University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

Page 26 text:

Albert Mendel Hone Sometime early in the month of January, 1887, when people were still rejoicing at the arrival of a new year, he made his appearance. “Al” grew up in the city of shoes, learning all the rudiments of shoe- making, which has proved an advantage to his fellow students on more than one occasion. His early education was received in the city schools and ended in the Brockton High, where for four years he astonished the teachers with his erudition. It was here that he concluded he wished to be a great mechanic, and, having graduated from the high school in 1905, he joined us here in the fall. “Al” soon gained the reputation of being a studious boy ; and every evening when his roommates sat down for their little chat, he was to be seen with his chin in his hand, buried in the mysteries of Freshman work. That Freshman year was a hard one, but he survived ; and at the beginning of the Sophomore year, “Al” declared that he had become educated. The greater part of his second year was spent in the machine shop ; but when he became a Junior, he decided that electrical engineering was a better job for him. With the gentler sex he has been quite a favorite ; even way back in his Freshman year he was known to have spent at least one evening calling in the village upon a classmate. “Al” has always taken an active part in all college affairs, being a member of the Student Council : and with him as manager of the foot- ball team for the season of 1908, we expect even to better our record of the past year. 22

Page 25 text:

Henry Wallace Gardiner “ Blivy ” One clay in the year( ?) there was a bustle in the village of Wake- field and the arrival of “Bill” was the cause. Little is known of his early years except that lie must have done a hit of studying or attending school, and growing. In the year ' 05 he entered the Prep. School : and here he acquired, beside a liking for a foreign language and English, a fondness for R. I. College and the students of the same. He has always claimed that he wanted sometime to enter the U. S. Revenue Cutter service, but the manner in which he digs into highway engineering would seem to argue otherwise ; for he may be seen study- ing it by day and sleeping over it by night, mostly the latter. He is very fond of other things, for the expression upon his face as he sits gazing at his books tells that there is something wonderful within or rather beyond its covers. Then he figures out the distance around a few railroad curves, which may be found between Kingston and Providence or Kingston and New London ; next, he takes these distances, adds them together, multiplies by two, searches in his pockets ; and, finally, for a few days he is attracted and distracted, while here he is subtracted. In spite of these outside interests, “Blivy has been loyal to us throughout the past three years with but one exception, and this was a mistake of the head, not the heart. Once the faculty thought R. I. College could do without him, and he had about the same views ; and so he began to look around for another place to call home. But these difficulties were soon overcome and he has reached the Junior milestone of his college career, a quiet, good-natured 1909er, ever ready to give a 1910 man a run, be it baseball, football, or a rush. If fate be kind, we expect that he will be among those who look for a sheepskin in June, 1909.

Page 27 text:

Walter Knowles “Shorty” Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1887 there was great rejoicing in the quiet and staid little village of Kingston. The cause of this was the advent of Walter Knowles, better known as “Shorty.” “Shorty’s” early education was obtained in the primary school in Kingston : and after graduating from there with high honors, he sought R. I. C. for his later education, entering with the class of 1909. He chose civil engineering for his specialty and now ranks among the best in his class who are following the same line. When called upon to recite, his power of speech seems to leave him, but he more than makes up for this weakness when examinations are in order. We hope that some day he will be one of the leading engineers of the country. As an athlete “Shorty does not shine ; but if he had only been given a square deal by the coach in baseball last spring, he would without doubt have been varsity catcher. As regards football, he scores a point or two from the fact that when in his class game, though the smallest man on the ' 09 team, he was pitted against the largest man on the opposing team, he handled his opponent with apparent ease. 23