Plainfield High School - Milestone Yearbook (Plainfield, NJ)

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YEAR BOOK --- CLASS of 1904 Managing Editor, VAN Wyck Brooks. Cummenucemenut Speaker of the Evening, REV. ROBERT S. MacARTHUR, D. D., of New York. Salutatorian, ANNA CORIELL RANDALL. Valedictorian, ANNA FRANCES BRODNAX. DALUTATORY ADDRESS GREAT many years ago the world consisted entirely of men. But as, day after day, from his high Olympus, Jupiter ob- served his handicap, he noticed how incomplete the race ap- peared, and how desolate and discontented man seemed. One day, as he was making his customary observations, an idea occurred to him. He would create a woman, and send her to earth as a companion for man. Immediately he set to work, and finally the new being was finished. Then the father of the gods sent word to all his children that, on a certain day, he would give a birthday party for this new child, and all were invited. At last the time for the long-looked-for event arrives, and in great excitement, the divinities assemble at the appointed grove. In the midst, on his high throne, sits Jupiter with Juno at his side, and before them stands the wonderful being in whose honor the festival is given. When all have assembled, Jupiter gives a signal, and the gods and goddesses ap- proach. First comes Venus with her gift of beauty. She is followed by Apollo who bestows the faculty of music. Thus, one by one, they advance, each bringing a gift. And last come Minerva with her priceless gift of wis- dom. When all have laid down their offerings, Jupiter arises, and an- nounces that the name of this new being is Pandora, “the gift of all the gods.” Then at a sign from him, two goddesses approach, and, lifting Pandora in their arms, fly with her above the heads of the gathered as-

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148 THE ORACLE were captained and trained. Much praise is due to Captain Thompson for the successes of the year. He inspired a wonderful amount of nerve in the whole team, and this alone pulled a victory out of the South Orange, the Rutgers Prep., and many of the other games. The second thing whiclr appears very remarkable is the woful lack of support which has marked the attitude of the school at large. The Pingry game was the only one in which much support was given by the school. In the City Championship games we had the smallest crowds of rooters of any of the schools. It is very hard to find a cause for this since a successful team almost universally receives the support of the school. The only cause which can in our mind be as- signed to this lack of support, is the deterioration of the school spirit in the members of the Plainfield High School. The only encouragement we have in regard to this, is the fact that next year we will have almost identical- ly the same team, the only graduate being ‘‘Peewee” Long, and the student body may support a team which served so successfully this year. Ty Ola. HEN Mr. Travell made the announcement that we were going to lose Miss Burroughs from the faculty next year, weallrealizedthat she has occupied a place in our midst which will be difficult for another to fill. Miss Burroughs has made the department of History a delightful one, and to her we owe its general popularity among us. Great as will be the loss: which the whole school will feel at Miss Burroughs’ leaving us, the mem- bers of THE OrAcLE Board will miss even more her untiring efforts as our Associate Editor. Miss Burroughs’ connection with THE ORACLE dates. back to the launching of the enterprise in the fall of 1902, and throughout she has devoted much of her time to the success of our publication. It is therefore with a great deal of gratitude that we join with the rest of the School in bidding her Godspeed and wishing her every success. The Fatulty will also lose a very valuable member in Miss. Santee, who al- though she has been with us but a short time, has greatly endeared herself to the heart of every pupil. In general, only the lower classes have had the benefits of Miss Santee’s teachings, but we can safely say that the school at large will greatly regret her departure. “Everything comes to him who waits,” mused the waiter sadlv, as he gazed at two Canadian dimes and a lead quarter—Ex. Teacher—‘“A fool can ask questions a wise man can’t answer.” Pupil—‘That’s why we flunked.”—Ex.

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150 THE ORACLE semblage, and swiftly descending through the air, leave her upon the earth to dwell there forever. Full of meaning as was this story for the ancient Greeks, has it, then, no significance for us? Like Pandora, we, too, have been presented with gifts. We have been surrounded all our lives by influences which have helped to make us what we are. The chief of these gifts has come to us in our homes. There, our fathers and mothers have watched and guided us with unceasing care, and no small part of our pleasure to-night lies in the fact that this occasion gives great pleasure to them. Next in importance to the influence of the home has been that of the schools, and especially that of the High School in which we have spent so much of our time during the past four years. It is to the citizens of Plainfield that we owe these schools. To these citizens, then, we owe a debt of gratitude for the many gifts which have come to us through these schools. To the members of the Board of Education, and to the Superintendent we extend our greetings to-night. We wish to thank them for their special thought and labor to make these gifts of the most value to us. We appreciate the efforts they have put forth to secure for us a more com- modious building. We are sorry that their plans could not have been ac- complished during our course in school, but we are glad that in the near future, their efforts promise to meet with the success which they so greatly deserve. The gifts which are included in this school life are threefold. First, the help and guidance of our teachers, next, the comradeship of our school- mates, and lastly, perhaps the most permanent gift of all, that of the in- spiration of books. Our principal and teachers we have come to look upon not only as directors of our intellectual development but as our sympathetic friends. Not only for their guidance, but also for their sympathy and friendship, we are deeply grateful. Now that our school life is over, we realize how great has been that second gift, the influence and joys of comradeship. Day after day, we have come into contact with many earnest workers, all having the same interests in study and all striving for the same goal. We have entered into each other’s lives, we have sympathized with each other’s failures and triumphs. Can we ever forget how we toiled together over Burke’s Conciliation ; how by the flickering light of the midnight oil, we danced with “the three weird