Tipton High School - Tiptonian Yearbook (Tipton, IN)

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THE TIPTONIAN 31 LITERATURE MICHAEL. A Paraphrase of Wordsworth ' s Poem. The traveler who has been venturesome enough to penetrate the wilderness ot flow- ers which separates the main road from the more picturesque, though wilder regions of Grassmere Vale, plunges at once into a laby- rinth of sweet scented grasses, trees and shrubs, a miniature Paradise it seems. Through this flows a silvery brook babbling and dancing between violet lined banks. Close by the margin of the brook may be seen a curiously arranged pile of stones and not far from these the ruins of what was once a home. The stone walls have long since crumbled to decay and the wilderness has overrun the threshhold. An old shepherd who watched his flocks on the neighboring hillside relates this sto- ry of the vale. Many years ago, there dwelt in Gras- mere Vale an old shepherd named Michael. He had reached the age of SO when a son was born to him and his good wife, who was twenty years younger than he. This son, who was their only child, became the con- stant companion of Michael, who watched and cared for the boy with an ever increas- ing love, and the lad was never happier than when with his father. Michael taught the boy to be energetic, to like work. The mother, also, set Luke, for so he was called, the example of ceaseless industry. So en- ergetic were these three that their candle burned brightly long after nightfall and the people of the neighborhood gave the cot- tage the name of The Evening Star. In this manner passed many happy years until Luke reached the age of eighteen. Then misfortune came. Michael, some years before this time, had become security for a relative for whom investments turned out badly and it seemed that a part of Michael ' s hard-earned acres must go to pay the bond. The poor old shepherd felt that he must do his duty, but ihs father-love told him to save the estate for Luke. Torn between his love for his boy and love for his patrimonial acres, wihch he had only recently freed from a debt incurred by his father, Michael, with the reluctant consent of his good wife, determined to send Luke from home to the distant city, where through the as- sistance of a kinsman, he might be able to earn enough to pay the debt. Preparations for his departure were be- gun. The candle of the Evening Star burned later, for the mother ' s loving hands were leaving nothing unfinished. At last the evening before the day set for Luke ' s departure came. Michael took his son to the field where he had gathered a pile Of stones with which he and Luke had intend- ed to make a sheepfold. Pausing by the pile of stones, the old man told his son to lay the corner stone of the fold, and as the boy worked, his father told him of his love for him and his desire that he, Luke, should keep the little farm as his father had done, and as his father ' s father had done, before him; for he could not bear that it should pass into the hands of strangers. The youth promised to do as his parent wished and looked lovingly upon the old man, who had been his lifelong counselor. The next day Luke left home, carrying with him the good wishes of the country side and his fathers ' blessing. Time passed on and a letter came saying that Luke was doing well and that his kinsman was well pleased with him. For a few years, letters of this kind continued to be received and the shepherd and his wife were happy in the success of their boy. But just as their sun of prosperity was in its zenith, lo, a cloud appeared covering it, so that never again did its rays of happiness beam upon the two old people. Luke formed evil asso- ciations. He committed one crime after an- other until at last he was compelled to flee the country. The grief of his parents was pitiful to behold. Their hearts were broken; and what is more pitiable than the broken heart of a loving father or mother. Seven years passed away. The old shep- herd died and was buried on his beloved es- tate. Three years later, the loving wife and mother was laid beside him. The es-

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30 THE TIPTONIAN SENIOR GERMAN CLASS.

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32 THE TIPTONIAN tate fell into the hands of strangeirs. No more the Evening Star casts its bright rays over the grassy vale; no longer is heard the hum of the good wife ' s spinning wheel or the voice of the shepherd as he calls his sheep, or works up the sheepfold. All is as quiet as the grave. The Evening Star has fallen to decay; its ruins may still be seen; and near it the uncompleted sheepfold. — Very Swab, ' 14, NITROGEN PEROXIDE. Thomas Edison says that the greatest discovery in modern science is the prepara- tion of nitrogen peroxide (N02 from air. This sounds absurd when we think of the wireless, telegraph, the X-ray machine and similar other inventions, or discoveries, as greater. Let us consider another point. Sir Oli- ver Lodge, the great British scientist, says that the population of the earth will de- crease from a fourth to a half in the next century. Why? Because the soil of the earth is wearing out and she can no longer feed so great a mass of people. Euro-Asia can not, and has not been able to, feed herself for many years. Ten years ago, the United States was an exporting na- tion, but now she imports a large per cent, of her food stuffs. The countries of South America are almost the only exporting na- tions of the world today, and in a few years, their population will require all of their products. The earth ' s crust contains potassium and phosphates in abundance, but is sadly in need of nitrates. The Chili nitrate de- posits, the only ones in the world, are being used so fast that the Chili government al- lows only so many tons to leave the country annually. Nitrogen peroxide will act on calcium carbonate and forms calcium nitrate and carbon monoxide according to the following formula: 2N02 + CAC03 == CA(N03)2 + CO. By the new method only lately discov- ered, the nitrogen peroxide is very cheaply prepared from the air. Since there are whole mountain ranges of calcium carbon- ate, we have a method by which we can prepare great quantities of this valuable ni- trate. With the aid of calcium nitrate, the farm lands of the world can be restocked and the food supply of the world greatly in- creased. — Jean V. Carter, ' 14. m RESTRICTED IMMIGRATION. From the earliest colonial days, men have realized what education means for this country. Today we have the most per- fect educational system of all times, sym- bolical of the fact taht the American peo- ple have based the welfare of this republic upon intelligence and porsperity of the working class of people. Yet, in spite of the above principles, we are admitting thousands of illiterate for- eigners to this country annually. What good results can come from this vast influx of illiteracy? It has often been claimed by those opposed to restricted immigration, that resources and industries have been de- veloped, but only at the sacrifice of thous- ands of American jobs. To see the influ- ence of this cheap immigrant labor, one on- ly needs visit the coal fields of Pennsylvan- ia. He sees a thousand idle Americans and a like number of foreigners slaving for 80 and 90 cents a day. He sees the Ameri- cans sending their children to school, sup- porting churches, living in decent houses, trying to be cleanly and wear presentable clothing. He also sees the scum of Europe taking the. place of the former, content to swarm in shanties like so many hogs. This only goes to show the constant relationship between cheap labor, low standards of liv- ing, and loose morals. For years the citizens of this country have endured a high tariff, for protection of American industries against foreign compe- tion. But we have failed to protect the workingman against the competition offer- ed by the illiterate immigrant. Does this seem in accordance wit h American princi- ples? Does not the same argument that protects the produce present itself for the protection of the working man? However, industrial depression is only one of the many bad features of our open