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

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THE PURPLE AND WHITE But future visions we’ve now made trite, And exhausted the Oak Leaves’ prophecies quite, So we’ll bury these themes with no other knell Than the ting-a-ling-ling of the chest- nut bell. sll

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THE PURPLE AND WHITE Leading his flock as a good shepherd would, Preparing here for a future abode; Showing his sheep the way of life Keeping his church with godliness rife. ‘Tis Columbus, smart and clever, And he’s just the same as ever.— Hear him as in old times speaking Forcibly. “And the winds blow soft as Jehu, And the mud is Knee-deep, ye who Possess rubbers wear them always In the Spring.’ Doing the work of a loving maid, Living a life by others obeyed, Helping the feeble, curing the sick, Sweet Florence ministers, tenderly quick. Toiling as a patient nurse, Life and health to reimburse, Tends she every helpless one, Lovingly. But she’d been disappointed in love, And her affection, like a dove, Had left her to be all alone With her sighs. Yet disappointments are new And even tho it was the hue Of her eyes that caused the trouble Still she lives. Leave now the city with worldly cares, Leave now its hustling, bustling airs And return to the pretty woodland dale, To the woodpecker’s chirp and the night- ingale’s wail; Return to the home of the purest, the no- blest, Home of the loveliest, sweetest and best, Return to the place where nature abides Enchanted, and there in sweet solitude hides. Oh, listen! soft strains of music sweet, Harmonies floating with melodies beat, Are caught on the air as they join the notes Of the birds, and in one sound it heaven- ward floats; Bernice the sweet singer, a nymph chords her lay That enchants Mother Nature and bright- ens her way.

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16 THE PURPLE AND ‘WHITE of Circumstantial A Case Evidence PHILIP CONLEY It was the night before Christmas. Hight or ten of us boys were gathered around the stove at the “Red Dot” saloon. We were talking about the quarrel be- tween ‘Poker’? Dick Lathrop and Bill Smith. It had happened that afternoon in front of the saloon. Smith owed the gambler a couple of hundred that he’d beat him out of at a poker game a month before. Lathrop struck Smith for the money two or three times, but Bill’s young- est kid had been sick and it took all his Pa’s money to send eighty miles for a doctor and medicine. Smith and his daughter Mary—she’s my wife, you know, now—came in the day before Christmas to get a few things. Mary was in Jeremiah Balkin’s ‘General Merchandise Store’ when her Pa went out to find Lathrop. Bill had found a pretty rich pocket the day before and he had a hundred and fifty dollars worth of dust to pay off his debt. Lathrop was coming out of the Dot.”’ He’d been celebrating and drunk just enough to make him ugly. Smith approached him and said, ‘“‘Here’s a hundred and fifty of that two hundred. I'll pay you the rest next month.” “Why don’ you pay me the two hun’red, you dirty dog. You’re a liar, you four- flushin’ son o’ Satan. I wan’ my money You’re a horsethief—you won’ pay nex’ month.” I don’t blame Bill for hitting him in the eye, but it was kind of risky, when Dick was such a handy man with the gun. Two or three of the boys got hold of La- throp before he could draw, and I jerked out Smith’s revolver before he could lay hands on it. Lathrop was rushed away cussing Smith for all he was worth. Smith tried to get at him but I got in the way. “T’ll shoot him on sight,” Smith hol- Iered. ‘“‘No man on earth can call me a liar.” “Shut up, you fool,’ I said. see he’s not responsible?’’ “Red had “Can’t you I made Smith go with me over to where Mary was waiting for him, giving him his gun on the way over. I noticed that the pistol had an extra long handle. On one end his initials, W. S., were engraved on the metal. Mary hadn’t heard anything about the fight, “Well, I’ve bought a present for every- body—one for you too. I know you'll like it, Dad,’’ she said. “Here, Mr. Ryan, I got you something.” She handed me a little gold nugget pin. “Tt’s the one I found down in the old creek when we first came here.” I thanked her for it and told her it was the first Christmas present I’d gotten since I came West, and that I’d keep it as long as I lived, which made Mary blush. “Let’s hurry,’”’ she said to her Pa quick- ly. “It’s gettin’ near supper time.” Bill had cooled down wonderfully since we joined Mary. As he got into the sad- dle I whispered, ‘‘Don’t do anything you’ll be sorry for, Bill. You’ve got a mighty fine family.’’ Smith grumbled something under his breath, and they rode off, Mary waving a goodby to me, The boys at the ‘‘Red Dot” all seemed to think that there’d be more trouble. Fights where we were usually ended up with a new job for the undertaker. It was just seven o’clock and dark as pitch, The wind was moaning around the tops of the buildings. ‘‘Dutch’’ Leonard came in and was welcomed by the boys at the stove. “Seen Bill Smith in town about a quar- ter of an hour ago,” ‘Dutch’ said as he warmed his hands at the stove. ‘‘Wonder if he’s come back to shoot—” Bang! Bang! Two shots in front of the saloon. We all jumped up and ran for the door. The light from the open door fell upon the ground. There Lathrop lay in a pool of blood! Somebody brought out a lantern and we went over to where Lathrop lay. He had been shot twice—in the side and in the head. He held his pistol in his hand. “Smith got him before he could shoot,’”