Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-27
ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY.
The Columbia Athletic Club Celebrates an
Important Event.

The Columbia Athletic Club Celebrates an
Important Event.
HOW THE oRGASIzArIoS HAS GROWN AND THE
GOOD IT Has ACCOMPLISHED - PLEASANT
SPEECHES MADE BY COMMISSIONER ROOSEVELT,
VICE PRESIDENT GRANT AND OTHERS.
The first anniversary Of the occupancy OF the
club house by the Columbia Athletic Club took
place last Saturday night in the gymnasium Of
the club house and was great success. Fully
1000 members were present The house was
tastefully decorated throughout with stately
palms and towering plants. In the south end
Of the hall a small platform was raised. On
this sat President Hood. Over his head mon
sser emblem Of the club was hung.
President Hood made the opening address.
He told of the object of the meeting, compli-
mented the club upon its rapid advancement
and ended by introducing Secretary Howard
Perry, who followed with detailed account Of
the history Of the Columbia Athletic Club.
which had risen from q struggling membership
Of So and dingy club room to a membership
OF upward of 500 and a club house which
would bear comparison with any in the country.
He told Of the victories on land and water the
club had met with during the past year, which
he characterized as marvellous when the age Of
the club was considered.
COMMISSIONER RoosEvELr's REMARKS.
Civil Service Commissioner Roosevelt was
then introduced. He said: Il have always
claimed to represent particularly those people
who get an immense amount of good from
amateur athletics without the glory. have
taken part in a great many contests and have
generally come out second best. / remember
one of my first efforts in Yale. was at that
time in my freshman year. / used to be very
e..
ship contest. whipped one or two men and got
thrashed in the end by the son of ex-senator
Sharon. The next year ! trained carefully and
within about q week Senator Sharon's son broke
his ankle: then thought was all right and then
got licked. The man whom whipped the year
before thrashed me and lost the prize that
year, too. But do mean in all earnestness to
say that athletic sports are prominently the
sports where the loser wins almost as much as
the victor. have not the least sympathy for
the cry that has been raised in colleges against
athletic sports and not one particle Of sympa-
thy with It. quite agree with that famous
man who said that what you want above all
things to build free nation are three points
first, character; second. health. and third.
learning, and if have got to choose between
the two will al ways sacrifice learning to health
and say that perfectly seriously, as expressing
the views which have reached after long and
careful thought, and after seeing how men
carry themselves in the world.
CHARACTER COMES FIRST.
Character comes first honesty. truthfulness,
resolution. courage, grandliness and thoroughly
athletic sports are well calculated to bring out
those qualities Then comes health, and as q
nation in the past we have suffered more than
anything else from i'll health. we need to have
the physical side developed; we need to have
our bodies taken care of as our, minds and it is
Just such clubs as this that do that work
few days ago was looking over the census re-
port of our country. 1t showed. among other
things. that one-third Of our people live in
cities and the proportion is constantly getting
larger. One-third Of our people make their
livelihood in sedentary pursuits Hmen Of the
character of all here tonight confine them
selves purely to these sedentary pursuits we will
produce in America set Of weaklings. In the
struggle for success and life we have got to
have our bodies developed. We have got to
have our qualities developed and clubs such as
this do more than anything else in building up
a healthy national character. We all have our
hobbies in the athletic field and think mine is
foot ball Last year. whenever could get a
chance, attended the games.
Thirty years ago such q club as this was not
only unknown, but il was practically an impos-
sibility in this country. 1t is only within the
present generation that we have seen the work
Of amateur athletics.
CLASS TO BE DEVELOPED.
''what we wish to develop is a class Of men
who have their work to do in life, who are not
mere idlers, but are doing their share o: the
countrys work to develop their bodies and to
get all the fun out Of life that is to be gotten,
which most emphatically believe in doing
There is, of course. a number of purely profess
sional athletes for whom we have great re-
gard. but don't think the average professional
athlete il a citizen about which we need any
volcanic enthusiasm. I know when / read Of
the average prize fight I am sorry that the vic
tor has won, but am never sorry that the van
pushed has received good thrashing. 1t is
the American who wishes to get all OF the en-
joyment he can out of life, and the American
who wishes to develop his body so as to make it
one of the best engines that can be made with
out interfering with his work. who makes the
very best Of public citizens / am confident,
gentlemen, that in time OF trial the country
would find that one Of its great elements Of
strength would lay in those citizens who have
trained so that they are healthy and sound in
body no less than in mind. am confident
that the type of athlete produced by clubs
such as the Columbia Athletic Club is, in
consequence of the work he receives. better
fitted to elevate American character all over the
world than he would have been il he had not
gone into it lido not wish to talk too seriously
but do wish TO say that the work accomplished
by such club as this is not generally appre-
ciated. / wish to say to you al in conclusion
that every man who feels pride in American
character, who Is DESTROYS of seeing bend all
of our energies TO solve the problem Of life has
O right 10 feel prouder OF the American name
because Of the existence Of such clubs as the
club have the honor of addressing tonight"
His remarks were received with continued
applause.
Mr. Henry Wise Garrett. J. Nota McGill and
Mills Dean also made pleasing speeches spropos
Of the occasion.
VICE PRESIDENT GRANTS SPEECH.
Vice President Alex. Grant was then intro
duced. He was received with cheers. He said:
1t is q great pleasure for me to be here tonight
and sec you all here. although have not been
a member Of this organization as long a. some
Of the members of the old Columbia Boat Club.
which was really the parent of the Athletic
organization. Still came here with a love for
athletics have been connected with organi-
cations Of this kind for twenty years. and I say
truly that take more pride in this organiza-
ton and in the work do here than in almost
anything do. II is organization tina. any
man may well be proud Of and fostering the
snirit Of athletica In this country Ia no mean