Southold High School - Snuffbox Yearbook (Southold, NY)

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THE SNUFF BOX Washington! That glorious, sparkling city so far away was like to some lustrous star, whose radiance and brilliance defied our imagination and thrilled us with divine pleasure. What a red letter day the seventh of April would be for the Class of ’31, for on that date our dream, for the fulfillment of which we had waited four long years, was to come true! April 7—But alas! on this date, the heavens did not seem elated, for instead of their being sunshiny and blue they were windy and storm-tossed, sending mammoth tear-drops to visit nearby station platforms, where members of the Senior Class were eagerly awaiting the cheery whistle of the early morning steam puffer. At the metropolis of Philadelphia, we all hopped gaily off the train —I say gaily,” for wouldn’t you, if you’d been riding for five hours steady and had had nothing to look at but cards, suitcases and flying landscapes? Our dinner at the Majestic Hotel was consumed with relish and filled with supreme silence, for, strange enough, it seemed that we all had lost the art of talking and eating simultaneously—still dreaming of Washington, I suppose. In the afternoon we were taken on a sightseeing tour, in which very interesting historic places met our view, including Christ Church and the place where our national flag was born —in the story above the quaintest little store you ever saw. The triumph of our tour was the visit to Independence Hall, where we left our trademarks—now don’t get excited, we didn’t do an infamous act by writing our names in its guest book, did we? It was truly glorious to lay reverent hands upon the bell which rang out the message that America was henceforth to be a free country, and to walk into the chamber whose floors had proudly borne the steps of Hamilton, Washington and Franklin! Our first glimpse of Washington was at night, through windows splashed with raindrops, but that did not daunt us a trifle, for we had plenty of sunshine inside the bus between Larry Carroll and George 26

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THE SNUFF BOX 25

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THE SNUFF BOX Clark. After dinner at our hotel, the Lee House, we all trouped joyfully to the theatre to witness Mr. Lemon from Orange.” Bedtime was about — o’clock this night, and sleep simply could not be courted! April 8—The sun agreed to cheerily come out of his sulks on this day and shower Washington with his brilliant sunbeams. Indeed I believe most of us witnessed his rising, for all seemed so wide awake and had so many escapades to tell of at eight o’clock breakfast. At nine we embarked on a sightseeing tour about Washington, in the course of which we were whisked to the top of the five hundred and fifty-five foot Washington Monument, from which we had a marvelous view of the surrounding country. Those who climbed the stairs to the summit certainly deserve a medal for fortitude, endurance and sweet temper. Our visit to the Capitol was no less exciting. We viewed the Senate and House chambers with appreciative glances, recalling some famous bills that were passed in each. You see, Miss Whalen, your History Class is quite remarkable! The climax of our visit on this delightful morning was the extreme pleasure we felt when President and Mrs. Hoover appeared on their veranda to greet us. The White House is a lovely mansion, surrounded by green lawns and beautiful trees, while cheery birds and a sparkling fountain help to complete a very pretty picture. After seeing a few more gorgeous edifices we returned to our hotel, for though we can feast our eyes on beauty, our appetites can not be so satisfied, you know. At two we were taken to Arlington Cemetery, a place that has been made still more beautiful by the simple and stately lines of its Grecian Amphitheatre, and which possesses a soul inspiring monument, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The landscape of the latter was being changed, so we didn’t receive its full benefit, but we brought our imaginations into play and found, to our great disgust, that we could only draw a picture of where we would be if those working men chanced to blast at that moment. On the way home, three very dareful people rode through the heavens in a winged traveler of the sky and saw Washington from the air. In the evening we paid a visit to the memorable Library of Congress. Those great marble stairways and the effective lighting made one feel bound to the illustrious spot, while the material it contained wrapped one in wonder. We ended our day by visiting one of Washington’s picture houses, where some of us took a siesta. April 9—We were now able to find our way back to the Lee House if we went for a walk, so we felt we knew Washington quite well, for our hotel was on the trickiest corner! This morning we visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where we saw money and stamps being made (this certainly opened any sleepy eyes), the very interesting Smithsonian Institution, and the Pan-American Union Building. This edifice was so refreshing and cool, and its parrots so entertaining, that we could have stayed there all the morning-—but for the remembrance of the Lincoln Memorial. This was all 2