Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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THE SASSAMON ing demonstrated daily in the homes of millions of people. The wireless, invented about the same time, did not develop as quickly, but, as the years passed and a higher grade of proficiency was reached, national legisla- tion became necessary to control the jum- ble of messages fiying at cross purposes from the hands of an infinite number oi wireless users. The enthusiasm of these operators was boundless in the use of this instrument which sends and receives mes- sages not over a wire like the telephone and telegraph, but from the Very atmos- phere itself. At about the same time that radio tel- egraphy was achieving prominence, the radio telephone was first used. The chief difference between the iwvo instruments is that by radio telephony we are able to send and receive the human voice through space, while a sound made by a spark transmitter forming dots and dashes in ac- cordance With an international code em- bodies the connective powers of the tele- graph. The progress of the radio tele- phone was somewhat checked by the abil- ity of scientists to create a voice ampli- fier. It was not until 1912 that any de- cided approach was made toward the per- fection of the radio telephone, or simply radio, as it is called. Realizing the possibilities of an elec- trical phenomenon which Edison had dis- covered, telephone engineers began to ex- periment with his crude instrument and soon developed it into highly perfected bulbs or vacuum tubes. These tubes are used either as a modulator or builder of weak currents or as an amplifier. Although first used on long distance telephone ser vice, they were quickly adapted to me radio telephone and by constant experi- mental and development work messages were transmitted in 1915 through a space of 7,000 miles. The basic principle of the radio is the signaling through the ether by means of electro-magnetic waves. The length of these waves varies greatly, or can be made to vary greatly, and it is this tendency PAGE SEVENTEEN which makes it possible for radio experts when receiving, to focus or tune their instruments of waves of a certain length excluding all others. Without a doubt the interest in wireless a few years ago was great, but the pres ent radio craze has affected so many peo- ple that manufacturers of electrical sup- plies have refused to accept any more business until they catch up. The radio has been found so useful as a means of reaching the people that lec- tures, concerts, statistics, press reports and many other forms of education and enter- tainment are daily fiashed through space for the benefit of radio owners. There are endless possibilities for the radio telephone. Improvements have been so rapid recently that even experts find it difficult to keep well informed. With progress making such rapid strides what can we not expect in the future? Perhaps the greatest prophecy yet con- ceived is that the world's power may some day be distributed by means of the radio. Already so many heretofore impossible feats have been accomplished that even this seems possible. However, in spite of its many assets it is not expected that radio telephony will supercede the tele- phone and telegraph for the reason that far more privacy is possible in the latter named than through radio. It is indeed a far cry from the man whose long distance messages could be measured in feet to the present day when the voice can be cast throughout the length and breadth of the world. How our ancestors would marvel at the phenom- enal radio! Still in just such a fashion we may be taken aback by the message car- riers of the future. From past demonstra- tions of man's initiative what may we not expect from the next era? ARTHUR BUCKLEY. CLASS WILL We, the Senior Class of 1922, of the Natick High School, Town of Natick, State of Massachusetts, being of sound mind and

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PAGE SIXTEEN THE SASSAMON other classmates in Iowa-Catherine Rear- don, owner of a large ranch at Oskaloosa. and Doris King, who was running a pretty little tea-room at Fort Madison. While we were out riding one afternoon, we came upon a movie party from Holly- wood out on location. To our surprise, we saw Beryl Sweetland among tnem. She was playing ingenue parts and was en- gaged to her leading man. She told us that Beryl Boardman, who had been an ar- tist's model in Paris, has also succumbed to the lure of the silver screen and was then in India getting material for scenes, costumes, and dances for her next picture. She had retained the popularity she had with us, for she was a great favorite with the movie fans. Another afternoon we took a trip down to one of the Indian reservations where we found Mary Lord teaching the Indians how to make baskets. She received her own training in this line from Miss Brennan at Natick High. Mary was married, but had tired of the gay society life and was spend- ing the summer on the reservation. Rowe Leavitt, she said, was living in Canada, and was giving instruction in writing love letters by means of a correspondence school. Vlfhile traveling abroad, Mary had met Ruth Wright who had been studying futuristic painting in France and Italy. Several of her art panels had been ac- cepted by the Royal Society of England. Peg LaVarge, who had been married. to a well-known baseball player not long ue- fore, was living in Brooklyn, New York. We urged Mary to return to Des Moines with us and that night we all sat about the open fire talking over old times. We drank a heartfelt toast to Auld Lang Syne and the class of '22 fthe best class 'Natick High ever hadlj And I thought- Doth not a meeting like this make amends For all the long years I've been wand'ring away? Whatever has been written shall remain, Nor be erased, nor written o'er again . The unwritten only yet remains to thee, Take heed and ponder well what that shall be. RUTH AMES. CLASS ORATION In the earliest days of mankind. when the earth was in a primal state of being, it would seem that the man that labored under an insurmountable handicap, for in his daily fight for existence he was pitted against animals superbly equipped for a life in which the only law was the survival of the fittest. Man's single asset was his brain, but this was sufficient to place him far above any of the lower animals. Through the power of thought he was able to gain a degree of safety which his phy- sical being never could have possessed oth- erwise. By no means the least method he used for protection was his power of expression and communication. Doubtlessly this was one of the principal factors in his gaining such as astoinshing pre-eminence over the other animals. As his need became greater, he devised other means of comunication than by voc- iferously calling through space to his com- panions. Chief among the earliest means of conveying information a greater dis- tance than the vocal range was the helio- graph, a sun reflecting device whose flash- es could be seen miles away. Many re- verberant implements were also used, and, after man had gained sufficient control over fire, alternating smoke columns were popular. Gradually as humanity became more civilized the most expedient way to communicate was by means of written messages, the speed of which depended upon the swiftness of the messenger. The world of culture was at this stage when the telegraph was invented. This inven- tion was such an enormous step toward perfection in news-conveying instruments that it has been retained to the present day. Next came the telephone, bringing a closer, more personal connection between the communicants. Its usefulness is be-

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PAGE EIGHTEEN THE SASSAMON memory, U1 and about to depart this Iligh School life, do hereby make, publish and declare this to be our last Will and 'Testament as follows: I. To the Faculty of the aforesaid High School we give and bequeath our sincere love, and deep appreciation, for all their watchful care, encouragement, and high standards. II. We give and bequeath to the Junior Class the mantle of our literary talents, fLong's English Literaturej and all of our silk hosiery and satin slippers, that their under-standing may be clothed with the sheen and splendor befitting their rank and station, also our leadership in athletics, our unexcelled art as actors, our extraor- dinary reputation as dignified Seniors, the privilege of sitting in Rooms 11 and 12, together with the hope that they may ex- cel us in scholarship next year. ' III. To the Sophomore Class we be- queath our most treasured jewelry: Our golden chains of memory, scintillating with the diamonds of the many brillian. cvents that have taken place during the last year. fExample: broken window panes.J These chains will bind all hearts together and draw them back each year for the Alumni re-union. And our wrist- watches, too, that they may acquire the habit of promptness and watchfulness fWATCHfulness in Room 225. And last- ly our finger rings, indicative of the unity of' thought uniting all in the same desire for high marks. IV. We give and bequeath to the Freshman Class all of our toils and strug- gles, our ground gripper shoes that will aid them in climbing the hill of learning, our basket ball bloomers and sneakers that will win for them special mention in the field of sport. And lastly, we leave our three years of doubts and fears and final victories. V. To Mr. Betts we bequeath a pack of blood hounds to aid him in keeping wayward pupils off the grass. VI. To Miss Sweet we leave a bottom- less bottle of spring tonic which she may administer to all pupils who begin their summer vacations about February 1. VII. The Class bestows upon Miss El- lison its many thanks for all the help she has given it in the play and its other so- cial activities. VIII. We bequeath to Miss Dyer an automatic bell that she may not tire her arm ringing out the old, ringing in the new. IX. To Miss Coulter we leave a well formulated plan for borrowing books, so that they will always be returned in time for the next class to borrow them. X. The Class bequeaths to Mr. White a dictionary for use especially in the Phy- sics Class. XI. To Jack Shea we leave a number of panes of glass that they may be used to good advantage next year should the boys prove as rough as they have been this year. XII. Mary Adams leaves to Beryl Weatherby her disgust for powder puffs. XIII. Ruth Ames bequeaths her ggigles to Evelyn Morrill. XIV. Beryl Boardman leaves her prow- ess in athletics to Hank Goldrick. XV. Alice Baker leaves her nifty Dutch cut to Violet Godendorf. XVI. Dot Derrick leaves to Alice Ma- son her W-A-L-K. , XVII. Fannie Featherman leaves her excellence in scholarship to Alma Cartier. XVIII. Jerry Duguid bequeaths her tardiness to Punk Mahard. Mary Forster gives her une- XIV. qualled Ambition to Phil Farwell. XX. Helen Houghton leaves to Mickey Derrick her love of whispering. XXI. Ida Hurd leaves her success in History to Marion Waters. Roe Leavitt gives her vamping XXII. ways to Helen Winch. XXIII. Peggy LaVarge bequeaths her art in hairdressing to Florence Doherty. XXIV. Mary Long leaves her beloved green tie to Dot Pratt. XXV. Mary Lord leaves to Dot Ryan her ability to shoot baskets. XXVI. Ruthie Wright bequeaths her ability as an artist to Alice 0'Brien.