Frankfort Community High School - Red Bird Yearbook (West Frankfort, IL)

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Upon landing, we discovered we were in the wonderful city of Salt Lake, Utah., the music was coming from a pipe organ in the Morman’s Cathedral, played by no other than Blanche Norman. Blanche told us that Bess Pitchford and Pauline Frances Hunter and Elma Wise were the wives of wealthy mormons. One great surprise that greeted us here was that Ralph “Desperate” Hinckle turned out to be a Mormon, and no one knew exactly how many wives he had, but they were reported to be between thirty and forty in number. Our time was limited, so we left Utah l ehind and flew for the sunny state of California. Our first stop was Hollywood and such a l eautiful place it was. We found that Charles “Pug” Pittman was working for the United Artists Picture Co., and had taken the place of Bull Montana. Virgil H. Burgess was leading man for the Metro Picture Corporation, and it was rumored that he was leading Rudolph Valentino in a close race as the greatest lover on the screen. Louise Arnold was one of Mack Sennett’s famous bathing beauties, but we were informed that Paramount was planning on starring her in a super production in the near future. After looking around Hollywood we went over to Los Angeles and while walking down one of the streets of the business section, we noticed a sign which read “Henson Henson, Chiropractors.” The name looked familiar so Sophy and 1 decided to investigate. Well, owing to their tremendous business we had to wait some time in the reception room before we were admitted. Surely enough, it was the twins. “Cooko” and “Bol-iver.” They were both married, Cuckoo to Harriet Gladders, and Boliver or Don to Pearle Murphy. Of course Harriet didn’t graduate when we did, but we remembered her as the most popular girl in F. C. H. S. and she was still as popular or more so. Pearle used her idle moments writing. She had just finished her latest masterpiece, which was “The I .over From Mars.” These four certainly made two ideal married couples Don informed us that Leslie “Ajax” McFadden was assistant coach to Andy Smith, the famous Indian foot ball coach of the University of California, and that Arty A. Martin was the wizard Basket Ball coach of Washington State.

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Senior JJrnphprg It was one of those ideal June days in the year 1923, when one wants to lie down under the shade of some tree and dream of days gone by. I did not have time for such pleasures, but made my way to the hanger where I kept my “air lizzie.’’ 1 rolled her out of her dog kennel with the greatest of care, and l egan adjusting this and that, when I heard a familiar voice say, “What’s up now, Useless?” 1 turned around and l eheld Robert C. Thompson, more commonly known as “Sophy.” Now Sophy and I were the only two of the class of ’22 that had remained in West Frankfort. I suppose the reason for this was, that during our school life we were so timid and bashful, that everyone jeered at us and said we would never get far from home. Sophy had achieved great success, since yo olde Graduation Day. He had acquired several titles of President, some of them l»eing President of Rotary Club, President of Country Club, and President of Greater West Frankfort Club. In case any big project wanted to l e put through in “The Nation’s Coal Bucket” region everybody looked to Sophy to put it through. As for myself, I had managed by nip and tuck, hook and crook, to save enough money to purchase the one-horse air lizzie, I was so proud of, and by establishing a jitney route between Johnston City, Plumfield, Benton and West Frankfort, I had managed to keep the wolf from the door. I told Sophy that nothing was up unless he had something on his mind. “Well,” he said, “I have been thinking of the old class of ’22 and il you are willing I would like to look them up. I will pay expenses.” Who wouldn’t jump at the chance? We loaded up with provisions and fuel, cranked the old lizzie, climbed aDoard and were off, we knew not where. I stepped on the juice and we left little old Illinois behind us. Our first stop was in a prosperous valley of Arizona, near Winslow. Here we discovered the wonderful dashing full-back, Thomas A Blake and his wife, Rol erta Blake, nee Miller. Hossfly, as we always called him, was a construction engineer for the Utah Construction Co., and was building a railroad for the Western Pacific Railyaw Co., from Choncho, Arizona, to Uiles, California. Tom told us he had three children and they were all as red-headed as he. From Arizona we flew north over Utah and while flying at a low altitude, we saw one of the most beautiful cities ! elow us. Above the roar of the engine we could hear the sweetest of music which sounded like chimes. We decided to investigate.

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We left California and flew up the coast to Washington where we found Arty at Washington State College. He showed us the records made by his team in previous years and we knew then that what time and work he spent on the F. C. H. S. quintet had been time and work well spent. Sophy managed to get in communication with the President of the college, and through him, we learned that Arty was a very valuable coach and that they owed their team of unconquered champions entirely to him. Arty told us that Vit Kreivenas was making a great showing in the athletic world. Pluto, as we always called him, had defeated all of the greatest wrestlers including Stanislas Zbyszko, and now the world proclaimed him the champion wrestler. At present he was touring Europe in search of anyone who wished to challenge him. Gaining all of the information we could from Arty, we steered our plane in the direction of the far North. After traveling for several thousand miles, we saw in the distance two separate necks of land stretching toward each other and separated by a narrow strait of water. Sophy said it was the Bering strait. We decided to land, for supplies and provisions. This sudden change in climate was pretty severe for Sophy and me, for we had but few clothes to provide us with warmth, and when we left Frankfort we never dreamed of going as far as Alaska. Just as we were about to leave, a fellow walked up to the plane, and upon looking up we saw before us Noble Rains. This was indeed a surprise to all three of us. Red was on a seal hunting expedition for Bamum Bailey circus. He had caught several thousands of the slick, slimy, squirmy animals and was planning on leaving for the wanner climate. He said he and his wife (who was Zetta Kelly) liked the northern country for awhile, but give them the good old United States for always. Red informed us that Maurice L. Bladders, better known as Dode, our class president of ’22, was a representative of the greatest ice cream works in the world, situated at Saskatchewan, Canada, and at present he was on an expedition to the North Pole for data and information concerning the origin of the Eskimo Pie. From Alaska we went to China, landing at Pekin for supplies. Here we found Vivian Knight as the head of the Missionary Department of China. Her assistant and secretary was no other than Lelia Martin. Vivian told us that Lillian Grosse and Edith Beauford were in charge of the Sub-District Departments at Honkong. She said they were all as well pleased as if they were in Illinois. She was glad to see us and, of course, we told her of the trip we had made and of the ones we had met. They heard of no others except that William Monti and Taylor Harris had l een in India on some important mission.