Barringer High School - Athenaeum Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

Page 29 text:

EDITORIAL. 21 The High vSchool records testify to the fact that the Senior Class of ’90 (gentle- men) is larger than any previous graduat- ing class. At the beginning of the year it consisted of twenty-four young gentle- men possessing undoubted abilities, unlim- ited knowledge, and vast resources of wit. This is not unusual, for you have all heard that any household possessing the con- venience of a sixteen-year-old boy may dispense with all dictionaries and encyclo- paedias. You have also heard that ’a young man of sixteen invariably knows vastly more than his father. This par- ticular Senior Class, besides being the largest, is also the brightest—at least so the teachers tell us. This, however, doesn’t turn our heads, because the teachers say the same thing to each class every year. But we fear this class is rather naughty; should this be the fact, the case is very sad. Every year brings with it changes— changes in the school as well as in the home. German has been introduced into the girls’ department as an optional study —the choice being between that and Latin. The large number of pupils who have chosen the new study thus indicate their preference for the Teutonic language of to-day instead of the “dead language” of the ancient Romans. Miss Buettner is guiding the classes of the main building through the mazes of the German primer, while Miss Bigelow and Miss C. E. Crane teach the “Annex” German classes. The “Annex ” comprises six classes, Miss Freer being in general charge. The other two first year classes arc still in the main building. The three second year classes go on about as usual, the general routine being varied on Wednesday afternoons by Mr. Sonn’s lecture in the Laboratory, He has offered a prize to the scholar who shall write the best abstracts of his lectures. The Juniors now occupy the two rooms in the rear of the Seniors, and are presided over by Miss Crane and Mrs. Sherwood (formerly Miss Winans.) The Seniors? Well, they are Seniors. Time flies so quickly they can hardly realize that the culminating point is reached, that soon the school doors will be closed upon them and they will be numbered with the classes of the past. They have developed extraordinary talent in the line of amateur lectures on astron- omical subjects and bid fair to become brilliant and world-famed star-gazers— these wonderful Seniors who have never yet viewed the heavens through the magic lens of a telescope. To Miss Leyden, who has initiated them into the mysteries of the celestial sphere, they have declared themselves ready to “believe almost any- thing.” With all the assistance which is at their command, they should pursue their search after knowledge with com- parative ease, but in Geometry, especially, there is considerable faltering and stumb- ling, though it is not caused by the “stub- bornness of Miss Polyedron,” but by the seeming unconquerableness of Miss Plane and her sharp angles. With the excep- tion of such small class difficulties, High School affairs seem to be in a favorable condition, with prospects of an ever-widen- ing influence for the school. The edi- tors close with wishes that the New Year may be a happy and prosperous one for the friends and patrons of this institution of learning. With feelings of pain and sadness we record the untimely death of our young friend and schoolfellow, Frank B. Voor- hees, a member of the Senior Class, who died on December 20, 1889, at the home of his parents in this city. He associated

Page 28 text:

20 EDITORIAL. HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL. Newark, N. J., 1-890. EDITORS: Wm. H. Osborne, Miss Gknevra F. Tompkins, Nathan Kussy, Miss Nellie S. Kinnard. BUSINESS MANAGERS: Ai.rfrt G. Clark. Henry Hahn. EDITORIAL. S we enter upon the duties of amateur journalism, we feel the responsi- bility of our position, and shall endeavor to do what we can to make this issue of our school paper interesting to our readers and useful to the school. We fondly hope that a generous public will smile kindly at our mistakes, and give us more credit for our efforts than they really deserve. However this may be, here is the Annual to speak for itself; on other pages will be found “metal more attrac- tive ” than school-boy editorials. Between the covers of this magazine are grouped the choicest products of the wit and the diligence of our pupils. Yet, bear with us a little, while we our tale unfold. Last June, amid the acclamations of a well-filled house, and the parting regrets of their teachers, the class of ’89 left us for a new sphere of action. On the Sep- tember following, an unusually large number entered upon their duties at the High School. In order to make room for the increasing force of pupils, the whole building at No. 103 Washington street is now used for the “annex.” How long, oh, how long must we wait for a new High School building! When the class of ’90 returned to the High School in September, they were filled with regrets upon realiz- ing that this was their last year in the old school, but these cogitations were agree- ably disturbed when they discovered that the last remnants of Paleozoic time had been replaced by shining rows of new single desks in the assembly room. Since last year the number of papers and magazines used by the Composition Department has greatly increased. The various classes now subscribe for the fol- lowing: North American Review, The Atlantic, Harper's, Century, Scribners', Magazine of American History, The Cosmo- polit an. Wide Awake, St. Nicholas, Youth's Companion, and The Christian Union. During the past year the classical depart- ment has made some improvements and is about making others. Its “ Kennan ” lec- ture was a complete success, clearing three hundred and fifty dollars, which will be used for a stereopticon with views, and books for the classical library. The latest addition and improvement to our school happens to be stationary on West Park Street, and usually goes by the name of the Free Library, a building filled with books of all descriptions and on all subjects. It is, and is bound to be, a great aid to students of all classes. Oh! what a help it is to the pupil who seeketh after science: there he may be seen, the enthusiast, the gatherer of scien- tific facts, earnestly examining that jour- nal of science called “ Puck,” or extract- ing psychological notes from “Judge.”! And also he abstracteth the Seven Day Book, undoubtedly with the intention of studying ethnology as delineated in the characters of the wily aborigine and the Mexican cowboy. Oh, what an excellent use of an excellent thing! WE cannot conclude without a word in favor of our advertisers. Representative business men of the community, they are well known and worthy of patronage. We thank them for their aid and recom- mend thepi to our readers.

Page 30 text:

EDITORIAL. himself with the High Sehool four years ago, and during that time his eareer gave ample assurance of future success. Of amiable disposition, genial temper, and large social tendencies, he endeared him- self to teacher and pupil alike. He was a faithful student, apt and ready to learn, and if life and health had been spared, would have graduated with honor. We shall ever hold him in pleasant and affec- tionate memory: “ Early, bright, transient, chaste as morning dew, He sparkled, was exhaled and went to heaven.” We have on our table a goodly number of essays and poems which we would publish if we had room, but even our four extra pages will not suffice for them. Among the articles laid over are “The Dew-drops Story,” by Miss Edith M. Jaco- bus, ’92. “A Picture in the Coals,” by Miss Clara 0. Simonson, 92. “ Biddy,” by Miss Carrie J. Osborne, 93. “A New Year’s Call,” by Miss Maria H. Ely, ’93. “ Sea Weed,” by Miss Minnie Ochs, ’93. It is to be feared that the grandeur of some of Shaw’s periods will be eclipsed by the brilliant rhetoric of the Senior girls’ recitations in literature. ONE quietly made us acquainted with the fact that a new word has recently been coined by saying: “ Spenser is still the third name in our literature, and he has not been surplanted, except by Dante, in any other.” BABY MAUD. The sun was shining his brightest, The skies were of deepest blue When Maud and I went walking And roaming the meadows through. Such a dear, sweet, little maiden, Her years only numbered three, But I think ’twas the fairest vision That ever appeared to me. Her cheeks were pink as the wild-rose, Her eyes of the violet’s blue That hide in the green, grassy meadows, And peep through their leaves at you. Said Maud, in a faint, little whisper, “ I feel so happy, don’t you? I’ve wondered and I’ve wondered Aunty, why the sky is so blue. Tis the color of gentians aud blue bells, And the color of mama’s eyes, And I think whenever I see them They’re made from part of the skies, “ And I’ll tell you something, Aunty, In them I always see, Two dear little angel faces. Smiling and laughing at me.” Dear baby, God keep her ever So pure in life’s long race. That whatever reflects her image Shall show an angel’s face. A. C. R., CLASS OF ’9O. PRIZES OF 1889. For the highest per cent, in Scholarship and Deportment of the Class in German during the year—Edward Goeller Prize— Charles R. Floyd. For the highest per cent, in Scholarship, Deportment, and Attendance of the Gradu- ates of the Commercial Department—Gift of the Gentlemen of the Class of Scventy- N ine—M a x Ha m m e rsc i i lag. For the highest total average of all the examinations for the four years by the Young Ladies—Gift of the Alumni— Jennie B. Harvey.