Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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which terrified the country folk; but Ignor- ance, suspicious, and fearing the outcome of anything before its accomplishment, abhorred tliis Key of Progression. Hatred found a lock to fit it into with the least difficulty in the world. All, these were terrifying times indeed for the country folk. Every road they travelled, tlicy found to be inhabited by the compan- ions of Vice, Ignorance, and Hatred. Great monsters of Ignorance, called Plague and Famine, carried olf tlieir children and des- troyed tlicir lierds and crops. And worse even than this, every man loathed his neigh- bor, and liad some special cause for griev- ance against liini. Little and deadly serpents of Hatred, Malice, and Vengeance, infused these spirits into men against their neigh- bors, and try as the people did, they wou ld not be east out. And added to these trou- bles, were the mockeries of Vice, Temptation and Craft. The world grew darker and darker under tlie regime of these tluee, all began to cry out to the ricli King Entliusiasm to save tliem. But alas, the King could do nothing ; ithout tlio Key of Progression, desjiite his wealth and power. Then everyone turned to the locksmith. Perseverance, that he might begin another key. But his shop had been closed for many years, and his tools were covered with rust. Then it was, with all other liopes gone, that the people turned their efforts to capture the throe outlaws, Vice, Ignorance, and Hatred; but this was far from an easy task now, the people found, for the scoundrels, with the Key of Pro- gression in their possession, discovered new waj-s to defy the populace each passing day. After many years, however, when King En- thusiasm was dead, and his son. Experience, ruled instead, the task was accomplished, and the Key of Progression was put safely in tlie Palace Treasury. When Vice, Ignorance, and Hatred had been duly banished, the Key was again brought forth. As it lay on King Experience ' s costly desk, it seemed to be the center of a golden harmony of light. It is a sign of coming Prosperity and For- tune, said the people. As the days went by, every one grew prosperous, and happy and no longer were their flocks carried off, nor did any man loathe his neighbor. And, in sooth, it was the Key of Progression, the re- sult of the labors of Perseverance, Enthusi- asm, and Experience, which did all this. MAEY COGAN, ' 24. THE KING OF THE FOREST Out of the mountain came a little stream of clear water, and wended it s way down the rocky side. In the valley it formed a pool, and with vines overhanging its edges, sang its song of life and laughter, and then hurried away to the sea. The wild creatures of the forest found this pool, and gathered to eu,joy its clear, spark- ling water. The fat brown bear, who all day had col- lected honey and slugs, boldly pushed its way through the black alder and swaying rushes to come, after his tiresome day, to enjoy the cool shade. He is the monarch of the creatures, and therefore the little people know his hour of repose, and scat- ter into the deep forest when they hear his low growl of warning. The lone wolf howled all night at the moon; then killed his prey as the moon dis- appeared behind the thickening clouds. Wlien the first pink traces of morn appeared, he fin- ished the last of his feast and stealthily skulked down the rocky mountain side to re- cline on the pale sand of the little pool. Here the sparkling water was discolored with rod from his blood drenched jaws, but the ever moving stream carried the discolored water away to the sea. This pool was his kingdom until the last stars faded into the west. As the sun sent its pure shafts of gold through the giant pines, it awoke every lit- tle creature in tree and bough. Here they gathered to have their morning bath and to break their fast. The white-throated sjiairow fluttered his wings and pure breast in the little pools that lay between the moss- covered rocks, while his neighbor, Mrs. Eol;- iii, found her greatest treasure, a fat lazy worm, under a sod of meadow grass. Chipmunks and gr;iy ■ squirrels switched their furry tails over their arched backs, and chattered with delight at their hoard of gold- en nuts stored in the autumn leaves. The fish hawk, the traflic officer of the sky, made his daily tour in the blue distances of the heaven. Like a thunder bolt he shot from the sky, into the clear water, and rose from it, with his Avhite breast gl6aming with sparkling drops of water. But in his claws he held a bass, for he is always true in gain- ing his goal. Thus the years sped on and all creatures met morning and evening to enjoy the ways of nature, and to tell the tales the pines 13

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Between 1,000 and 4,000 meters the most useful and the most talked of signals are those of Arlington, Virginia. This station sends the Naval Observatory time twice each daj% followed by weather, navigation obstruc- tions, and press. In a way the work of the high-x)Owered stations is uninteresting. If one is fortunate enougli to happen to hear one sign their call letters, it is easy to make a long distance re- ception record, but niost of them seldom sign and tlie messages they send are mostly in cipher. In conclusion many peoiile have the idea that some special apparatus is necessary to receive radio-telephone conversations and Itroadcasts. This is not so, for any receiver will receive the ' phones within its range pro- vided it will tune to the proper wave lengths. This concludes our program for this even- ing, as the radiophone operators say, This is 1-AXB signing ofP. Good Bye. IIAYWAED K. MANN, ' 23. RADIO IN THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL Wakefield High School is far behind the times in the radio line. It is practically the only liigh or preparatory school in eastern Massachusetts which cannot boast of a Avirc- less set. In 1910 the sum of twenty dollars was spent for a wireless set which was designed and constructed by a radio expert. In those days that kind of a set was all right. In re- cent tests, that same set was found to be very inefficient. The station of the Ameri- can Eadio and Eesearch Corporation, located at Medford Hillside was barely audible, whereas with a modern small receiving set it was plainly heard at a distance of thirty feet from the phones. A receiving set suitable for the new school could be bought and installed for about three hiiiulrod dollius. This set would be capable of receiving opera from Chicago, concerts from rittsl)urg. Pa., and Newark, N. J., as well as from other stations within a seven hundred mile radius. With a loud speaker in the lecture hall all this could easily be heard by all those present. Eadio is now the fore- most subject in popular science. In the Manchester High School there is a comijletc outfit being installed and a course in radio being arranged. A receiving outfit is simple to operate and does not require much know- ledge of radio theory. There are a great many radio enthusiasts in the school who are fairly well acquainted with a large variety of transmitting and receiving apparatus, in- cluding wireless telephony. A wireless outfit would be a great addition to the new building. Those who have never had the pleasure of listening to music from the air, know nothing of its possibilities, and until r;idio becomes a form of ijublic enter- tainment little will be done to enable peo- ple to enjoy it. L. LESLIE McMASTEE, ' 23. THE MAGICAL KEY Tlie sunset-glow, coming through the multi- paned window cast variously colored dia- monds across the dusty and littered floor of Perseverance ' s shop. The sliadows slowly grew longer and longer, and the mellow light faded softer and softer, as Perseverance, with a sigh, drew off his leather apron and picked up his tools. He stood for a moment, regard- ing the object of his labors, for so many years, which he today had just finished. It was a key, the Key of Progression, for Per- severance was no more than one of the com- mon locksmiths, whose shops crowded the narrow streets. As he gazed at the Key a golden liglit seemed to settle over it, than hovering around it, would vanish and reap- pear. Perchance it was only tlie yellow light of the sinking sun, but to Perseverance, it was a sign that his labor had not been in vain. Tills Key of Progression it was, that the wealthy King Enthusiasm had ordered, and to him it must be delivered at once. Perse- verance locked the door of his shop, careful- ly wrapped the Key under his cloak, and with a stout heart, set fourth, but the way to the Palace was long and dark, beset with many evils. Long before Perseverance neared the King ' s portals, he became so weary, that he fell by the roadside. Then three dark and muffled figures. Vice, Ignorance, and Hatred, stole forth, and with a hoarse laugh, they killed Perseverance, and seized the Key of Progression. This Key, they knew was to lock them up, as well as to unlock vast treasures, which would forever render their allurements to men hollow, so this Avas the very chance for which they were waiting. Nor when they had tlie Kej ' , did they lot it lie idle. Vice used it with an ease 12

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whispered when they moaned in the wind. One day a man came to this little spot. Willi cautious and stealthy tread he passed down the path that only the furred and feathered creatures had known. He was not covered with the black glossy coat of the bear or the bright blue feathers of the blue bird, but stood as a bronze statue in the morning light, his only garments a loin-cloth of wampum. In his hand he carried a bow of ash, and his quiver made of deer skin was filled with arrows tipped with flint and winged with feather. His long black hair was bound by a beaded band, while a trophy from the king of the air, made him appear to be of great height. Thus he trod the path of the wild and knelt and drank from the sparkling ripjiles, while thanking Manito for his goodness to him in his long journey. The creatures knew no harm from the silent messenger of men, and watched him as he glided up the mountain trails away from their kingdom. But one day a white man l roke and blazed his way over the rocky trails, and again the little pool gave its goodness to man. Here the white stranger saw the beauty of this lit- tle spot, and thus that day was heard through the primeval forest, crashes never equalled by the thunder. The giants of the forest wailed their story to each other, for tliey too were strijiped of their branches. The creatures lieard the cries of the pines and saw the white man build his log cabin beside the little path near the little stream. And when they saw the gray smoke rising like a ghost into the sky, they knew their reign was over and Man was King of the Forest. FANNIE LOUISE GEEENE, ' 22. cently found in our neighboring town of Stoneham. It is said by the tamer of this fierce insect that it is entirely a ' one-man ' animal and may be approached only with danger by tliose not listed among its friends. Upon be- ing interviewed, its kee per who, by necessity, is a tall, strong example of humanity, said that an animal of this species could be tamed only by exercising the greatest courtesy and kindness towards it. Its feeding time is at 11.44 a. m., and when it is to be fed it must be approached so that the sun ' s rays will not fall upon its supersensitive greenish-brown back. The most noted peculiarity it has, however, is the remarkable faculty of taking long and extremely arduous journeys. Many times this amazing and astounding batrachian pro- digy lias astonished the most eminent local naturalists. All have heard of dogs, cats, or pigeons traversing great distances, but who has ever heard of a heretofore insignificant hop-toad thus gifted? Often, Teddy, as he is called lias been started forty or fifty miles from home and with hops ever increasing in length, has attained such a speed as to easily outdistance the fastest mud-turtles. Its athletic achievements also include the breaking of all existing indoor and outdoor sw ' imming records. Starting from a stand- still and gradually taking on a water cover- ing gallop, Teddy, will easily leave in the lurch all contestants and will not in the least abate his speed until a shrill whistle from his master calls him back. Volumes could be written on this Nomadic animal, but until he has reached the very peak of his attainments, this should not be attempted. ELIOT CLE]MONS, ' 24. TOADS There are toads and toads. Take, for in- stance, the Mexican horned toad which at first sight seems very ferocious but upon closer acquaintance, is found to have a very meek and gentle spirit. Then there is the croaking tree toad which has on its finger- like toes, full sets of vacuum cups as aids in tree climbing. Nature has almost wholly safeguarded this animal by giving it the use of ])rotective coloring. But the toad of which we arc to speak is the renowned Homing Toad, a famous, but seen-only-on-iiaper specimen which was re- THE SOUL OF A POILU The wind moaned and groaned in the high tree tops. Huge black clouds went scurry- ing across the grey sky and the silent snow was falling, covering the little village in Northern France with a soft blanket of downy white. Far out on the outskirts of tlie village a tiny light glimnvercd. Inside was a weary mother singing her sick child to sleep. The Great War had taken her lius- band and she and the baby boy were left alone to fight against tlio world. Softly crooning to her child her startled 14