The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-10-12
Highest OF all in Leavenng Fower-Latest u Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE

tive Importance to mental culture
The age of muscle has long since
passed. Siren 9Th of body for the advant-
age it may give one over another, is no
longer a laudable aspiration. Personal
power has, indeed, been unnecessary and,
per Sc, undesira BILE, since the invention of
gunpowder But we should aim to build
up our bodies, in order that we may have
the means for the building of brain and
the cultivation of intellect 1t is Just here
that the danger Of the abuse of national
pastimes arises. Blessed is the youth who
can at the proper time transfer all the
zest and enthusiasm of the playground to
his studies. Dou bly, unfortunate is he
who becomes so welded to his sports as
to make them his chief delight for he not
only wastes his advantages, but develops
a passion for excitement and disposition
Of mind that units him for the real duties
of life. A young man who is in a danger
Gus predicament when he has Il burning
ambition to hecome a professional base
ball player. There may be, but | know Of
no single instance of a man who was real
ly remarkable foracquired muscular power
and skill, and at the same time remarka-
bic for mental power. The aim should be
to make our bodies healthy machines not
powerful ones. Too much devotion to
sport creates the danger of getting more
muscle than mind-a pitable state in this
wonderful age, and among the marvellous
people who inhabit this grand country of
ours.
Is it not an unwarranted intimation,
given out in some quarters, that the great
vital current of our national taste is in
danger of moving more towards muscle
than of moving towards mind; is he not
sneering cynic who asserts i'll the public
prints that the consideration with many
young men to-day, when selecting uni
versity in which to pursue their studies, is
not where is the highest scholarship ex-
hibited. but whose crew won the cup in
the last national college regatta, or whose
football team has the honor of champion
ship? 1t is charged that the rivalry be-
tween Yale and Princeton students is not
so much in scholarship as it is in athlet-
les; and tlc Hon. Chaunccy NJ. Depew, a
few days ago at the annual banquet Cf
the New York Yale Alumni Association,
facetiously remarked of the present ath
letic status of Yale that "Columbia looked
on and tried to initiate Princeton applaud
ed and despaired, and Harvard congratu-
lated and went home and kicked, but didn't
kick hard enough at the right time
The commingling of athletic sports with
the practical and laborious duties of uni
versity life in this country is increasing in
popular favor. 1t is fashioned after and
in imitation of the universities in England.
We have protitcd in the class-r room by
their example, and no doubt the hundreds
of young men congregated at our large
schools will find profit in initiating their
cousins across the Atlantic in systematic
devotion to healthful outdoor exercise, as
an aid to pure and perfect development.
Who has not been delighted with that
charming portraiture of an English school
boys life depicted on the pages of Tom
Browns School Days at Rugby" and Tom
Brown at Oxford" in which all the charms
of football and cricket infused with the ard
orof youthful enthusiasm, are presented;
and who will not admit that the humanizing
Influence of sports as exhibited in that
fascinating story, is proved to be an essen
tial element in the development of the
sturdy qualities of English character.
As an illustration of the growing interest |
in athletic sports in this country let me |
direct your attention to the fact that re-
Gently there was assemble at the Academy |
of Music in Philadeil,s>ia ii crowd of rapt |
spectators Watching the neat limbed and |
muscular athletes taking part i'll the first |
winter meeting of the Athletic Associa |
ton" of the University of Pennsylvania. |
\ most significant feature of the occasion
was the general display of interest exhibi-
ed by the surging crowds from every sec
ton of the city and from the best classes |
of society; and the warm applause, elected |
by the performances, was t1attering ap-
of those young gentlemen. who, though |
engaged in educational pursuits of the |
highest order, find delight also in the
dignited and useful cultivation of their
physical strength. When most of the so
cietv bellies and beauties of Philadelphia, |
as was the case lend the charm of their |
sweet presence to such an occasion, and
shower smiles of approval from the boxes
and balconies of the theatre, it shows that |
there is something in athletic sports that
captivates the popular taste, and that the |
love of the ancient Greek for the Olympic |
games, is reflected to-day in the kindred |
impulse that lends its sanction to modern |
pastimes, elevated and purified by the
presence of woman digniticd and ennobled
bv the fostering pwis of civilization and |
learning
No people in the world need incentive
to physical enjoyment so much as we do |
in America. In consequence ofthe immense
inventive capacity of our countrymcn and
the advancement in science, mechanical
pursuits are becoming almost as sedentary
and intellectual as the professions. We
seem about to realize the wish of the first
Napoleon that all trades should become
arts. The demands for brainwork are so
manifold, and the strain upon the nervous
system to intense, that as nation we will
sooner or later pay the penalty, unless
some counteracting force is allowed an |