Page 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 2, 1945
Pag
The Battalion
STUDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Office, Room 5, Administration Building. Telephone 4-5444
Texas A. & M. College
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of
Texas and the City of College Station is published weekly, and circulated on Thursday
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Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at College Station, Texas, under
the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Subscription rate $3.00 per school year. Advertising rates upon request.
Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City,
Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Member
Fhsoctoted Cotiee>tde Press
John F. Spragins, Jr Editor-in-Chief
Sam A. Nixon, Jr Managing Editor
REPORTERS
Clyde C. Crittenden, S. A. Wells, M. C. Kury, R. W. Simms, B. W. Cantrell, R.
G. Reese, H. A. Fate, F. D. Baca. R. M. Wren, O. J. Hbert.
A Perverted Idea of Amusement . . .
Noticed by everyone at the East Gate early this week
was the complete and ruthless destruction of some twenty-
odd or more street light reflectors. It seems that some
group has a very sinister idea of amusement or is attempt
ing to injure A. & M. as much as they can in their very
juvenile way. Not only does the price of fifteen dollars for
each reflector involve quite an item of expense for the col
lege ; but in the present war-time days, any type of steql and
glass reflectors is almost impossible to purchase.
College officials have overwhelming reason to believe
that this latest episode is just one more in a series of dirty
work by local delinquents and is definitely not the work of
any of the cadets. They are of such an opinion because this
is not the first occurrence of property destruction around
A. & M. by that suspected group. Exery kind of vandalism
from smearing paint on buildings and monuments to enter
ing buildings and carrying on the destructibn of college prop
erty has been indulged in by that group, and it follows that
street light damaging is not out of their line of work.
Aside from keeping the police and the officials con
stantly on the alert for the hoodlums, litle else can be em
ployed to bring about the termination of their activities.
One excellent suggestion is that the college should appeal
to the corps and to everyone associated with A. &, M. to
cooperate as much as possible in bringing these barbaric
— activities to an end. For anyone wanting to see a hideous
sight, it is suggested that a little jaunt down to the East
Gate should be made. There one can gaze upon the now
exposed and bare light bulbs. After dark, the effect is any
thing but attractive and the effect produced by naked light
bulbs is entirely out of keeping with the beautiful and sweep
ing approach leading to the Administration Building. Any
body who has the welfare and interest of A. & M. at heart
cannot refuse to lend a cooperative hand whenever possible.
Those reflectors at the E^st Gate are to be replaced
as soon as possible by the college, but only at very great
difficulty. Not only from a standpoint of expense, but also
from a standpoint of impossibility to acquire new fixtures,
should the corps and the college as a whole endeavor to
cooperate and see such destruction ended.
A Bright Future Outlook . . .
For the first time in the history df Texas A. & M. Col
lege, the necessity for the provision for more entertainment
for the corps of cadets has finally been realized. An almost
totally neglected item in the past, liberal funds to insure
adequate entertainment of the highest calibre have at last
been granted; and the future should find the Aggies well
suplied with entertainment.
In bold contrast to the mere one thousand dollars per
year formerly allotted the corps, the sum has now been
hoisted to four thousand five hundred dollars per year. This
increase in funds constitutes a gain ot four and one half
times more than the former figure, and an even more
astonishing fact is that the figure of one thousand dollars of
bygone days was in effect even when Aggieland boasted a
pre-war corps of seven thousand cadets.
Not only has the fund for student entertainment been
increased tremendously, but the cash allotment for the
Singing Cadets has been increased two and one half times,
from one thousand dollars to two thousand five hundred
dollars.
Anyone who has spent just a few weeks in Aggieland can
vouch for the dearth of entertained that has been offered.
With the new and substantial increases in effect, those old
evils should see their deaths. Aggie dances, which have al
ready earned the reputation for themselves as being the
best, should find themselves becoming even bigger and bet
ter. That will be possible because a number of things such
as a workshop for decorations will be made available for
the corps. It is to be equipped completely with the proper
tools so that permanent decorations can be constructed rap
idly.
Aggie dances are not the only thing that should be bene-
fitted. Plans include, at present, an increase in quality and
frequency of free stage shows, movies, and of Town Hall
performances. When all these things do come about, the in
centive to remain a little closer to Aggieland should displace
the w'eek-end migration to more attractive spots.
With this latest go-ahead signal, the Singing Cadets
will now be enabled to increase their tours. Their schedule
now can include more numerous appearances at Texas high
schools, ex-Aggie meetings, and most important of all, at
army hospitals for the benefit of the Aggie exes convales
cing. A spacious bus is to be purchased, when priorities per
mit, for the Singing Cadets an dthe Aggieland Orchestra;
and those organizations will then be enabled to tour Texas
and bring even more credit to A. & M.
The future for the Aggie corps of cadets looks bright,
indeed, insofar as entertainment is concerned. What has
long been the dream of so many Aggies for years should
now become a reality on the A. & M. campus. Instead of
proving to be one of the great deficits around this vicinity,
the corps should be able for once to brag about its enter
tainment facilities and not apologize as in the past for the
mediocre entertainment offerings.
BACKWASH
Backwash: “An agritation resulting from some action or occurence.”—Webster.
By The Collaborators
For sheer, unadulterated courage,
Tin Pan Alley is striking an ersatz
gold medal in honor of Sonny Dun
ham, who did the equivalent of
spitting into a lion’s eye to prove
he wasn’t afraid.
The youthful Mr. Dunham, im
patient with predictions that he
was a cinch to click in time, got
behind Father Time and gave him
a push. Instead of blowing his
brains out with one-night stands
and split weeks in theatres that
have no dressing rooms and almost
as few customers, Dunham drew
ano threw the dice in one big gam
ble. He took an engagement at
New York’s Capitol Theatre. Of
itself such a move was an advan
tage, not a hazard. But when the
competitive threatres like the Roxy
and Paramount are presenting
such established names in music
as Harry James and Jimmy Dor
sey—that’s too fast, like putting
him in the same ring with Joe
Louis when he is still a year away.
Dorsey -was the headliner at the
Roxy at the unprecendented salary
of $50,000 for four weeks. James,
the hottest thing since Glenn Mil
ler, was starring at the Paramount,
on the heels of a spontaneous jit
terbug outburst that was high-
listed 6n the front pages of New
Yoi'k daily papers, when it was
necessary to call out the police.
Dunham came into the Capitol as
one newspaper columnist put it
“on the swing and a prayer”.
But the combination was good
enough to justify Sonny’s confi
dence. The show was held over for
two weeks against the stiffest com
petition Broadway has. seen in ma
ny years! Since then he has re
appeared at the Capitol, and his
name and the name have become
synonymous. Dunham’s success,
however, was more than just sheer
courage.
Sonny began his musical career
at the age of seven with lessons
on the “sliphorn”. At 13 he played
his first dance engagement, a one-
nighter, with a local orchestra.
During his high school days Dun
ham played with the high school
orchestra and band. Leaving high
school at the end of his .sophomore
year, he went to New York with
his trombone where he began his
professional career playing for
different Ben Bernie bands. After
seven months with Bernie, Sonny
joined Paul Tremaine’s Orchestra.
While playing for Tremaine, Son
ny mastered the cornet. In Novem
ber of 1931 Dunham left Tremaine
and formed his own combination
only to bi’eak it up six weeks later
to accept third trumpet chair in
the Casa Loma Orchestra. Dun
ham remained with the Casa Loma
Oi’chestra for six uninterrupted
years before starting out on his
own. Since forming his own or
chestra Dunham has played en
gagements at the Hotel New York
er, Hotel Pennsylvania, Capitol
Theatre, and Paladium. He has also
appeared on Spotlight Bands and
in RKO Pictures, and has made
several hit Columbia Records.
0
It has been brought to the atten
tion of these authors that the
Deans have started cracking down
on grades and cuts. What are they
trying to do—make an educational
institution out of this place ?
0
Well, Old Army, it is time for the
Fish ball again; so, get out your
boots, toothbrushes and other ac
cessories that go towards making
a dance of this type a 'success.
Don’t be alarmed, Frogs, most of
the upperclassmen left couldn’t
birddog their Grandmothers.
0
The Senior Class, in its last
meeting, passed this very appro
priate rule for the Freshmen: . . . .
“No Frog or Fish will be allowed
to dance without moving his feet.”
0
If some of our very nervy Jun
iors would stop to realize that they
are not the only men that have
attended A. & M. in the last fifty
years, they might wake up to the
fact that they are not the only
class on the campus and also that
they are hurting no one but them
selves with all of their high sound
ing plans. Also this going non-reg
is also one of your faults.
0
He: Do you believe in free love?
She: If I don’t, you have a sweet
bill.
0
What does everyone think about
resuming the publication of the
“Battalion Magazine”? This was
as fine a school magazine as could
be found in any college. With pro
mise of a larger student body in
the fall it seems only fitting that
it be revived. It takes quite a lot
of talent and some hard work, but
this should certainly be no holdup.
If everyone would think about it
and talk it up, it might be possi
ble to have the “Batt” Magazine
once more.
0
It seems that our little article
about the food situation was read
and appreciated by some of the
higher ups. Here’s hoping that
some of them do a little looking
into the matter.
\ Good Neighbors •.
PERU Land of Traditions
By Ruben R. Caro Costas
Peru is an agricultural country
—yet she depends upon the out
side world for food.
Bounded by the Pacific Ocean on
the west, Ecuador and Colombia
on the northeast, Brazil and Bolivia
on the east, and Chile on the south,
Peru finds herself surrounded by
five different countries at a cost
of both men and territory. She has
contested territorial claims with
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecu
ador, and disputed with Bolivia
over the nitrate fields and guano
beds along the coast. In all those
disputes Peru has come out on the
short end of the fight, losing her
sons and her territory.
Geographically, Peru can be div
ided into three regions, each re
gion different from the others.
There are really three Perus, the
Peru of the dry coastal plains, with
modern cities and ports where the
majority of the population lives,
made up of vast sugar plantations,
and extensive cotton farms; the
Peru of the Andes, with its mine
ral wealth and Indian traditions;
and the Peru of the eastern slopes,
with its large forests and extensive
undeveloped agricultural land.
* When the Spaniards first reached
Peru in 1552 they found a land of
wealth. They overthrew one of the
great centralized' empires of all
times, the Inca Empire ,in a bloody
and violent conquest. The Con-
quistadores were outnumbered in
this struggle but took advantage of
a civil war that was raging
throughout the Empire. The In
dians were unable to wage two
wars at the same time.
The Conquistadores found a well
advanced civilization. Suspension
bridges which are still in use,
aqueducts, irrigation systems, mas
sive stone buildings, and wide
roads were among the important
highlights of that Empire.
Peru achieved her independence in
1821. General San Martin, whose
armies had freed Argentina and
Chile, invaded Peru and after a
bloody battle against the Spanish
forces declared the country a free
state. Final independence, how
ever, was not achieved until after
the decisive battle of Ayacucho
between the Venezuelan General
Sucre and the Spaniards.
Irrigation, coming from the An
des, makes possible the agriculture
of the coast where sugar, cotton,
and flax are the crops mostly
grown. In the mountain terraces are
raised such crops as wheat, cocoa,
corn, barley, oats, and potatoes.
Cattle, sheep and llamas are
raised here, and provide nearly all
of Peru’s meat supply and some
wool for the export market.
Three cities are typical of tthe
three different regions. Lima, the
capital, is a city of contrast be
tween the modern and the colonial;
Cuzco, ancient Andean capital of
the Incas, is a city where the In
dian traditions prevail; and Iquitos
is frontier river port on the Ama
zon, once a boom town in the day
of the wild rubber.
The churches and the houses of
Peru, as well as the clothes worn
by her people, reflect the three
strains in her culture—the Indian,
the colonial, and the modern. Colo
nial cathedrals were desgned by
Spain’s best arcritects and deco
rated with the work of her best
painters. But along with the Spa
nish influence are Inca motives in
gold and silver, and Indian artists
who worked on the cathedrals in
troduced the mythological figures
of ancient religions into their ex
cellent carvings.
In her arts, too, the old and the
new mingle. Peru’s history, legend,
and land have inspired her writers.
Some artists turn to the Indian for
inspiration while composers utilize
By Edna B. Woods
FISHING
“Oh, the gallant fisher’s life!
It is the best of any;
’Tis full of pleasure, void of
strife,
And ’tis beloved by many.”
“Sir Henry Wotton was a most
dear lover and a frequent prac-
tiser of the Art of Angling; of
which he would say, ’Twas an em
ployment for his idle time, which
was then not idly spent, a rest to
his mind, a cheerer of his spirits,
a diverter of sadness, a calmer of
unquiet thoughts, a moderator of
passions, a procurer of contented
ness’; and ‘that is begat habits of
peace and patience in -chose that
professed and practiced it.’”
—The Compleat Angler.
Izaak Walton.
This age-old, summer-time re
creation doesn’t solicit participants;
people are just naturally attracted
to Fishing. From the boy in over
alls, lolling on the river bank to
the professional fisherman, all
manner of men (and women) share
a common, healthy enthusiasm for
this sport. More and more people
are joining the ranks of the “born-
fisherman,” for with speeded-up
production programs and restricted
travel, a week-end fishing jaunt
is an ideal substitute for the sophis
ticated vacation.
THE COMPLEAT ANGLER, by
Izaak Walton, was first published
in 1653. The author added to it
continuously for twenty years. In
1676, the fifth and final edition
was published, supplemented with
an addition written by his ultimate
friend and adopted son, Charles
Cotton. THE COMPLEAT ANG
LER—the fishing classic—is a col
lection of odd bits of information.
Whether it is simply a treatise on
fishing, a charming pastoral, or a
biography of Izaak Walton has not
been determined, but surely it is a
well-loved favorite of English liter
ature.
Neither selective nor inclusive, the
following new books are more
practical for the modern fisherman.
From the Barnes Sports Library:
BAIT CASTING, by Gilmer Robin
son, is a beginner’s book on cast
ing, emphasizing the equipment
and the. various methods of casting.
FLY CASTING, also by Gilmer
Robinson, describes the funda
mentals of the art, contains spe
cial information on bait, and in
cludes concise descriptions of the
• •
• •
Your City
• •
• •
BY W. L. HUGHES
Eighth of a Series
HISTORY OF A. & M. CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL: PART III
The last school census gives the
A. & M. Consolidated School dis
trict 496 white and 296 colored
scholastics. This is double the num
ber of white twenty-five years ago,
and more than double the number
of colored children.
It became necessary a good many
years ago to erect a new building
for the colored children and furnish
transportation. The budget for the
colored school alone now runs about
$15,000 a year. In the beginning,
the colored school consisted of a
one-room school situated just east
of the campus on what is now
Highway 6. No transportation was
needed. The budget for such a
school was only a few hundred
dollars annually. The colored school
is now housed in a $12,000 build
ing and is doing an excellent job
of furnishing a practical education
for the.colored children. It is a 12-
grede school with 10 teachers. Voc
ational agriculture and home econ
omics are featured.
Just how the “training school”
idea was lost is not easy to ex
plain. Professor Hayes died in the
early twenties and Dr. Bizzell went
to Oklahoma in 1925. Thus the
school lost two good friends. Finan
cial troubles began to accumulate.
The two busses soon proved in
adequate and additional busses had
to be purchased. A full-time mecha
nic had to be employed which added
to the budget. The cost of bus
transportation over poor roads ran
high. The building soon proved in
adequate for the increasing school
population, and some of the child
ren were “farmed out” in college
buildings. Finally the entire high
school department was moved to
old Pfeiffer Hall and remained
there until about 1940.
The Texas Legislature cut off
the appropriations which were
made in the beginning since, the
school had lost, or was losing, the
training-school idea. The school
was soon on the rocks financially.
Rural aid laws helped very little.
Local taxes amounted to only a
small part of the school’s needs.
The state was furnishing less than
$20 per capita. The school’s bud
get was steadily increasing from
year to year. About 1928 a legal
consolidation was effected and a
board of seven trustees was elect
ed, but financial troubles were not
abated. Many schemes were brought
forward for financing the school.
The campus people went as far as
to try to raise money by private
subscription but this scheme raised
only a few hundred dollars. By
old Indian tunes and their dramas.
Education is developing very ra-
padly. Vocational, industrial and
commercial education is planned.
Formerly, education in Peru had
followed the classical pattern. San
Marcos University, established a
century before Harvard was, de
dicated to traditional instruction
in the humanities and in the pro
fessions. There is a Catholic Uni
versity in Lima, and other uni
versities at Cuzco, Trujillo, and
Arequipa. These are under the
(See GOOD NEiGBORS, Page 3)
this time the ‘training school” idea
had about disappeared and the
school was simply another con
solidated public school on its own
resources. The taxable valuations
of the consolidated district were
only about one million dollars, but
the budget kept on increasing.
Twenty-five years bring about
many changes. College Station has
grown into a city with its own
municipal government. People have
built their own homes and the tax
able valuations have increased to
2 1-2 millions. Local school taxes
now amount to some $25,000 an
nually. The school was moved into
new bunldings adjacent to the
campus about five years ago. A
gymnasium and athletic field have
been provided. The new school plant
cost about $100,00 and almost
$8,000 annually is required for
debt service alone. The budget for
the white school for 1944-45 was
approximately $7,400. Twenty-one
teachers are required. The curri
culum now includes such work as
industrial arts, home economics,
commercial work, including typing
shorthand, and business training.
The traditional courses in English,
mathematics, history, science are
offered.
While the school has been thru
many ups and downs, the future
seems bright and promising. It
has met the educational needs of
many rural boys and girls who
otherwise would have had scant
educational opportunities. It has
filled a great need for the campus
children. The financial resources
are gradually increasing, but the
budget still keeps a few steps
ahead of the available revenues.
The high school department with
an enrollment of about 150 students
is still rather small to offer a rich
and varied educational program.
However, as the population of
College Station increases, these
shortcomings will gradually be
overcome. The school now operates
seven busses. The roads have been
improved, taxable valuations are
increasing, the state’s share in
financing the school is still about
2-3 of the available funds. The
board of trustees is made up of
fine, patriotic citizens who are
endeavoring to see that the school
meets the needs of coming genera
tions. *
Khakis cleaned and pressed
Tues. - Wed. -
Better work at
Holick Cleaners
t din
We charge more
^29ii93
SUPERIOR
DRY CLEANING
LAUTERSTEIN’S
PHONE 4-4444
We have Brown Rubber
Heels Any Size
Holick’s Boot Shop
various kinds of Fresh water game
fish. HOW TO TIE FLIES, by
Ellery C. Gregg, contains the ba
sic information about flies, accom
panied by diagrams and photo
graphs. The standard dressings of
334 flies are listed in the appendix.
THE FIELD BOOK OF FRESH
WATER ANGLING, by John Al-
den Knight, is a source book of gen
eral information. Rods, reels,
lines, leaders, anglers’ knots,
hooks, flies, fly-rod lures, bass
flies and bass bugs, Casting-rod
lures, and Anglers’ accessories are
discussed briefly.
FRESH WATER FISHING; a
fisherman’s manual, by Myron E.
Shoemaker, is a beautiful book, il
lustrated in color. It includes gen
eral information on fishing, cast
ing, and care of equipment, but
most of the book is devoted to var
ious types of fish, giving com
plete descriptions and excellent
colored photographs of each type.
Two other new books on fishing
are, THE THEORY AND TECH
NIQUE OF FRESH WATER ANG
LING, by J. A. Knight, and POND,
LAKE, AND STREAM FISHING,
by B. C. Robinson. These books are
interesting especially because of
their numerous photographs. “Field
and Stream” is the fisherman’s
favorite source for up-to-date in
formation on the science of fishing.
Other than the information about
fishing which it contains, this
monthly magazine is rich in tales
of fish and fishemen. Of special
interest is one, “The Big Fish of
Hollertooth Mountain,” by Weldon
Stone of the Department of Eng
lish of A. & M. College, which was
published in the March, 1939, issue.
Air-Conditioned
Opens 1:00 P.M. — Ph. 4-1181
Thursday—Last Day
“THE PRIDE OF
THE YANKEES”
starring
Gary Cooper
Also Color Cartoon
Friday and Saturday
Double Feature
No. 1
No. 2
WALU AlAH
BROWN • CARNEY *
FRANCES VERA I s*
LANGFORD -VAGUEj
Directed by GORDON DOUGLAS • Screen Play oy Robert £ K>
Plus Goofy” Cartoon
Sunday and Mond;
1 “A MEDAL
FOR BENNY'
_ . ***r%mt Arturo
, AMOUR • de CORDOVA
Also Cartoon - Popular Science
Yits Frank McH(7gh •'Barton M«LANE
Plus
“Woody” Woodpecker
Cartoon