Central High School - Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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maldng an excellent swimming-pool, in which we could cool off before entering upon our daily struggle for knowledge. .,,mZZ.,jw1r 7 'M '. 11 I ' A 7 .5 f 3.:1:g-:- - '55, ,.-f- - gg.. a ' - 4 L - 1 ,,. 5' -:- :I ,-3 -as v 3 Ei,-'Q An excellent swimming poolf' 'Before we could realize it the spring sports were over, and examina- tions were upon us. We managed to scrape through them, and to enjoy our vacation in the thought that we would be Sophomores next year, and could tyrannize over those little Freshmen. We could hardly wait for the vacation to end, but the first day of school slowly approached, and the eighth of September found us Qwise assesj back at Broad and Green. There were some important changes both in the roster and in the rules. That hour, called on the roster study hour was abolished. Why it was designated by that name I know not, as study was the only thing we were not guilty of doing. We debated, played games, and often the monotony of the hour was relieved by a short talk on Marble Steps, by Dr. Oscar Carter. The benent we derived from this hour was great, and its loss was felt throughout the school. Throwing, a favorite pastime indulged in by the Whole school, even by the professors, who threw us out of the room occasionally, was strictly prohibited. The famous historian Prescott had his eye put out by a crust of bread thrown by one of his friends, so any boy caught throwing one of Mamma Huttenlock's cinnamon buns, or even a feather pillow, was dealt with severelyif Our class was divided into two branches, one was introduced to Greek and Samuel Berger, the other to German and Max Straube. We met Prof. Hopper professionally for the iirst time, and learnt how to clean the boards with a sponge and pitcher of water. I remember Albert Miller took great pleasure in lettering his figures M-A-T-T-I-E. ' Copyrighted by R. E. Thompson. 2 3

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too great a sacrifice to allow them to make. An advertisement was put in the New York Journal, and the next day a cablegram was received from the Emerald Isle from a certain Mr. Thompson, of Scotch-Irish descent, stating that he would be willing to accept the position. Find- ing his character to be all right, they sent him word to come on at once. In a week he arrived, and passed through Quarantine with little diffi- culty, but was held by the immigrant official as he had no visible means of support. But he showed them his book on political economy, and they let him through. He came to the school next day, and the verdict of the fellows was, Hefs easy. We have grown wiser. About this time Prof. Houston left us with nothing to remind us of him but a ive-cent chromo with his autograph, which we passed off on the ice-cream man for three-centts worth of frozen bacilli. His position was filled by Benjamin Franklin Lacy. No! he isn't of blue blood. He is a brother of Ernest Lacy, the playright and lyric poet fcontemporary with Wm. Shakespearej. It seems that there was a general sweeping out of the faculty that year, for Chester Nye Farr was oiered the position of assistant errand-boy to the City Solicitor, and deciding that that was more profitable than teaching historical English, he sent in his resigna- tion. We were sorry to lose such a sporty professor, and presented him with a life-size portrait of the class. At our recommendation Dr. John Duncan Spaeth, A.M., Ph.D. QLeipsicj was appointed to his place, and we are certainly proud of our protege. The Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia from Chicago, and we were visited by a delegation of citizens, asking us to escort the bell to the State-house. We marched through the city to the great delight of the populace, and were given hot coffee by the business men. While passing the councilmen we sang We want a new High School. They were so impressed by our manly grace and beauty, that right there and then they decided to grant our request. The next morning we received a check sufficient to dig the cellar of the new High School. The site at the southwest corner of Broad and Green Streets was purchased, and one ine Saturday Prof. Thompson broke the sod. We have that piece of clay carefully preserved in a glass case in the library of the school, and from it is springing the beautiful new structure. It will be in full bloom, we hope, in time for our grand-children to have the honor of being the first class to graduate from it. A We received some benefit from it, however. The cellar had scarcely been dug when a severe rainstorm occurred, which .filled it with water, 22

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We also took up the study of elocution with Prof. Ernest Lacy. He is the only member of the faculty who allows speaking in the class-room. Berman made a fearful slip when he spoke 'f Bingem on a Rinej' and f ,- .Wf Q -f XXg ii, l l fi , ' mi' ,v 1,5 M , 'w . 1 H Bmyrn on a. MN-9 Sharp's piece entitled, Let us have a pause, was so ine that he, neg- lecting the warning of the title, spoke it iive times during the year. The stirring words of Curfew shall not ring to-night, as pronounced by the boy orator, Biggerstai, still ring in our ears. We had the pleasure of being initiated into Prof. Snyderis lectures on Mechanics, and watching him roll marbles down an incline plane. afz-lpl1lllQiWw- -, ,v,!J'., L5Rb NW 'WU ,-,Whit-'lilbli .Q ly, 'i-Ilxlilffkll S., 1 1-'fw.,.'r :ll,,!E.Tr ., ww' ,HM 1 'f'3,-ii. will -llf ffQr He also experimented with an instrument which looked like a stock- broker's ticker elevated on a bean-pole. The applause he received was enormous, and caused the other professors to turn green with envy, for it fairly' raised the dust from the iioor. Prof. Smyth taught us American literature. He is a wonderful man, and surprised us greatly with his knowledge of the lives of authors and the names of their relations. When an authoris name was mentioned he would tell all his aunts, uncles, and cousins to the iifty- second, and whom they married and their relations, and would trace his . 2 4