Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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Neil dropped the ends of his raincoat. I crossed the yard and entered the cabin, he began slowly. It was dark inside and I had to feel my way to the fireplace. I drove the knife into the floor and rose to go. As I turned to leave something caught me by the coat and held me. Well, I didn ' t argue, I jumped halfway across that cabin and left half my coat there. I couldn ' t see the door and smashed into the wall instead of hitting the open place. Neil kicked a branch into the fire. Just the same I ' d like to go up there again with a light, he said. We ' ll go up in the morning. We better roll in now, Kelso said. As the sun rose the campers went hurriedly to the cabin. Before the fireplace they found the knife stuck into the wood with a piece of raincoat in it. Neil pulled out the knife and grinned. He had driven the knife through his own coat. James Cotter, ' 32. THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF RADIO Of the millions who listen to broadcast programs we often wonder how many give any thought to the part radio plays in fields other than broadcasting. There are many things in everyday life which are taken for granted that owe their existence to the principles of radio. The talkie , for instance, would be impossible were it not for radio since it is made and produced by radio apparatus. The first practical use of radio was in the saving of lives at sea. At present it is possible for a ship to navigate without any navigating instruments other than a trans- mitter and a receiver. This is done by the radio beacon signal system which is a chain of coastal transmitters that upon request give ships at sea their bearing from the station. To find the exact location of the ship the operator secures bearings from three coastal stations, and the point of contact of the three bearings is the location of the ship. The dream of the up-to-date radio fan is to have a television receiver. Television is by no means a new inven- tion. Paul Nipkow, a more or less obscure German experi- menter, in 1884 applied for a patent for what he aptly called an electric telescope . He was by no means an idle dream- er, for his equipment was described with precision, and the modern television apparatus is fundamentally the same. At present there are a few television transmitters spread throughout the United States which broadcast pictures — in shades of pink — of their performers. A few months ago Station KDKA owned and operated by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. in East Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, prophesied that in a short time it would send movies on the short waves. If this idea is carried out, it soon will be unnecessary to leave home in order to see and hear the latest talking pictures. The development of radio in the past few months has gene forward in leaps and bounds. Old principles and ideas have been rescouted, reconstructed, and reanalyzed with varying and, on the whole, satisfying results. The band- pass filter has been developed and perfected and is now appearing in the leading 1930 model receivers. The straight resistance-coupled audio amplifiers — which have been known and used in laboratories for quite a while — have been im- proved to such an extent that in the up-to-the-minute receiver there is no need for power distortion or any other ailment peculiar to the old type transformer-coupled am- plifier. The direct-coupled audio circuit developed in the Loftin-White laboratory will probably influence receiver design for the coming year. One noticeable characteristic of the new receivers will be greatly increased plate and grid biasing voltages. The new receivers should have superb lone qualities and excellent selectivity. Let the pessimist beware who says that there can be no further development in radio. Radio has not yet reached its millennium and quite probably will take care of itself when it does. Meanwhile experimenters and research work- ers — both amateur and professional — will study and analyze radio for its further development in everyday use. Charles Maxim, ' 31. A LAYMAN ' S VIEWS ON THE FRONT- WHEEL DRIVE The automobile has been brought to a high point of perfection, but the most important innovation of recent years is the front-wheel drive. This principle, however, can hardly be called new, since it was used on a racing car in 1912. Because a car of this type can round curves at a high rate of speed, it has been widely employed for racing purposes. There are, at present, three American pleasure cars embodying the front-drive principle. These cars are dis- tinguished by their rakish body lines. These lines are made possible by the elimination of the rear-drive, which permits the use of an offset axle. Unusual lowness results, and though none of the cars is much over sixty inches in height, there is maximum head room. Due to the place- ment of the engine, transmission, and differential, a very long hood has been developed, which further increases the appearance of fleetness. The usual shift lever has been ' replaced by a sliding mechanism on the dash board; the front seat is on the same level as the rear one. The order of the driving parts has been reversed. First comes the differential, then the transmission, and finally the motor. The driveshaft is practically disposed of; in fact, in one car, the transmission and differential are combined. Thus the moving parts are centered under the hood, in- creasing the efficiency of the car, and making it easier to service. The unsprung weight is reduced by fastening the differential directly to the frame. This also lessens the wear on the tires. Power is transmitted to the wheels so con- structed as to permit the car to turn in a smaller circle than is practicable with any standard car of the same wheel-base. The removal of the long driveshaft eliminates a possible source of vibration. The greatest claim to superiority of the front-drive car over the rear-drive is its high safety factor. Due to the underslung design, the center of the weight is very low, and this, combined with the pulling traction of the front wheels, reduces skidding to a minimum. These cars can go around a corner at a speed one-half again as great as that which it is possible to attain with a rear-drive car. Because the front wheels exert a pulling traction in the direction they are turned, the car is very easy to maneuver. The reduc- tion in unsprung weight correspondingly increaseis the riding comfort. Since the overall height is so small, a sav- ing of approximately five square feet of air-resisting space has been effected, thereby increasing the speed of the caj by ten or fifteen miles an hour.

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A PESSIMISTIC HUMORIST I have a reputation to uphold. The whole miserable affaii- started when I was in the eighth grade, and I shall relate to you as best I can all the sordid details. Being a gentleman at heart, I am not blaming Betty in the least, but no matter how one looks at the situation, it really was her fault. Sometimes, when in a particularly gloomy mood, I go so far as to declare that she has utterly ruined my life, my prospects for a happy future, but upon saner consider- ation I realize that she has only partly done so. The fatal event occurred one day when she and I were walking to school together. In order to be faithful to de- tail I may as well add that Betty, in my eyes, possessed the combined virtues of all the Roman goddesses; however, since that memorable day, my attitude toward her has gradually changed. She was doing most of the talking, as usual, and I was doing most of the listening, as usual. Switching from the subject of party dresses to the question of why people salt therr bananas, she finally said something about writing letters and how glad she was to receive mail. I distinctly remember how my heart jumped at the word MAIL. For the first time in my life a flash of unadulter- ated inspiration flashed upon my mind. I punned. Boldly I punned. Said I, You like mail, Betty — hum, ah — well — here ' s one bit of male you may have for the asking. She, poor female, was delighted. In her eyes I became a humorist. I, possessor of a perpetually funereal attitude, already a champion of serious thought, hater of Harold Lloyd comedies, a wit! I omit the harrowing details. The news spread under Betty ' s professional care. I spent minutes at a time mourn- fully contemplating humorous things to say. I became proficient in the beastly practice; my reputation grew; and here I am, a pessimistic wit. The future looks gloomy. Think of the years and years of trying to be funny! I ' m not blaming Betty in the least, but it really is her fault. I cannot stop, for I have a reputation to uphold. Norman Balcom, ' 30. BIRDLAND ' S ANDANTE The most beautiful day of summer had finally settled into an evening which I shall long remember. I was sitting on a grassy bank along the shore of a lake, watching the red and gold of the sunset fade into oblivion. Suddenly, from away off in the woods, I heard the soft, sweet melody of the hermit thrush. He sang his song in a hushed tone, which lulled the calmness into stillness. Then the quiet was rudely broken by a startling sound — it was the squawk of the loon, accompanied by the whoot of the owl. That loud chord lasted for but a moment. When it stopped, more hermit thrushes had taken up a strain which sounded like a heavenly choir. Thus it continued until the rays of the sun were almost gone. With the dying sunset, the music diminished; finally all I could hear was the clear note of one bird, far in the distance. At last it, too, was stilled into a tone of triple pianissimo and then it ended. Nature had, to my mind, reproduced the great Surpise Symphony by Josef Haydn. If I were a composer and had never heard Haydn ' s Andante, I would have interpreted the natural performance by music. Esther Hanson, ' 31. MODERN SURGERY ' S LATEST ACQUISITION Without a doubt, the unique, the most priceless, ana the most beneficial gain for the surgical world is the radio knife . This knife is simply an insulated pencil with a needle attached to one end. It utilizes a high frequency current which is generated by means of radio vacuum tubes. A high frequency generator, which is housed in a portable case, is connected by a wire to the needle. The heat of the knife sterilizes the tissues which are about to be cut. The knife is capable of cutting into the body without any flow of blood whatever, because as incisions are made it sears the arteries. It also seals up the sensory nerves and thus elim- inates pain entirely. Because of this fact, it greatly speeds up a patient ' s recovery. It leaves no scars whatever, and it has been used very efficaciously for face operations. It is also very useful in removing growth from the tongue and roof of the mouth. There now seems to be great hope of at last conquering that dreaded human disease — cancer, which is more commonly known as a malignant spreading tumor. Although I possess no desire to be operated on, I must state that I should certainly feel decidedly safe if I should have to undergo an operation with this knife. George Moses, ' 30. TIM KELLEY ' S HA ' NT Ha ' nts, said Kelso Jimmie, is funny critters. Take the ha ' nt of Tim Kelley for one. That dem ghost stays right there at the Blazed Pine Cabin and watches the hole where old Tim buried his treasure. Aw, you can ' t even get a thrill out of ghosts nowa- days, yawned Neil Prentice. Kelso Jimmie drew out his long hunting knife and tested its sharp blade on his thumb-nail. Tell you what I ' ll do, Neil, he said slowly. I ' ll bet you your next turn at cooking that you can ' t stick without meeting the ha ' nt. Neil Prentice laughed aloud. I ' ll go right up to the cabin. Neil reached for the knife. The three campers rose. Guess I ' ll pile a lot of wood on the flre, said Eddie McKim. Neil laughed. You might stay here and keep it going instead of coming with me. If a haunt runs me out of that cabin I ' ll cook and wash dishes for a week. When Eddie had finished piling wood onto the flre, the party started out for the cabin. After a few minutes of hiking Kelso halted. If there ' s any running done, see that you all stick together. It ' s easy to get lost up here, he said in a low voice. Aw, there won ' t be any running done unless some of you fellows get panicky while I ' m in the cabin, broke in Neil. When the cabin loomed in sight through the gray fog, Neil started off alone toward the building. He entered it. A few minutes elapsed when, all of a sudden, the watchers heard a yell, a crash and footsteps coming down the slope. A second later Neil, running like mad, burst from the fog. The others closed in behind him. In a short time they reached camp. When the two trailers came up Neil was standing in the light of the camp- fire holding the two ends of a torn raincoat. What happened? Eddie panted as he crowded up to Neil.

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The front-drive car has been on the market for two years and is as yet unproven. As a result, the motoring public is somewhat hesitant in taking it up. The advan- tages of the car are so obvious, however, that in less than a decade, the front-drive will have completely superseded the rear-drive in the fine car field. Lawrence Doore, ' 30. of dishes, mingled with the giggles of waitresses and the harsh voice of the head waiter, I resolved never again to get funny with a tray. John Roach, ' 30. ON CARRYING TRAYS In April of last year, I began to write to various New England hotels to obtain a position for the summer. To all inquiries, I received but one favorable reply. This was from the Hotel X in Beach Bluff, Massachusetts. Although I knew as little about the profession, as I did about flying an aeroplane, I promised to go down to the hotel as soon as school let out, in my new capacity of buss boy. Have you ever attempted to carry a tray? Then you have a decidedly novel and thrilling experience awaiting you. My first experience was of almost disastrous consequence. The headwaiter told me to carry the tray on my right shoulder, supported by my right hand with the palm ab- solutely flat. He also warned me against funny business. Bravely I picked up my first tray, tilted it a good deal one way and back the other way and finally got it up on my shoulder. The tray was a heavy one — weighing about twenty-five pounds. When, to my surprise, it did not fall from my shoulder, I gained confidence. Just then, an inci- dent occurred which nearly spelled doom for me. Through the swinging doors, carrying a full tray on each palm, came Carl, the room waiter. You should know that then bitter and ceaseless enmity existed between the buss-boys and room waiters. The demon of jealousy arose in the Roach heart. Well, said the demon, I suppose you ' re going to let that guy get ahead of you. You know he ' s as dumb a waiter as there is. I heeded my evil spirit, and cautiously raised the tray from my shoulder, allowing the weight to fall on my none- too-steady palm. I started down the main row through the dining room to the swinging doors which led into the kitchen. My confidence increased as I strode along; in fact, I held my head so high that I nearly collided with a waitress. To avoid a collision, I lifted the tray on one end, allowing a thin stream of water to trickle down the neck of one Mr. West, a very distinguished gentleman and second cousin to President Hoover. Unconscious of this mishap, I continued on my way, clinging to the belief that the tray was horizontal. I was mistaken; at times, the tray assumed an angle of forty-five degrees with the floor. I interpreted the awed whispers of waitresses as fair proof of my prowess. In this mood, I approached the swinging doors, giving one a lusty blow with my free hand. But, alas! Some fiend in human form had left a small, but very slippery piece of butter in my path. I trod on the misguided missile with my unsuspecting left foot and was thrown violently forward. The tray assumed an even more dangerous angle, tilting backward sharply. To save the tray, I rushed backward and collided heavily with a waitress who was just coming through the swinging doors. We went down in a heap with the two trays upsetting and spilling their various contents over our heads. Amid the clanging of trays on the floor, the crashing WORLD WAR AVIATION The airplane went into the World War as a crude, dan- gerous, fighting machine, but it came out of it trim, fast, efficient, and comparatively safe. It was at first used as scouts, for observation purposes only. The pilots car- ried only a pistol and light bombs at first, but as automatic machine guns were introduced, aerial combats became a duty, and sometimes a pastime, for hundreds of fear- less men. The duties of a fighting scout were varied: to fly low and attack troops, trains and road convoys; to drive off night raiders, enemy planes and airships; to escort the larger and slower bombing and observation planes; to clear the air of enemy machines, and to set fire to enemy observ- ation balloons. Maneuvers that in peace time would have been considered foolhardy — looping, side-slipping, rolling and spinning — became part of the every-day flying of the war-time pilot. The most famous fighting planes during the World War were: the French Spad and Nieuport, the English Bristol, and the German Albatross and Fokker . At the close of the war, names such as Ponck, Bishop, Ball, Nungesser, Luke, Lufbery, Guynemer, Rickenbacker, and Richtofen were repeatedly mentioned as much as, if not more than, Lindbergh and Byrd are at the present time. Eddie Rickenbacker led the Americans with twenty-five attested victories; Rene Fonck, the French, with seventy- five; William Bishop, the English, with seventy-two; and Freiherr von Richtofen, the Germans, with eighty. When reading of these victories one must remember that to be officially credited with a victory at least three witnesses had to see the plane fall. Rene Fonck, for instance, really brought down one hundred and twenty-six planes, but only seventy-five were attested by observers. One day, within two hours, he shot down six enemy battle planes. The German Zeppelins, loaded with large bombs, were a constant dread to the inhabitants of the major cities in England and France, especially London and Paris. Air- planes hunted the Zeppelins, and many of the small air- craft succeeded in bringing down one of their gigantic op- ponents in a blaze of fire. Without the aircraft, it is hard to say how the World War would have ended. Before troops, supplies, or ammu- nition could move— before attacks were made, the eyes of the army had to report the exact location and strength Qi the hostile forces. John Findlay, ' 31. THE APPEAL OF THE LABORATORY For many the laboratory has little or no attraction, but for me there is no stronger appeal. In the laboratory one learns the power, the beauty, the regularities, the mysteries, and phenomena of nature. One speaks of the unsearchable vastness of the heavens as declaring the might and the in- finite wisdom of God; but just as impressive as this is the unvarying laws of nature experienced in the laboratory. A plus B is always C, never D, X, or anything else but C. Like poles invariably repel each other, and a body is always