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Page 2
mmkmm
lion Edit
j l WEDNESI
or,
>AY, DE
iah
CEMBER
' M
21, 1919
S^WWm
Once Upon A Midnight Clear
4
v “One more day till vacation, we’re
leaving College Station”—these are t h e
strains we hear almost every night, as the
carolers return to their respective dormi-
. -tpiies, • i j! .
\ ; Yes, we’re leaving College Station, go
ing home for Christmas. “Going home for
Christmas”—those few words mean much |
to everyone.
(Regardless of individual plans for
much merriment and celebration, the old
Christmas spirit will still be most preva-
| ^ lent in the minds of A&M students for the
; next week and a half. [ ' ^
Among the many contributions to that
Christmas atmosphere are the many and
beautiful Christmas carols, These songs
have become so standard that we sing on
ly the words, our minds not comprehend
ing their meaning. ' ' ~
-this aboyc
Christmas,
of the work
“Peace on e^rth, good will towards men”
all: is what we pifay for this
“Jcly to the worl£” — most
will be joyous.
r A prominent churchman said last
week, “Ther» is no Santa Claui,” or words
to that effort. <He cited that Santa’s re
placement cf the birth of Jesus as the
chief reason for the seasonal estivity.
We cannot believe that. f, o him, and
to other unt elievers, we refer
“Is There A Santa Claus?”, printed else
where in tcday’s paper. This was orig
inally a letter Written by a young girl to
the editor ol a New York pape^, asking the
time-honored question.
That lit Je girl is an old
she is still 1 ving. We often wonder if she
still believei i in Santa Claus. Five will get
“Silent night, holy night”—will it be? you one that she does.
Sports Must Be Fed With Dollars ..
I ~ .4 • • . . \ X* _
the SMU game. However,
, Dollars and cents have $, peculiar way Texas-A&A(! game and a pear-capacity
of filtering into sports and becoming as crowd for
important as victories. This unfortunate 1948 these
condition makes sports smack of commer- tracted over 50,000 more fans than they
, cialism, and almpst robs them of the right did on Kyk Field. Dollars abid cents-wise
1
• r
to be called “sports.” i ;
College sports, chiefly "football, have
fallen victim to the dollar mark. Though
the sport of the game is still, there, the
dollar has almost equal importance.
A glance at this past season’s football
attendance figures of home games by
that’s over
^arnes in Austin and Dallas at-
a half hundred grand less for
A&M athletics.
Money derived from all j athletics at
A&M goes into one big pot. Football is
by far the greatest contributor to the pot.
Out of the money pool the college’s ath
letic progr im is financed—coaches salar
ies, schola'shipa,\ equipment, awards, and
all the many other costs necessary for a
formidable! athletic program of both ma-
Southwest Conference schools reveals to
i t T
what extent these various schools’ athlet
ic programs can function. Athletic pro
grams are tied .directly to gate receipts, jor and minor sports.
'’The larger the gate receipts, the more The problem of attendance
money for athletics, the broader and more stant problem for all colleges,
complete can be the athletic program.
Southern Methodist led the conference
with 484,000 attending its eight home
games. Texas University was second with
203,000 at five home games. Rice, third
with 152,900 at six home games. Texas
A&M, with four home games, drew 120,000
customers.
Christian was fifth
ce is a con-
and A&M
in particujlar. Located at considerable
distance from large cities, A&M must pro
vide home game spoFte of sufficient cal
iber to induce city folkkbesides local res
idents to spend their ikioney witnessing
Aggieland sports. Fortunately, winning
teams are not always produced by schools
with the largest attendance records,
playing host before 115,500 five times, and though certainly these attendance records
and the
without
Baylor’s tour home games brought 53,000
customers. These figures include student
attendance. x •
Gate receipts for Southwest Confer
ence games split between opposing schools
after expenses have been deducted.. This
year A & M’s attendance figures were
boosted by an over-capacity crowd for the ships.
er we like
A&M. If
money they
influence.
represent are not
Athletic conscious A&M
must, wheth-
it or not, be a dollar conscious
we are to have a vigorous ath
letic progi*am, our efforts for dollars must
be as tire ess as our battles for champion-
A famous theatrical agent appeared at An
his office one morning complaining of a asked a
violent headache. His staff gathered you do?”
around him to sympathize, and a junior expert asked anotjher clerk the same ques-
clerk volunteered:
r
again the reply was “Nothing.”
settles it!” exclaimed the E-man.
ij:!”
uplic
tion and
“I had a terrible headache not long ago, “That
but it didn’t last long. My wife pulled me “This daijnned duplication has got to go.
over on the sofa with her and gave me a
great big kiss. Believe it of not, the pain
disappeared immediately. |
The sufferer reached for his hat. “I’ve
tried everything else,” he moaned. “Is
your wife home now?”
f
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★ .
efficiency expert in Washington
government worker, “What dc
The reply was “Nothing.” The
Now here’s a range sayin’ —
Not many can match it:
There ain’t no use itchin’
Unless you kin scratch it!
When as a youth I went to school
I was qui|te dumb, you see;
In ft.ct I foupd school very dull— ,
And thatls how school found me
Oh, shed a tfar for
Poor Harry Van Ness
agreed When his wife
Said; “My hair is a me^s!”
f 1 '
The Batta
lion
! i
"Soldier, Statesman, Knightly gentleman”
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions
New* contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444^ or: at the editorial office, Room 201,
Uoodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone [(4-5324) jor at the Stuudcnt Activities
Office, Room 209, Goodwin Hall.
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural
City of College Station, Texas, ia
Id Mcclianical College of Texas and the
published five times a wedk and circulated every Monday through
Friday afternoon, except during holidays and examination beribda. Durings the summer The Bat
talion is published,tri-weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Subicription rate $4.30 per school
war. Advertising rates furnished on request.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use
credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and V
ed herein. Rights of republiention of all other matter herein
Entwrad u Meond-altM mattar at Pott
Office at Collef* Station, Texas, under
the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Member of
The Associated Press
'or republication of all news dispatches
ocal news of spontaneous origin publish-
are also reserved. ! !
i^
BILL BILLINGSLEY, C. C. MUNROE..
Clacton Selph, bawls Barton, j
'S Otto Kunss Barton
John Whitmore Acting Managing Editor
Ch&riu Klrkham . Editorial Board Cnatman
George Chariton, Dsan Reed,
Clayton Selph
Emil Bunje*
Horschcl j ]
Jerry Zuber .1 ,.*•>.
Brad Holmes, BiU Hites, Hardy Rosa, Joe
Trevino . ... « . ■ ^ . . • . «. Photo
Kenneth Marak, Emmett Trant, Jack Brandt,
Jack Stansbaqr ^ 4 .. .. Cartoonists
J Ira Reed *. ... Morgue Manager
Dare Cosldtt
Chuck CahanUs. Bill Potto .Sports Co-aditon
tiobliJ..,. ,
Berman 0)11
ton. Dsan Raad, W. K. Co trille, R<
Selph I.......... .Bdltorlai Board John tfapty, J
Jr. Dan Davis. Curtis Edwards. J. C. FaiU, Uoh Allen, Haiflpld
Fitts, Henry Lncgui\ B. F. Roland, Frank! Simmer
her J , vSj! . . News Writeds Ran Brltti in.. ,i..
Engravers
Frank! Sfantoea
Ran Brittihn..,:..
A. W. Fn drick, Don
—^ ry
ted nationally by National Ad-
ng Service Inc., at New York City.
Lea Angeles, and San Franciaoo.
Co-Editors
• ••••*«w« f * a•h « »
Featum Editor
Coelett, Bob Price,
Whitmore . L . . , . Feature Writers
Gann. Frank Manitzas.
. • 1 l . • ai .
Sports Writers
.Advertising Manages
stives
ver. Bob Laswell, BiU Matosh.
johh StunU . . Circulation
'Assistants
r
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Jfll
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(Edttor’a Nat*: The foliowtaf story Is
reprinted from TYie New York Sun, Sept. 2L
■■il;:: ; I
■ix
■; V
There A Sank * Claus? 9
II • u**
v
at once and
t *
tome of my
Claus. Papa
.’ Please tell
us?—Virginia
The Ileal gleaning
Of Christmas
(Editor’s Note—It is with pleasure that we publish the fol
lowing article by P. “Pinkie” Downs Jr. One of the most re
spected men ever connected with A&M, “Pinkie." will, in a few
years, complete a half century of service to the college.)
r I ■' 4 I
By P. L. “PINKIE" DOWNS JR.
Christmas really means, “Christ, the gift to men, women,
and children.” To the English people we owe the word
Christmas—Christ Mass—a religious ceremony celebrating
the birth of Christ.
December 25 is' the accepted date of the birth of Christ
as He was born at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Do you know why Santa Claus comes down the chimney
at Christmas time instead of coming through the window?
It is attributed to an old English custom of sweeping down
the chimney at New Year so good luck could enter.
It is to the Hollanders that we owe the custom of hang
ing up our stockings. They placed thoir wooden shoes before
the large fireplace, but we Americans substituted stockings
because wooden shoes wouldn’t stretch. I j
The holly wreath that we hang in our homes was copied
from the English who believed the holly leaves represented
the thorns Christ Wore upon the cross, while the little red
berries were the drops of His blood.
The giving of Christmas presents brings out the thought
—“Peace on Earth, good will toward men.” -
It was General W. B. Booth, founder of the Salvation
Army, Who was once asked the question if he were solicited
to leave a message to the world, what would it be. He wrote
only one word and signed his name. That word was “others”.
Happiness is not seeking pleasure for o'urselves, but do
ing the necessary things for others.
God grant me the power to accept things I cannot
change; courage to change the things I can and wisdom to
know the difference.
I think we should pause long enough to thank God for
the privilege of living m a Christian country. You know, I
believe in prayer. My definition of prayer would be—com
municating with God for that which we desire—not deserve.
Did you know that Mohammedan people pray five times
daily, but only pray for themselves—never others? Christ
mas is a good time to pause long enough to take stock of
ourselves and really see of what value we have been through
the year to our neighbors, city, county, state and nation.
Let us all enter into the Christmas spirit, love one an
other, give to those less fortunate than ourselves, and try
to carry out Christ’s teachings.
, 1 . .! j
We take pleasure in answering
thus prominently the communicate * below, ex
pressing at the same time our great gratification,
that its faithful author is numbered among the
friends of the Sun:
“Dear ^Editor—I am 8 years old.
little friends say there is no Santa
says ’If you see it in the Sun it's sc
me the truth,, is there a Santa Cla
O’Hanlon, 115 W. »5th St."
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They
have been affected by the skepticism of a skepti
cal age. They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can be which is not com
prehensible by their little minds. AH minds, Vir
ginia, whether they be men’s or children's, arc
little. In this great universe of ours, man ia a
mere insect, an ant, in his intellect,
with the boundless world about him
by the intelligence capable of gras
of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clsus. He ex
ists as certainly as love and generosity and devo
tion exist, and you know.that they Abound and
give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas!
How .dreary would be the world if there were no
Santa Claus! It would be dreary as if there were
no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith
Not
| well not
no romance to make tolerable
should have no enjoyment, except
nd sight. The external light with wnlch
filhlthe i
as comimred }j
as measured Ij
ng the whole
Wo
sense and
1 childhood filis Die world would be extinguished,
lie in Santa Claus! You might
(liefve in fairies! You
j: Papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys ion
Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but e\
they did not sec Santa Claus coming down,
would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus
that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus,
most real; things in the world are those that neith
er children nor men can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? Of cqurse not, but
that’s no proof that they arc not there. Nobody
can concslve qf imagine^all the wondcis there are.
unseen and Unseeable irT the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattls and see what
makes the noise Inside, but there is a veil covering
the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor
even the uqit«d : strength of all the strongest men
4p*rt.
could tear
Only faith, fancy, poetry, iove,
romance, can push aside that curtain and view and
sue
f-
*
picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.
Is it ail real? Ah. Virginia, in all this world there
is nothing ^Ise real and abiding.
Santa Claus? Thank God! He lives,
hir lives: forever. A thousand years from
VI
and
iow,
Virginia, nay, 10 times 10,000 years from now,
he will continue: to make glad the heart of diild-
hood. i [nn
Boyle’s Coh
f!®
Approach ing Ch ristmastim e
W ■■Tto '' j 111 * j 14 : M * . . j ' X
Leaves Boyle Reminiscent
BY HAL BOYLE
New York—•A’l—The heart turns
back at Christmasticic.
The Christmas that most grown
ups remember best is some Christ
mas as a child at home, when our
faith was at bright as Santa’s
beard and a bright new sled under-
a popcorn-decked tree filled life
with joy almost too tremendous
to bear. For Christmls wasn^t
just fun when you were young
and got what you asked for^-it
was ecstacy. Remember?
But many a land-locked heart
this season isn’t merely voyaging
back to childhood Christmases at
home. It’s ranging in memory
overseas to wartime Christmases
abroad.
There are three I like to tc-
memher—in Algiers, in Belgium,*
in Manila.
It was in Algiers in 1942 that
I learned how the war had divid
ed the loyalties of countrymen as
Official Notice
If you or.lerMl S. ii Green,;Thi> Theory
and Tee of the < oni|»le* Variable, caU
Mrs, Sugareff at the Library.
Mrs. G. L. Sugareff
Order Librarian
An oj>en house f<>r members of the
College station corompnity will be held In
the City Hall, Thursday, beginning at
10 a. m. and ending at 5 a. m.
Wives of city officials will be hostesses.
Animal Husbandry Majors are, requested
to come by Room 327, Animal Industries
Building before Christmas Holidays to
work out degree plans.
B. R. Dana
Animal Husbandry Department
well as countries. A fellow cor
respondent and I were invited to
have Christmas dinner with a
young Frenchman. Paul Mil
lion, his wife and their two
ehiMrten. , : •
j j ! j
Looking dowh at us from the
wall was a portrait of Marshal
Petain. This scorned odd as the
old hero of Verdun was even (.hen
widely regarded as a German pup
pet. But Paul wouldn’t take ] tpo
picture down.
“We simply cannot believe all
they say about the old Marshal,”
he said. And you couldn’t help' but
admire him. for his faith, how
ever misplaced.
The spookiest Christmas I ever
spent was in Spa, Belgium, in
^ 1944. The Httlfe town had biecii
evacuated by the Apierican First
Army Headquarters hv the first
days of the Battle of the Bulge):
It looked like a drab Christmas
for a few correspondents who had
elected to remain in the Hptetj
Portugal. > r '•Milt'
Then a strange Santa Claui in
deed—a begrimed-, stubble-bearded
supply sergeant for an anti-tank
company dug up three turkeys,
cranberries, potatoes—and thje ho
tel provided wine, cognac anil the
other trimmings. 'I j ,
While German guns boomed
across the hills wc iat down to : a
merry banquet presided over by
Madame Beaucoup, the hotel pro
prietor. We called her “Mgdame
Beaucoup" because her bill for
cognac were always
•Wg.” |! -! i
I remember a 1|943 Christhu
Eve dinner in Manila beOaus
it was the first Christmas sea
son of peace. Wc were guests olf
( Mrs. Siaron. a Fjlipino woman, (
j and her family.
Outside firecrackers popped and ;
the Gecko lizards sung a serenade.:
A famous lithograph of Jesus :
hung in the . living room, and a ;
flickering light beneath it lit these ;
words:
“I will bless the homes in which ;
the image of my sacred heail shall \ '
be honored and I exposed.” \,
Somehow it seemed like a mes
sage of a peace thbt would pc last-
ing. [ y ' .'l.
j / L . • j /
Dear Mrs. Siaron,, Dear Madame,
Beaucoup, good Paul Million—to;
you and the millions liki/ (you in!
many lands who took American:
strangers into you'T b”-™’!'
made them happy—merry, mer
ry Christmas, in remcmbvhNn 1 of
thing, p.*!
C*ampu
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our cabs, knowing you’ll
:
get the kind Of service
you want.
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