Axton High School - Axtonian Yearbook (Axton, VA)

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THE AXTONIAN A confused scene now appears. Finally I catch a glimpse of a young woman. Why, it’s the former Martha Holland, who has just completed a course in interior decoration. She seems to be trying her newly acquired skill in her own home in the Leatherwood section of Martinsville. Her husband is landscaping her yard and garden. A young man appears now. He is Charles Manning and he is moving from place to place in his helicopter. Charles is a high class mechanical engineer and has his head- quarters in Lansing, Michigan. Soon I see within a large library building, and Gertrude Watkins is librarian. Gertrude is answering a long distance telephone call from her fiancee, who is on a business trip to China. She is discussing their marriage on his return. The scene changes again and I see a familiar face. There is Mack McDaniel waiting with Dillard Graveley to take a plane from Martinsville to carry them to the Minnesota Farm Association at St. Paul. They are delegates from the agricultural sections of Axton and Dyer’s Store of Henry County. Out of the mist comes someone else waiting for a plane, southbound from New York. It’s L. C. Hankins, a well known entomologist. He is all packed up for a trip to Africa to search for a new specimen of the African beetle. Then out from the cloud steps an automobile agent. Julian Compton is the leading salesman for the Ford-Compton Pygmy Auto Company. This special type of small auto was the outcome of Julian’s inventive mind while working in a Ford factory. We all said Julian would be the head of something some day. At this moment the mist completely disappears from the room, for Madame Houdini has shown me the last of my classmates. “0 wake once more ! How rude so’er the hand That ventures o’er thy magic gaze to stray ; 0 wake once more! though scarce my skill command Some feeble echoing of thine earlier lay; Though harsh and faint, and soon to die away. And all unworthy of thy nobler strain, Yet if one heart throb higher at its sway. The wizard note has not been touched in vain. Then silent be no more ! Enchantress, wake again.” Cleo Martin Class Phophet Page Seventeen

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THE AXTONIAN Class Prophecy- -Time, 1957 A S time passes in its never-ending course, it brings many joys and sorrows, but it cannot erase the things that have gone before. In a distant city I became very homesick one day in June 1957, for my friends and classmates of Axton High, who have become scattered as time has rolled on in its ten-year course. Trying to overcome this feeling, I start on a stroll. You may wonder why I am alone. If any of you married a doctor you know why. He never comes home at nights, never eats on time, and we never go any place. The days are lonely without a husband! At this particular time I cannot get my far-off school mates out of my mind. I have not walked very far until I see a sign reading “Madame Martha Houdini — Sees and Knows All.” On the impulse of the moment I go in her tent and tell her of what I am desirous to hear. When I pay her five dollars, the sorceress seats herself before me studying my face earnestly. She calls my name and tells me something of my past life, especially of my days spent in Axton High School. A mist appears in the room and I become dazed. Soon a familiar, smiling face peers forth. It is Charlie Agee and he’s handing out invitations to the grand opening of his new night club, “Charlie’s Tavern”, in Hollywood. Now there is a different face before me. I see Mae Ashby and her husband alighting at the Martinsville airport. They have just returned from New York where they attended “Pierre’s Beauty Premiere” to obtain modern ideas for their own beauty salon, located in the aristocratic section of Martinsville known as Axton. The scene moves to the broadcasting studio of the Axton section. There are Norman Cassada and his brothers, who are known as “The Cassada Trio”. They are the hit fea- ture each evening. But I catch another familiar scene with Norman at work during the day at his airplane factory in Martinsville. Again I see a familiar face. It is Peggy Billings and she is head telephone operator for the Bell Telephone System in Washington, D. C. Peggy is not married as she still be- lieves in having her own independent way. Next, I see a group of Axton F.F.A. boys. They are being instructed by representatives from Blacksburg Experiment Station, Lyne Starling and Cyrial Ray Jones. The topic be- ing discussed is “The Art of Modern Agriculture”. I now see another senior of ’47. It is Katherine Moss. She has never married and is now the head of “The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”. She is giving a talk on the cruel customs of severing the horns of cattle. A large building in Boston appears now. A door opens and Billy Lawrence comes forth. He is the head of the new comedy production, “The Dignified Mr. Jones”. Melvin Jones is the star of this production. He has risen to lofty height and won worldwide fame. Why, just a week ago a man laughed himself to death after hearing Melvin in the play! Oh, how thrilling to get a clear view of another classmate after all these years of sep- aration There’s a lovely lady entering a publishing company. It is Mildred Holland, who is Fashion Manager for the current magazine, “Beauty in Fashion”, published in Dallas. Mildred is married to a wealthy oil merchant, has two children, and lives in a large subur- ban residence near Dallas, Texas. The scene changes to a large militiary academy. I do believe it’s West Point, and there is Colonel Ralph Wright, who is instructing a group of international forces. On the cam- pus watching him is his wife, a beautiful strawberry blond, formerly from his home com- munity, Axton. Page Sixteen

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THE AXTONIAN The Last Will and Testament W E, the class of 1947 of Axton High School, make this our last will and testament to take effect at 11 P.M., June 4, 1947, when we shall have departed from this high school life forever. We hereby revoke all previous wills and jointly and severally dispose of all our possessions and privileges in manner and form as follows: To our principal, we leave our sincere appreciation, deepest respect and loyalty. To our beloved sponsor. Miss Norvell, we leave our gratitude for her untiring efforts on our behalf and a quieter, better senior class next year. To Mr. Tavenner we leave all the athletic ability of our present senior class and all the future farmers in the Axton community. To Mrs. Barker, we will a helicopter to fly to and from Axton High. To Mrs. 0. W. Hairfield, we leave a big room to hold all who are promoted to the fresh- man class next year. To Mrs. Bryan, we leave an up-to-date set of kitchen equipment, in appreciation for the nice teas given us in the home economics cottage. To the juniors, we leave the privilege of having a home room to themselves. To the sophomores, we bequeath our dignity, so that they may be accustomed to it by the time they become seniors. To the freshmen, we bequeath all our ambition and dreams. May they not be tarnished by the time they have spent four years at Axton High. Individual bequeaths are as follows : I, Ralph Wright, leave Roberta McMillan my happy smile and a portion of my wit. I, Cyrial Ray Jones, leave my good disposition to R. J. Barker. I, Lyne Starling, leave Billy Riddle my habit of studying quietly as he will need it if he expects to graduate. I, Cleo Martin, leave my talent to interpret the southern negro dialect to Rosie Burnette. I, Dil- lard Gravely, will Isabel Wray my ability to know the right answers at the right time. I, Peggy Billings, will Eloise Barker my ability to get along with the teachers. I, Charlie Agee, leave Juanita Manning some reducing tablets, so she may acquire a streamlined figure for that sailor dream boy of hers. I, Mildred Holland, leave Maude Brown my skill in playing basketball. I, Katherine Moss, leave my high temper, with a brace to keep it down, to Faye Wyatt. I, Melvin Jones, leave Raymond Elliott my ability to pitch a base- ball. I, Billy Lawrence, will Gene Gravely a new baseball glove with the hope that he won’t miss catching the balls next year. I, Martha Holland, leave Irena Barrow my ability to hold one man. I, Julian Compton, leave Cecil Carter my mechanical habits. We, Charles Manning and Norman Cassada, leave Carl Eggleston our skill in getting by without studying. I, Gertrude Watkins, leave Alice Eggleston my quiet ways with the motto “Silence is golden’’. We, L. C. Hankins and Mack McDaniel, leave Dale Matthews our lessons in history, prepared outside class for Mr. Long. I, Anna Mae Ashby leave Ma- rie Wilson some stationery on which to write to a certain boy friend. All the rest of the property, not disposed of, we leave to Mr. Long to distribute as he deems best to the pupils of Axton High School. We hereby appoint and designate the said principal executor of this, our last will and testament. Signed : Witnesses : Charlie Agee Mrs. 0. W. Hairfield Attorney-at-Law Mrs. P. H. Barker Mr. R. a. Tavenner Page Eighteen