Central High School - Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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descent down to Adam from each one of his works. He also knows the tone of voice of every character in Shakespeare's plays, and reproduces them remarkably well, especially the fools. There is one thing We pride ourselves on. We broke Prof. Shock of a very bad habit. Whenever we made too much noise, he would yell in a volcanic voice, You boys hear, but you do not heed. N ow this was a beautiful thought, but when repeated 6255115 times it became a source of amusement. We decided that something would have to be done to stop it, so every time he uttered it we applauded. The reverend gentleman saw that at last we appreciated the remark, and as this was all he wanted, we have not heard it since. I must leave the old building for a moment, and turn to the new to describe the importantevent of the laying of the corner-stone. We were arranged in military order outside of the school, and with colors fiying marched across the street. There we stood around the stone, and passed the time before the ceremony by singing songs, fighting, and christening the stone with our wet ingers. A tinbox was first put into a receptacle cut in the stone. In this box was placed a Puck, Judge, I tem, Canadian ten-cent piece, and a Huttenlock mincepie. Another stone was then put on this one to prevent the pie from walking oi. Then Governor Pattison and Dr. Thompson delivered addresses, which were too low to be heard, and becoming tired of deaf and dumb movements, we left for our respective homes, that is the few who didnit go to Wanamaker's to- shop. The Mirror run by the Senior Class was raised from 5 cents to 10 cents a copy, which was quite beyond our means, so several of our en- terprising boys, among whom was Wetherill, of course-for what scheme could get along without 'his aid? it--started a rival paper with the patriotic title of the Crimson and Gold. It was a great success, and was considered the finest paper ever edited by the school. The Mirror staff were compelled to walk to school, and deprive themselves of the luxury of lunch through the lack of funds. But suddenly this '97 paper disappeared as mysteriously as it sprang up, and it has never been heard from since. The loss of these manuscripts is parallel with the loss of the Shakespearean ones, and I am sure will be felt equally as much by posterity. Military training was proposed for the school, and we had visions of blue suits and brass buttons. It even went so far that a company was formed. But the project fell through, and we had to give up the idea of escorting the girls to school in full-dress uniform. ' From My Diary. 25

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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

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There was a change in the marking system this year. Instead of numbers our standing was designated by the letters E, G, F, I, and D. Hirzel's explanation of the change is that the former method required the use of arithmetic too hard for the faculty to work out, and as they are acquaintedwith the A, B, Cis, the new system was adopted. All students who did good Work during the year or managed to pull the Prof's leg, were exempt from examination? Some of us were exempt by the former methodg most of us by the latter, and the few who had to take examinations passed, and we separated for the summer one grade higher in the rank of the school. We all turned up in the fall, and entered upon our third year of college life. We received a visitor in the shape of a gas-engine, which settled itself in a corner of the lunch-room, to the great annoyance of the puff doughnuts. It was under the special care and protection of Prof. Snyder 3 and a boy in the shape of Dr. Haney was purchased to run it. It made so much noise when in operation that it turned the milk sour, and was objected to on this account, but at our suggestion it was retained. We were all taught how to run it, some of us even how to stop it. It was also used to run a lantern, so that we would not be com- pelled to strain our imagination in endeavoring to make out the illus- trations the professors drew on the boards. It would save a great deal of trouble and prevent many ducks J' Q05 if the lantern were used in Profs. Hopper and Schock's rooms to illustrate geometric problems. A very disagreeable feature was removed from the school proper. There was not enough room in the building for the Freshmen and other quarters had to be provided. The carriage factory was thought to be next in rank to a stable, so into one they were stored. The factory was separated from the main building by two churches, so their innocent thoughts were prevented from contaminating the rest of us. They liked their quarters very much, and the only thing they missed was our valuable assistance when they encountered lessons too difficult for them to master and for their instructors to explain. Great pleasure was adorded on both sides by the meeting of our class with Bernard Maurice fBarneyj, formerly of the Naval Academe at Annapolis. His father received the cross of the Legion of Honor from Cmsar or Napoleon QI forget whichj. His watch-chain was also his father's. He smokes cigars. He didn't teach by the natural method, and he lectured on the Philosophy of Book-keeping at the summer school at Avalon. The above facts we were compelled to memorize before graduating. .He was a very agreeable man, with whom we 'F See Rules and Regulations. ' ' 2 6