Auburn High School - Trojan / Oracle Yearbook (Auburn, IL)

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22 THE ORACLE —1923 And it came to pass, after some months, that their eyes were turned toward graduation, but many, with one consent, began to make excuse. The first said: “I am poor in health. Therefore T cannot graduate.” Another said : “I must needs toil at home. Therefore I cannot graduate.” A third said: “I am dull and cannot learn. I pray thee have me ex- cused!” So thus did this class decrease in numbers until the whole number at the end of the first year was twenty-nine. CHAPTER IT. Now it came to pass at the beginning of the second year that a new band of youths did come up from the adjoining territory, and the Class of Three- and-Twenty, in the new dignity of their promotion, remembered the days of their own greenness, and as the Sophomores of their day had done unto them, even so did they do unto these new Freshmen, and did show no mercy unto their sufferings, and no heed unto their lamentations, until all were bruised and full of much sorrow. Now it came to pass, soon after they entered the land, that they were one and all seized with a strange infirmity, which did cause them to act with much fierceness and strangeness of manner, and to grapple and wrestle with their fellows in much rage and seeming ferocity. Wise men were called to look upon them, who did examine them with much care and pains, and did finally pronounce the infirmity in the male 1 ‘football” and in the female “basketball,” and did assure the frightened leader, Edith Paddock, that the malady while it needs must be contagious and likewise sometimes fatal, was yet a necessary evil, and one that even the wise men knew not the way to cure. So, with many anxious fears and dire forebodings, did the instructors allow the disease to run its natural course, and lo, none were killed, and few were seriously injured, whereat there was great rejoicing throughout the land. And as the Class did journey through the land, behold, there were two maidens who were fair to look upon, who had strayed far from the companies which they had set forth with, and were much sorrowful. And as the members of the (’lass did look upon them in their loneliness, their hearts were stirred in pity for them, and did open wide unto them that they should be gathered in. Straightway our class made money enough to have a party in the middle of the year. Now it was a rule that everyone in the class should bring some- one to the party. Therefore, we had a good attendance and everyone sajd that they had a good time, but behold we still had some money left in the treasury. And behold someone said: “Why couldn’t the Freshmen and we have a contest and see which could sell nine hundred bars of candy first.” Lo, the Freshmen had sixty in their class to sell their candy and we had only eight-and-twenty to sell ours but we were such good workers that we sold it before the Freshmen were hardly started. Behold! what a slow bunch they were! After the first semester was over the Sophomores had now laid away some money. Therefore the Sophomores and Seniors intended to give a party and entertain the Freshmen and Juniors. But time sped rapidly and the Seniors were too busy. Therefore the party was called off. Now at the close of the second year the whole number that had survived was thirty-one.

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TIIE ORACLE-1923 21 The study of our days and nights has ceased; our examination papers have been given the marks that pass. Yet are our hearts sad within us, for the school that we love hath utterly rejected us, and her doors will be opened unto us no more forever. Verily, for this our heart is faint; for these things, our eyes are dim. Yet because we have striven and have endured to the end; because we have not grown weary in well doing nor fallen out by the wayside, we rejoice that it is as well with us as it is. And for all these things we give thanks unto every good and perfect gift that is our own; for we have not buried our talents in a napkin, neiither have we hidden our lights under a bushel, but have increased four-fold all with which we were bestowed in the beginning. Yea, verily, for all these things we give ye grateful greeting, and welcome ye with rejoicing to behold the work of our minds, in the days that were of old. and the unfolding of our hopes for the days that are to be. So I say unto each one of you, as I say unto all, Welcome! Class Chronicles.—[History] by Charles Foster Now the history of the class of Three and Twenty, of the High School of the city of Auburn, County of Sangamon, State of Illinois, is in this wise: CHAPTER I. In the beginning of the twentieth century, in the nineteenth year, of our Lord, in the ninth month, and on the sixth day of that month, there entered into the land of learning three and forty seekers of knowledge. Some came up from the eighth grade where they had for many months been busily en- gaged in storing their minds with the honey of wisdom; some were green and fresh from a far country; some came from the farms, where they were tillers of soil; and some from other halls of instruction. Likewise it came to pass, as we did enter this land, that we were received with malicious glee by a certain band of wild beings, who were called Sopho- mores, and who because of their fierce taste for Freshmen blood, did pounce upon them daily and nightly, and caused them to suffer great tilings, and to say in their hearts, “Behold, blessed is the name of Education, for because of it have we endured great torments, both of body and mind. erily have we been martyrs to a great cause!” And as they dwelt long in the land, they fell in with the customs of the inhabitants thereof, and their strangeness wore away, and they each became as one among the rest. Now it so happened that this land to which they had come was ruled by one known as Lee Russel Carlson, a professor of much wisdom; and at the beginning of the year, he spake unto them, saying: “Go, gather ye in a body, and organize yourselves into a class, that ye may gain in strength, and that your courage may wax red hot!” And as he spake unto them, so was it done, and they chose Chester M. Hammerlund to be their leader, and called themselves, with much pride, the Class of Three-and-Twenty Now as they were gathered together, they chose Old Gold and Purple for the Class Colore; “The elevator to success is not running, take the stairs.” for the Class Motto; the American Beauty Rose for the Class Flower; and also a Class Song.

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THE ORACLE-1923 23 CHAPTER III. Now as this band was gathered together and lead on into the midst of this new land by Elvira Ehnbom, they were rejoicing over their rapid prog- ress, when suddenly a great cry went up from the throats of the greedy Class: “Lo! if it doth happen that we are to graduate after many days, it ap- peareth that there is much need of many dollars wherewith to provide the song and dance thereof!” And so, thinking these things, the Class made many a feast, and the public was bidden that money might be brought into the treasury, and the coffers were filled. And behold, it did come to pass, at about this same time, that the Class did aspire to histrionic honors, and did present to the people a great and wonderful play, wherein each should act what he was not; and they did choose as a sacrifice one of the great comedy dramas once so thoughtlessly committed by a great man of recent years, and “Bashful Mr. Bobbs” was once more “butchered to make a Junior holiday.” And lo! again the awful deed was done; and the multitude did cry out in their hearts, “Heaven for- give them, for they know not what they do,” and with their lips. “How grand and wonderful this thing which ye have done!” and the heads of the Class did become swelled to their fullest capacity at the praise they did receive for the murderous deed they had done. Now, when the nineteenth day of the fifth month of the year of Two-and- Twenty was fully come, this Class did give yet a great feast, and did send messages over all the land, east, west, north, and south, to all the Seniors thereof, saying, “Come ye, and make merry with us; for the Class of Two- and-Twenty is to depart to a far country, and all things are now ready for a feast.” And as they were bidden, so come they in a large group to the place set apart, and did eat of the good things of the land, and did rejoice with the Class of Two-and-Twentv at the good fortune which had come to them, in return for all their long and patient laboring at the tasks that had been set before them. And men of high standing in the land did speak unto the people words of wisdom, and of cheer, and of encouragement, and did in many feel- ing words say farewell to the Class that was departing. And when guests did at last depart from the festivities, they were ex- ceedingly glad that things were as they had been proclaimed, and did give much thanks to the Class of Three-and-Twenty for the pleasure they had pro- vided for their enjoying. And behold, as the Class went on its way in great rejoicing through the land of plenty and of promise, they were suddenly astonished to find that two fair damsels who had been wandering along tlie path alone were lost and after a long and careful search without finding them, they proceeded on along the path hoping that some other company would rescue them at once and that they would bo carried on safely through the journey to graduation. And lo, the whole number at the end of this third year was nine-and- twenty. And it came to pass, at the end of these three years, that Lee Russel Carlson, the professor who had thus far traveled in their lead, did go from this country to far distant places, and there was much grief and sorrow in the land. For verily, had he made himself dearly beloved by the Class of Three-and-Twenty.