Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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THE SASSAMON A 21 Mary McGlone was a demure little dressmaker, who pleased everybody, and was head of a large dressmaking establishment on South Main Street. Laura Buell was travelling around the world on her honeymoon, after marrying a young man from Medfield, where she had gained great popularity as a soloist. Alice Branagan holds a responsible position as head bookkeeper at the Framingham Trust Co. Depositors have increased greatly in number. It is believed that a great deal of this is due to Alice's personality. Edith Halperin had become a well- known and popular authoress and sev- eral of her stories had appeared in va- rious prominent magazines. joe Clarke was a successful business man in Natick, coining money. Al- though he is a bachelor, several of the fair sex claim they will get him yet. Emma Smith has taken the laurels from Marguerite Owen as champion typist of the world. The sudden descent of the aeroplane roused me quickly and I realized this had been only a dream in which so many of my classmates had appeared. Mary F. Gilleran. TEN YEARS FROM TONIGHT When I opened my morning's mail I was delighted to hnd the enclosed card bearing this invitation- Class of 1916 Natick High School is to hold a Reunion and Banquet at the High School Hall June 22, 1926, at 8.00 P. M. Losing no time, 1 made my plans to leave for Boston on the ten o'clock Federal Express from New York City, and telling my office force that the Stock Exchange would have a few days vacation until I returned, I hastily packed my grip and calling a taxi, made haste to the station. I was scarcely comfortably seated in the Pullman before I looked up and to my surprise saw John Peterson, whom I had not seen for ten years, and I tell you it was a warm reception we held there in the Pullman, when I discov- ered he was bound for the Reunion of the Class of 1916. Then we fell to reminiscing and talking about the old crowd. After discussing baseball un- til there was nothing more to say, we began talking about the Only Class of the Natick High School. John hadn't heard much that had happened to the Old Class, but had of course been writing to a young lady who lived in the Squash End district of the town and he was fairly posted. Arriving in Natick at 8 o'clock, a happy couple made its way to Assem- bly Hall. As we crossed the street, arm in arm, in front of the Colonial Inn, a big jitney came down upon us, stopping in front of the High School. The door of the jitney swung open and John Wardell stepped out, assist- ing two young ladies to the ground, followed by Professor Raymond Foley, all from Sherborn, Mass. We joined their group here and in talking we found that John Wardell had become manager of a branch store of the Ames Butter Company in Sher- born. John, having assumed a great political power in Sherborn, had been able to obtain a position for Miss Mari- on Walsh as teacher of Modern Dances in Sawin Academy, and also a position for Miss Helen Brennan as teacher of a Kindergarten. Professor Raymond Foley, through John's influence, had been made principal of Sawin Acade- m . ,As we all went up the school steps we heard a horn toot and the cram- ming of brakes, we looked around and saw. Rev. Richard Spencer with his wife, alighting from their Ford car. He had become minister of a thriving parish in South Hadley and looked prosperous. Entering the door, we saw Joe Mc- Gee taking tickets. Joe had taken three or four post-graduate courses, and on account of his great love for the faculty had decided to take the position of janitor which was former- ly filled by Jack Shay, now pensioned off. The first classmate I met in Assem- hly Hall was Eleanor Simonds. She told me she had taken a special course in bookkeeping, had passed the Civil Service Examination and had already

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20 THE SASSAMON I asked him several questions re- garding my classmates but he had been out of Natick for so long that he knew little of their whereabouts. He did know, however, that Ruth Cassidy, who was noted for holding her own in the Commercial Law Class, was now a successful woman lawyer, hav- ing won some of the most remarkable cases on record. I walked down by the High School and heard strains of music. The doors were open and I thought I would pay a visit for old times' sake. I went into the Assembly Hall and much to my joy and surprise found that the gradu- ating class of 1916 was having a reunion. julia Slamin and Mae Powers were sitting over near the door and I slip- ped in quietly beside them. Julia and Mae, who were very talkative as usual, gave me some valuable news. They were now coaches of basketball in Rad- cliffe and Smith Colleges. Ada Augustine was missing and they informed me that she was a toe dancer over in Europe and had danced before sovereigns. Alice McCordick was living in Mexi- co, having married a Spaniard whom she met after she obtained a position as Spanish interpreter. XVhere is Grace Montieth? I ask- ed. Oh! She's a leader in high so- ciety in VVashington and is engaged to Reginald Van de XVyte, whom she met while soiourning at Palm Beach. Joe Marinofsky was sitting across the hall glittering with diamonds and dressed in the height of fashion. He was now a millionaire, having 'made his fortune as a tailor and designer in New York. Anna Fitzpatrick was busily occu- pied arguing about VVoman's Suffrage and I was informed that she was spending her entire time along this line. She was not of the militant type, however. Marion VVelch was holding the re- sponsible position as librarian in the Public Library in South Natick. In the center of a group of young men I noticed a dashing beauty talk- ing gaily, and on close observation found it to be Mary Burke who was a famous prima donna. I thought I would walk around the hall and meet some of my classmates, but was interrupted by the entrance of a pious looking minister, who was no other than Forrest Lockhart. He said that he was pastor of a LARGE parish over in Sherborn. . Helga Benson was sitting quietly by the side of a fine-looking man, who I was told, was a Westerner. Helga and he were married. Mary Griffin was rushing around, very business-like, as usual. She had become proprietor of th'e Colonial Inn, and was most efficient in her manage- ment. Not only were her guests well fed, but well entertained by her witty remarks, her pet scheme being to tell some funny story while her guests were trying to eat. Regina Rivers had attained her long desired vocation and was now a nurse in Washington. I wonder what the at- traction was there? Florence Chamberlain had married after accomplishing a great deal as an artist, her masterpiece being A View of Felchville by Moonlight. jimmy Connell and Jacky Cole- man were ambitiously rising, having just bought out the Barnum 8z Bailey Circus, after knocking about the world for many years. The two of them, when unoccupied, charm their audi- ences with their FAVORITE SELEC- TION, What A Wonderful Mother You'd Be. Margaret McGrath has finally set- tled down in matrimonial bliss right here in Natick. After breaking many hearts she seems satisfied with her CHOICE. Joe Burke has become a famous au- thority in athletics and has taken Percy Haughton's place as coach at Harvard. joe has outgrown his former bashful- ness and is very popular among the ladies. Ermelina Bianchi, always clever in dramatics, had won greater fame than Ethel Barrymore and Sarah Bernhardt as an emotional actress. We always expected such a career for Ermelina. D

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22 THE SASSAM ON become bookkeeper in VV. Doon 8: Son's Mill for the remainder of her natural life. lurning around I saw Alice johnson who was now playing with the Es- sanay Film Company. I remembered having seen her on the screen in New York when she had quite surpassed Mary l'ickford and Geraldine Farrar. Along came Iisther Pendleton and Marguerite Whitney arm in arm. They were still single, but both had great a-.nnration lor little butcher boys. I-onowing closely on their heels were llazel Sprott and Miriam Eldridge with whom I shook hands. Miriam had become physical director in the lligh School and Hazel was coach of the Girls' Basket Ball team which had won the championship of the state for the past season. llaving met only girls in the hall I decided to break away to look for my pals and whom did I run into but Mary Casey and Irene Cohan. These two young ladies were at work in the office of Arthur B. Fair, Successor to F. E. Yeager, Fire Insurance Company. Ar- thur had learned that in order to carry on a successful business it pays to advertise, so Irene and Mary had their desks at each of the front win- dows of the office. Lots of Fire. At last breaking away from the girls I met jackie Lee. Jack, partly on account of his excellent form and beauty, had become physical instruc- tor at Wellesley College which had been in our school days a happy hunt- ing ground for jack. Along with him was Al Leavitt who was now a contractor of some fame. He was constructing at present a large office building in Natick, opposite the common which surpassed the VVool- worth building some fifty stories, for booming trade in Natick. Sitting down to dine at the banquet which followed, I met Esther Gutter- son who told me of her romance. After having received her diploma in 1916 she entered the Red Cross Service abroad. It all occurred at the bedside of a little Dutch hero who had been wounded in an air battle over the city of Verdun. All was over now and Es- ther had brought her beloved home to settle down. As I looked around the table I miss- ed one pal, Frank Dudley. The tele- phone then rang in the office and the oflice girl announced that Mr. Dudley would not be able to attend, as his youngest child was cutting his first tooth and needed care. While the feast was going on, I no- ticed that a large space at the table had been left vacant and an extra large chair was being placed there. In ques- tioning what the big idea was I found out that Geneve Wilde was to come yet. Geneve had broadened out some since I had seen her and she was with Barnum 8z Bailey's Circus as Sydney, the short fat girl. At my right was Mary Gilleran. Mary had grown a foot taller since I had seen her last and her continual smile had broadened to her ears. She had obtained a position as head sten- ographer for the Dennison Mfg. Com- pany in Framingham, Mass., where it is reported she has other interests. One other thing that attracted my attention was the latest hair-dressing of all the young ladies. In putting this question before the house I learn- ed that Miss Mary Fitzpatrick had be- come a fashionable hair-dresser and had opened up immense parlors which occupied the whole third floor in Clark's Block. It was 12 o'clock when the banquet ended. The next day seated in the Pullman bound for New York I thought what a great class it was that graduated in 1916, and surely put Na- tick on the map. FINIS. Joseph A. Burke. CLASS WILL IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, the Senior Class, of the Natick High School, of the town of Natick, State of Massachusetts, being of sound 'mind and memory, and considering the uncertainty of this frail and transitory life, do therefore make, ordain, publish, and declare this to be our last Will and Testament, that is to say: