Newspaper Page Text
Page Two. 1
THE MERCER CLUSTER
Octqfe* 21,1921
The fiercer Cluster
Published weekly by the students of
the fourteen schools and colleges in
the Mercer University System.
George M. Sparks, Managing Editor
The Cluster Staff:
C. J. Broome, Editor-in-Chief; Robert
M. Gamble, A. B. Cochran, W. K.
Wynne, John P. Rabun, Edwin S.
Davis, E. C. Hulsey, John C. Vincent,
Associate Editors; Romeo B. Morris,
Circulation.
A CRITICAL TEST
' A Freshman, you are in college for
the first time- in your life. You are
now in the position where you must
to a great extent readjust yourself
to; your changed environment.
Back at home in the Yellow Yam
High School you were a stur. Your
prowess on'the athletic field was her
alded throughout Apple Valley. Your
irresistible .orator^ and penetrating
logic swept the audience and'judges
ptr their feet when you stood on the
stage as champion debater for the
Rip Saw debating society. Among the
students and in Yellow Yam tpwh
itself you were ‘‘some ’triters,”' be
lieve us!
Perhaps you were president of
your class when you were graduated
or mayhaps you delivered a ringing
and tear-starting valedictory to the
assembled and sympathetic home-
.folks. Anyway you were in all prob
ability a star of the first magnitude
back there in' Apple Valley or
Goobertown.
All this was and is well and good.
We have been there ourselves, to a
limited degree. Then we came to
college. At college we found our
selves in the same position that every
Freshman finds himself. He is . no
longer -the scintillating star; no
longer the giant of the tribe, no
longer flattered and praised by
friends and fellow students. At least
not yet! For the Freshman must
again begin nt the bottom and work
up—if he goes up at all.
The Freshman at college finds him
self in the midst of hundreds of other
fellows who were stars at home and
in high school. He finds that the
other new men, the old men, even the
faculty have heard very little about
his accomplishments in the Yellow
Yam High School. The older men,
Seniors, Juniors, Sophomo’-ev nr? ! n
charge of tbo student activities. No
one rushes about proclaiming that a
new star has arisen on the campus
■firmament!
When ' the new situation strikes
home to the ‘ Freshman, what hap
pens? One of two things takes
place. The Freshman measures either
up or down to the occasion. He either
adjusts himself to the position of, a
beginner, a learner, a worker, 'loyal
to his college, harboring an under
standing heart, or he turns, grouchy,
becomes a knocker, speaks of ho«v
they used to do things at Yellow, Yam
High School, and sees nothing in his
college tb love and suport through
hot times and high water.
A vast majority of the new men at
Mercer this year arc proving them
selves real MERCER MEN. The.stu-!
dent body, as a whole, is the best we
have ever seen gathered in a single '
institution., But here and there a,
grouchy, critical spirit 13 in evidence.
A knocker occasionally raises his
. voice in a plaintive wail that Mercer
is not like Yellow Yam High School
or Pumpkinsepd Academy.
There is no room for the knocker
or the grouch at Mercer. Every
word spoken derogatory to Mercer
will meet with prompt-and warm re
sentment, so far as we are concerned.
We have founil Mercer responsive to
every fair' appeal. We nave lound
her students above the average in-
warm sympathy and fairness toward
‘right principles. And you, Freshman,
will find this true if you will but give
yourself to the 'full', support of ,Mer-
- oer.' . .
But, Fres.man, you mUst begin at
the .bottom. Your prowess must be
proved. , Your loyalty to your own
must be shown hy your., unreserved
J loyalty to Mercer. In casting your
lot with MOrcer you., have become, a
part. of Mercer; When you knock
Mercer you are applying the hammer
to yourself. If your ego is so en
larged that you And yourself cramped
at Mercer, kindly withdraw and make
room for a real Mercer man.
^Freshman, yours is the glorious
task of carrying the .standard of
fiercer in the future to.higher and
more victorious heights!
THE TEAM
Mercer’s football eleven this fall
has made a good record thus far.
We say this deliberately after a full
consideration of the facts.
We held Georgia to 28 points, and
Georgia held Harvard to 10 points
and scored a touchdown on the big
Eastern university besides. Harvard
beat Georgia only three points, thus
placing Mercer only 31 points behind
Harvard “in the dope.”
. Next we held Vandy to 42 points
with several of bur best players out
of the game or crippled so that thgy
could not play at top form. And mark
our word, Vandy will come very near
beating Georgia when these two lock
horns in their annual fray Novem
ber 5.
Against Florida our eleven showed
that we • have a real football team,
despite some adverse criticism to the
contrary. Florida has this year a
team 50 per cent stronger than last
year. She expected to swamp Mer
cer, but the Orange and Black came
very near to tieing the score, and
thereby getting an even break.
After all, it is the improvement'
shown each year over the preceding
year that shows what progress a
team is making in football. Some of
the follows seejn to think that a
world-beating eleven' can be devel
oped in one season. But this simply
isn't done. At least two to four years
are needed to build up a winning
gridiron machine. _ . , '
Her.e is the best test of Mercer’s
progress since last fall: Florida beat
Mercer last fall 30 to 0; this year
Florida with a team at least 50 per
cent stronger, than last season beat
Mercer only seven points. In other
words, Florida has strengthened
more since last fall. No other con
clusion is possible from the; facts, and
the team, the coach and others who
are behind Mercer athletics' should be
given great credit and encouragement
by all' Mercer supporters. ’
Mercer has the nucleus for a great
football team, and if we will work as
hard for the eleven during the com
ing year as Mercer lovers have
worked in the past year, we will have
a bunch next fall that will put Mer
cer On the football map' against the
best of them. .
Give the team the glad han<j. The>
have thus far nobly upheld the Mer
cer colors' under very trying circum
stances. '
“THE TAURUS TOSSER’
HONEST PREACHERS
Is it' wrong for preachers to tell
lies?
Because there are so many preach
ers at Mercer this year we take, the
liberty of calling attention to one
great need in the pulpit today. That
need is for honest preachers. ,
Treachers can lie in more ways
than they sometimes realize. One of
the most common ways of . lying in
the pulpit is exaggeration. Some
preachers fall into the habit ' of
stretching their illustrations to
amazing proportions They seem to
go out of their \vay to tell ah un
truth,. sometimes in a half jocular
manner, but nevertheless with grave
violation of truth.
Another way' in which the preach
er .can tell a lie almost before he
realizes it is for him to use the say
ing of another preacher as his own
without ■ giving credit to the origi
nator of the saying, Some call th|s
plagarism, but it involves both lying
and stealing, also hypocrisy.
This is not directed at the preach
ers who are now at Mercer, for we
have heard very few of them preach
and believe they arc as a whole b
est. Wo arc speaking of preache
general.
Sometimes the preacher college
in class will look at his/sook when
called upon to recite. Tmen when he
answers the questioner writes .it out
on the board, he hag lied, for he has
indicated that hr knew something
about the le^adn when he came to
class. WcT'fiave seen so-called “out
standing” men at college lie in 1 this
way, both - preachers and laymen.
We lay down the proposition that'
a preacher has 1 no more privilege to
lie "than "any other person. Honesty
is not the best “policy” for anyone—
honesty is'the-best PRINCIPLE-fof
everybody. .’
The minister who lie, purposely or
carelessly is not only wrong in policy,
but corrupt in principle. May every
Mercer preacher go out to his life
work an honest, man; if he has no
other qualifications to commend him
. to the people.
An honest man is Ah inspiration to
his fellowman and a delight to the
heart of God. '
By Bob Gamble
This, gentle reader, is our debut as
a colyum. chaperon. Already you be-
gjn to notice the maiden blush of
innocence on our lily-white cheek, but
perhaps the bit of color makes it a
"skin you love to touch." If so,
please handle, our colyum aSsjrou
would that cheek (if we had it),
which,' being interpreted, is to say,
gently.
Now that interpretations are in
order, it might be well to explain the
heading of our debut.
Taurus is Latin, which, being
translated into English in polite so
ciety, might mean ox or steer, but
for the purpose of colyum simplicity,
we will translate it into (not Eng
lish, but) Campus, giving to the word
the translation “bull,” which being
further interpret'd means “hot air.”
Tosser, a little highbrow in sound
perhaps is just the Bostonian way of
saying the noun for^fle South Geor
gia provincialism, to chunk.
,The prefix “the” is just by the way
to give that alliterative sound, for in
this way we give the Colyum another
touch of highbrow.
. Devilish Debut J .,
Our motto will be, “Give the devil
his dues,” and so we will begin with
Johnny D. Spencer, colyum promoter
for many years on the staff of. the
gi;andold Macon Daily Telegraph—
not to cast any reflection on our good
friend Johnny, however, but merely
meaning to insinuate that we have
heard that he sometimes, is a bit
“devilish" and, too, that for this- col
yum he is due much.
Give J. D. S. his dues? Yes, be
cause he is our chief inspiration for
punting this type pigskin and we
gladly give him credit. (See, we are
generous, gentle reader, so in your
criticism please be as kind and give
us credit for an honest effort, at
least.)
Seriously how, about J. D. S. Many
people say that Johnny deserves a
place of honor in the hall Of fame
for all the happiness that his colyum,
“More Otherwise Than Wise,” has
brought to its thousands of readers.
It is in the spirit ,of altruism (as
our own Dr. M. A. Clark, of the Mer
cer Board of Trustees, would ■ say)
that we Undertake this colyum. If,
perchance, . it being an occasional
smile or help to lighten some load by
seeking to depict the humorous side
of life,- the colyum shall have served
its purpose.,
■That’s our ambition, first and last,
and if some day when we are old apd
gray, someone should charitably
compare, our best work with some of
Johnny’s poorest, our remaining days
will be lived in flowery beds of hap
piness.
So— .
HERE'S TO J. D. S.
My brain, tho’, is very much denser;
I long to be like Johnny Spencer,
His jokes have a point
Worked into each joint,
But I’m such a poor humor dispenser.
Names Is Names
We noticed, recently In the Atlanta-
journal- the engagement of a Miss
Dryer to a Mr. Cloud, .the heading
naturally written thus:
Dryer-Cloud .
Let us hope that the matrimonial
blisses of the newly-weds will not be
disturbed by opinions as contradic
tory as the cognomens of the couple.
Miss Pluma Byrd lives in Calhoun,
Ga., we are informed by Ralph
Meeks, editor of the Calhoun Times,
who received his diploma from Mer
cer more or less years ago.
Amateur Physiologists
Go Mad Over These
Whar are sphincters ? - ■
The action of the moustache is con
trolled from where?
What is. the shape of a hair?
Prove it.
So far as we know. Prof. Peyton
Jacob; did not have any of these
questions in his recent psychology
test. . • <
■ What Say, Dr.Quillian?
O, for- the' frame of our strong
joshMi-way— 1
O, for the brain of a prof.
But with’ neither of these'
I’m called 4. big "cheese”— .
O, well all of you Mercer boys are
called Georgia “crackers,” so let’s go
over and give the Wesleyan girls a
feast!. .... V
toavtek
The president of Merger University
is truly a Weaver of Dreams, but. the
past has proven that his dreams of
tonight become realities on the mor
row.
Jacob’s (Ladder
With several children, between
whose ages there are said to be two
years in each instance, surely in the
family of the dean of the Mercer
school of education, we have Jacob’s
ladder personified.
Palatial Harmony
Warren Holland, Mercer football
manager, has been familiarly dubbed
with the nom-de-plume “Queenie.”
We have been cogitating as to the
reason. Is it because the originator
was well hep to the history of mon
archies and sought to give fitting
recognition to his studies, or is it be
cause “Queenie” is a royal good fel
low, a prince of a chap, or that it is
expected that ere long h*e will be
“crowned”? (We will now enjoy an
intermission while we wonder.)
“2,000 Striking. Miners Sent to Jail
in Arkansas”—Headline. If we were
a jail attendant we would strike if
they brought us around that many
additions to our registry, to be served
beans and bacon three times each
day. And if they jail miners for
striking, what would be done with a
jail attendant Who refused to work?
(Only one answer allowed each Per
son and the contest closes six months
from last Tuesday.) /
Freshman Inspiration
“Sir: After reading all of Dr.
Elliot’s five-foot shelf of books, I am
still unabje to answer more than half
of Mr. Edison’s questions. Am I still
‘umazingly ignorant’?” — Chicago
Tribune. t 1
Just a bit of consolation, you first-
year men who took the psychology
test with disastrous results, a few
weeks ago. Keep oh keeping on, read
ing parallel, and rooting for the team
and perhaps when you are old and
uncertain of step, you may know
enough to become Mr. Edison’s office
boy. ,
It’s All “The Rage,” It Seems
“Sir: One of the sweet young
things at the boarding house advises
me that her father has insurance on
his car now so that he cah kill two
people a year. I’m going to move to
morrow.”—Chicago Tribune.
Even Macon is showing an increase
in the number of automobile acci
dents. Be careful, boys, especially
after -dark, and don’t try to drive
there and back with only one hand.
It may be thrilling, but, gee! it’s dan
gerous.
Of course we don’t suppose you are
by yourself.
Mercer’s Cosmopolitan Influence
Narrow-minded people have no
place on Mercer campus, if the action
of a certain Mercerian a few weeks
ago is correct as reported. He, the
Mercerian, is a Presbyterian, attend
ing a Baptist university. He went out
of town and while there took a Cath
olic girl to the Methodist church. The
preacher straightened up in his chair
and the* expression on his counte
nance. might have indicated that. he
thought Gabriel had blown his horn,
so great was that preacher’s surprise.
Ho-hum!
TT
Y OU do not need ex
pert knowledge of
woolens and tailoring
to safely buy clothes
here.
, We make sure of
quality for you; our
own welfare depends
upon safeguarding
yours; that’s why we
sell clothes “tailored to
measure by Bom.”
Bom Tailoring offers
you good style, depend
able woolens, painstak
ing needle work and
unusual value; it is guar
anteed to please you—
money back if it doesn’t.
Crown Tailoring Co.
305 Broadway
' Full Line of Gents’ Furnishings
"The Best for Less”
Call to See Uk and Be Convinced
Colleges are leaders in the educa
tional system, but tail-enderh in the
barbaric practice of “hazing.”
R. H. Smalling s Sons
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
AND BUILDERS
Phones 1102-J and 4092-J
Macon, Ga.
Murray Printing Co.
Cor. Third and Poplar Streets
Phone 4491
“By Our Work We. Are Known”
Adams Bros.
Grocery Company
Wholesale Distributors
. for Middle and South
Georgia .V'
Moi;e Than a Florist’s
Shop
A FLOWER SERVICE
A complete, fresh stock of
the flowers in season
Nutting 6c Carswell
FLORISTS •
Phone 1776
414 Second Street
Macon, Ga.
.Mercer Men
Should suport men that rap
port Mercer. . ;
R. S. THORPE A SONS'an
supporting Mercer until the
last whistle blows.
Help your school by helping
yourself in buying from..
R. S. Thorpe
' 6c Sons ■ Q ;. ;
v A. 8. JOHNSON
Mercer Representative