Claymont High School - Clay Tablet Yearbook (Claymont, DE)

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In America he became identified with church sculpture and carved statutes for several large churches, among them St. Agatha's in Philadelphia. A statute of Witherspoon on the Witherspoon Building and one of William Penn on the Penn Mutual Insurance Building are among his works in Philadelphia. He did the carvings on the bannister in the Congres- sional Library in Washington. At eighty he can look back on a life filled with interesting experiences. 1 ESCAPE FROM EUCLID Marcia Sanders, 1938 LITTLE HENRY did not really have more trouble than any other person aboard the three masted schooner, Lord Warren, on the voyage from Ceylon. But at that time he was sure that he did. His mother's life must have been complicated enough, for she was in charge of her own five sons and six other children. Eleven children-on a voyage of three months and much of the time becalmed on the hot Indian Ocean! They were all missionaries' children, going to the States to aunts and uncles who could see to their educationsf' Charles, the eldest Alexander boy, wrote in his diary every day- Said our scripture verses and had tea. This creates a misleading impression. They were not such good, pious children as his diary indicated. They were real. Most of the passengers were either missionaries, or British Army officers and their families. When His Lordship missed the Trade Winds and it became evident that the ship might be becalmed indefinitely, the parents of the numerous children aboard the ship decided that the children should be engaged in an educational and profitable enterprise. This meant school! Henry's father was to teach the girls, an army officer, the boys. Mr. Alexander was a gentle man and a kindly teacher. Often good recitations were rewarded with stories. The Army officer, on the other hand, was a severe disciplinarian. He was a middle-aged, dyspeptic, egocentric person, sure that boys were offshoots of the devil and only to be held in check by the rigors of classical learning. Moreover, he was a bully, enjoying the petty dictatorship of his young charges. Now, Boggs, you will conjugate 'nolo,' present subjunctivef' Yes, sir. Nolim, nolis, nolit, nolimus, nolitis, nolint, Boggs responded brightly. Sit down, Alexander.-You, Charles! Translate Cicero for Archais. Section I, I. If. . . I have the ability . . . 0 jurors . . . I . . ., Charles started meekly. Sit down! Too slow! The glance of the man went to Henry, who sat quaking in his seat. Next we shall take geometry. Sanders ,... you, Henry! Have you succeeded in getting proposition one through your thick skull yet? No . . . N . . . No, sir!,' The seven-year-old grew paler as the steely eyes pierced through him. You dunce! What is the matter? I . . . I just can't see it, sir. It is illustrated in the book. Henry made no response. Is it not? Answer me! Have you no tongue? Must I use my strap? The low chuckle of the other boys grew into a loud laugh. And must I tell the rest of you again? Silence! Keep quiet! the red faced man shrieked at the class. Henry and the other little boys peered nervously over the tables in the improvised schoolroom. SandersMtake the same proposition for tomorrow . . . if you can see it, he added sarcastically. Henry did not say a word. The class continued. The boys were drilled in geometry,

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Marine Light Infantry, was killed in action in the Dardanelles on ltme 17. This clipping proved interesting so I decided to investigate. Mother told me that her brother, john William Dalton, joined the English Navy in September, IQI4 at the age of seventeen. He was attached to the Royal Marines, and after a strenuous training with older men was sent over seas on that fateful expedition to the Dardanelles. This engagement proved to be a great blunder on the part of the British Government, but the slogan of the British soldier and sailor is, Not to reason whyg theirs to do and die. For this reason he fought against terrible odds. Shells from Turkish guns were bursting all around, killing and mairning the brave troops as they attempted to force a landing on the peninsula of Gallipoli. We find Dalton among the landing party. During the thick of the fight the young marine was wounded, but despite his own suffering, he insisted on helping to carry his more unfortunate comrades to safety. Wliile performing this heroic task my uncle was struck by a shell and killed instantly. The comrades of john W'illiam Dalton laid him to rest by his buddies and marked his last resting place with a wooden cross. The fearlessness with which the European youth went to war was in one way a wonderful thing. VC'ith heart and soul they fought for the honor of their beloved country. The great loss of lives and the horrors connected with war have taught the American youth to glorify peace rather than war. AROUND THE WORLD WITH GRANDFATHER Robert Roberts, 1937 NE of the most interesting people I know is my grandfather. He was born in Silesia in 1357. His father made organs and pianos for the nobility. Their home in a border town was the scene of frequent scrimmage during the Austro-German War. Once, when he was ten years old an officer ordered the family to vacate before the advancing enemy. Xlllhen they had gone about a quarter of a mile, their house was destroyed by dynamite. The ravages of warfare are still imprinted on the mind of my grandfather. Although his father wanted him to be an organ maker, he was determined to study art. He traveled on foot to Vienna, at the time of the Wtmrld's Fair of 1973, and studied in one of the large ateliers for live years as apprentice under several famous artists of the time. For a number of years he traveled through Switzerland and France and lived in Paris. Later he continued his studies at Rome. Because he was anxious to see the inside of the Sistine Chapel, he made friends with one of the Vatican guards. One day he learned of the Spanish Pilgrimage to the Ghapelg so he grew a beard and purchased clothing like that of pilgrims. VVhen they arrived for the audience with the Pope, he mixed with them and was allowed to enter. This gave him the opportunity to view the paintings and sculptures he desired to see. During his stay in Italy the restoration of Pompeii and Herculaneuni was undertaken. The most intricate work of the restoration was intrusted to him. Before his eyes the old city came to life. He looks back on this as one of the most interesting experiences of his life. Another thrilling memory is that of the time he climbed Mount Vesuvius. Vi'hile investigating some formation inside the crater there was an erruption which nearly cost his life. In Spain he viewed and studied the Alhambra, in Egypt, the pyramids, and in Greece, the Parthenon. For a while he made his home in Palestine. In each case he lived with the people of the country and usually traveled on foot. He went to Germany surreptitiously in order to escape military training and lived there for a while. Dr. Abert Dulk, the philosopher, was his close friend. He returned to Paris for a short time and then went back to Germany where he married. Vfhen he was thirty-five years old, he came to America. He knew no English, though he could speak German and French and some Italian. For several dreary years he attempted to accustom himself to his new surroundings. Life here was different from the free and easy artist's life in the countries he had left where his art was an open sesame to homes of culture. St. Gaudin was among his intimates, and they had often worked together.

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then in Greek. Finally they were freed for the day-but not Henry. Even outside the schoolroom Henry was not happy. lf two triangles have two sides of the one equal to two sides of the other, each to each, but the angle contained by the two sides . . . oh, why must he learn it? It did not make sense. Then the vision would appear. Euclid, with a rectangular mouth full of pointed teeth, and fierce red eyes, holding in bony fingers two triangleshawful things-almost ghostlike. And Euclid was flaunting them before poor Henry's eyes. The vision haunted him always. The next morning the proposition was no clearer. Before long it was routine that Henry be called numskull. Each day the officer asked Henry if he knew the proposition, and each day poor, scared, little Henry said, No. One day an air of excitement reigned in the schoolroom. The master began his routine. But the tolerance of his young pupils was worn thin. At the first sarcastic remark, bedlam broke loose. The older boys, each armed with a short rope, leaped out of their seats. They rushed to the front of the room. They whipped the teacher. Frightened little Henry ran to the back of the room and hid in a huge coil of hemp. Every few minutes he peeped over the edge of the coil. The fight was almost a riot. The noise was deafening. Henry ducked down again. A shadow crossed the threshold. The Skipper. Avast there, me heartiesl What's up? he boomed. Before many minutes elapsed, order was restored. Henry peeped over the edge of the coil of rope. Calm! He eased out of it. He breathed a sigh of relief. No Euclid today, at least! But his respite was brief. The school was reorganized. The older boys were let out and each was meted out some task by the Skipper. But the younger boys had to return to the tutelage of the Army officer. Henry, alas, was a younger boy. The routine of calling Henry a numskull was resumed, and for long weeks Euclid again haunted Henry day and night. The Bible has something to say about pride going before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction. One day the school master decided to disobey the command that no one except the crew was to climb to the crow's nest. He was part way up when the sailors cut the ropes and left him dangling in mid-air. After several hours of hanging to the remaining ladder, the skipper sent aid to the now penitent Army officer. After this incident the schoolmaster lost caste. Everyone looked down upon him. But-the school continued. The days passed with the same old story until Henry, while racing around on the deck, fell and hurt his finger. lt was just a scratch, but it became infected. By this time, Henry's parents were aware of his horror of school. After his finger became infected, they agreed to his skipping the education for the rest of the journey. His finger did not bother him after the ship's doctor lanced it. Henry was a favorite among the grown-ups. All the kind ladies aboard the ship, gave him raisins from their private supplies. Nothing more was said to Henry about school, but whenever the schoolmaster passed by, the vision returned to Henry. Euclid, with the rectangular mouth full of pointed teeth, and fierce red eyes,-holding in bony fingers two triangles, awful things, almost ghostlike. And Euclid was flaunting them before poor Henry's eyes. Then came the morning when the lookout sang out, Land Ho! People scurried around taking care of last minute errands and tasks. Southampton was dead ahead! After the boat docked, Henry and Charles were permitted to go for a walk up and down the quay. As they walked toward the city, a tall man loomed in front of them. Henry and Charles humbly doffed their caps and said Good day, sir. Their greeting to their former schoolmaster was answered with a forbidding look. The boys turned and went toward the Lord Warren . After Henry climbed nimbly over the rail, he looked toward the city. The schoolmaster was gone-Euclid was dead.