Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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20 SPECTATOR This woman is in hysterics because she has broken a mirror and as a result will have bad luck for seven years. Another weak-minded man almost severs his finger while setting a trap, and says he just knows it is more of his poor luck because he was born on the thirteenth of April. This little girl is afraid to look to the right or left while coming home after dusk, because her mother has preached to her about ghosts until her head is so filled with the idea, that if her father were to overtake her and try to walk with her she would run and scream to escape the ghost. Some time ago Lily Elsie, the actress who has been photographed more often than any other woman in the world, was married. She purposely defied every tradition known as bride's luck. She had thirteen buttons on her latest gown, put her left foot in her slipper first and stood under an open umbrella in her room. During the wedding ceremony she broke several mirrors, spilled salt at the table, and in fact did everything she could think of, to provoke the curses of the gods. Recently she sued for divorce, and dozens of I told you so's were heard from her friends. They imag- ined that her marriage was doomed from the beginning be- cause of her actions and not on account of a hundred and one other things that are causing divorce every day. Hundreds of little superstitions are acting as a drawback on the lives of men and women to-day. The Librarian wishes to express the gratitude of the school for the gift of one-hundred and fifty-three dollars pre- .sented by the Spectator staff of 1912-1913 to the Library. Part of this money has been applied to making a payment -on the new Encyclopedia Britannica and the remainder will be used to purchase new books. The thanks of the school are extended also to our towns- men, Mr. Warren Worth Bailey, and Mr. Anderson Walters, members of our national Congress, the former from this Con- gressional district, the latter as Congressman-at-large. Thru their courtesy, the school has been supplied with the

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SPECTATOR 19 If persons writing for the Spectator read carefully the following directions, a great amount of unnecessary work for the editor and the assistants would be avoided. All material for the Spectator must be written on ink paper and in ink. At the top of the page write the title of the story and directly below it write your name and class numeral. Use new and original plots in writing stories, not subjects which have been written about again and again. Don't make your story a series of exciting incidentsg write fully and well about one important incident. Remember that your own experiences are more fitting than the unreal and imaginary. Poetry should have just as much sense and meaning as prose. While writing for the 'fSpectator keep in mind the motto of our paper, which is: '.'Truth to the fact and a good spirit in the treatment. ' But how to obtain good literary contributions is not the only problem of the school paper. We must have financial support. Even the kindness of advertisers can not insure the edition of our paper. It is the duty of every student to make the interests of the Spectatorl' his own interests. We know of no better way of doing this than by subscribing for the paper. Let us bear in mind the high standard of our school mag- azine and the enviable reputation it enjoys, and try at least to do work as good if not better than that done by the school in other years. SUPERSTITION STILL EXISTS That superstition still exists is an undeniable fact. NVe regard with contempt the belief in ghosts, witches, and appari- tions of the people in early English times. We feel that the period of James VI of Scottland, who was James I of Eng- land, was a very dark age indeed, and we shudder when we hear of the crimes committed because of the witchcraft which prevailed in Salem. But this is not to be wondered at for the people of today are not entirely free from superstition. Let us take a glance at some of our acquaintances.

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SPECTATOR 21 Congressional Record and many valuable reports and bul- letins which are very useful to us in our work. Exchanges AS WE SEE Orange and Black, Milton, Pa.- The Girls' Pro- phecy was cleverly written up and the Last Will and Testa- ment was a new idea in Senior Numbers. Tattler, Ithaca, N. Y.- Charity's Reward was amus- ing and had a good moral. Crescent, Moorhead, Minn.-It is interesting to see that you have stories in a foreign language. Why not en- liven your paper with a few cuts? High School journal, Pittsburgh, Pa.-Your cover shows talent. The contents were well arranged. AS WE ARE SEEN The Spectator is as usual a fine exchange. The size and quality of your paper is excellent and your literature is fine. The cover design is also very neat and attractive.- 'Tattler, Ithaca, N. Y. , The Spectatorn has a number of interesting stories in its literary department, A True American Sport being one of the best.- High School Argus, Harrisburg, Pa. Alumni Foster Smith of 1912 and George Thackery of 1913 have enrolled at State College. Leo Schry of the class of 1911 is holding a responsible position with the firm of Schry 81 Hornick. Roman Widmann of 1912 is doing good work at Michi-