Kendallville High School - Kay Aitch Ess Yearbook (Kendallville, IN)

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SANTA CLAUS T'was a brisk, December evening, The snow was piled high, When o'er the housetops I beheld A jingling sleigh draw nigh. The sleigh was drawn by reindeer, At the head there sat an elf And in the driver's seat I saw Qld Santa Claus himself. He threw his head way back and laughed, His reindeer even chuckled: The sandman was his rightfhand aid Sure,as your boots are buckled, He works so hard on Christmas, Old Santa said to me, He makes the kids so sleepy That they can hardly see. He cracked his whip and started, Still chuckling, on his way, And how I found myself in bed, I'm sure I cannot say. -Marjadene Reed. THE BUSY BEE How does the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower? Because the little busy bee Just hums and gets to work. The busy bee is not a dude And knows not how to shirk. He does not mix in politics He smokes no cigarettes, He never visits the saloons Nor wastes his stores on bets. He attends to his own business Fills up his hive with honey And this is how, my friends, you may Make lots and lots of money. -Enid Haller. MY GAL Ida is a lovely gal. One that any man would prize: She sets my throbbing heart on fire, With idle eyes. Her figure quite befdazzles meg I praise her beauty to the skies, And everything she does- I idolize. Alas! Alack! Let gloom abound! Let rapture flee! To my surprise She's far from perfect! I have found, That Ida lies! -Frank Harding, BLACKLEGS The whole of Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan were, in the day of its settlement, a refuge and stamping grounds for all kinds of criminals. Noble county was the headquarters of horse thieves, counterfeiters, bogus coin passers, burglars, murderers and highwayinen. These as a whole were called Blacklegs. So strong was their organization and so powerful its influence, that many honest, upright, citizens were lured along the path of lawlessness by the boldness and mystery of the scoundrels. Should anyone, during the great gold rush, an' nounce himself as coming from Noble county, he was regarded with suspicion and distrust. Peace off ficers from Maine to Florida sought the fugitives who had found refuge in Noble county, These outlaws were aided by the instability of the law and the corrupt court system. For a while, even the sheriff was connected with the Blacklegs. If an outlaw had stolen property to dispose of, a ready market could be had with travelers through this community. The Tamarack, a swampy, secluded spot near Rome City, was the headquarters where loot was concealed until sold. Here, one of the greatest counterfeiting establishments ever known in the United States was discovered. Elaborate dies and other apparatus for minting bogus coins, were discovered in the cellar of a tavern operated by a man called Milt Burnam. This inn was located at the present site of the Church of Christ. VVhile the criminals printed and coined the money, it was some of the apparently honest citizens who bought great quantities of it at about twenty-five cents on the dollar. Then they passed the money on the passing immigrants or on unsusf pecting neighbors, One man was reputed to have said in answer to a plea for a loan, Sure, I'll lend you the money, I know it is good because I made it myself. Many peddlers were attacked while on their routes, and had their wares stolen. The dead body Page 25

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meet others on their own ground. General knowlf edge enables him to associate as easily with the President as with a ditchdigger. The man who can talk intelligently and well is not awed by a man in a high position, at least he can hold his own in whatever turn the conversation may go. Only educated people can afford to be poor. One who is educated has little or no knowledge of the value of money. The person with education is able to use even a small amount of money. He can make it fulfill more of his wishes. Think of the many pleasures of life open to the educated person. Many priceless gems can be found in the literary world. Today, it does not take money to obtain these. For the one who can not read, this door is forever closed. If he can only read, and cannot understand, the beauty of his reading is meaning' less. Emerson says In books, I have the history of the energy of the past. Angels, they are to us, of entertainment, sympathy and provocation. These beauties are lost to those who are not trained to appreciate them. Fosdick states that though we can not personally meet all the world's poets, seers, prophets and apostles, we can meet them and hold daily concourse with them in books. In every normal person, there is a love of the beautiful. In some, however, this love lies dormant. Let him get a little taste, however, and a desire is created. Education gives one the taste for beauty. He begins to love beautiful bits of prose, or poetry, he can begin to appreciate lovely things around him. While it takes money to buy beautif ful paintings only culture and education can make one appreciate a painting. That is, there is some' thing beautiful in every thing, for one who is educated to see. He can see love all around him, on the fleecy, white clouds, in every bird note, on every green leaf. It is one thing that rich and poor have in common, but no matter how rich or how poor, the one who has not had his love of beauty stirred a little by education, lacks in appreciation. This source of beauty is hidden from his eyes, because his mind is not broad enough or eyes sharp enough to comprehend or see it. Education, brings refinement, and a desire for the more beautiful things of life, it brings a self' sufficiency. Education effects man as a cutter does the diamond, it takes off the rough places and ref veals the true worth. -Beverly Hartman. THE STATUE I wrought your beauty in hard marble, The fairness of your face and form, The shimmering of your golden hair, Your smile so sweet and warm. But the hard, hard stone was icy cold, It really insulted your hair of gold, The statue's smile seemed dull and drear, Not half so bright as yours, my dear. Though I wrought this stone with care, Your beauteous form is much more fair, No one could show by work of art The YOU that lives within my heart. -Frank Harding. I I have a stately castle, In which are many things But one dear thing 'midst all the rest To me most joy it brings. II I see in my stately palace, Above everything else thats' there, Your sad, sweet smile, your milk-white skin Your golden, shimmering hair. III Your form inspires poets, Your creamy throats' divine, One glance at your dainty, sweet, red lips Intoxicates quicker than wine. IV Your seafgreen eyes are languidg They set my brain awhirl. Your beauty transcends mortality, So lovely are you, dear girl! V From this stately castle You shall ne'er depart For the you is your own vivid picture, And the castle is my heart. -Frank Harding. WHAT THE FLAG PROMISES I am the symbol of your nation I swing before you,-red for courage White for purity ,and blue for justice. What more could you ask of a flag? If you are proud of me, I am proud of you, You protect me, I will guard you, Lift me high and I will lift you higher, When you weep, I weep, When you sing, I sing, When you march, I march, When you fight, I fight- And together we will win! -Harold Eraze of the 4th grade-Miss Coplin Page 24

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of one of these unfortunates was found on the marshy shore of Griegh lake. However, horse stealing was the most obnoxious. Anyone having very good horses ran the risk of having their stables broken into or the chance of being robbed at the point of a gun and forced to give up their other valuables as well as their horses. Most men were wisely satisfied with a poor old nag just strong enough to work. One tale of horse stealing is especially interest' ing as it shows the close connection of the blackleg with the honest citizen and shows the evil of the criminal. Dolphus Gale, called old Dof, a wealthy pioneer farmer and a great churchman, owned a splendid team of valuable oxen. About twice a year, almost on schedule, the Blacklegs stole this team and sold it. Old Dof would call out the Regulators, the organization which combated the criminal element, and scoured the country to re- trieve his property. However Gale himself always found them in the possession of people of other communities who had bought them. After this extraordinary circumstance repeated itself a number of times, the Regulators smelled a rat. They suspected that Gale shared the profits of the blacklegs who stole his team, and that he, upon recovery of his oxen each time, had them stolen, thus continuing to make profit. At least Gld Dof was informed that the next time his team was stolen, he would be hanged. Consequently, for a time, his team of oxen stayed at home. Then one day they were really stolen! Dolphus Gale was really in a predicament. He faced the Regulators on one side and the Blacklegs on the other! He was scared and he knew it! When the Regulators came to get him, he told them who he thought had stolen his team. Two regulators were sent immediately to Halls Corners, near Plato, to arrest a man Hall whom Gale had ac' cused. Hall was gone, but on a pretense of wishing to buy horses, the two regulators were led into the cellar of Hall's barn by the young farm hand. Here the Regulators discovered, in the stone wall, a secret passage leading to a spacious cave where many stolen horses and Gale's oxen were kept. just then Hall arrived and after a short fierce struggle he was arrested. The next day his body was found hanging from the limb of a tree near his house. One of the most amazing jail breaks was per' formed by a man called Doty at Angola. He was a Robin Hood type of thief, giving much of his loot to the poor. As he was well liked a decree was made stating that as long as he did not steal any' thing within six miles of Angola he would not be molested. As he was a hardened thief he was soon jailed. One night he escaped, mysteriously, and although he was handcuffed he fled to the country and mounted a horse, grazing in a field and with hands still manacled rode far back to escape a posse. The affair of Gregory McDougal was the most infamous case of horse stealing. By his own conf fession, he had stolen no less than thirtyffive horses, passed several thousand dollars in fake money and had killed a school teacher on the ice in Canada, had robbed and tortured an old Scotch' man in Northern Michigan. He swore violently, that he feared neither God, man or the devil. After several months of unsuccessful search, he was at last caught and given a very diliberate, fair trial by the Regulators. He was sentenced to be hanged. His manner changedg he repented his vain oaths. The wife and child, that he had def serted, came to beg for leniency, but to no avail. He was taken to Diamond Hill, near Diamond Lake, in a wagon carrying his coffin. He wept freely and lamented his fate before he was exe' cuted. He renounced his confession and denied all accusations and declared he was innocent. Strangely enough, when he was buried north of Rome Gity his wife had inscribed on his tomb stone, My Husband is in Heaven. With the death of McDougal the power of the A'Blacklegs wavered. The bands of crooks gradual' ly dispersed. After ten years the Blacklegs had disappeared almost completely. While a few rem' nants remained the powerful rings of law breakers never returned to this part of the state. -john Howerton, jr. Tl-IAT'S A TOURNAMENT! just a mass of rosy colorfof vividnessfof laughteriof hilarity! The blaring of the horns! The clash of the symbols! Streamers flying! A steady stream of people are pushing and jostling onto the big, dusty floor. The gym is ablaze with light-white, brilf liant lights. The air is charged with excitement and anticipation. It is just one unconventional, eager, curious crowd-pulses throbbing, full of exhilera- tion. Following the stimulating effect of the low, deep beat of the drums, comes light laughter and breath' less handclasps. At every turn one meets a pair of frank, friendly eyes, glittering with enjoyment. It is a time of easy friendliness and keen amusement. Page 26