Evening star., 1924-11-09
BY GEORGE HI. DACY.

tambouFfne played part in the
establishment of worlds athletic
record which has never been sur
passed. At the indoor gymnastic
carnival at the Naval Academy that
year a certain naval cadet from the
Territory of Dakota broke the inter
national hitch and kick record whe'
he hung up a new mark of feet
inch. which has defied the onslaught
OF high kickers from that day to tn:
The cadet who made that epoch:
kick was Curtis D. Wilbur 1t W.
but one OF many athletic conquest
which he consummatcd during M
four years at Annapolis. From foe
ball field to flagship, from whaieboa
crew 10 Secretary OF the Navy--thos,
are the record long jumps which
Curtis d. Wilbur has made. His early
athletic triumphs at Annapolis were
cotentiality prophetic-fortune- -tellers
or greater victories IN ltes battles.
Away back during the period from
1ss4 to 1883; when Cadet Wilbur at
tended the Naval Academy. the land
marks of the worlds best training
school for naval officers were quite
different from those that now delight
the visitor to one of Maryland's most
interesting and historic cities. Not
single NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., laboratory
or athletic hall-that now. stands on
the campus was in use during the
days when Secretary Wilbur was a
student at the Naval Academy
Old halls and dormitories. libraries
and labs" have been razed. Modern
Etructures have replaced them. The
;tiumnus of the class of 'ss who for
the first time returns to the green
bordered walks and oak-canopied
drives his alma mater views with
delight the miracle which Uncle Sam
has worked. "Old Tecumseh" is
about the only relic of the early
eighties which the admirals. COM
nanders and captains who visit An
napolis remember.
"Old TecumSeh," "wishing god" OF
the naval cadets and midshipmen for
decades and decades was once the
igurehead OF the L. S. S. Delaware.
The likeness OF the famous Indian
chieftain was carved in wood scores
OF years ago. For a long period it
adorned one OF Americas wooden
cruisers. Finally, when the ship was
destroyed, the fgurehead was SAL
Taged and set up. on the Annapolis
campus. There is movement now
on foot to cast the figurehead in
bronze and install it as a sempiternal
monument at the Academy.
For many. many years the cadets
and 'middies' have treasured the
superstition that il they would but
salute "Old Tecumseh" every time
they passed, they would win passing
marks in all their studies. So. if,
perchance. you are strolling around
the Annapolis campus and observe a
jaunty midshfpman salute the wooden
effigy of celebrated old Indian, do
not think it as part OF a haxing
prank, but appreciate that it is moth
ing more than collegiate version of
superstition of the sea.
VES, there are several throwbacks
to the days of 1884 which Secre-
tary Wilbur sees when he inspects
the Naval Academy campus. The no.
table Herndon Statue is one such: 1t
Is a marble memorial to Commander
Herndon of Civil War fame. who was
in charge of the relief ship sent to
aid Fort Sumter. The large japanese
bell brought from Japan by Admiral
Perry is another campus relic. The
remarkable TripoIi Statue is yet an
other object of special interest to
Curtis Wilbur, for he used to pass it
going to and from CLASSES when he
was a plebe.
Secretary Wilbur played on one of
the first foot ball elevens which rep
resented the Naval Academy. Cadet
Wilbur competently filled the position
of left tackle. Filled the position"
is used advisedly, as Curtis Wilbur,
during his senior year at Annapolis,
was one of the largest and strongest
men on the campus.
His remarkable gain in avoirdupois
during his residence at the academy
is an outstanding testimonial to the
health, strength and development
which are the logical sequences of
standardized life at that national in
stitution. Cadet Wilbur weighed 1872
bounds when he entered Annapolis.
-Four years later, when he stepped
on the scales, the beam balanced at
182 pounds
No foot ball eleven in all creation
ever used more ingenious and eff
cient system of signals than did the
Navy team on which Secretary Will
bur played. Those were the days of
pioneer foot ball strategies. The
cunning cadets bewildered their op-
ponents by using the names of sails,
ropes. and masts instead Of numbers
to designate certain plays. For ex-
ample, the Navy quarterback or full
back would cry out: Fore gallant
topsail," which would mean that the
left halfback was to make sweep
ing run around right end Such terms
as "mizZentop," 'jibsail main top
sail" main royal" yard royar' and
reef the topsaff' were used by the
naval cadets to indicate other pig
skin maneuvers.
The Navy Academy team had
neither coach nor trainer. When one
OF the players suffered sprain
wrench, muscle bruise or Charley
horse" there was no attentive rub
Der on hand to manipulate and mas
sage, to bind and bandage the injury.
The players wore canvas "knickers"
and lace Jackets, woolen jerseys. caps
and stockings. There were no leather
pads, shinguards, headguards or rub
Der noseguards to absorb jolts and
jars. The only time the boys had for
practice was in the late afternoons
After drill. Usually the eleven played
match games on Saturday afternoons
The second team, the scrubs, were
known as the "Hustlers." They bat
Cad against the. varsity in practice
fef1minages every evening. 1t was
teams. Finally, the "Hustlers" de-
feated the varsity by decisive score
This led to a reorganization of the
eleven
x Y =; ::
TILE season of 1888, when Curtis
- Wilbur was one Of the star play
year Of an extensive foot ball cam
paign at Annapolis, when the cadets
played several outside elevens
AS early as 1884 the Navy was
playing an annual game at Annapo-
lis with Johns Hopkins. This was
the one and only gridiron. game OF
the season. Usually the naval ca
diets won.
In 18S~the embryonic naval officers
played the Carlisle Indians for the
first time. The schedule two years
later featured games with st. Johns,
Johns Hopkins, the Carlisle Indians
.,d tho SECOND team from Princeton