Evening star., 1935-12-01
Capital Sidelights
BY Will P. Kennedy.

For the youth of the land, romantically
inclined, with a dawning interest in
politics and the making of laws by a
great Self-governing people, there is in
spirational incentive in the simple story
of how some members of Congress worked
their way.
Take Representative Henry E. Pat"
Stubbs of California, for the past Is years
an ordained minister. He was born in
Texas the day James A. Garfield was
inaugurated President, March 4, 1881, and
took his seat in Congress on his SD
birthday anniversary.
Sheep herding, cowboying and cotton
picking were his earliest pastimes.
Finally he was promoted to section hand
on railroad, commonly called snip
ping'-then he clerked in store.
He is proud of the district he repre-
sents-a new one, created through reap
portionment, comprising five counties.
One of these, Kern County, is as large
as the State of Rhode Island and has
more people than the State of Nevada-so
he truly boasts that he comes from the
wide open spaces. The high Mount
Whitney and the Big Sequoias" are also
in his district; also the two big naval
petroleum reserves over which Congress
fought bitterly several years ago and Is
big oil fields; also it is noted for its
fruits, live stock, cotton, gold, silver and
other valuable metals, several hundred
miles of Seashore, mountain resorts and
retreats by the score, and one Of the
most important grape-growing areas on
this continent.
*& ~
OF most members of Congress it is said
that they are specially fond of the sound
of their own voiceS-not so Representa-
tive J. Buell. Snyder of Perryopolis, Pa.
He has made speciality of discovering
latent talent in the voices of others and
helping to develop that talent.
He was on the varsity team in base ball
and foot ball while attending Lock Haven
Teachers College, coached high school
foot ball for six years while he was prin-
cipal of the school, and for two years
pitched in the Somerset County Base Ball
League.
Mr.. Snyder, since taking Summer
courses at Harvard and Columbia Uni
versities, has devoted himself 70 extra
curricular activities in high school fields.
He is lover of music and in 1922 organ
lied the Pennsylvania Forensic and Music
League, arranging contests between high
schools throughout the State-band con-
tests, orchestra concerts, violin contests,
ensemble contests, dramatic reading con-
tests and oratorical contests. This proved
so successful that the University of Pitts
burgh took 1t over and runs it as part
of its extension course. Under his work
as founder" the number of high school
bands grew from 20 to 300 and orchestras
from so to 500. Under his leadership
more than 100000 high school boys and
girls have received training in oratory,
debate, dramatics and muSic-both vocal
and instrumental. That's been his con-
tribution to making youth beautifully
articulate.
In these halcyon days of foot ball,
Representative Dan Reed of New York,
one of the best tackles Cornell ever put
on the gridiron, recalls that Sir Walter
Scott captained the men of Ettrick in a
game of foot ball against the men of
Yarrow, led by the Earl of Horn. When
SCOTS team was victorious he wrote
From the brown crest of Newark its
summons extending,
Our signal is waving in smoke and in
flame,
And each forester blythe, from his noun
tain descending,
Bounds light DER the heather to join
in the game.
Then stip lads, and to it, though sharp
be the weather,
And if by mischance you should hap
pen to fall,
There are worse things in life than a
tumble on heather,
And life is itself but game of foot ball.
II
One Of the great outdoors" men of
Congress, who has devoted himself
assiduously to the sound-body-o
program, both regarding himself and
others, encouraging all sports for physical
exercise is Representative John George
Stewart of Wilmington, Del, who looks
the part and Is one of the most popular
members of the House.
Stewart, a member of the Delaware
State Athletic Commission, gives the
timely explanation that modern foot ball
in the United States dates back to 1871,
when Yale first organized a team to
play under a code of rules. Two years
later an Eton team visited this country
and played Yale-the sons of Eli being
victors. In 1877 Yale first insisted on
the adoption of the Etonian number of
IL players to side in place of the Rugby
Union team of is players, which was the
"team" under the intercollegiate agree
ment existing between Yale, Harvard and
Princeton. This Yale contention was
overruled, but the effort was continued
until In 1880 when Walter Camp, then
Yales delegate and subsequently known
Us the father Of modern foot ball." sue
seeded in having the LINEN rule adopted.