Madera Union High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Madera, CA)

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PURPLE AND WHITE. Class of 709: NETTIE BAILEY. ERE’S to the Class of Nineteen ’o Nine, le We're the heart of the fruit, we’re not of the rind, We're the jolliest set that ever came here, And our tongues wag on with a clang and a cheer. As we fly by the door With a rush and a roar, You can hear the Seniors say, ““Here’s babies galore; We don’t want any more; Those freshinen are getting too gay.”’ Then here’s to the class of Nineteen ’o Nine; We’re the cream of the earth, we’re the gems of the mine. =o Dr. Simmons and Roller Skates. HERBERT PADDACK, ‘og. SR. A. J. SIMMONS was sitting in the paper when Jack Castle, reporter on his office reading morning the Greenville Tribune, came in. “Good morning, Doc,’”’ said Jack. ‘‘Any news?” ‘Nuthin’ stirrin’ ’cept the skatin’ rink,”’ replied medicine man. ‘Have you been up there yet, Doctor?’’ the muscular and rather heavy he asked as he seated himself. “No, I haven’t been up there yet, but as sure as fate I’m goin’ up tonight,’”’ said the doctor. Wella Castle, as he retreated through the open door, ANE Gio) jo} saul wish you good luck,’’ said Doctor Simmons was climbing the stairs that led to the rink, and at 7:45 he had signed an agreement with skates No. 13, of the Greenville skating rink, property of Johnson James. Now I don’t think that meant the doctor any harm, but that num- ber 13 put the skate s and consequently put the doctor on the floor a the skates ) ‘ hoodoo’’ on few more times than was necessary to keep his constitution in smooth running order. Once upon a time the doctor had been a good skater and when the skates had been securely fastened on his cumbersome shoes (not his feet) he arose and with a sweep of the body he started, but not fast enough to keep up with the skates and, asa conse- quence, the doctor sat down on the patches on his breeches. This well executed maneuver brought forth a volume of cheers and laughter and the doctor, rising to his feet again, started Then something must have gone wrong; anyway and went half way around the hall. the doctor was seen to hit the floor. This time the doctor regained his feet with caution, then made a vicious attempt at diving through the floor, which brought nothing but a knot on his head and a second or two of sight-seeing among the the planets and around the moon. This last event thoroughly angered the doctor and he inwardly made this resolu- tion: ‘‘I will show this crowd that I can skate.’’ So catching his breath he began the keeping of his vow. He started slowly and then gradually gaining speed he man- aged to make the circuit of the rink. Then—“‘ Biff!” “Bing! ‘“Thump!”? The Skates started on a balloon ascension, but the tail end of the balloon, Mr. Simmons’ head, refused to leave its anchoring on the floor. Doctor Simmons was now thoroughly disgusted with the skates and himself, but he would not succumb to a few tumbles. With the perspiration running from every pore of his two-hundred-and-fifty-pound body, his head a mass of knots and his body inlaid with black and blue spots, he again tried the fulfillment of his resolution but this time the attempt was fatal. He went safely for a few feet, then somebody struck him from behind. He fell squarely on his ‘‘fomnebopoint’’ and as he lay there struggling, he assumed the appearance of a punctured punching bag. By the time he was able to navigate again, he decided that he was needed at home to rock the baby. So he and the skates broke the aforesaid agreement and parted, to meet again no more. The next morning a specialist on bruises, bumps and bad temper called at the Sim- mons home and Mrs. Simmons sat by the the bedside of her husband as he munched his ham and eggs

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PURPLE AND WHITE. 19 to be spent in pursuing these studies. Hence there is insufficient time for success- fully prosecuting the business courses. Another and perhaps stronger reason was that owing to the early age at which School, a two } pupils of today enter High years’ course puts them into the business world before their minds have developed, and consequently they are too young to grapple with the problems which they are there compelled to face. It was, therefore, deemed advisable to arrange the commercial course to embrace the last two years of High School work, the first two years to be spent in regular literary work. In this way the mind is strengthened, the education broadened and the person is made capable of taking up the more strenuous business life in a way which would make him useful to himself and to the world. mentioned no one the reasons is now taking the commercia! course, there For being no one in the junior class of this year who cared to take up that line of work. And indeed under present conditions it would be impossible to properly conduct the commercial course. Owing to our increase in numbers, the faculty have all they can attend toin the literary work. If, then, the commercial course is continued, and we hope it may be, it will be necessary to enlarge the body which has in hand the directing of the ‘tyoung idea.”’ Under the present educational regime a commercial department is not only a useful addition to the High like ours, but a School where the public undertakes the educa- necessary course. In a system tion of its young people it is necessary that the public be ready to furnish every kind mind de- mands. binds itself naturally to High School work. We be- lieve, then, that a commercial course in our And we have which the of education young I'he business course High Schools is a necessity. no doubt that in our own case a sufficient number of pupils with adequate preparation will in the near future make the commer- cial course as strong as we should like to see it. Class of ’06. IRENE TIRZA BRYAN. ALK about your classes in High, Well, there’s none can come nigh The Class of ’06. None can ever surpass This wise, sedate class, The Class of ’06. We're the greatest of all And they’ll miss us next fall, The Class of ’06. So drink, lad and lass, To the greatest class, The Class of ’o6. Class of 07. C. E. NEWMAN. YES, we are the Jolly 10, O Although young and untrained, We are jolly, funny and full of glee, A detriment to the faculty; And used to being up late, When we to seniors have attained We expect to be sedate. Class of ’08. ISABELLE METZ. TOAST to the Sophs of Naughty-EHight! What sort of a class? We’re simply great! Of all other classes we’ve got the name. We’re still striving onward achieving to fame. So quaff a measure to our health, And wish us success and abundance of wealth.

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MERLE GOUCHER, ’07. School Literary ety ELE ww La 4] NX Madera High Society was organized October 8, 1904, with Miles O. Humphreys as president and to him we, as a school, owe much of our success in debat- ing. Almost immediately he instituted debating as the principal feature of the regular Friday afternoon programs. Of course, these debates were at first only contests between members of the school, and the program committees will tell you that it was no easy matter to persuade many of the students that it was their duty “to get up on the platform and make a show of themselves,’’ but gradually they began to be considered a necessity by all enthusiastic members—and a necessary evil by the Junior and Sophomore boys. It was not until February 4, 1905, that sufficient self-confidence to challenges to High Schools. ‘The Fresno High School Senate received and accepted the first challenge We adopted and finding it followed it There should winning we acquired send neighboring to a series of contests. following scheme, satisfactory, the entirely have in all succeeding contests: be three the school two to be declared the school should choose one judge and the judges chosen should choose a third from the audience; the decision should be awarded to points—four for thought, three for spontaniety and two for delivery. The first debate with Fresno took debates, victor; each place in our own assembly hall. MyH. S. was victorious. The second of the series took place in Fresno and again the Purple and White Under the circum- stances it was not necessary to have the conquered. third debate. Madera had wonin a debating contest with Fresno Senate! Our school began to think they could debate, even if they did fail in some other things, and this year we sent challenges to four different Fresno, Easton, Sanger and Modesto. accepted; Easton candidly acknowledged that she was afraid; and Modesto kept putting off the contest from time to time schools, Fresno and Sanger until we have utterly despaired of having a chance to defeat her. The first debate of this year was held in Madera with the Fresno Senate. Madera won—and won deservedly—but the Fresno boys, sore on account of a third failure, refused to debate any more, saying that Madera had not acted fairly because it was girls (members of the two of best High School) who defeated them. our Next came the Sanger debate, held in Madera, February 3, 1906. The Sanger people are the worst (or best?) opponents we have met so far, and we had to work hard to get the decision—-but we got it. The second debate with Sanger, held in Sanger on April 20, 1906, again resulted Madera. The Sanger in a victory for