Shortridge High School - Annual Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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COUNTRY DARK nnlnunnlltlihhlhlinnlnlllnl-li!l-uhhh!!!Il-lihlllllhilnllihl MALCOLM SNODDY OUNTRY DARK is the darkest dark there is. Did you ever drive into the country on a moonless night and turn out the lights of your car? Absolute darkness. When I was seven years of age, I had my fist real ex- perience with Country Dark. I was lost. When I first realized that I was lost, I was wander- . ing down a road whicn I had never seen before. Dark- ness Was approaching swiftly. I was anxious to get back to the country home where I was staying for my , walk had made my appetite quite sharp. I walked farther, hoping to find a farmhouse before dark. I was never too brave at home in the dark, much less in a district which I had never seen before. Long before a house was in sight, the twilight deepened, it seemed almost at once, an inky curtain dropped around me. I stumbled along-the darkness was not broken by a light anywhere. The wind moaned and the trees that I could not see swished as if wailing for death. No moon or stars were to be seen. The hoot of a screech owl came to my ears. It seemed to Vbe asking, How did you come to be in such a plight ? I was tired, sleepy, and frightened. I walked to what I thought was the edge of the road and sat down to wait for a passing motor. None came, or at least I didn't see one, for I fell asleep. I was very startled when I awoke and I could not realize I was not safe at home in my bedroom. As soon as I could collect myself, I was deeply grateful for the crescent moon and the few stars that had appeared. My cheer soon changed to horror when I glanced behind me and looked upon a headstone. The only fear greater than my fear of the dark was my fear of the dead. All the sounds of the night seemed doubly loud, owls hooted, there was a mysterious rustling in the grass. A dog somewhere in the distance howled mournfully. A rabbit jumped out at my feet. I thought my heart had stopped beating. A cold sweat stood out on my forehead. I began to wonder if my friends would find my body the next day. I will never know whether I fainted or fell asleep for the next thing I knew my pal was arousing me. The whole country-side had been searching for me. P - -Y Y Y A,-,- V ,EEILY :fl

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A PIPE AND AN ADVENTURE pended from the ceiling by rusty brass chains and illuminated by Chinese dragon candles. On one side was a cupboard, over which hung a bright red curtain, the only spot of color in the room. Also at one end was a Chinese jewel three, very highly prized and very expensive. All these articles were distributed without much regard for order. At either end of the room was a door, similar in construction to the windows. We had entered by one of these doors and the other one, from which a part of the paper had been torn, revealed another poorly-lighted room. I went over and looked through the rents. There I beheld evidence of the institution which was the curse to Chinese civilization, the parasite which was slowly undermining the people-an opium den. The room was not unlike the first one, except that along the sides were two long, high, mat-covered benches. Lying stretched prone on each of these were per- haps a dozen men. Some were asleep or dozing, and others were still smoking, attended by pretty, Chinese slave-girls. Each man's head was resting on a porcelain pillow, which had about the same shape and softness as a Milwaukee brick. Beside each man were his implements, consisting of a pipe, a lamp, the picks, the pins, the spades, and the opium. I opened the door and walked in, so that I could get a better look at their faces. There were men of all ages. Each face bore the stamp of listlessness, of physical and moral ruin that characterizes the habitual addiction. I wondered at the corruptness and inefficiency of a government that permitted, fairly under its nose, a practice of such rank unlawfulness, for I knew that opium is taboo in French colonies. I returnedloilae etheiaroom, and presentlythe man came back with a pipe which he consented to sell. I was glad enough to buy it at his own price, so that I could once more get back into the fresh night and away from the sickening, sweet smell of burnt opium. i PUSSY WILLOW Beautiful willow, don't I know Why you chose this place to grow? Here you can lean o'er the waters cool, And see yourself in the glassy pool! Doesn't your beauty make you vain, Mirrored in its depths so plain ? Look at the sky, it whispers low, Never a pussy looks below! I A MIRIAM I-IUTCHINSON

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CALEB MILLS HALL NORMAN B. L. FERGUSON Caleb Mills Hall! What memories our auditorium will always hold for us! As Freshmen we came to this haven of safety after we had wandered aimlessly about the halls: and as Seniors we came to this place to meet our friends and to hear the latest gossip. To this refuge, secure from the intrusions of our teachers, we went to compare notes before classg here We hastily prepared our lessons to avert the fatal D, and improved our lessons already prepared, in order to earn a coveted A plus. Caleb Mills Hall is indeed a spot dear to the hearts of all Shortridgers. It is alike a club room, study hall and place of amusement. Of all the various rooms or halls of the school, we will most sorrowfully see the auditorium wrecked, when our old school is destroyed. Caleb Mills Hall was always the most convenient place for the innocent freshies to play their pranks. Often they rubbed back and forth on the varnished seats to induce an electrical charge in their bodies, and then walked on their rubber heels to the back of some junior or senior and lightly touched the upper classman's ear. How they laughed when their victim jumped up, startled by the sharp sting! Was there ever a freshie who did not try to count the lights in the ceiling or the windows in the dome of the auditorium, only to be balked in his task by the class bell? The sophomore and junior Sheiks and Shebas also came to this place to arrange their dates. With what coquetry the girls attracted their masculine admirers! And with what boasting the Sheik heroes impressed their feminine listeners! The latest steps of the Charleston were discussed and the movie fans commented on the latest plays which featured their favorites. P When We arrived at school too early for our second or third hour class, we always sought the auditorium. Every morning we entered and took a seat beside some friend, only to hear the teacher say, Please do not sit togetherg at least one seat between every two persons. We obligingly moved and tried to continue our conversation, only to hear the persistent pedagogues say in a still sterner voice, Here, did I give you permission to talk? You get busy: I know that there is something on which you can be working. Onceeach week we held our auditorium exercises. Here we listened with eager attention to our awe-inspiring Cicero's and Patrick Henry's, as they spoke on the Constitution. The spirits of the most despondent were raised by our rousing Pep Meetings, as we cheered the Battling Burtonians or our football team. Here our future Bernhardt's and Bar- rymore's displayed their growing talents. In no less measure our Galli- Curci's and Paderewski's thrilled us. Once each year we came here to attend the great Tri-State Debate, and to applaud our impassioned orators to greater heights of fame. At the beginning of each semester, Mr. Buck received the incoming freshmen and introduced them to the school. At