8 THE ACORN ing to be banished? Certainly not by the way we are doing now; but by everyone's waking up. If you awake first, do not wait for your chum to awake (as girls do) before you begin to talk; but give him a rousing shake. Give him one, two, or three good pokes, if necessary; and make him accept your plans, and promise to carry them through, before he has time to doubt them. Look, here the year is half gone, and we have never once caused the faculty to think "what will become of those awful students?" Students, why can't we arouse some "spunk" and "sit down" on such a monotonous school life? One dance is all we have had this year; and worse still, there appears to be nothing planned. Is it any wonder that we hear such remarks as mentioned in the beginning? What is there, to hinder us from having a mass meeting and from organizing the student body? We could then work in unity, and commence NOW to worry the faculty, and make them feel that they have living beings to deal with, and not mummies. Why can't we have some spirited debates? No Olympian society. Why can't we have some literary feasts outside of English classes? No Edina Society. Why can't we entertain B. Y. U. at a dancing party to console them in defeat? No teams ready. Why can't we have a good Christmas program? No enthusiasm shown by students. Why can't we have anything? The students are not united. Now we will say, "Is our case hopeless?" Most emphatically, "No." Then how can we do all these things asked about? By getting together, deciding on some plan and all working with united energies toward the accomplishment of that plan. THE AUTHOR OF BEN HUR. General Lew Wallace, the author of "Ben Hur" is at his home at Craw-fordsville, forty miles from Indianap- olis, the very same surroundings he was in when he wrote "Ben Hur," "The Fair God," and "The Prince of India." He is now in his seventy-eighth year and is writing his autobiography. His home is surrounded by elms and beeches which were large trees when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Most of his writings were written under one of these beech trees. This tree stands at the corner of his library, which is perhaps the most remarkable of the literary workshops of America. When General Wallace writes in his library, he sits in a low rocker writing on a lap-board which just fits across the square arms of the chair. The lap-board is covered with chamois to keep the paper from sliding off. It has often been intimated that some of Robert Ingersoll's words caused Wallace to write "Ben Hur." In conversation not long ago with one of our authors Wallace said, "No, Bob Ingersoll had nothing to do with 'Ben Hur,' but a little talk I had with him had considerable influence upon the story. I may say it caused me to change the whole plan and nature of it." The conversation was concerning God. Wallace asked ingersoll if there is a God, a heaven, a hell, a Jesus Christ, and he answered, "I don't know, do you?" This conversation set Wallace to thinking and to studying the Bible. As a result the General believed the Bible, and then re-wrote his book, "Ben Hur," changing it all but the first chapter. Although General Wallace had never been in Palestine he gives a good description of it. He studied maps and traced out all the trails over the mountains and led his characters over them. He also studied the bird and animal life of that time and place. The only mistake he made, he says, was mentioning the smoking of Vesuvius, which occurred four years later than he said it did. THE ACORN 9 PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S BIRTHDAY. October twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred four, was Theodore Roosevelt's forty-seventh birthday. Many letters, telegrams and floral pieces were sent as congratulations. He spent most of the day in his office. At luncheon several guests were present. The following is a list of some of his acts on his birthdays: Twenty-first At Harvard college. Twenty-second In Europe. Twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth,. twenty-sixth A member of New York State Legislature. Twenty-seventh On ranch in North Dakota. Twenty-eighth Writing the life of Governor Morris. Thirtieth Writing his "Winning of the West." Thirty-first Member National Civil Service Commission. Thirty-second Writing History of New York. Thirty-third to thirty-sixth Member Civil Service Commission. Thirty-seventh Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Fortieth Campaigning as candidate for governor of New York. Forty-first 44 to 47 Governor of New York. President of the United States. M. A. B. ATHLETIC NOTES. We heartily congratulate the University of Utah on the splendid record that it has made for itself this year in football. In defeating the leading teams of the states of Montana and Colorado, Utah takes a leading place among the Western States in athletic matters. The University excels not only in football, but also in track work, as it proved last year in contesting with Colorado, when some records were made which compare favorably with those of Eastern States. We hope that success will continue to crown the students' efforts in this direction, and that they may be able to make a still better showing this year. We thank the City Council for the privilege which they have again kindly granted us of using the Pavilion for our work in basket ball, and we would sugest that the students make better use of it. It is a self-evident fact that a school becomes widely and favorably known through the success it attains in athletics. There is not enough interest being manifested by the students to bring us the success we desire. We certainly cannot be successful if we do not have the support of the whole school. So far, a few students have been carrying the whole work. There is even less in terest among the ladies than among me boys. They should certainly show enthusiasm as they have to maintain the honor of holding the State Championship. Our team has held this place for some years, and the record must not be lost. Ladies, practice hard for the honor of the Academy. It looks as if the students are not only willing but anxious that the faculty should be the force behind our athletics. This is not right. The students should take the initiative and organize the student body and have a competent committee of those interested in athletics appointed to take charge of the work, and all the students should be ready to support them in any measure for the good of the school. Our class track meet on Field Day last year, although the first of its kind in the school, was a success. The students should see that the track meet this year may be even more successful. We have good material in the school, and we should have a team worthy of it. Now is the time to begin thinking and arranging for it.