The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-10-02

~ lt pTup1IViOuS4 .luth Is lOCAtlOu
4 appreciated. Teeming with life as
u was yesterday with old and young
Y 81 Ihu collegians streaming over. the
Lid, the picturesque changes of color.
as patches of green showed in be.
keen blue and gold football uniforms
efd the dainty white of fiuttering
ezress, the effect was heightened and
Zone could appreciate that this field is
just what it was intended to be-ideal.
dwelling the Plate.
Long before the time set for the.
opening ceremony the field was cover
ed with people chatting in groups and
discussing the athletic events that
were to be the main part of the after.
noon s program. Shortly before half.
past three the word was given by Mr..
Griiiiths and the two schools lined up
{below the plate. A large crowd of
tother spectators stood at the upper side
Iof the gateway and watched with in
n terest as little Patty Waterhouse was
= lifted onto the platform by the lower
gatepost, which was draped with n
large American flag. The dainty little
creature pulled a string and the flag
fell away, disclosing the big brass
plate with its somber lettering. Every
ebody cheered, the schools gave rival
yells, and then everybody went down
to the big tent, standing near the dia.
Inond, for the rest of the exercises.
The presentation of the field was
made by Mr.. Wallace NJ. Alexander
Z in short but very well chosen and
touching speech. He spoke of his
father and his great love for athletics
of all kinds. He told how, when they
were living in California, his father
would get him up in the morning and
put him through rigorous course Of
fencing and boxing before breakfast.
"Always," he said. "Samuel Alexan-
80 lowas a man who believed in
tlSlhy mind in a healthy body, and
TeN one who carried out this precept
rieximself.' 1t was not an elaborate
al h. but it was one that went
lght to the hearts of his hearers,
lYaawhen he had finished and had for
1ti% presented the deed of gift TO
h tiAlexander, one felt better for
IN Ing of this good man and realized
a I'm genuinely appropriate it is that
flf fnemory should be perpetuated by
E,ABgift of this field, the means for
lying out his own precepts.
lhe acceptance by DIR. w. d. Alex
4er was even shorter than the pres
Hgift and tribute to the memory
gnhe man after whom it is named.
.krthur. G. Alexander. the man who
4 YEgnated the field and carried out
& III work of completing it, then made
N1eeplv-interestinp talk on the plan
construction of the field.
Al A. G.. Alexander's Speech.
Et'The idea," said he, "of utilizing
Al n - . ha a. or mr.
Ing between the Manoa road and
pcky Hill for an athlete field dates
Z .Aek some four or five years. 1t is
{rd to say that anyone in particular
}serves the credit for suggesting it
4 yrst. The trustees of Oahu College
gbout that time, in laying out general
building scheme, seem, by common con-
,ysent. to have reserved this space for the
Z future athletic field.
"My own connection with it dates
from the summer of 1906, when / was
requested by the trustees to draw up
plans for an athletic field and prepare
estimates of cost so that they might
have the project I'M concrete form for
submission to possible donors. The
plan as outlined to me was by excavat-
/ ing and grading to make level field
( set in a sort of semiamphitheater. This
field was to be encircled by a running
track and to be sufficiently large so
that there would be room enough for
Independent football and baseball fields,
thus obvating the cutting up of the sur
face of the diamond by the football
PLAYERS in the fall. Provision was to
be made for all forms of athletic sport,
teither on the field or on adjacent
lground.
"A Contour map vas prepared and a
F.eareful study made of the ground.
ktrack having three and half laps to
/ the mile was chosen as most nearly
K meeting the required conditions. There
are advantages in having an even num-
4 Der of laps to the mile, but it seemed
almost impossible to have such a track.
A quarter-mile track of four laps would
not enclose sufficiently large area, and
one of two laps to the mile would be
too large for the available space. AS
you can see, practically every bit of
available space has been utilized and
, the track could not have been made
larger except at great expense for ex'
cavating and filing.
"The axis of the track was placed at
right angles to the line of Punahou
street, this being the most favorable
position as regards cost of excavation
and exposure, and it also makes the
field parallel to the main buildings on
the campus below. To get as mucf
room as possible for the outfield and tc
reduce to minimum the effect of the
/ sun, the axis of the baseball diamond
was swung around to make an angle OF
40 degrees with that of the track. Thii
happens to make the line connecting
the home. plate with second base lie du'
north and south BY this arrangement
| sort of natural open-air stand has beer
provided for the baseball field, which
has been further emphasized by exca
waiting in the slope for backstop
~. Room for a second baseball diamond
~ has also been provided, overlapping thu
X football field, and far enough away 81
1 that both diamonds can be used at thu
same time. The surface of the groun,
~ is somewhat rough for this afternoon
IN game, hut in year or two with film