Various

“ There is nothing in the old rules to show on what kind of a field the game should be played, or what the game was, or what kind of a ball it should be played with. There was nothing in the old rules forbidding a man to play the game with a cocked hat or a rubber boot if he chose; and if a team had come on a field with a baseball, and had insisted on running with that, there was absolutely no provision in the old rules by which the referee could forbid the playing of the game with a baseball. ”

“ Dick soon joined him, and burst out with:
"Come on, Old Hammer-the-Rocks! We're going after birds. Shake yourself up once and come along."
"I never killed a bird in my life, Dick," Larry answered, "and I'm not going to begin to-day."
"Ah, indeed!" Dick sneered. "Don't approve of such sport, I suppose."
"No, I can't say that I do," Larry replied, very good-naturedly. "It may be sport for you, but what must the birds think about it?"
Uncle George, the Major, bustled into the library after his cartridge-belt just in time to hear this conversation.
"Who's that don't approve of killing birds?" ”

“ At all times you must be on the lookout to take any little advantage an opportunity offers, and to interfere with an opponent's wind. If possible, when passing a boat, always go to windward, but do not enter into one of those senseless luffing matches, which will practically take the two boats engaged out of the race.
The price of success in racing is vigilance, observation, decision, and no set rule can be laid down for the racing captain. A great deal will depend on opportunities and the manner he makes use of them. ”

“ But to leave these special types, and coming to small-boat racing in general: What qualities are essential to the successful racing skipper? I should link two together as outweighing all others—good judgment and spirit. They seem to stand together; one without the other is liable to lead to unsuccess. Judgment without the spirit to make best use of it will lead to over-caution. Spirit without judgment verges on rashness, and cannot but lead to disaster.
The racing-man must think quickly, and act immediately and decisively. ”

“ He cautiously went up to a spotted cow which seemed to be rather tamer than the rest, holding out one hand, and saying, "So, bossy," in oily tones, as if he thought she was the finest cow he had ever seen. When he was almost to her she looked at him quickly, kicked her nearest hind foot at him savagely, and walked off, switching her tail, and shaking her head so that Ollie was afraid it would come off and be lost.
"Can't fool that cow, can I?" said Jack, as he turned to another. ”

“ The electricity necessary to light an incandescent lamp, such as we see in stores, etc., is generated in a machine called a dynamo. The dynamo is driven by a steam-engine, and produces electric current in large quantities for electric-lighting on a large scale. Electricity can also be produced by a battery, but in very small quantity as compared with that produced by a dynamo; and in order to light a house by electricity from a battery, so many cells would be required that it would be decidedly inconvenient and troublesome to keep them in order. ”

“ They have ruled that no player may take more than a single step before the ball is put in play—except one man, who may be in motion toward his own goal; this will bar out all forms of momentum play, and is a step in the right direction.
There is also a rule forbidding five men to bunch inside of tackles; this will serve to hold back mass plays, although, doubtless, the inventive minds of college football-players will be able to make up plays that can evade the spirit of this law. ”

“ No thought should be given to the crew's comfort; they should be regarded as machines, for the time being.
In short, the tuck-up, skiff, bateau, or small boat of any character should be sailed like a large toy boat. If a gust throws her down, get the crew out over the side if necessary, so that there is only enough inboard to keep them from falling off. Don't be afraid of taking water aboard; when there is enough in to be troublesome, bail it out.
A racing-man must be observant. He should notice where the tides are the strongest, and also which way the flow is at the time of the race. ”

“ Among the minor changes to be noticed, in a cursory glance through the rules, is that on a fair catch the opponents must retire ten yards from the mark made by the catcher; this is a good ruling, for it places some value upon a fair catch. It is pleasant to note that the rule concerning interference with the centre rushers' snapping back of the ball has been made more stringent, and the officials must see that the ball is fairly put in play, and they must, according to the rule, insist that the opposing team do not interfere either with the ball or the man. ”

“ When you play a team from a distance, you are bound to learn something of that team's methods, and it usually has some points which had not yet occurred to you. If you play that same team again two or three weeks later, it has learned from others, and puts its newly acquired knowledge in practice against you, and you again have the advantage of the other fellows' work. Of course your opponents are benefited in the same way through playing with you ”

“ A SMALL ELECTRIC-LIGHT OUTFIT. HOW TO MAKE THE BATTERY AND HOW TO SET IT UP. BY THOMAS R. TALTAVALL.
All young readers of Harper's Round Table are probably familiar with the appearance of the electric light—that wonderful little glass bulb that we see in stores, hotels, theatres, etc.—and no doubt many have wondered what causes the hairlike loop inside the bulb to become so brilliantly luminous. Electricity does it; but no one knows what electricity is, not even the most advanced scientific thinker of the day. ”

“ In fact, it is a frequent sight in a race to see a man busily engaged in bailing out the water that has dashed in over the bow or come in over the lee gunwale. The quick manner of heeling of these boats greatly increases the chances of getting the sail in the water, and you should keep a sharp lookout for this, as it is liable to result in an upset. At the same time you do not want to let the wind out of the sail, or the weight of the men on the upper side will dump the boat to windward. ”

“ The use of a jib presents many new problems in sailing, and will necessitate some thought and study on the part of a boy whose experience has been confined to the handling of a cat-boat. In the jib-and-mainsail rig there are two opposite forces at work. The mainsail, as in the cat-boat, throws the boat's head in the wind, only this is more pronounced, as the mast is stepped further aft. ”

“ The lamp is a small glass bulb, inside of which is a short length of carbon in the shape of a small arch. This carbon is connected with the wires running through and outside of the glass bulb, and when the current flows through the wires the carbon becomes "incandescent"—that is, white-hot. This carbon is in a vacuum, the air having been exhausted from the bulb in the process of manufacture. The vacuum is essential. Should there be none, and the space be filled with air, the carbon would be destroyed by the oxygen in the air the moment the current rendered it incandescent. ”

“ Too much practice with a scrub team breeds slack play and indifference. If it is possible to schedule practice games with other schools for Wednesdays and Saturdays—playing some teams two or three times, perhaps, in one season—the manager should make such arrangements. In or near large cities this is almost always possible, and perhaps that is why the football elevens of New York and Boston are usually so well trained and developed. ”

“ It is improbable that any good can be accomplished by going over the causes which brought about this rupture between the two schools, for stirring up mud and opening old wounds are of small benefit. Those who know what the causes were can do nothing better than to forget, and those who do not know what the trouble was will certainly find that here is a case where ignorance is bliss. ”

“ At every mile that George travelled his mind and heart gained a better balance by quick degrees. He was sorry to be parted from his mother and Betty, but he was at a time of life when he must try his own strength, and he was the better for it. He stopped at the same taverns that he had halted at when with Lord Fairfax. Billy proved himself to be an excellent hostler as well as valet, and George did not mean to forget mentioning to his mother, when he should have an opportunity of sending a letter, how extremely useful Billy was. ”

“ Nitric acid is dangerous stuff to have around on account of the fumes it gives off, and its corrosive propensities when it comes in contact with fabrics and almost every other substance.
Having procured your carbons, cut them off the same length as the zincs, which can be easily done with a scroll or any other small saw. Be careful, though, because carbon is rather brittle, and will break rather than bend. The zincs and carbons should be of the same length, and should be at least an inch higher than the top of the tumbler. Two carbons and one zinc will be required for each cell. ”

“ The seniors at these schools, and the men who graduated from them last year and are now entering Freshman year at college, can combine in this movement, and I feel sure that if they are careful and thoughtful in their methods, they can heal this breach which has been a painful one for every Exeter and Andover graduate, and an unexplainable one for outsiders who have looked upon these two schools as strong exponents of the healthy spirit of scholastic sport in America. ”

“ A number of years ago it used to be a favorite trick of the opposing centre to do all he could, by kicking or toeing or fingering the ball, to annoy the man who was snapping back. This was then put a stop to, and the opposing centres and guards began to shove and jostle their opponents, much to the delay of the game. These new rules concerning interference with centre play will prevent all of this nonsense, and will tend toward making scrimmage play more rapid and snappy. ”

“ The entrance is sharp, and the stern lines are much cut away, making a hull that can be driven through the water at a high speed, though lacking in stability. It is frequently the case that the spars and sails of these boats are so large that they are top-heavy from this alone, and often the boat has to be run alongside a dock and a man hold it right side up whilst the crew clamber aboard. Ropes are frequently fastened at intervals to the centreboard trunk to assist the men in hanging on when the boat is away over. ”

“ The long spoon-shaped bow and broad full stern overhang give great stability and displacement when heeled over. A fore-and-aft sail of some character is used, and the boats are handled much like a cat-boat. Under favorable conditions they develop good speed. They are unsurpassed as a boat for the beginner in sailing or racing.
Sea-skiff racing is indulged in by the fishermen, and these speedy boats afford some good sport. ”

“ It may interest the boys among the readers of Harper's Round Table to know that with a little ingenuity a battery can be constructed by themselves which will give sufficient current to light a small electric lamp. Such an outfit is full of interest and instructive to young people, and its use creates a desire for a wider knowledge of this most fascinating subject. ”

“ The point in the boat that takes the place of the pivot of the lever is the centre of lateral resistance (resistance to sliding sideways) . This centre will be somewhere amidships, and it is clear that whichever side of it the greatest wind pressure is exerted on the sails, that part of the boat will have a tendency to drift with the wind, so swinging the other end around. In the mainsail the greatest power is aft of this centre, hence the stern falls off and the bow goes up into [Pg 1065] the wind. In the jib the reverse is true. ”

“ This situation might remain for an indefinite period if some strong-minded individual or individuals did not step in and say, "Let bygones be bygones, and let us start in on a new basis, wiping out all old scores, and henceforth sticking to the true spirit of amateur sport!" ”