Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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8 THE SPECTATOR At first Uncle Josh refused, but at last, taking pity, told her to “ go ahead. ” After making a few queer motions and saying something under her breath, ma began. “You have had hard luck. Last year your barn burned, and with it burned two sheep, fifty chickens, four hogs, and three rabbits. ” “Well, how did you know that?” ejaculated Uncle Josh. “You will have a greater loss. 1 can’t tell you what it is, for the quarter’s worth is up, but if you’ll give me fifty more, I’ll tell all. ’’ Uncle Josh handed over the money. “Your horse will die. Your son John will break through the ice while skating and drown. Your wife bought several very beautiful blankets, which, if you keep them, will be the cause of setting your house on fire. ’’ Here she concluded her fortune and left. Ma scarcely reached home when Uncle Josh led his very fine horse into the barnyard. Pa, from the barn, seeing Uncle Josh approach, could not keep from saying, “ Dern the old cheat; here he comes already. ” Uncle Josh, seeing pa, called to him : “ Hiram, bring out your horse, for I’ve decided to trade. ” Pa immediately stepped out, leading an old, thin, big- boned horse. As he glanced at Uncle Josh’s horse, he shook his head and said, “ Gosh! that horse looks sick; but if you’ll give me ten dollars beside, I’ll trade. ” Uncle Josh, after complying with pa’s terms, told him that John was coming over to bring ma and Tom each a pres- ent- A. R. ’05. BEFORE GOING TO PRESS, the Spectator finds time to insert the program for the Emerson open meeting to be held on March 25th. It is as follows : Salutatory Oration . Anniversary Oration Political Oration . . Emerson Essay. . . Declamations . . . . Piano Solos......... Violin Solo.......... Selection........... . Earl Sorber . Ralph Bolsinger . Fred Smith . Edith Mellinger Lucy Moses I Anna Vinton Nona Swank IKinter Koontz . Matilda Utecht . Chorus

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THE SPECTAT OR 7 “Say, ma,” cried Tom, running in at that moment, “ Uncle Josh bought John a pair of skates, an’ I want them too, so I do. An’ ma—” “Ho, ma, Aunt Fan bought them there four blankets that you hadn’t money enough to buy. An’ she said you could never keep up to her, and that she was what might be called a big-bug.” Here Ann stopped, and Tom again plunged in. “ An’ mind you, pa, Uncle Josh said that you was mighty dumb if you thought he was goin’ to trade his hoss fur yours. ” Now pa was very sensitive if anyone spoke about his ignorance, and, since Uncle Josh had said this more than once, he became very indignant and declared that “ not anuther day should pass over his head without turnin’ the tables an’ showin’ Uncle Josh he wasn’t as green as a cab- bage head. ” Ma, although she “didn’t see why pa should git so huffy, since Aunt Fan talked so about them and went an’ bought them blankets jest fur to spite her, ” agreed to do whatever pa wanted her to. Pa had to think pretty lively “to make up a scheme to git ten dollars by the next evening and to trade his horse;” but, since he was determined, before morning he had a plan which, if all went well, would give him the required money and the coveted horse. Early the next morning ma, acting according to pa’s instructions, transformed herself into a gipsy and set out to tell Uncle Josh his fortune. When she was almost out of sight pa called after her, “ Don’t forget to tell him about his barn burnin’ last year an’ the number of cattle that burned. An’— ” “Say, ma, ” cried Tom, “tell him that John’s skates are unlucky, ’cause 1 want them, so 1 do. ” “ Don’t forget the blankets, ma, ” almost screamed Ann, as her mother turned the corner and disappeared. In answer to ma’s rap, Uncle Josh beheld a rather old woman wearing a red rag on her head and carrying two large bundles. Her skin was very dark and almost covered with blue marks. The ornaments she wore were two brace- lets, one of beads and one of silver, three silver rings and one gold one, and a pair of brass earrings. Uncle Josh kindly asked what was wanted, and ma, after a little hesitation, said she wished to tell his fortune.

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THE SPECTATOR 9 Cbe IHtcjb School Spectator. JOHNSTOWN, PA., JANUARY, 1904. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE 40 CENTS. PER COPY, 5 CENTS. EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS STAFF. Edltor-in-Chief, ERNEST J. COHOE. '04. Associate Editors, ADA WERTZ. ’04, FRANK E. KRIEGER, ’04, FRED G. SMITH, ’05. WILLIAM HOFFMAN. ’05, HARRY HAGER. ’04. Chief Business Manager. JAS. K. BOYD, JR., '05. Assistants, EPHRAIM ALWINE, ’04, ROBERT SAGERSON, '04. GEORGE STAMMLER, ’05. RALPH W. BOLSINGER, '05, KINTER KOONTZ, ’05. The Spectator is published monthly during the school term. Address all communications to The SPECTATOR, High School Building, Johnstown, Pa. Entered at the Postoffice, Johnstown, Pa., as second-class mall matter. The Editor’s Viewy Our Christmas vacation is over, and once more the school has settled down to serious work. Let us try to make this half term a notable one in studies, athletics, societies, and Spectator work. If you have a grudge against the teachers, forget it ; if you think the societies are poor, remedy them ; and if you are a knocker against the Spectator, pitch in and make it better. Many were the favorable comments upon our Christmas number. The dream of the staff was more than realized, and they felt amply repaid for the time and work spent in getting it up. Not only were the local papers generous in their praise, but also others of national reputation. On another page will be found the opinion of one of those papers.