BOXING AND WRESTLING 
SMOKER WELL RECEIVED 
No Gold Uncovered at Cocos Island 
Although almost the entire ship’s company scrambled and 
slipped over the green covered rocks of Cocos Island no bullion 
of the raging main was discovered. Most of those who were 
left behind on the ship took one look at the rain soaked and mud 
splattered clothes of the “chosen ones” when they returned and 
gave up thanks that fate had decreed they remain on the ship. 
From the time the band struck up 
its opening’ number to the close of 
the last boxing match the entertain- 
ers and fighters of the ship kept 
everyone on their toes. 
After the selection “Hail To The 
Chief” which was giving as a fitting 
homage to our President, the master 
of ceremonies, Lt. Holbrook, took over 
and introduced the officials for the 
evening. Two wrestlers climbed thr- 
ough the ropes and the main enter- 
tainment started. 
A big feature of the evening was 
the match between the local pride 
and joy, Shifty Fordemwalt, and a 
Masked Marvel. In the fracas which 
had all the earmarks of a profession- 
al sortee the mask was removed from 
the grim faced Marvel to reveal that 
the all powerful bonecrusher was 
nothing more than one of our own 
wrestlers, Butler of the third. 
The Hillbillys drew a big hand with 
their mountaineer ditties. But pro- 
bably the most humorous thing of 
the smoker was the battle royal in 
which the fighters were blind folded 
and allowed to hold a noise-making 
can in their one ungloved hand. 
Teschner of the ”F” lucked out on 
the other contestants to emerge the 
winner. 
With President Roosevelt acting 
as one of the boxing judges the box- 
ing bouts were run off. Two of the 
bouts resulted in being called no con- 
tests because of one of the contest- 
ants being too badly cut-up for fur- 
ther fighting. The other two went 
(Continued on Page 3.) 
STRIKE UP THE BAND 
The German band with the emphas- 
is on the “peck” horns or the red hot 
swing orchestra with the melody com- 
ing out on the off beats have nothing 
on the combination band-orchestra 
now aboard our good ship. 
Around lunch time, dinner, before 
the movies, or at practice sessions 
we hear the soft lilting strains of 
some old folk song. At other times 
this band of musicians settle down 
to work on an overture or symphony. 
They read the grace notes, the cres- 
cendos, the largos, and the allegros 
as smoothly as the mystifying pro- 
fessor pulls rabbits out of a hat. 
Again we hear them cut in all boilers, 
work up to a speed run on a swing 
composition, and literally burn up 
the air around them with music. 
The Houston feels that it is for- 
tunate to have the Scouting Force 
Band aboard. I think everyone aboard 
swears that he never heard any bet- 
ter music anywhere. The music that 
is rendered by this organization is 
good for our souls. We hope that 
the praise we give them is as good 
for theirs. 
The following was dug up on the 
island after very exhaustive research: 
In latitude five degrees thirty five 
minutes North and Longitude eighty 
seven degrees two minutes West about 
five hundred and forty miles from 
Panama lies Cocos Island. Four and 
one-half miles long and fourteen miles 
in circumference it has an area of 
eighteen square miles. This Island 
is mountainous and entirely volcanic, 
the highest point being two thous- 
and seven hundred and eighty eight 
feet high. Being extremely precipitous 
on nearly all sides where the Island 
meets the water it has, however, two 
small bays, Wafer Bay and Chatham 
Bay. 
The soil is extremely fertile and 
the climate mild. From all appear- 
ances it is a healthy place although 
no permanent settlers have resided 
on the Island after such an attempt 
was once tried. The only wild life 
are the wild pigs and rats that Col- 
nett left when he was there in 1793. 
In the seventeenth century and 
later the Island came to be a fav- 
orite resort for privateers and filli- 
busters. Its isolated yet accessible 
situation, the facility with which fresh 
water of most excellent purity could 
(Continued on Page 2.) 
