Falls City High School - Orange and Black Yearbook (Falls City, NE)

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ropolitan tonight.” Then on another bill-board appeared “Madame Lovelace Henderson, the wonderful and talented musician, will appear for the first time in America with Madamoiselle Halbert at the Metropolitan. Oh! I saw the most pitiful sight, a woman in deep mourning probably mourning her husband’s death. Then someone whispered I was mistaken, for t’was only a fair bride, whose name was once Maude Reese, weeping the loss of her pet cat. On a crowded corner were some Salvation Army officers conducting their meeting. I recognized Visna Rieger as the president and manager. She and Ted Mosiman conducted the musical part of the street performances, while Louise Roth preached and converted sinners. Jennie Pearle told me of Pete McManus, the eminent physician and surgeon at the head of Falls City Lutheran Hospital, whose prominence even exceeded that of Mayo Brothers. We then took a plane and went down to what was once Hinton’s Park, where we always had all of our F. C. H. S. picnics. It was no longer a park but a huge motion picture studio. It was very successful and produced many pictures a year—the Nemeha's beautiful scenery was used to gieat advantage. I was presented to the manager and when 1 heard the name Sheehan I asked him if he knew George, who was an old classmate of mine. He began to laugh and I realized it must be he to whom I was speaking. He had changed wonderfully from the boy whom I knew in school. He told me that after managing the Senior play “Esmeralda” so successfully in 1919. that he was offered several positions and finally had gone into the business and had risen to the top at once. He spoke of Hammond, and I remembered seeing him several years previous as the matinee idol of Paris. George said Ralph had left the stage to produce motion pictures. We returned in our plane and 1 was horrified to see my old friend. Janice Bowers, a woman of strong mind strong will and stronger temper, lecturing in the crowded Pag Thirty-one oitw n: t v mack, iuisjuiu auditorium on a strong subject—an old maid, demonstrating her independence of man. I felt I must be getting on with my journey so we got out at the Union Station. While I was waiting for my plane. I saw a very beautiful young lady in a blue uniform, crying at the top of her voice, “Peanuts, pop-corn, chewing-gum.” Imagine my surprise to see Edith Heaston, because my last news of her had been of her marriage in Ix s Angeles to a multi-millionaire of some three score years and ten. We talked for only a few moments because I had to take my plane. We stopped in Straus-ville. a very prosperous city, and I saw Leon Shaw, who was proprietor of an up-to-date candy kitchen there. My plane carried me over many towns and villages, rivers and mountains and soon I found myself gazing upon a plain of wilderness and vatness where Mary Merritt—a pioneer was riding bare-back over the broad spaces and writing novels in her leisure hours. Going farther, I saw John A. Cameron, a cowboy in the wilds of the wooly-west, of great and wonderful bravery and physical endurance, feeding upon the very husks that cows won’t eat and even upon Frances’ biscuits, when he was feeling especially well. I stopped in a large city at the studio of Charles Nutter, who was fast becoming America’s foremost artist. Hut it is not surprising when his picture were inspired by his beautiful titian-haired model. Laurena Rieschick. Near by was the office of Professor Cox, the poet who had formed the new meter. I learned that his bust was in Westminster Abbey in the American group of honored literary men. I found Vera McKinney very much in love with Somebody or other, in someplace or other, and she was even tempted to think about getting married. I saw Miss Koester, who had never had a beau in all her life, strolling down Lover’s Lane in Battle Creek with a Handsome Prince Charming. Ruth Ernst was at Columbia University, not changed

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FALLS CITY IIKill SCHOOL nize her for she was much changed. She was very tall and slendei and moved with queenly state. She seemed quite surprised to see me and invited me to remain with her that day. I accepted her kind offer and she hailed a flying car which we boarded, skimming swiftly thru the ether. 1 watched the conductoress closely twas a short, stout lady fully able to assist the passengers in and out. As she took my fare she knew me and 1 recognized Edith Shepard. Sitting in the car was Duke toying with a small poodle. Why ’twas Tom Fieshe—I scarcely would have known him. Soon we flitted past a corner that looked like old times to me for it was the corner where our high school used to be. Now there stood a factory, twenty stories high. As we were passing by I noticed a small fish-stand and behind the greasy counter stood our old friend Wilbur Story, shouting “fish!” with all his might. A little distance further I noticed a large city administration building and sitting in the office of the mayor was the first woman mayor, our classmate Nelle Heaston. We passed a large, beautiful school of learning, the high school building, and looking in we saw a noble professor before his class. The pupils looked at him in reverence of the vast learning he had asquired at F. 0. H. S. and then I saw it was Professor Elmer Gerhardt of Class of ’19. Jennie Pearle and I went to her home for a little while before exploring the reel of the old town but I didn’t see her husband because she said he went out each morning in his Hudson to over-see the farm-work. While resting 1 noticed two happy wives exchanging confidences over the back fence, as to the number of chickens, the quantity of cherries each had put up, the troubles with servants, et cetera, and even in their marriage I saw could never be divided the girls who were Sherlie Whitaker and Helene Morris. Jennie Pearle proposed that we go around the city and see the many changes which had taken place, so we started toward the eastern part of the city—I found myself near a large Cathedral where a stately Priest in his robes of dignity poured forth words of inspired instruction and I recognized my classmate. John Whetstine. who had always been famed for his placid meekness. Close by. in the beautiful surroundings of the Convent, was a fair lady who had been disappointed in some love affair, and had become a nun. She was devoting her life to going about doing good to all the world. Her name was lost now for she was called “Sister Maria.” but I saw her and she had once been Catherine Scott. As we wandered on I saw the door of a home swing open and therein a household made happy by a wife who had found her greatest ambition in the highest of all worldly vocations—the maker and keeper of the home. My soul rejoiced as I gazed upon Shirley Griffin. We went down into the vast business section the streets were crowded and people hurried to-and-fro. We were stopped at the corner of 12th and Stone to allow the cars to go by. The traffic-cop came to assist us across the street and whom did 1 see but Conrad Knapp. In a large building of beautiful structure, I saw the name of Roy Scott. So I went to his spacious office. When shown in I saw a man of pale, beardless face and velvety voice, who had become the money-king of the world by his shrewdness and fore-sight. A newsboy ran down the street—what was he shouting? I listened. Oh, Yes! “Extra! Extra! All about the big battle! American forces led to victory by gallant soldier. hero of the hour! Read all about General Hoy!” We passed a home and 1 saw a huge corpulent woman. Jennie Pearle said that it was Ollie, who had grown so heavy that she could not be induced, persuaded nor bribed to eat anything but anti-fat. Now I saw an immense bill board and imagine my surprise when I read “A second Melba—greatest opera singer of the day—hear Madamoiselle Halbert at the Met- I’age Thirty

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falls (’ll) men school in the least, altho she was the head of Physical Education Department. Traveling South I saw’ Clara May, a renowned Y. W. C. A. worker, doing splendid philanthropic things in Alabama. My plane carried me over many seas and countries, and I found myself watching Bernice and Kay Gantt, who had founded a new religion, according to their own views and beliefs. As foreign missionaries, they had carried their doctrines to the cannibals of the jungles of Africa, who accepted it readily. I next visited a most beautiful scene in a Bachelor Girl apartment in Paris where two sat by a large fireplace talking of the past. They were Elsie Ball and Opal Nichols. In the same apartment was Mary Stockman, now a famous violinist. She was calling forth sweet strains from her polished instrument while Rosina Brecht danced a jig in delightful tune to the music, her figure swaying from side to side at the appeal of the fantastic air. Again 1 was on my way traveling ever northward, until I came to the island of Greenland where I saw Florence and Wallace Abbey keeping a tea room and curio shop and selling old relics and chromos to the unsuspecting natives for immense sums of money. 1 was taken to their beautiful home—and as 1 was very tired from my journey 1 withdrew for an hour or two of rest I slept long and soundly and imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes and found myself in the same assembly room I had sat in so long ago, before I started on the prophetic search for things yet to come—I sprang up and looked out of the window7. Yes. it was the same old town with the court house in flames and all the students in the assembly room much excited. But my dream had been so life-like that I could not forget it. Twas nothing but a dream, however natural and real it seems to you. But in this old world of wonders, dreams often times come true. So who knows but my vision may be realized by you? HALCYON WHITFORD, ’19. Page Thirty-two