Hallowell High School - Venture Yearbook (Hallowell, ME)

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30 The VENTURE Other occupations for women were among those that they fill extensive- ly today. Women school teachers, or school dames as they were called, abounded. But they had only the smaller children. Men had the posi- tions of more importance. Wealth and position in the New World were based upon the owner- ship of Bland, and from a very early day, women shared in this. Perhaps the earliest instance of women land owners and colonizers was that of Mary and Margaret Brent, who came to Maryland in 1638, bringing with them nine colonists. They took up plantations of a thousand acres each, and sent back for more' settlers. Mary Brent was Gov. Leonard Cal- vert's executrix, and for a short time was, in fact, if not in name, governor of the Colony of Maryland. Eliza- beth Haddon of Haddonfield, N. J., 'was another land owner and colon- izer, as was Mary Marenbuer of Pennsylvania. And one might go on to extend the list. Women were a success in this field, wherever they invaded it. Even in the field of letters women intruded, unwelcome though they were. The first American woman to be known extensively as a poet was Ann Bradstreet. Mrs. Bradstreet felt the masculine attitude towards women who attempted to write and complained of it. She was born in England in 1612, and came to Ameri- ca with her husband, Simon Brad- street. in 1630. He settled Upon a farm in Andover, and here hor eight children were born. It is truly amaz- ing that, overworked as she was, with the cares of her family. and household, and suffering from ill health, she could ever write a line. Her poems were not intended for publication, but were circulated nriv- ately among her friends. They reached the hands of her brother-in- law, who took them to England and had them published without the au- thor's knowledge. They were ad- mired, but the author was criticised. She says of this fact, in one of her verses: I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits, A poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong: For such despite they cast on female wits, If what I do prove well, it won't advance- They'll say it's stolen, or else it was by chancef' In 1666 her house was burned, and with it all her household possessions. Her few lines on that occasion have a real pathos: Here stood that trunk, and there that chest, Here lay the store I counted best: My pleasant things in ashes lie, And them behold no more shall I. Under thy roof no guest shall sit, Nor at thy table eat a bit: Ki No pleasant tale shall e'er be told, Nor things recounted done of old: No candle e'er shall shine in thee, Nor bridegroorn's voice e'er heard shall be. In silence shalt thou ever lie. Adieu, adieu: all's vanity. There were also women on the stage, and women managing news- papers in colonial days. At one time there were ten women running col- onial printing presses. Among these women was Ann Franklin, sister-in- law of Benjamin Franklin. The modern woman can hardly boast of any more variety in work than could her colonial sister, nor can she take pride in work better done. Women have always played their part well in the work of the world, and always will do so. All honor to those business women of an earlier day, who worked so well un- der so severe a handicap. May we of the 20th century equal their worth. VALEDICTORY As the business methods of those early colonial days have widened into the present methods of the business world, as the views of the business

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The VENTURE 29 Boston to New Haven, and then to New York, is full of interesting com- ments on these inns and women inn keepers. They were nearly all old and very talkative. Their accommo- dation was far from being of the best. Of one inn on the road to Westerly, R. I., she writes: Arriv- ing at an 'ordinary' about two miles further, we found tolerable accommo- dation. But our hostess, being a pretty full-mouthed old creature, en- tertained our fellow traveller, the doctor, with innumerable complaints of her bodily infirmitiesf' Another inn keeper she accuses of having flavored her roast mutton with hair- oil from her fingers. Nearly all of these women she called extortioners. But women must have made good as tavern keepers, for their numbers steadily increased, far outnumbering the men in this particular line of work. These inns played an important part in the life of the times. Public meetings were held there, politics discussed, and all sorts of appoint- ments made. They even seemed to serve as matrimonial agencies. One personal appearing in the Boston Evening Post in 1745, shows one of the uses to which such an inn or coffee house might be put. The ad- vertisement was headed To The Ladies, and read as follows: Any young lady between the age of 18 and 23, of a middling stature, brown hair, regular features, and with a lively, brisk eye, of good morals, and not tinctured with anything that may sully so distinguished a formg possessed of 300 or 400 pounds. en- tirely at her own disposal, and where there will be no necessity of going through the tiresome talk of address- ing Parents or Guardians for their consent. such a one, on leaving a line directed to A. W. at the Coffee House in King Street, appointing where an interview may be had. will meet with a person who flatters himself that he shall not be thought disagreeable by a Lady answering the above descrip- tion. It would be interesting to know if any young lady responded, and if she did, if she found the young man to her taste. Women shop keepers were numer- ous in colonial days. Little adver- tising was done in those days, except upon the arrival of a ship from Eng- land. but from various references in court records and deeds, as well as from the scanty newspapers, it ap- pears that there were proportionate- ly more women shop keepers, she merchants as they sometimes called themselves. in that day than at pres- ent. In 1900, in America, the pro- Dortion of women in trade was about 4.3 per cent: in colonial days it was 9 per cent. They sold odd things for a woman, from the modern point of view. Groceries, dry goods and cut- lery may seem ordinary, but one woman sold optical glasses, another window glass. There were women book sellers and women druggists. But perhaps the most surprising thing for us to realize is that there were numerous women artisans in those days. There were, of course. the ordinary ones, dress makers, hat makers, and makers of head dresses: but one woman manufactured choco- late and mustard, another put up fish and one did chaircaning. There was a woman coach manufacturer, a soap maker, a rope maker. and several women blacksmiths. Some women were skilled in carpentry. There seemed to be little that could be done with the hands that at least one col- onial woman did not attempt, and usually with success. Thev were even captains of industry. One wo- man. Martha Turnstall Smith, was at the head of a large whaling company. There were also women nurses, not graduates of hospitals and medi- cal schools, as today, but of the school of experience. There were manufacturers of perfumes and medicines, and there was at least one woman undertaker.

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The VENTURE 31 woman have expanded, nearly to equal those of the business man, so, the knowledge of that meek little group of freshmen of the fall of 1923 has steadily grown into the extensive attainments of this proud and happy class of 1927. For four long years we climbed, step by step, remember- ing always that Labor conquers all , until now, 'tho yet only on the threshold of life, we have reached this goal, so earnestly sought. Superintendent of Schools, and Members of the Board of Education: It is to you, we realize, that much of our success is due. How patient you have been in encouraging us on this long, steep ascent to Commence- ment Day! And now, having reached our goal, and looking back over the way we have come, we see how much that encouragement has meant to us, and we wish to thank you for it and for the splendid oppor- tunities, due to your wise foresight, that we have enjoyed. We trust that in later years we may show you that your effort was not misplaced. Principal and Teachers: Our four years' course at Hallowell High, through which we have been so care- fully guided by your care, is coming to its close. We cannot leave these familiar scenes and faces without ex- pressing our sincere appreciation of your thoughtful efforts in our behalf. We shall ne'er turn the pages of Memory's book without each of you appearing vividly thereon. Again, as we gaze upon your faces, in its pages, we shall recall this day when we sadly bade you Farewell Schoolmates: We fling to you the torch which we have so successfully borne for the past few years. May you bear it onward, upward, ever- pressing forward to the goal which we have now attained, and ever bear- ing in mind the interests and the fair name of our school. Dear Classmates of 1927: The time has come when we must part, each to seek his place in a broader field. We have labored together through the years just past, have had our failures and our successes, and have made, we feel, a record of which we may be justly proud. In all ways we have endeavored to ful- fil faithfully the duties handed down to us by our predecessors, and, wher- ever possible, to do even more for our school. In the doing, we have shared triumphs and disappoint- ments, and have learned the value of cooperation. We shall never forget these days of high school life, with their fine comradeship. Their mem- ory will serve to urge us on to high- er endeavor. Nor shall we forget our motto, of which we have so often proven the truth and value. We know that, Labor conquers all. And now, Citizens and Friends, who have gathered here to see us take this last step of school life, we wish to thank you for your loyal sup- port of all our school activities. As spokesman for the class of 1927, I bid you all Farewell, Dorothy Dawbin. ODE OF THE CLASS OF 1927 fTune of Auld Lang Synej I Upon this day at last we meet, Teachers and classmates dear, From Hallowell High School's halls we go, The parting hour is near. As we look back o'er school days bright, -Let not the ties be riven- We pray that Heaven may always bless Our class of '27. II At last we come to say farewell To friends we'll meet no more, For we shall never meet again As we have met before. The hour to part at last has come, Our thoughts dwell on the past, Fond memories would keep us here, But friends, farewell at last. V. Hescock, '27.