Blair Academy - Acta Yearbook (Blairstown, NJ)

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r F, Sling ClBrafiu1t HAMILTON fDoDGE AVERYA ANY classes have passed through the portals of Blair out into the world and there will be many more to follow. Each small group leaves in turn with a feeling of sadness in their hearts and each has observed the fitting custom of the planting of the ivy. And so now the members of the class of 1924 have gathered, here to leave behind them a simple token by which they may be remembered. WVe feel as those who have gone before us have felt, that we have incurred a tremendous debt which may never be paid. But we can fulfill the fondest desires of our teachers and instructors if we but go through life living up to the high ideals and splendid principles laid down by our forefathers. Are the years of learning that we have spent at Blair to be wasted and forgotten with the passing of time or will we take up the great game of life where the generation before us has left it? If only we might imbibe that indomitable spirit that characterized the founders of our mighty nation! We must catch the vision of the great task laid out for us. After the realiza- tion of the part we should play in the moulding of America into a bigger and better nation, shall we carry on, or shall we fail utterly, through lack of ambition and negligence to our duty? Look at the world about us, see what seemingly impossible things have been accomplished by the perseverance of our predecessors. Mighty ships like fioating palaces ply the seven seas, carrying their cargoes to the remotest parts of the earth. Man has constructed great machines which Hy like birds above the land and the sea. Man has laid bands of steel from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, over which one may travel with incredible swiftness from city to city by day or by night. Man has reached the point where, by various and intricate devices, he may literally speak into the air and be heard thousands of miles away. This, my friends, is but the work of well trained minds directed in the proper channels. This is why we were sent to Blair. Here our minds have been nurtured and disciplined so that we might go forth with the proper training to make our lives worth while. XVe have received this invaluable training. What shall we do with it? . Let us turn to the ivy, which, springs from the roughest of sod to toil upward, ever upward. In the beginning only a tiny shoot planted and cared for by human hands. Then, as it grows older, refreshed by the rain and vvarmed by the sun, it reaches out with its own latent strength to secure a firm hold on some statelypedifice. From that time on it grows, creeping slowly but steadily up, sometimes without the bright sun or the refreshing rains. The obstacles in its path are many. but it surmounts them all until at last it has attained the highest pos- sible level. ' And so it should be with our lives. We have been tenderly reared and carefully started along the wondrous way of life. Our beloved parents have given us our' first opportunity in this great institution of learning. Here with the aid of an excellent faculty we have been prepared to take our hrst hold on life and begin the upward climb. The days are over now when we could always look up to another for help. The time has come when we must stand on our feet and walk alone., A great life is in front of us. Our destinies are within our own grasp. , Now that the real test is just ahead shall we falter or shall we begin in earnest to do our bit, however small it may be, toward making the world a better place to live in? The great and the fine accomplish- ments in life are not those that come easily at our beck. The things that 'we shall look back on with pride and gladness when ole? father time has taken our youth away, .will be .those over which we have really worked and worked hard. Are our lives to be small and without the joy of manly achievements? No! Let us begin now with fearless courage and inexhaustible reserve to seek higher and more worthy things, never for a moment for- getting the task in hand. And, God willing, may we be more than suc- cessful in wiping out that great debtito our Parents, to our School and to our Country.

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f s . NMUHQ - mining -1 t'-'ml st-null itt lvl!! -T .tm-:lit that st-rvcfl ri our comC 'tflkii' thc . t LIg1x5g5v 32. -Asliip. .nit guired lf it 15 Jr- -uld IPC qlrlt' Zlfl' ,Nl upon .I lux Uur N x All we 1 UX1 tit not lil .1 -me 11115 Glitters lprnialqeng LAURENCE M. CARI-IART S had been my custom, I met my appointments. This happened to be a class. I came in the door and took my seat. It was a hot day, one that brought on Spring Fever. My thoughts were any- where but on my lessons, which may not have been a strange occurrence. The bell rang and the class began. As usual, the topic proved so intensely interesting that my thoughts soon began to wander. Among other things, I thought of my chances to graduate. But not wishing to think of such pessimistic things, I turned to more pleasant thoughts., I soon roused myself, however, because I knew that I must, at least, look intelligent, or make a good attempt at it, anyhow. The profes- sor began talking about radio, but I only caught a few words. The voice seemed to drift away. ' I imagine that I must have fallen asleep with my radio on, because I awoke to hear station B. V. D. announce that the Rev. E. Simons was about to speak on the evils of anagrams. Suddenly my telephone rang and when I answered, I found it to be my business partner in California who .wished me to advise him on the shipment of a dozen papier mache bath-tubs. I packed and was soon at the Pennsylvania Station, where I was to catch the six-ten for Chicago. Soon the train started and I had dinner and retired early, conLinuing a habit I had formed at Blair. Suddenly I was awakened by a grinding of the brakes. Then all the lights went out, the result of a crash. But I remembered I had my liverready Flashlight, Hawkshaw-Model, and I was about to reach for it when I was rendered insensible by a blow on the head. I seemed to be fioating through the air. At first, I thought I was on a roller coaster, but I soon discovered my illusion when I found, upon opening my eyes, that I was in an airplane. I voiced my immediate desire to descend, to which the pilot immediately complied. VVe landed and when I saw that the pilot was George Smith, I was doubly thankful for my safe landing. I paid him and walked down the street leading from the aviation field. As there were so many Cigar Stores I surmised that it was Pittsburgh, which proved to be correct. The first thing that attracted my attention was a huge building, which was the firm of Hood, Tolles and VVilliams, outfitters for the college man. They were advertising a sale of linoleum rompers for Carnegie Tech Freshmen. Not being interested, as I had graduated from the Illinois Institute for Backward Children, I walked on until I saw several men standing in front of Stewart's Spaghetti Emporium. Wfhile watching the spag- hetti being rolled on spools, I detected the odor of a foul cigar. I glanced around and saw L. E. Brown. After my hrst shock I inquired how he was and he told me that he had fiunked out of Muhlenberg. He added that he was in business with Clement making rag dolls and artificial flowers, but the public did not appreciate their worth. I moved on, however, and heard a familiar voice on a side street. A 'peculiar sight struck my eyes. Dummy Romero was standing on ga soap box, advocating the election of the Hon. Carlton R. McNamara for president. The platform, he said, was free beer and no schools. I heard a shout and I perceived a large Hudson Two pulling up at the curb. The door flew open and Voight stepped out. He greeted me and introduced me to Mrs. Voight and the sixteen little Voights. Upon being invited to ride with him I jumped into the car. During the drive he told me of several old Blair men. Rinehart and Abbott were running a poolroom, Coddington had beaten Weissinuller in the back-scuttle, and Granville-Smith was shipping a thousand finger bowls to the starving natives of Madagascar. Then to increase my astonish- ment, Louis broke down and confessed that he had been elected Mayor. That was too much. I reeled and caught a support as I felt myself fainting. Wlieii I opened my eyes I was embracing a hydrant on the lower East Side of New York City. I straightened up rather unsteadily and I bumped into Pierson, who was an admiral in the Mexican Navy. He was buying a bushel of clams from a street vender, whom I recognized as Paxson. Bert offered me a few, but not being in the mood, I refused his offer and went into a tube entrance. After changing at Grand Cen- tral, I took the shuttle to Times Square. As I came out on Broadway, I saw two sandwich men, Troutman and Tomes, who were advertising VVheatley's Combined Shaving Soap and Rubber Cement. It was supposed to dissolve the beard, a razor being unnecessary. I turned down Broadway and saw a billboard announcing the opening of a new musical comedy hit, Mabel's Mattressfl featuring 'fRudy Cubbison and Grove. Not being at all thrilled, I sauntered along, looking at the latest novelties in Parson and Ogilvie's 5 and 10. and saw a novel arrangement called Armstrong's Non-Losable Key Ringf' I purchased one from Talman and was turning to go, when I saw 5'Ham Avery. He said that he and Martin were posing for Cream of Wheat advertisements. Feeling the call of the wild, I went into Hadley and Hammerton's Hash-house, where I gave my order to Griffing. He brought me a platter of hash and a quart of Fortified Howdy. By accident I spilled a drop and I saw, to my amazement, that it burned a hole in the asbestos rug. I hurriedly inhaled the hash and departed. Once again I was on the Broad VVhite NVay. I noticed a man catch- ing white hot rivets in his teeth, as they were thrown from the forge. The man proved to be quite adept at the art, but he soon missed one. which dropped into his shirt front. However, he was not at all flustered and he plucked the rivet from his chest, which was still fairly warm. A woman screamed, and the fellow turned to see who it was. Then I saw that it was an old acquaintance, Tarby. As I was about to speak to him, someone stepped on my foot. I turned around to slap the offender down, when I saw that it was Curran, dressed in the latest collegiate fashion. He told me of a fight at the Madison Square Garden. between the Jersey Bullf, the champion, and the Hollow Venus,' and he invited me to go. The prominent New York and Philadelphia clubman, Johnny Borden, who made his money in the roller skate business, was staging the battle for the benefit of the starving politicians. I accepted Perky's invitation, so we taxied down to the Garden. Our seats were on the ring- side, so we were able to see all .that went ou. We werehardly seated when we saw Al Caesar, who was conducting a fresh air drive for the Chorus Girls, take a seat in the row behind us. Then the referee. Benn Sears, called for the fighters. The dressing room door opened and the Hollow Venus, whom I identified as Mary Smith emerged, followed by his seconds, DeWiiiter and Eberstaller. A few minutes later the Jersey Bull came out of the door followed by his seconds VValt Lovatt and Red Pursell. Wheii the fighters were introduced I recog- nized the Jersey Bull as none other than ,Toe ' Hoagland. The champ got a good hand from the cheap seats and then submitted to a vigorous rub-down from his seconds. Then the ball rang and the crowd began to cheer. I got up and yelled for the Hollow Venus. Suddenly some- body hit me on the back. I jumped with surprise and turned. around to see who it was. I found myself gazing into the benevolent face of my professor who volunteered the information that the class was over. I

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