San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-17
TEXAS, THURSDAY. DECEMBER II. 1891,
AUSTIN LETTER.

Social Gossip-New Military Com,
pany-A New Enterprise
theatrical, Etc.
AUSTIN, Tex, Dec. 16, 1891.
Special Correspondence
When Lewis Nor rison appeared
here last month in Faust he made
many new friends and won many an
encore. Everyone in the crowded
opera house was delighted with his
acting, but he did one thing that
Austin people will long remember
him for, when other actors. who have
made even stronger hits, will be for
gotten.
Between the second and third acts,
Mr.. Morrison stepped before the cur
tain in his "devil Clothes" and an
nOunced that during the course of
the day he had met an old
friend, Professor Lewis Giles
pie, now Instructor in elocution
in the state university. He stated
that he admired Gillespie and though
his system of elocution the best he
had ever seen; that he felt an inter-
est in the progress ofart and had de-
termined to leave behind him in the
custody of Prof Gillespie two jewelled
medals; one as prize for the best
original Grafton from six chosen
young men and the other for the best
recitation from the same number
of young ladies.
Never before in the history of the
university has such interest been
shown in q contest and excitement
has been high among the students.
Last night the contest came off and q
crowd thronged the great assembly
hall to witness 1t.
The twelve chosen were taken from
five times that number of applicants
and all the efforts were good. The
only objection that could be noted
was that five pretty girls and five SELL
atorial looking youths were necessa-
rily doomed to disappointment.
Austin had her full share of the
late and long drawn out rain, but no
one grumbled or complained for all
knew that it was blessing, though
the mud was fearful, and
the electric cars on which so many
now depend for transportation were
greatly interfered with, what with
burnt out armatures, &c.
The Colorado is on a rise but the
water is not so high as to interfere
with the work on the dam, which is
progressing steadily. Already there
is far more stone in the structure than
in the whole capitol building, which
seems almost Incredible when the
two are compared, but when one re-
members that the one is solid mason
ry and the other thin walls it Is not
so hard TO understand.
\ company has been chartered to
run a dummy line to the dam over
the railroad already built, and it is
said the system will soon be in opera
ton.
The new chemical laboratory in
come ctiop with the State university,
which was erected at a cost of S. 0 600,
is now ready for use: 1t is hand
some structure and has been long
needed, for, situated as this depart
ment has heretofore been in the base
ment of the main building, it was
almost nuisance. Once the
whole building had to be tempo
rarely vacated on account of the
break ing by chemical student of q
large bottle of sulphuric acid.
Work on the Llano extension of the
Austin & Northwestern will begin
early in January, the work beginning
at the present terminus at Marble
Falls.
The Governors Guards, the newly
organized military company is COM
posed of the best young men in Aus
tin and they are getting in fine
shape. The boys look forward to
getting free passage to the Worlds
fair. They give a grand ball on the
22nd at the Driskill He tel.
A number of people went down
from Austin today to the grand
oyster roast at Velasco.
AlexaT der Salvini was at the opera
Monday night and the audience was
delighted with him. The "Littly
Tycoon" is billed for Thursday and
1t will have crowded house, for the
people of Austin appreciate a good
show. Il. J. &.