of light, get the message on
the sign board in plenty of time
to warn the fastest driver. There
is nothing to be gained by arguing
with the speed shown on the sign..
To an electron, one-millionth of a
second is a long time.
“This application' of the elecU
ronic tubes, developed by a St. Paul
engineer is but another example of
helpful, public services which can
be performed by electronic de
vices.”