Benton Township High School - Scarab Yearbook (Benton, IL)

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Junior Class Prophecy One sweetly solemn night, ns I lay sleeping, n personage bearing the like • ness of Miss Kerns, our class advisor, appeared to me and spoke in a solemn voice: 1 am a spirit sent to reveal the futures of your fellow Juniors five years hence. Arise and follow me.” By no power of my own 1 was immediately placed in a large theater in the midst of New York. This was filled with the wealthy and prominent residents and imagine my surprise when I saw our President. Karl Seeber. a rising and influential lawyer, in a box a short distance away. When the performance began I recognized with astonishment Eugenia Campbell and Elizabeth Jackson, the starring characters in the ' Follies'' playing under the names of Luella Nightengale and Viola Buttercup respectively. Suddenly 1 was removed from this scene and found myself in a mammoth department store owned and operated by Jarvis Johnson and Willie Carter and here I beheld Ruth Joplin posing as a model in the ladies’ department and Helen Parkhill as head saleswoman. Next I was taken swiftly through the air and upon seeing a cozy looking farmhouse we stopped to peep in, and behold! there sat Frank Quillman and his spouse by the fire and Frank was complacently reading Spencer aloud. We then paid a visit to old Benton High and there a very dignified Junior-Senior reception was in progress, while the Principal, Prof. Don Harris, and Assistant Principal, Robert Dillon, maintained order and attempted to keep a benignant and solemn expression upon their faces. Miss Nelia McAdoo, Domestic Science teacher, and Elvira Galvin, instructor in English, seemed to enjoy themselves exceedingly and Richard Dillon, instructor in Science, exhibited a finger picked up off the railroad track during a botanical expedition. This scene quickly faded and 1 found myself before a theater in Chicago. We perceived upon the huge posters the announcement of a concert to be given by Monsieur Houk, famous pianist, and Madamoiselle Burgess, noted violinist. How I craved to tarry awhile and drink in the inspiration of their music but my guiding spirit urged me on. We next found ourselves in Washington, D. C., and were just in time to see Carroll Moore stranded on a deserted street making appropriate remarks to a balked limousine “Lizzie”. The Honorable Carroll was now a rising young Congressman. We next passed a small hamlet in the Ozark Mountains and through the windows of the village church we saw the Reverend James Crisp, beloved leader of his flock, poring over ancient philosophical works and preparing an uplifting sermon on “The Worldly Temptations of Today”. 29

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Junior Class History Yes, when we came to B. II. S. on September 3, 191 f . we were, as usual, shy ami afraid. We pot in everyone's way. so we wisely went in the assembly and sal down until Mr. Monk dismissed us for the day. Our class was the largest class that had ever entered the Benton High School. 81 of us. We held our first class meeting in the gym, where we elected Eugenia Campbell as our president; Norma Silkwood, treasurer; I.eora Seeher. secretary, and Miss Chesta Mitchell, our class advisor. As far as officers were concerned, we thought we had started on the right path. The only social events were a Robin Hood party at Hamilton’s Lake, where we entertained ourselves. In our Sophomore year we started by electing new officers: Charles Burkett, president: Jim Crisp, vice-president; N'elia McAdoo. secretary and treasurer, and Miss Mitchell agreed to lead us. During our Sophomore year some of the hoys made a fine showing in athletics; in football three of them made the all-star Southern Illinois team, and four of them played in the basketball tournament. We started in to have a grand time at the beginning of school. The second week of school we had a chicken fry and invited the faculty. Mr. Kell showed his ability at boiling water in a bucket with the lid on tight; this catastrophe was small compared to the things that happened on the way home. The Juniors entertained us at a spook party on Hallowe’en at the High School gym, where we all spent one of the most enjoyable evenings of the year. The 'Fresh-Sophs’ Valentine party was also a howling success, especially ’’the bean bag game that Mr. Houk enjoyed so much. Last came the long-looked-for Soph-Senior reception that had been the talk among the Sophs since the first of September. Since tt was in the spring, we decided to give a Bluebird party. Everyone had a grand time, especially the Senior boys, who spent most of the time singing upstairs. Mr. Houk admired us so much that he permitted us a whole day's leave from'school to go to Fern Cliff on a picnic, but as the train preferred not to go at the right lime, our picnic ended at Hamilton’s Lake. This ended our good times during our Sophomore year, as there were only five more days until school closed. We started our Junior year feeling very important, because before this we had been bossed, and now we felt almost as important as the Seniors. So many new pupils were entering school this year that we were allowed to sit in the Seniors' seats. Some of our classmates deserted us; there were only 44 going into the Senior class, some preferring to be Sophomores again. At our first class meeting, which we held without a teacher being present, we elected Earl Seeber, president; Willie Carter, vice-president; Nella McAdoo. treasurer; Leora Seeber. secretary, and Miss Kerns for our class advisor. This year we only had settled down when the tlu” came and school was dismissed. After six weeks of staying at homo and everyone having the ' flu, we came back to school, afraid to sneeze or cough. We paid our debt to the Sophs this year by entertaining them on the night of January 10. and it was so cold in the building that we had to keep on our coats. Mr. Houk was very generous and let us dance, an unheard-of thing at B. T. H. S. The rest of the High School will have to admit they could not do without the Junior class, because three of our boys have again made the first team in basketball. At the t9urnament they played fine, but fate seemed against them. The annual Junior-Senior reception was pulled off on St. Patrick’s day. March 17 The refreshments and decorations were all carried out in green. Five of the Freshman girls—Fay Neal, Lolita Morgan. Ruby Taylor. Blanche Dollins and Ruby Quill-man—served for us. 28

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Junior Class Prophecy- Continued W’c passed through a middle-sized town and on the door of n brick apartment we saw the sign. ''Cecil McClintock and Nellie Neal, expert typists.” We saw a light gray runabout speeding down the street and 1 recognized Doctor F. C. Harris and his competent nurse. Miss Loom Sccbcr, rushing to the bedside of some distressed patient. We followed the pair and finally came to the residence of Miss Pearl Neal and Pauline Odom. We found Miss Odom feeling rather indisposed, having consumed too many chocolates for her benefit and A iss Neal, who wrote Advice to the Lovelorn” in a prominent daily, terribly anxious for fear that dear Pauline would not be able to pose for that nice young artist. Marion Moore. Soon we arrived at a movie studio and saw Miss Lena Pyle alias Polka Dot Dimple staging her latest production with Harry Vise as her leading man and Jake Kirsh as director. We saw a sign outside a professionally looking suite of rooms which read. Madame Hamilton and Madame McAdoo, Competent Beauty Doctors. Come in and let us remove any embarrassing facial defects. At a news stand the spirit left me a moment and returned with a late popular magazine in her hand. In one corner of the illustration on its back I recognized the signature of Gene Martin who had become a popular illustrator, whose work was eagerly sought. Then the clock in the tower chimed four. The chickens began to cackle and crow and the spirit vanished. I awoke and found it was a dream. Try as I might 1 could not sleep again and have the future of the remaining Juniors revealed to me. But here's to the Junior Class! May each Junior be as fortunate and prosperous as has been set down, and may each one serve his Senior year with faculties unimpaired. 30