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

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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

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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. students, however, are not yet thoroughly discouraged, i uh ov.e of the debaters in the last cont st and are threatening to rene eat any time. Our continued success in these contests is probably due to several causes, but first and most important is the fact that the whole school has become interested, even enthusiastic, and take great pride in the prestige of the M. H.S. Pupils consider it the highest of honors to be elected to debate and think the struggle worthy of their strongest efforts. The faculty take just as much interest and, in fact, everyone in any way connected with the school is proud of our debating records. We would like to advise all high schools so, to try our system of inter-high school debates. We can promise that they will build up the school if conducted properly, encourage the students in stronger school spirit and promote a better feeling between neighboring schools. 4s a gir the struy who have not already done their literary work, create cys Taking a Message to Garcia. BIRDIE APPLING, ’o8. {OR many years the White Rock dy Granite Company supplied wT orders for half a nation but never ' before had the been so great. The superintendent had found it necessary to add more men to his hundreds and supply them with the implements of work. The old cutting shed stood among the It had stood there for many generations, a long, low building, had demand California mountains. constructed in forgotten times after an odd and antique fashion. It contained one single room where the entire work Here the shaped and smoothed; here it was packed and loaded into cars which stood at the was executed. granite was cut, great entrance awaiting their stern iron propellor to take them away tothe busy, bustling cities. Here hundreds of men fr +»d means to supply the needs of a frac- tion of a nation. Here the incessant thump, thump, thump of the great chisels prepared the material for building great cities. The shed was surrounded by mountains, all steep and high. In these the quarries were situated, the nearest being three miles from the shed. the quarry and loaded into the cars by It was the duty of one man to stand beside the cars to be loaded and give the signal for the boom to be tripped. This man was Rob Farnham, the brave The rock was taken from derricks. and loyal hearted, the man who dared to do. One car stood on the spur, awaiting the last few stones that would end its stay at the quarry and begin its course down the mountain. Upcame the huge rock hoisted to the top of the derrick. It stood a ment when the great cable gave a lurch and the rock fell heavily on the brake. The car gave one bound and sped like deer the mountains. Farnham immediately grasped the situa- He looked and realized. His blood almost froze in veins his heart stood still. He thought of the men in the cutting shed below; he thought of their and unexpected death and the mass that would be therein the mo- an untamed down tion. his and sudden crushed course of a few moments; he thought of the hundreds of women and children left to suffer except by the resources of their own efforts; he thought of the crushed love and broken hearts of wives, mothers and thought of his sweethearts; he own mother. But thought is quick and with a jump he was on the flying car. He reached for the brake, but the rock had shattered it into pieces and he saw that no aid could be expected from it, and he realized at once that to stop the racing car was impossible. There was one chance and but one—the telephone, a mile and a half the This one hope, but at the But he did not think of his own danger; he thought only of the down mountain. risk of his own life.