Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-02-08
THE GYMKHANA
BEST SHOW EVER.
Daring Exhibition OF the Smith Family
Of Acrobats- BEST Affair of Its
Kind Ever Staged.

AiBu Ever dragged.
The gymkhana is more than a week
old yet those who saw it are still loud
in its praises. The correspondent 10
the Army and Navy Journal says.
The annual gymkhana and circus OF
the regiment of midshipmen. held Sat
urday evening. exceeded in the number
OF performers and variety and interest
of the events anything previously at
tempted. The grand parade included
about five hundred midshipmen. more
than half of the whole number. in
every variety of costume. while twenty
eight animals made up the menagerie
Some effort was made to keep a tally
of winners of events. and the result
was a tie between the third and the
twelfth companies. The big novelty
was an breakfast formation race. The
curtains were drawn aside and disclos-
ed dozen cots. each containing mid
shipman. AS reveille was blown they
tumbled out of bed, and the dressing
for formation was carried out as ex-
actly as conventions permitted.
A bullfght and a pushball contest.
using ball seven feet in diamter, were
other events. The latter was won by
the third battalion Boxing, with the
contestants astride a huge spar was o
very enjoyable feature The only per-
former who would not perform was the
pig who was to be chased He re-
fused to move and spoiled the act. A
hockey game, with brooms for sticks,
and a waste basket for a puck, and
bull fight were other features which
aroused the mirth of a large audience
The Log, the weekly publication al
the Naval Academy. has the following
to say of the gymkhana:
There have been shows and shows.
but there never wf5 one nor never viii
be another, like this. From start 70
finish. in the general idea, in all the
details, the gymkhana was an unqual-
flied success. Everything went of
without a hitch save for the lack OF
equilibrium on the part of the pig The
Big Show opened with the grand
march, headed by Belindy Emerson. at
tired somewhat after the fashion of
Sweet Caporal advertisement After
that came all the performers Al by
actual count
THE events included the usual OBJ
stacle. human burden, all four roller
coaster races, boom wrestling and pill
low free-for-all The novelties Of the
affair We're the push-ball games and
the breakfast formation race In the
latter was demonstrated how we did
tin the Old Navy
During the intermission, the First
Glass paraded to the tune OF zone
More River gay-and careless like.
and the Second Glass revived the old
custom of burying Math and English
in one of the cleverest bits of comedy
displayed during the evening God
Be With You Til We Meet Again" was
parodied into God Be With You III
We Meet Again" and the performance
closed with an invocation for those in
peril on the tree.
THE swordsmen of the Academy
gave a practical demonstration of the
value OF such exercise which termina-
ted in a free-for-all, the object of
which was to cut the plume from the
+ opponents helmets Judging from the
/ blows delivered, the combantants evil
+ IDENTIFY considered their opponents as
/ birds of paradise.
Then came the bull fight. staged
with all the pomp and ceremony of the
brutal affair Belmonte himself could
I have taken pointers from this per
torrance, and as for the bull he was
some toro.
During the evening the Schmidt
family of aerobats gave a daring eXhi
/ bition and the quartette. disguised as
! men about wandered around
harmoniSing -vocalizing and rising
in general to the spirit of the occasion
This show ended in the creased pis
race. but the pig had evidently no
been brought up in pig pen with Z
hardwood floor and prosperity over
came him to such an extent that h'
was forced to cling to the deck for sup
port. The pig hunters ranged arount
home and at the gun all made a Mutt
and-Jeff on the pig. Each of the twelv'
got a grip on some portion of his anar
omy. and, due to lack of data in Hoyl,
regarding procedure in this case, thi
affair was declared a draw.
The gymkhana ended with finale
grand parade. and then. thanks to
special dispensation ito use the dictiol
of a society reporter) dancing was el
regIe.
1T was a wonderful show and al
forded the best kind Of time to al
the spectators. In closing, too mucl
thanks cannot be extended TO Lieuten
ants Smith and Ingram for their inge
nuity. energ and time expended il
making this The Gymkhana Of 1916
the best affair of its kind ever staged.
Matinee every afternoon from rs
to 5. 80 st Colonial, this week.
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