UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOLUME IX.
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, TUESDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 13, 1912.
"BILLY" WEIGHED AND NOT FOUND WANTING
Thespians' Playgoers Laugh at Play, and at Some of the Players
MISS CULP AND SOWERS STAR
NUMBER 18.
University Audience Received the Tenth Production of Thespians as Professional Engagement
By Grouchy Gilihan
Though one be not a hen; and having therefore but little inside information concerning the egg industry, yet when one encounters an egg that has lost its amateur standing, one is quick to detect the ineligibility. In a like manner, when this metaphorical egg is perfectly good and fresh yet is broken in the turning, one need not be a chef to observe its culinary imperfection. Indeed, the chef is sometimes loath to observe it.
All of which means that a person who has never written a play, is about to say, here and now, that the Thespians staged a crackerjack when they produced "Billy" last night. More than that, it was a joddy. One might even say that it was a hudinger.
Audience Was Good Humored
The audience laughed at the jokes, they applauded the dilemmas of the villain, meek and harmless as he was. They cheered, when the hero gnawed his way into the heroine's good graces, with the assistance of his recovered incisors. In short they were satisfied. They went away with mirth in their hearts and praise of the Thespians on their lips.
But—
New Scheme Practiced.
There are several things amateurs must learn before they can hope to evade Criticism, which like its brother felony, Homicide, will out.
When the curtain goes up, an actor's self-confidence also appears to rise out of his reach. So, last night, was tried the cunning expedient of having several actors appear first without speaking parts. This was expected to discourage the Demon Stage Fright—but the fell monster was on the job, and—strong women trembled; their voices became as those of children.
Later though, as the audience proved more and more delightfully appreciative, the bearing of the careful mother, 'Mrs. Sloane' and her daughter, Beatrice (Miss Maurine Fairweather) became more animated and at ease. Once, however Miss Fairweather forgot her instructions and began to read her lines before the applause had ceased. But no carping whisper may be breathed against the personal appearance of Beatrice! Beatrice was the lovely and captivating charmer par excellence.
Interpretation Commendable
Miss Hazel Clark, as 'Mrs Soane,' was positively too good looking to be wearing false teeth Her rendition of the part, however
would have been better had she continued throughout the play the "society draw" she affected in her opening scene.
Easily the "leading lady" of the production was Miss Lucy Culp as 'Alice', the teasing sister of 'Billy Hargrave'. Her reading was clear, and her acting was spontaneous and unaffected her bearing was natural.
And fittingly her brother "star," was Claude Sowers, in the title role. He was slightly exuberant at times, and exaggerating brotherly rage—but that might be excused by the character of the play. As a whole the work of Mr. Sowers was excellent, and the appearance of him and Miss Culp on the stage together was the signal for applausion.
No less meritorious was Clarence Sowers' interpretation of 'Sam Eustace', the clarified, disinfected and purified villain. Though the villain 'Sam' is a milk-toastish sort of creature, yet the part was nicely played, and, except for the seasickness scene, the like of which never was, on all the seven seas, its rendition deserves credit.
George Staton as the elder Hargrave was a little bombastic in his first scenes, but his really vigorous delivery served a good purpose. It "woke up" some of the other characters. Russel Clark as the steward, and George Edwards, as the doctor, acted their parts well, and one wishes their parts had given them a better opportunity to "star." Miss Virginia Elward made a very acceptable stewardess, but one could never quite tell whether her dialect
Ward Maris as the Boatswain, and was German, French or Swedish. Robert Thomas as the lucky sailor, Thomas of comic stunts. Their lives saved them.
As a whole, the production was excellent. It shows what can be done when a cast of extraordinarily well-fitted amateurs undertake to present a play of real merit.
One is tempted to save the program in order to check off and patronize, as is admonished, the merchants who advertised in it. Here's luck to the Thespians next year!
TO BANQUET IN KANSAS CITY
Nu Sigma Nus to Hear Washington U. School's Dean.
Ten members of the Nu Stigma Nu Medical fraternity will go to Kansas City tonight to attend the annual banquet of the fraternity in Kansas City, at the Kansas City Athletic Club.
Doctor George Dock, dean of the new medical school at Washington University will speak at the banquet. He is one of the leading physicians of the United States.
Post Card From Herman.
Secretary Stockwell has just received a post card from "Dad" Herman, mailed in London, February 1. It reads: "This is sure some burg. Come over and see me."
The members who will go from here are: John C. Johnson, Rolland Athay, J. E. Sawhill, C. E. Earnest, James Henshall, Victor Cheskey, G. R. Duer, H. A. Alexander, F. A. Trump, Watson Campbell.
FRESHMAN LEARNS HOW TO REINFORCE CONCRETE
The ladies of the faculty will serve tea to the young women of the University Thursday afternoon, February 15, from three until 5:30 in the Latin room in Fraser hall.
Faculty Ladies Tea.
He was a seeker of information,
just as all good students at the University
are supposed to be. He was a
wonderful engineer. He was the basement of the Engineering building.
There are concrete beams in the base-ment of the Engineering building, in fact the concrete testing laboratory is located in that same mysterious place. This student was gasing at them as they were about to begin to talk, or rather ask (remember he was a college student) about concrete.
Opinions differ in the school of Engineering as to just what the student's idea could have been. Some say he must have thought that the University employed a burly negro, whose business it was to saw steel beams into small bits and shovel them in the concrete mixer in proper quantity. Others are equally positive in declaring his idea was, that all users of the "substance" shipped in barrels of iron nails, monkey wrenches, washers, or bolts, scooping in the material at stated intervals along with the sand, cement, and rock.
"What is the formula for mixing this substance?" he ventured, pointing to a huge concrete beam. "One, three, five," answered Prof C. I, Corp. who happened to be standing close by. After this was translated and explained, the student found out that one part cement, three parts sand, and five parts crushed rock, was the mixture which had been used.
The student refuses to be quoted.
"But wait, look here, how much steel did you mix in? Isn't this 'reinforced' concrete. The professor threw up his hands in utter dispair. Slowly and sadly he took the student into the 'lab' and explained fully and in great detail the precise meaning of 'reinforced.'
Advice Received Yesterday from Bert E. Brown Confirms Report.
WOODROW WILSON WILL SPEAK IN GYMNASIUM
IN CHAPEL IN GYMNASIUM
Short Stop-Over For Lecture or Education Arranged by the Governor's Manager.
Woodrow Wilson will speak in Robinson gymnasium on February 23 at ten o'clock according to advice received here yesterday afternoon by Alston McCarty, president of the Woodrow Wilson Club. Arrangements have been made for his visit to the University to talk to chapel, while on his way from Topeka to Kansas City. He will speak in Nashville, Tenn. on February 24.
Governor Wilson will not make *n* political address but rather a lecture on the subject.
Mr. McCarty interviewed Bert E Brown, president of the State Democratic Club, yesterday afternoon and Mr. Brown said that plans had been made by Mr. Wilson's manager providing for his stop here and that unless some unforeseen circumstance arises, to prevent his visit to the campus, the students will hear Governor Wilson in chapel.
He will deliver an address at the meeting of the democratic club is Topeka on the evening of February 22. Alston McCarty and several other members of the Wilson Club will go to Kansas City on February 22 and accompany the governor to Topeka. Then they will return to Lawrence on the following day.
Efforts are being made to have a section of the seats in the gymnasium reserved for the members of the Woodrow Wilson club.
SMILES AND SIGHS OFFERED BY REGISTRAR
HOW BASKET BALL
CAME TO BE BORN
Grades for Last Semester Are Ready and May Be Obtained on Request.
Registrar Geo. O. Foster has completed the record of the grades given for last semester's work, and they will be given out at his office upon request.
An announcement which will be received with pleasure by some and misgivings by others was made this morning.
Though the snow be three feet deep, the Scoop Club will perpetrate its semi-monthly hike to Biermann's tomorrow. All "hikers" meet in the Kansan office at 3:30, but to make sure of an individual plate of chicken, members should notify "Cub" Baer before one o'clock toorrow.
It began to snow this morning and Mr. Thermometer and Mr. Barometer were in sadly depressed spirits, all day. However they promise that it will be fair and colder tonight.
The Weather.
To Hike in The Snow.
Dr. Naismith, Headof Physical Education, the Inventor, Talks.
PEACH-BASKETS FIRST USED.
Hence Basket Ball—Game Originated Partly by Accident and Partly by Design.
"The game of basket-ball originated partly by the endearor to create a form of athletic exercise along the line of football and partly by accident," said Dr. Naismith at the gymnasium, today.
"It was while I was at the Spring field Training School, in Massachusetts in 1891," he continued, "that we discovered that the men who had played on the football team were not taking any 'interest' in gymnasium exercise after the season had closed. They had been used to quick action and pitting their wits against their opponents and the routine work with the dumbballs. And the coach excitedly skirrose to them. The man who was the leader of the class became discouraged and gave it up and I was invited to take his place.
"I realized that the men wanted some sort of a game that would be not only beneficial but also interesting. In other words the men wanted something they could have some fun in. The only thing that I did was to try to find something of that sort.
Tried Dehorned Football.
"At first we tried a form of 'dehorned' football but that was too rough. Next followed soccer and then laxocase but none met the requirements of our small gymnasium. One day the question happened to strike me: What makes football rough? and the answer came—the tackling. What makes the tackling? The only way of stopping the man running with the ball. Why not eliminate the running and that would eliminate the tackling? But you can't play a game and stand still all the while. Then I conceived the idea of letting all the men run except the man with the ball and he would have to pass it before he could run.
"That point settled and experimented with and found satisfactory, the next that came up was the question of goals. An ordinary football goal would be too easy to make, a goal such as used in lacrosse or soccer would likely be easily torn down by sending the ball into it with great force. I thought of the plan of turning the goal up horizontally so that the ball instead of being thrown in forely would have to go into it before it entered. I thought at first of placing it about two feet off of the floor and then I realized that all a goal keeper would have to do was to sit on it and it would be impossible for the opponents to score. I then thought of placing it up above the players' heads.
Peach Baskets, Ergo Basket Ball.
"I went to the janitor and asked for some sort of a box. It just happened that he procured a couple of baskets (such as peaches are shipped in) about eighteen inches across at the top and tapering down toward the bottom. We nailed these up on the galley which was the kitchen. The name "basket-ball" has clung to the game ever since and the official height of the goals has remained just ten feet.
The game was very successful in giving the men indoor exercise and training and when vacation came in the summer the men went to their various homes all over the United States and carried the game with them."
THE GRADES ARE OUT TODAY.
NEW OREAD COMMONS
SAVED 35 LIVES TODAY
The University Cafeteria under the direction of Dr. Eda Day, of the Home Economics department, was started this noon. Thirty-one hungry student were served today between 12 and 1:30 o'clock and four of them returned reorderers making thirty-five orders that were served. At eleven o'clock this morning the rooms in the south end of the basement of Fraser hall, where the meals are being prepared by members of the Home Economics classes nine tables with one hundred and ten chairs have been provided. The student enters the front door of the commons hall, takes his waiter from a counter and is served with the dishes he wishes to buy. From this counter he steps to the cashier's desk where he makes a deposit for his meal and proceeds to the table in the old Kansan office, composing room and press rooms.
Y. M. C. A. IS BADLY IN NEED OF FUNDS
Directors' Financial Report Issued Today Shows Deficit of $48,088.
The board of directors of the University Y. M. C. A. has issued a statement today regarding the work of the Association. This statement shows that to date the membership is 486 compared with 425 the total last year. The financial report shows a present deficit of $408.88.
The report also states that the work in Bible Study is more effective than formerly. It is being carried on in closer co-operation with the churches of Lawrence than in other years. The missionary interests of the University have received a decided impetus from the fact that H. C. Herman gave up his work among the students here in order to engage in similar work among the students of India. The faculty and students are contributing this year $1,100 toward the support of Herman's work.
A brief account of the well-known men who have addressed the association in included and a statement that at east eight strong speakers, prominent business and professional men from Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita, have agreed to deliver addresses before Spring.
ANNUAL BOARD WILL MEET WEDNESDAY
Short Story Class.
Will meet in room 110, Fraser hall.
Merle Thorpe.
All student employment has been turned over to the general secretary of the association by the University authorities, and the Regents made an annual appropriation of $500.00 toward the support of the employment bureau. Work has been secured for practically all men who desired it. It is estimated that the value to students of work received in this way has been $7,500.00.
Annual board meeting will be held Wednesday night of this week at 7 o'clock, in order to avoid conflict with the Glee Club. The meeting will be over by 8 o'clock.
TAKES A DR. COOK TO DRAW A CROWD THERE
"Washington Is Most Cosmopolitan City in United States"—Croissant
GOVERNMENT BY CONGRESS
No Equal Suffrage Question Before People, None Can Vote—Western Improvement.
"Washington has a more cosmopolitan population than any other city in the United States," said Prof. DeWitt C. Croissant in his chapel address, this morning, on "The Capitol City."
"Civil service employees come from every state in the Union, while the foreign representatives add a touch of color to the avenues. People are so used to seeing celebrates that they think nothing of it. The only men I have known to collect a crowd, except on formal occasions were Dr. Cook and the President of the United States, and indeed, the latter does not attract a very great one."
Professor Croissant reviewed the history of Washington and told how the city is governed today.
"The residents of Washington cannot vote, but are contented nevertheless. Congress is Washington's board of aldermen, and the city administrative officials are appointed by the president. Washington has no suffragette question either.
"The morals of Congress have changed, for the better in the last few years," he said. "Public business is now conducted more decoratively and with less regulators are largely responsible for many of these improvements."
The difference in procedure between the dignified Senate and the "hurly-burly" House was discussible by brief Professor Croissant. Briefly he explained that Court was the one place where patronage and poll were not considered.
"Washington is interesting. There is the excitement which always attends politics but there is also a quietness and an opportunity for culture and enjoyment that no other city in the new world possesses."
NEW YORK AD MAN TO TALK
TO UNIVERSITY CLASSES
Mr. M. P. Gould head of a large New York drug advertisement firm, will address the journalism and economics classes with the Pharmacy students, in the lecture room of the Chemistry building, Friday, February 16, at 4:30 p.m. on "Modern Retail Advertising." He will deliver an address at 11 o'clock Friday morning at the same place on "Modern Retail Merchantizing." Friday evening Mr. Gould will address the Merchants Association of Lawrence at the Association's rooms above the People's State Bank.
Sigma Delta Chi to Meet.
the program area.
The number of the Signa Delta Chi will hold a meeting at the Alpha Tau house Wednesday night at 9 p. m.
AFTER YOUR NEXT CASE,
TRY THE SPHYGMOGRAPH
"On your mark! Get set! Go!" With the slipping of unspiked shoes in the granitoid walk in front of the Medic building, a costless figure wildly clawed the air with his right arm while he held the left, bent and rigid against his chest. At last he got a toe-hold and with quick, snappy leaps, he jumped over, almost slamming the Howl Hook to Fowler Shops. Wheeling, he stretched back on the home stretch. His feet and legs almost refused to move. His arms jerked up and down feebly. He was about all in.
"Well, what does she register?" asked the man as he marped the aspirant to a short dashman.
"Only eighty to the minute. I believe there is something wrong with this old Sphygmograph. But I've noticed that ever since that case I had back home, I haven't had a fragment of pulse. I beat you out on the smoking deal, though."
"Phew! This may be fun but I sure have my doubts," panted the speedy one as he flapped down on the dead grass and pulled a slip of smoked paper from his hand and inserted instrument placed in appearance; which was clamped to his left wrist.
Two sophomores were making observations on the rate of a student's pulse after extreme exertion, and after smoking. The Sphygmograph, the instrument used for recording the pulsations, is clamped to the observers' chests. When the subject dactately adjusted to a needle, presses the wrist at the medial artery.
By means of a small strip of smoked paper the pulsation waves are registered After running and smoking the pulse rate increases notably. The small wave-like marks on the paper are similar in both cases. When the records are made, the strips are treated to a coat of adhesive rubber membrane records. The experiments were made for the class in Physiology under the suprvision of Dr. E. L. Scott