Eau Claire High School - Beaver Tales Yearbook (Eau Claire, MI)

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ORATION “The Heroes of Tomorrow Men, when thinking of heroes, usually recall the turmoils and dangers of war. They hear the word and it brings before their eyes visions of battlefields clouded with cannon smoke, of sol- diers charging upon the enemy. They look back with a glowing recollection of patriotism upon the men who, bootless and half famished, faced white winter at Valley Forge without a murmur of complaint. “Ah, they were heroes,’’ men exclaim with breathless enthus- iasm. Yes—they were heroes, and yet there will be countless numbers to follow their steps on tomorrow. Among them will be our friends that will fall on the battlefield; the martyrs to the cause of our country who, in obedience to the call, oppose their breasts to the sword of the enemy, and repay with life the pro- tection the country has afforded. But there will also be heroes who never viewed a field of battle or heard the thunder of a cannonade. They will be heroes of peace, striving to bring human beings to happiness for which God made them; awakening them to some moral good. They will strive to raise men above the crushing necessities of body by turning them to the grand, kindling purpose of their being. They will show them that the fountain of all human happiness is within them, and this fountain may be opened alike to every soul. They will show men how much virtue and peace they may gain by their fidelity to their domestic relations; how much progress they will make by devout and resolute use of their opportunities; how beneficent an influence they may exert in their narrow spheres; what heroism may be exercised amidst privations and pains; how much suffering may be turned into glory, and mark you, these men will not be thinking of playing the part of a hero but they will go on, unpretending, unassuming without prospects of reward, amidst perplexities, difficulties, ridicule and despair. Among these heroes of tomorrow will be the man of universal peace, who scorns all meanness and defies all peril, hears in his own conscience a voice louder than threatenings and thunders,

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CLASS POEM I can do most anything; Bake the pancakes, till the loam, But it’s pretty hard to bring All your thoughts into a po(e)m. My subject is the Senior class And shortly will 1 tell That we are all as smooth as glass, For we must several annuals sell. Ed. Bakeman is that smiling lad, And husky too is he; You never find him feeling bad, But happy as can be. G. Birkholm, tall, lank and thin So full of ready jokes. You cannot help but laugh at him, When he says “Holy Smokes.” C. Bishop is a Senior too, Right there both soon and late, And all that he can find to do Is talk in the Lib. (library) with Kate. L. Clark is president of the class, The choicest Pick (ey) of all; You’ll either find him at the glass Or “over at the hall.” It’s quite important that I speak Of Kenneth Clawson here; The only secret he can keep Is of his little dear. A. Crandall is our modest one And always quite the same, For when you want a favor done She usually can find time. Let’s give a cheer for this one too, And let us all shake hands. For we will kindly share with you. This Senior boy Paul Franz. Max is also in our bunch. A right good fellow too. And ever waiting for the hunch To make his person true. Next on the list is Ardella fair. We sometimes call her “Sweet;” You know she has that neat little air And such little, dainty feet. Now comes Ivan, the business man, Who sells the school supplies; Pencils and paper, he has on hand, All colors, shapes and size. It’s quite important that we had To go with the school machine, This tail, good-natured, quiet lad— This Senior boy Eugene. Peggie is the pride of all, The object of every eye. Arguing with her you’re sure to fall, And Oh! I wonder why. Last but not least, is little me, So, kind, so brave, so good. And I wisn you all could see What I could do if I would. MURL R. MOMANY

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withstands all powers of the universe which would sever him from the cause of righteousness, reposes an unfaltering trust in God in the darkest hour and is ever “ready to be offered up” on the altar of mankind. Yes, tomorrow will be different from today, the heroic sufferer for principle and generous affection will win the love of all uncor- rupted hearts. Nor will tomorrow’s heroes be found only in con- spicuous places. Indeed, the time is fast coming when heroism will be common among the multitude, whose names are never heard, whose heroism is never told except through the deeds which live after them. Among common people will be found more hardships borne manfully, more of unvarnished truth, more of religious trust, more of that generosity which gives what the giver needs himself, and more of a wise estimate of life and death than among the more prosperous. Yes, the time is drawing near when the greatest heroes will be found among the multitude who daily face the problems of life and have to struggle for a scant existence in the world of plenty, but choose the right with invin- cible resolution, resist the sorest temptation from within and without; who are calmest in stoims, and most fearless under men- ace and frowns; whose reliance on virtue, on earth, on God is most unfaltering. Even today some of the most heroic deeds on earth are done in silent spirit, the loftiest purposes cherished, the most generous sacrifices made, and we do not suspect it. Let us then face the future with hope and courage. New problems, new questions will confront and vex us. It may be that prosperity will make us hard hearted, that power will make us egotistical. It may be that our industrial problems will be- come greater than ever before; that intemperance will strive to conquer new territory; that our social system will begin to quake —all those and more than those may demand attention. But whatever may befall us, let us be of good cheer for on tomorrow Providence will raise up new heroes ready to fight the battles of righteousness and to defend virtue, honesty and truth. Let us therefore remember the beautiful words of Josh Billings, “Hero- ism is simple, and yet it is rare. Every one who does the best he can is a hero.” ED. W. BAKEMAN ’19