Barstow High School - El Desierto Yearbook (Barstow, CA)

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I. ' 1 I ' I 1 1 1 lass Hzstory y 7 I It' had been a long hard day, I was tired and my mind refused to apply itself. to my E.I12li.Sh.Li'96Pa'tUPPQz-S64-I-le ed back in' my chair and ,closed my ieye's.,x Suddenly 'my mind leap e, two, three, and 'four years in my life. I beheld two shy half-aframi-rlsi, of about thirteen and fifteen slowly walking up' the steps of a two- storylresidelnce. They 'knocked at the door, but no one answered, 'they knocked again, and still no answer. After trying the other doors the younger sister, for they were sisters, turned to the other with a questioning look on her face and seemed to ask what they shouldedo. The older sister answered that they should wait a little while, as it was early and perhaps some one would come. Let me introduce these two, the first arrivals of the class of 1920, as Ruth and Dilla' Howe. I , Soon 'another girl opened thevgate and ascended the steps. Upon being told that the door was .locked she also set down and waited. She was one of the Chilson twins, Adella. She said that her sister Alice also .would enter as a Freshman that year. In about fifteen minutes a jolly girl named .Pauline Carter joined the waiting trio. She happened to know just where the professor, lVIr. Thomas, lived and told them something of shim. Soon Mr. Thomas arrived and after welcoming them, opened the house where they were to spend the first years of High School life. They then registered and upon reaching the porch again were greeted by a cheery-voiced woman, lvliss Paxton, one of the teachers, who had arrived in the meantime. The day I speak of was the fifteenth day of September in 1916. Our Freshman Class enrollment, when complete, numbered about twenty-seven. September twenty-fifth of the same year the Freshmen organized their class with lvir. Purviance as class teacher. They elected Burton Leak, president, Loretto lVIcCrary, vice-presi- dentg Floyd Haws, secretary, and Pauline Carter, treasurer. We chose purple and gold for .our class colors and the chrysanthemuni lor our class flower. ' September the twenty-ninth the rest of the students gave the Freshmen a reception and initiated us by making us jump into tubs of water, step over 'ditches of water, bumping our heads on the floor and at last making us bow to the Great Spirit and promise to be loyal to the school. That night we became full-fledged B. U. H. S. students. ' We were a lively bunch that year and on October the third' our class numbers, '20 appeared in very conspicuous spots on hills and water tanks. As fast as our rivals took them down we put them up again until they became tired and left them alone. Some of the class numerals still remain. Page Seventeen

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. 1 Yes, but who wants to ride at a snail 's pace on such aqfine. morning. Did you ever fsmell anything as good as this aiI ?'7' No, unless it was this morning about seven or seven-thirty? It was magnolious, but you-'? , A x . u 'fKEit,'when did you get that Word? , I - Wasn't it strange how he could think up something to say every time she ventured near the accident or his former attitude? But Mrs. Kitling was a wise little woman, and understanding then' nature of a man, she did not utter her thoughts aloud ,but hastened. to befriend her word. , Why, that word just expresses it, even if I did coin it myself, doesn't it?,' 1 I . '4Yes, I suppose it does. You might write a dictionary if you could remember to spell water with one 't, ' he responded, laugh- in l . ' ' ' gY'Maybe I can't spell so well, but the only thing I ever. drove into was- ' I c I p. A hotel, offered James. I guess we have arrived, Kit, he added as the truck pulled them into a garage.. . ' A Mrs. Kitling sat in the office and looked out-at the steady downfall of rain until, her husband and the proprietor .of the garage entered. , a ' . A ' f'How badly is the car damaged? asked, Jim- as they ap4 proached. - - g - h, I don't know exactly. You'll have to have a new radiator, fenders, front lights and hood at least, and perhaps some damage was done to the frame. ' Well, thought Mrs. Kitling, HI may have' caused a lot of trouble and I certainly have afforded my share. of amusement, but tHe who laughs last laughs best,' and I'm surely going to laugh, too! FREDERVICA DRESIE. 1, Q 10000000 'tCan anyone, Fritz, between us come? Floyd asked in accents tender. - HWell, quoth Leonard, behind the door, They'd have to be mighty slender. ooooooooo '- It was the ni ht before the first quart l J . Alb it Hill, Fred Gleasongxand others were in the stlidlfy elixalllfllousily Sli- gaged in wondering what was to become of them on the morrow, when Mr. Thomas entered and placed the examination program on the board. At the end he wrote, HConflicts Friday I-2:30. Albert looked at lt a minute, then turning to Fred said: HI know what that word 'conflict' means. We're going to have a basketball game with the Sophsf' , , Page Sixteen

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s P , ' The year 1917 came andthe Freshmen had another election'of officers. So, on February -the seventh, A Loretto McCrary was' elected president, John McCue, vice-president, Kate White, secre- tary, and Floyd Haws, treasurer. - A . . In the Sophomore year our number had been reduced from twenty-seven to fifteen, ten of Whom had entered the B. U. H. S. as Freshmen. Mrs. Prince held the honored position of class ad- viser and teacher. - m This year the class elected Raymond Richie president, Kate White vice-president, and Pauline Carter secretary-treasurer. One of the most memorable events of the year was a Christmas party which was given December the seventeenth. The small Joke gifts distributed were the cause of much merriment. Then came the tragedy of February twenty-second when-our beloved school was consumed by fire. For the remainder of the year we migrated between the dormitory and churches. Again there was a sad falling off of our numbers, Ruth Howe embarked upon the sea of matrimonyg William McDonald, leftschool during Christmas vacation to work at home, Esther Rfedfern moved to Bakersfield, Ray Richie started to work in a 'garage in Fresno, Kate White and Ruth Loomis went to Los Angeles, one to attend business college and the other the new Franklin High School. As Juniors we numbered five, three of us being of the original twenty-seven. Elizabeth Smith joined the class, coming from' Chi- cago, and Herbert Johnson also joined our number at Christmas, coming from South Pasadena Seminary. On October fifth we helped to initiate the Freshmen and I think they will tell you we made a good job of it. ' October nineteenth our school was closed on account of the Flu, but opened December thirtieth in our wonderful new- High School building. This was a red letter day in our history. While school was closed our class was saddened with the passing onto the Land Beyond of two of our number, Raymond Richie, Novemf ber twenty-third, and Ruth CHoweJ Johnson, December first, 1918. We Juniors. shared in the Senior Commencement festivities when, on May sixteenth, the Senior and Junior Classes were enter- tained in Apartment 20 by Miss Paxton and Mrs. Brass. As Seniors we numbered three until Christmas, Rfuth Comp- ton, Dilla Howe and Bessie Hill. Then Bessie left us and now we are two. Pauline Carter is attending the High School at Berkeley. -Soon after Christmas vacation we appeared with our class pins, having presented one to our class teacher, Miss McNeese. Many are the.class meetings and events that take place as the time for graduation approaches. April twenty-eighth the Domestic Sclence Department of our High School gave a luncheon in honor of the Seniors and their guests. On May the second we had our pictures taken for the Annual. - It is with mingled feelings of regret and pleasure that we look Page Eighteen