East High School - Redjacket Yearbook (Pawtucket, RI)

Page 12 text:

10 Pawtucket High School Class Book—1918. musical tastes of the class. This was the installation of a Victrola in the typewriting room. This was greatly appreciated, especially by a certain junior during finger practice, who tried to dance a tango with startling results. Ours was a courageous class as was soon to he proved, since nearly one-third of our rank-ventured to explore the unknown regions on the top floor; namely, the Physics Laboratory. Those martyrs of knowledge, who braved the terrors of Cicero were a source of envy to us more timid ones who still found it extremely difficult to remember that reflexive verbs were always conjugated with “etre. February came bringing with it our annual Junior Dance. This was a splendid success both socially and financially—without a doubt the best ever held in the history of the school. The Juniors were not behind in athletics either, for the three teams football, baseball and track were made up mostly of members from our class. In dramatics the Juniors showed remarkable talent and one of the finest stars the school stage has ever known made his name in his Junior year. Those of us who have seen our class president act will realize that he is a future E. H. Sothern. In April, the school was favored by a lecture on the Great Northwest, by Rev. M. Porter whp is now preaching at the Unitarian Church. Wellesley Hills, and later, a lecture by Major Stiness of Battery A. Most of the boys in cur class were under age to answer the country's call to enlist, but several of our members answered the call to the splendid work of farming during ths summer for the government. At last, June came, and the class of 1917 moved out leaving us the title of Seniors—the honor we had striven for during the past three years. The one sad event in our school year was the death of one of the best liked members ot our class, John Oral Hopkins, the first in the school to give his life for freedom. Long before America entered the war. he felt the call to go. and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regi- ment. September, 1916. From Canada he was shipped to England where he spent some months in training, was then transferred to France, and in a short time was at the front. It was in the battle of Yimy Ridge that he received the wounds from which he died shortly after in the Fourth Canadian Hospital. He is buried in Ecoives Military Cemetery near Mount St. Elry, France. This letter written by a comrade, tells us of his bravery and the respect of his company for him. Dear Sir: With regard to your son, John O. Hopkins, I was near him when he was hit on April 9. 1917. and I dressed him and then tried to get him away to the Dressing Station, but could not for lack of men. He did get out of the line, however, and is down on the records as dead of wounds in the Fourth Canadian Field I Iospital. I remember the lad’s brave words while I was dresing him, and how I tried to get him out of danger. 1 shall never forget these words of his, “I should like to have gone through with it, and again, “Never mind me, go on dressing the others.” I have no fear about the future of John O. Hopkins, his memory to me will always be like a sacrament--- His words and the remembrance of him. make me feel honored in being priviledged to attend to him. Truly his life was given for others. He is an honor to the American nation, for. “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Surely this letter should make us feel proud to claim John Oral Hopkins as one of our members. His brave death for his country should make the class of 1918 proud to cherish his memory thru life. In later years when this terrible war is over and we look back over our high school years, we shall think of John Oral Hopkins as being the first in the school and the first in our class to give his life that this nation might live. The summer months soon drifted by and once again we found ourselves within the por-

Page 11 text:

Pawtucket High School Class Book—1918. 9 things. One thing which especially pleased us was that the authorities had with great wisdom excluded from the presence of their betters those green, ignorant, pestiferous creatures, the freshmen. In the following month we found our new studies somewhat more difficult than those of the previous year, but after that we took them as a matter of course, along with the other necessary evils, among which we included pink slips and the permanent list—the well filled “roll of honor.’’ All this time a sectional spirit had been growing up among us. Those of us who studied French and German took pleasure in invading each other's territory, and in a shower of chalk and erasers many a fierce German invasion and many a wild counter attack was pushed in to the enemy’s country. However, in spite of all the conflict, good nature reigned supreme, the members of the two factions gained increased respect for their opponents. This was the beginning of a new feeling of class unity which grew more intense as time passed. In December an important event occurred. This was the arrival of our class pins, which were greeted with delight, and worn by the proud members of the class on the most conspicuous part of their apparel. The rest of the year was filled with the usual round of school affairs—debating, dramatics, athletics, and last but perhaps not least, studies. In all these various activities the class of 1918 took its part, and if that part was sometimes a minor one. that was because the class was “learning the ropes , and was fitting itself, by observation and experience for a more important part. The organization of the class, and the class elections took place in June. The organization, which was only an outward manifestation of the feeling of unity which had been growing during the year, was the last event of importance in the sophomore year, and when vacation time came, we all departed with a cheerful an revoir. We all felt that we had had a profitable, and what was perhaps more important to us, an enjoyable year. After another summer of anxious waiting, we returned to the old school. During the summer a marvelous change had been taking place. The superactive, boisterous sophomores of the previous year had disappeared, and in their places were the newly created juniors, dignified, quiet ( ! I and responsible. And well might we be so. for were we not to succeed the class of 1917 in their position of leaders of the school? So, with this thought in mind, we took our places in the school. We observed that there were sophomores in the school, but we paid no attention to the children. We found that the senior regarded us with more respect titan formerly. On the other hand, their dignity did not impress us as it had during the preceding year, and we soon found friends among their number. We were quite pleased with our surroundings; in fact, we would have been entirely satisfied if it had not been for an unheard of indignity which was imposed upon us by the authorities. Impossible as it may seem, they had actually dared to permit those unsophisticated infants, the freshmen, to use our desks in the afternoon session, and to leave their A B C books in them. Protests were of no avail, and we so endured it with as much patience as was possible under the circumstances. Later in the year, however, rumors were whispered about that certain juniors had been detected in the act of writing notes to the afternoon feminine occupants of their desks. These rumors were treated with deserved scorn. Many improvements were installed during the year, but lack of space allows us to mention only two of the most important of ,l e.n. One was the abandonment of the permanent list on account of insufficient accomodation. The entire class, shed bitter tears at the departure of such an old and beloved (?) friend, but grew much less sad when it discovered that the kind teachers could still hold quite large pink slip parties after school hours. Another improvement was a concession to the

Page 13 text:

I’AwrrcKET High School Class Book—1918. 11 tills of our Alma Mater. Our ranks were somewhat smaller than when we left in June, but that made the rest of us all the more anxious to make a splendid success of our Senior year. The stenography pupils began to assume the aspect of real business people, hurrying to and fro with their numerous ledgers and papers. They had become very ambitious too-it was just an ordinary thing in their daily lives to typewrite seventy-five words a minute. The chemistry pupils had become so reckless that they were a source of fear to all concerned. One of the fair sex went so far as to spill several bottles of acid on the door just to see how it would act. It acted surprisingly on her arms and dress, much to her dismay. It was the means of procuring her a new dress, however, so it wasn't so bad after all. In the middle of the year the Seniors surprised their teachers and friends bv organizing a Freak Day. It was a freak day. too. No one would have imagined that the class of 1918 could make such a showing. The faculty received an unpleasant surprise that morniing when the entire Senior class hold and confident invaded the sacred halls, but were quickly herded into a couple of rooms, and so isolated from the remainder of the school. The most unfortunate part of our punishment was our being forced to fast until noon. The athletics of the school were very successful, especially the track team, which during all its sieges emerged with innumerable laurels gained mostly by members of our class. As far as Dramatics were concerned the Senior clas's certainly showed remarkable talent and under the able direction of Mr. Wade, had an unusually successful year. The president of the dramatic society. Miss Driscoll, has proved herself to be the best actress in the school and those who saw her in Op ’O My Thumb and “What Happened to Jones”, were delighted with her exceptionally clever acting. Corcoran of course, is a genius, being able to keep his audience in tears one minute and in gales of laughter the next. In “What Happened to Jones and “Nance Oldfield his audience was fairly carried away with him. Devoe, that clever commedian who holds his audience from the beginning of the play to the end by his clever versatility, and original humor. is a second Al. Jolson. His clevter acting in “The Garroters and “What Happened to Jones, has made him famous. In the course of the year, the school was favored by many interesting lectures about the war. or affairs connected closely with it. Col. II. Anthony Dyer gave us an interesting lecture on Food Conservation,” later, Assistant I’ost Master Charles I’. McAlevy lectured on “Thrift Stamps , and Miss M. Josephine Mo-roney spoke to the girls on the work of the Red Cross. Lieut. Homer D. Mitchell of the Irish Rifles, a graduate of the school in 1910, gave us a brief speech about “Our duty to France. Miss Mary Boyle O’Reilly spoke to us of her war experiences. Miss O'Reilly was with Edith Cavell in Belgium and was at one time a prisoner in Germany. Very soon the time to prepare for commencement came. As a patriotic duty the class decided to eliminate the class banquet. It was also voted that the class erect a bronze tablet in memory of John Oral Hopkins. During the past four years, we, the class of nineteen hundred and eighteen have striven our utmost to give our very best to our teachers, and to take in return that which will make our lives happier, and more prosperous. And when we emerge into a new and more serious phase of life. we. inspired with a new vision born of our high school career, shall continue to push forward and upward, whether in office. trench, college, or home. The higher things of life will always be our aim, and ringing in our ears will be these memorable words of Columbus. Sail on. sail on. and on. Margaret Mary Hughes. Eugene Roscoe Conary.