New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-17

/ II expected to look after the fires to make ee2
and to run on errands An lower boys ana
Tags and nearly all sixth form men, and po1-
don OF the fifth form, as wen are fag-masteA
The flag can be caned for neglect Of duty or for
disobedience, but there is seldom any revolt
against the system, since the younger boy knows
that his turn as fag- master viii come in duo
time Bullying of Tags Is considered an UNI
! rardonable offence and is severely punished by
the fag-masters themselves. Fags are under
the protection of those whom they serve, and
when III treated by DULLES with no right to i'm
pose upon them they can call upon their fag-Hlas
tiers to redress their grievances. The snartes1
young nobleman or the weaIthiest upstart among
the oppidans has to serve his term as a. flag.
and the experience is supposed to be as whole
some as Raging among the guards. There 3
fba familiar legend of the small boy, who Dro-
claimed himself a viscount and a future mar
ouis and who was promptly kicked twice by MS
flag master. Certainly boys who boast OF tneIr
wealth, lineage and social position are improved
by irregular yet licensed discipline. and there Is
en- approach to democratic feeling when spend
thrifts IordIfngs and snobs are taught that one
Fton Jacket is as good as another and that any
thing like ostentatious display of dress or lu1u-
rious living is vulgar and Enranly.
The animal spirits of more than tnonsaha
bovs are worked off in athletics, which have
been Systematically encouraged by the college
authorities since Dr. Hawtrey abolished ths
licensed highway robbery of the Montem mas
ouerade and suppressed other abuses Win
fine reach of the Thames curvtng around THO
pIaying fields, Etonians are naturally the pest
watermen in English public schools NO ooS
is allowed to enter a boat until he has passed u
a public swimming trial conducted by masters
at either Cuckoo Weir or Athens, the oaLhlns
places of the college, and with coach1ng anu
practice in trial crews the best oarsrnen WorA
their way I'D into positions in the ten boats
paradfng on the Fourth Of June, and take part
in s'house fours" or other contests on the river.
and in the race at HepIey for the Ladies' Cup
The races with Westminster school were aoan-
doned wears ago, and the RadIey eight is inTa-
rfabIy beaten by Elton at Henley AS d.
Ware a great Oxford oarsman, was an enLnH-
siastic patron Of rowing, his successor Canon
Isyttelton, as the representative OF a famous
family of cricketers, may be expected to reVlVe
interest In scientific cricket, which has decIlned
In recent years, notwithstanding constant field
practice and the annual matches with VIM
chester and Harrow. Football is also faVoTlte
recreation. especially in the winter, and one
form of it, known as wall because it IS played
on a narrow field bounded on one side by a mar
row wall is local invention. The school ath-
Ietic sports are well supported and there is con-
slant practice at rackets and ffves. There is
also a corps of volunteers with regular drills
and rife practice; and in winter there is a COL
lege hunt with a pack Of beagles. With its
large body of students to draw upons Eton holds
its ground against other public schools in all
sports, except rackets, in which Harrow is IN
riyaned. Literary diversions are less numerous
than athletic contests, yet there are dramatic
societies, competitions in music and art and de-
batting clubs in the houses. Pop" which viii
soon be rounding out a century OF continuous
life is less of debating club than social club,
made up of the brightest and most representa-
tive men in college.
Elton is less quaint and picturesque than Win
chester. 1t is less Isolated in it's stored an
tiquity, and seems to court modern innovations
instead of shrinking from them in dignifed Sc
clusion. Even the splendid chapel, which has
survived the ravages of reservations more wsLIf-
ton than disfiguring reforms, when affairs were
stripped and frescoes whitewashed, hardly
be considered a medieval monument, so often
has it been remodeled and adapted to the
changing conditions of royal favor and religious
opinion The stately archway Of the clock
tower uniting two quadrangles and leading tow
ard the cloisters has grown gray while watch
-