The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-08

competed in a grand dual athletic
meet every year as far back as any
one could remember
The results were always close as
the schools were most evenly matched.
and rarely was a contest won by more
than margin of one or two points, so
you can imagine the keen rivalry be-
tween the two seats OF learning.
Another thing that gave an added in-
terest to the annual meet was pecu-
liar stunt" that marked each struggle
This was the vent called the queerity.
introduced years ago to add bit
of fun to the struggle, it made such
hit that 1t became a recognized fea-
ture. 1t didn't count as much as the
other events in the scoring, but on sew
eral occasions the winning of the
queerity decided the meet. So each
school regarded 1t pretty seriously,
even il the public took 1t as a joke
Usually 1t constituted roaring COM
edy to the spectators. The queerities
of the past included handspring races,
silt races, chariot" races on oval
wheels. ETC., and the queerity of 1910
was called the great barrel DASH
Don't you think it meant just rolling
barrel. No such easy thing as run
ming behind a barrel was allowed. The
racer had to run on the barrel and stay
on top OF 1T. Each racer must have
considerable acrobatic ability, for it is
quite a circus feat to balance yourself
on an overturned barrel and propel it
forward at fair clip. In order TO re-
volve the barrel so it will roll forward
you must keep stepping forward some
what as if you were trying to run back
ward on treadmill.
So when the joint athletic committee
ANNOUNCED what the next queerity was
to be the whole academy naturally
turned to Bob Edwards to uphold it's
honor in this event, for Bob was the
greatest acrobat and contortionist in
the school. He could do numerous bal
ancing acts and could even walk tight
rope as far as 20 feet. But with all his
attachments he found barrel rolling
needed a great deal of training to at
tain the necessary control and balance
and SO formed the habit of practicing
on any promising looking barrel he
happened to find And here is where his
enthusiasm overcame his judgment and
he met with the disaster that directly
resulted in the great queerity problem
1t happened this way: About month
before the athletic meet Bob happened
to pass through the academy hall and
spied the big barrel that usually stood
under the stairs, into which the waste
paper baskets were emptied. Unfortu
natelX it was empty. Bob knew that
at this hour Mr.. Hackett, the principal
was upstairs with a class in algebra.
Bob rolled the barrel out from under
the stairs, hoped upon it and began
his lesson in this new branch of athletic
learning. All would have been we'll had
.Hack"--as the boys ffreverently called
him--been where Bob thought he was,
and had the barrel responded properly
to the control of Bob's dancing feet.
Bobs idea was to propel it down the
hall. The barrel didn't see 1T that way,
SO it suddenly turned at right angles.
rolled out from under poor Bob and
shot toward the door of the nearest
classroom just as Mr. Hackett opened it,
That barrel not only upset Mr.. Hack
EFT right before the whole laughing
class, but it upset his dignity SO that
when Bob passed through the cyclone
that followed the young acrobat found
himself condemned to remain after
school each afternoon for the next 80
days
All p1eadings for pardon were re-
jected by Mr.. Hackett. He was stern
disciplinarian, who believed in ruling
with a rod of iron.
When a deputation composed of the
leading athletes of the academy ven
tured to appeal to his school spirit"
he dismissed them curtly, telling them
that while he was sorry 1t interfered
with their plans discipline must be
maintained even if the school lost a
dozen victories
Frank Williams knew the principals
peculiarties probably as well as any
one in the school
mo, IL isn't so much that he don't
) care whether we win or not" remarked
Frank afterward, 'but Hack can't for
give Bob for making such a chump of
him before the class. That's what's the
real trouble. He's been interested
enough in the other track meets. even
if he did make everybody sore and
uncomfortable, but he used to give us
good points at that. Now the thing to
do is to fix up scheme to win out
anyhow
But how are you going to get Bob
in shape IL he has TO stay In every
afternoon? You know Mr.. Hackett
locks up that classroom tight as a
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