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

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1 'g-vrgiwf jfg '-rw , - P-'Exam - -fr-it-5.-7. - - ,..,-Fxlrrh, . . , NOBLE COUNTY l am from Noble County. These words mentioned by anyone eighty years ago in any state of the Union and Canada would have caused that person to be marked as one weighed in the balance and found wanting, and as one Well qualified and suitable to bear watching. The reason for Noble County's unsavory reputation was the reign of the Black Legs. Before the County had become extensively settled and the pioneers were yet mainly interested in building homes, draining swamps, and leveling forests loaded with deer, tur- keys, wolves, coons, and a few bears and wild cats, a powerful band of crim- inals nationally and internationally notorious had established its headquarters in the tamaracks, an ideal hide-out near Rome City. Many respectable and upstanding citizens were in league with the crim- inals, giving them valuable information and safe hide-out. The regulators and the hanging of Gregory MacDougal snapped the vicious circle or ring of criminals. Most of the settlers were, like all sturdy pioneers, a kind and sympathetic lot. This was demonstrated during the fever sickness of 1838. The County at that time was ten to fifteen percent swamp. The year was wet until the middle of Iune. No more rain fell until next winter. Nothing planted grew. The intense heat of summer evaporated stagnant waters causing malaria to spread. The lack of doctors and medical supplies increased the suffering. At Rochester all except two in the whole village were sick. These two, Mr. Dorus Swift and Miss Achsah Kent, attended to the villagers' needs. The pioneer's life was not a monotonous grind as many believe. Quilting parties, spelling bees, inns and taverns, hangings, and politics were a part of his daily life. The last is probably the most interesting to write on. Tippe- canoe and Tyler too was a campaign cry long remembered. William Mitchell's ox roast was another high light. Opponents for an office traveled together, sleeping in the same house. Even in the good old days the courts had their Clarence Darrows. David H. Colerick speaking against conclusive proof fthe pork was found in the client's cellarl secured a verdict for his client of not guilty of charges of hog- stealing. In the elections at Wayne Center some clever politics was practiced. The school where the voting was done was surrounded by thick brush. Each party had a full whiskey jug hidden in the brush and many a Whig and Democrat staggered out of the brush and walking in a very crooked line, voted a straight ticket. Of course, too, financiers flourished then as now. The plank road now called the Lima road was a failure. The other road, a canal from Fort Wayne to Michigan City, using the Elkhart River, was another affair that dwindled into financial losses. An excavation from Albion to Rome City was made. It can still be seen on the Old Canal Road whose road bed is the bottom of this canal. A law in the books that is no longer in force reads Horses on pavement prohibited except during loading or unloading of vehicle. The years filed by. Railroads and better highways came into Noble County. We sent our quota of men to the Civil War. Industries settled here, tavems grew into villages and towns. Better methods in agriculture and sanitation added to the enjoyment of life. Paved roads, better law enforcement and a more extensive and effective system of education have all added to our dear old county until now without shame or fear of distrust, you may proudly say I am from Noble County. David Runden Page 27

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ANNUAL STAFF RUTH BROWAND IOHN CLAUSSEN Typist Art Editor NORMAN CARTER IOE DEAL Humor Editor Circulation Manager MARY ANNA FORKER Literary Editor ENID HALLER MR. HOWERTON Typist Annual Adviser OLIVE HAYDEN VIOLET KITCHEN Girls' Athletic Editor Typist HOWARD MISSELHORN Photography Editor IRENE PARKER HENRY SALLER Society Editor Business Manager DAVID RUNDEN EVEREST WIBLE Editor-in-Chief Boy's Athletic Editor RALPH WILLY Calendar Editor BOARD OF CONTROL Principal MR. BRUMBAUGH, Chairman Faculty Members MISS VALENTI MR. HOWERTON Senior Class President Annual Business Manager Boy Representative Girl Representative MR. BAKER DAVID RUNDEN HENRY SALLER EVEREST WIBLE ETHEL HORNETT Page 2b Ruth Browand Norman Carter Iohn Claussen Ioseph Deal Mary Anna Yorker Enid Haller Olive Hayden Mr. Howertori Violet Kitchen Howard Misselhorn Irene Parker David Runden Henry Saller Everest Wible Ralph Willy MR. IVEY

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lKR'AI l ll Drinking once I grew quite bleary, thinking of a girl friend cheery, Of a girl friend who had left me, left me not too long before. Soon I nodded, soon was napping, presently I heard a tapping As of wings so gently flapping, flapping at my bedroom door. The canary's out, I muttered, flapping at my bedroom door, Only this and nothing more. Once again I fell to sipping, to my lips the large flask tipping. If the bottle were an apple, I would now have reached the core. I made move to now discard it, I'm afraid I must have jarred it, Fragments of it were now scattered all about the bedroom floor. Of the two I had to start with, one was on the bedroom floor, One was left and nothing more. Then I raised my eyes to doorward, my hair lifted-pointed forward! For a large and terrible raven was now oozing through the door. Was it that I had been boozing? Or my senses I was losing? For the bird now drifted skyward to a frame above the door. In a picture frame it perched and sat above my bedroom door. Perched and sat and nothing more. His dark eyes made me address them, Words could never quite express them. So I told him of my troubles and the girl I'd had before. How I'd felt since she had left me, felt since so much was bereft me, How she'd left me for another that she'd seldom seen before. I was drinking, since she'd left me for a man scarce seen before. Quoth the Raven, One drink more. Since his words were of the soundest, next my drinking was the roundest. For I scarce could see the raven perched above the bedroom door. I glanced downward, hardly daring, for beneath, the floor was tearing! There appeared a host of elephants, elephants rising from the floorl A great herd of colored elephants rising from the bedroom floor! Quoth an elephant, One drink more. Next, there followed dogs and donkeys, cats and rats and bats and monkeys Rabbits, kangaroos, and 'possurns, and a fierce wild old boar. What an odd conglomerationl Animals from every nation! Till I felt like old man Noah and his animals of yore. Felt exactly like old Noah and his coupled beasts of yore! Quoth the chorus, One drink more. Now we sure don't want to grieve you, but we fear that we must leave you,' Said my bedroom zoo to me as they again went through the floor. My menagerie was shrinking as they through the floor were sinking, I was soon left with the raven who still sat above the door. All were gone except the raven who remained above the door. Quoth the Raven, Take one more. No, I said. Bird, do not tempt me, she would never then exempt me I-'rom the class in which she put me, put me not so long before. F or she said I was a drunkard and a good for nothing lunkard, Iust because I drank a little--drank a little-never more. She had no right to chastise me-I take two drinks-never more. I will take just one drink more. Page 28