590 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



eral statement no argument is required to prove absurd. Men of mus- 

 cle do need exercise. Indeed, it may be said that they must have ex- 

 ercise. The more systematic such exercise is, the better their brains 

 work, as observing instructors of such men will testify. The reason 

 is plain. They enjoy better health. The men who suffer most from 

 the confinement of student-life are the men of vigorous bodies. Their 

 vital force is like a flame. It must be fed with oxygen. Many of 

 them, without the capacity of self-control, and without the health 

 which they gain by exercise under the present system of athletics, 

 would never be able to graduate. Many others would graduate with 

 impaired bodily powers, and others still as slaves to habits of dissi- 

 pation. 



6. It is said, again, that the system may develop men, but it only 

 makes fine brutes of them, and sets before the college a false standard 

 of excellence, viz., one entirely physical. It can not be said with truth 

 that the standard is false. The standard of good scholarship remains, 

 and many of the athletes take high rank in scholarship. The stand- 

 ard of good conduct remains. The students still respect their fellows 

 who approach these standards, yet they think no worse of a man, but 

 rather better of him, and rightly, too, if he be a thorough man, and 

 have a manly body as well as a good mind and upright character. 

 Other things being equal, the bright mind and good heart in a strong 

 body are better than the same things in a weak body, because they 

 can accomplish more in life. 



It is further said that the applause bestowed upon some feat in any 

 of the athletic contests helps to establish some boy in the conceit that 

 he is a great man, because he can do such things, and that, therefore, 

 study is of no further use to him. There may be such youths, but, 

 whatever be their fate at other colleges, they seldom appear at the 

 college with which the writer is connected, and when they do appear 

 do not stay. 



7. The evil of a general nature last to be considered is that of 

 expense. 



The expenses of the organizations which have special university 

 representatives are only taken into account, since these are the organi- 

 zations of which the evils have been so loudly proclaimed to the pub- 

 lic. In the table given below (for Yale College), the " expenses " and 

 " income " are the totals for both university and class clubs combined. 

 For base-ball, foot-ball, and Lacrosse, the amounts in the column 

 headed " Earned " are made up for the most part of gate-money taken 

 at exhibition-games. For the boat clubs, of the amount put in the 

 same column, $1,045.36 was the net result of a dramatic entertainment 

 given by the students for the benefit of the university club. The 

 balance was obtained from entrance and carriage fees at regattas, 

 renting of lockers, and sale of boat. 



