Bridgeport Central High School - Criterion Yearbook (Bridgeport, CT)

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THE URITERION how it penetrated, pestered, and par- alyzed the nose. I staggered here and there, making ,the wrong change and stumbling over everybody's feet. Raph Iiorf was shrieking something about the .Pequonnock river and he had evi- dently brought some of it along with him to substantiate his statements. I reeled from the room and fell weakly on the stairs. I lost my senses, but the same odor suggested by Raph's words lingered about my nose nor did it depart as I looked about me and saw that l was seated on the top deck of a small steamer that was puffing labori- ously up a river whose banks looked strangely familiar. I shook myself and then I remembered, to-morrow the great new high school of Bridgeport was to be opened and Chief justice of the Supreme Court, james D. Lucey, was to be the speaker of the day, and Bruce T. Simonds was to assume the duties which his father had lately re- signed. As the boat neared the wharf. I saw a crowd of people collected as if expecting its arrival. Ilut upon dis- embarking, I found that their attention was held in quite another direction. On one end of the dock, Raph Korf and Fred Ambrose were conducting a socialist meeting, while on the other, Lucy Disbrow, supported by the Misses Flynn, Barske, Fitzgerald and Pixley, was loudly proclaiming the su- periority of woman over man. XVhy look at that, she shrieked, pointing to a Figure crouching down in one corner and whom I recognized as Tommy Lashar, Ile hasn't earned a dollar since the day I married him. Tommy presented such a pitiful sight that I walked away from the dock and out upon a broad, well paved street. Upon the corner stood a man with a large sign llelp the blind about his neck. XYho should it be but jake Knopke! I approached him and cried hllello Jake, how are you?'l Imagine my surprise when he answered XVhy hello, Judge, I hardly knew you with your hair parted. jake and I began recalling our experiences in B. ll. S. and particu- larly those in that famous Ancient His- tory class. I learned that Pratt, Hall and English had gone on a search for a stone boat, while jenny Casey had written many popular songs of which the most renowned was entitled, That Smiling Rag. Jake also volunteered the information that llill Andres had become a famous baseball pitcher, al- though he could never play more than live innings without utterly losing his control. I remembered that Bill could never last a whole period without be- coming more or less wild. ' Leaving Jake, I continued my walk. On the opposite side of the street was the jewelry store of Amsel and Silver- stone, while next door, by accident I suppose, was a neatlittle candy kitchen run by the Misses XYilson, Miller, Lavery, and Cook. I was just about to enter one of these establishments-I hardly think it is necessary to state which one-when I heard a 'noise. And what a noise it was! The earth shook and the air vibrated. I expected at least to see an earthquake when who should come racing. rumbling, and rushing around the corner but Henry Stagg. XVith the help of two or three policemen, one of whom was George Ilrown, we brought him to a halt, 'l'hinking that he was in trouble, and that I might be of some aid to him, I inquired what was the cause for such Sixteen

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THE CRITERION Messrs. Silverstone and Pratt greet life with a smile .Xnd really think nothing but perfection worth while. Catherine Colby and Lois Hangs Two very close friends are they The one is quiet as Silence herself While the other is very gay. Josephine lflynn trips upon your sight XYith a store of jokes each day But the way she fusses about things Yyould till your heart with dismay. lfrank Smith comes from Stratford .Xnd brings with him a smile XYith which, I think he means, .Xll feminine hearts to beguile, lilliot Smith smiles too sometimes But we think him awfully shy: Catherine Brown owns a whisper wond'rous :Xnd for its sake, we often wish To have Miss Brown sit near us. Nlr. Jepson goes on with quite a sally Of tritles light as air lint heavier thoughts has the grave Mr. Russell With which every day hc finds he must tussle. iXnd now to crown this story Of men both great and small l'll add its crowning glory ilur class president so tall And beg you hope with me That when the White House he's attained lle'll look on us with favor Our great james Lucey. Thus ends the song, thus ends the storv Of people who have gained superlative glory .Xnd happy we'll be to remember or dreaim Of tl'e characteristics of the class of 1913. -,'XlJliI.AIIJE Cxuipv. 07 0V Pnopnacvi vgoaubgv - Vgvogbjv ACADEMIC CLASS 1913 HEX I was elected class - prophet, it occurred to me that Zfikfi it would not be out of place to experience my vision in a manner that was known to all my classmates and amid the surroundings which we had shared for the last four years. Several prophets of former years had dreamt ponderous dreams. while others had met with accidents that produced a condition quite proph- etic but none the less painful. Now to dream one must sleep, and although during my life I have both dreamt and slept and spent considerable time in so doing, yet I found that the faculty seriously objected to my doing either upon the premises. About this time the Senior latin class was studying the sixth book of Virgil in which Aeneas, with the great- est facility makes a trip to the here- after. Willy should l not do this? XYhy should l not paint in glowing Fifteen terms the immortality of the class of ioig? l set to work with the greatest enthusiasm, but my ardor was checked with a sudden shock as my first vision revealed l.ouis lllumberg shovelling coal into the largest furnace that l had ever seen. I realized that it would be necessary for me to confine my fancy within mortal bounds or else my re- marks would be altogether too per- sonal. On the twenty-fourth of .'X1DI'il.rlllIli CR1'r14:moN was issued. .Xccording to my usual custom. l was selling them in the rooms on the topmost Hoor, and had just completed my rounds with the exception of Dr. Stanley's laboratory which in the fifth period harbors the Senior chemistry division. I sighed as l thought of leaving the fresh, pure air of the corridor. but taking a deep breath, I heroically entered. The at- mosphere was blue and heavy. lt ap- pealed to all the five senses but Oh!

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THE CRITERION unusual haste. My fears were soon al- layed when Henry calmly replied that he was just going out to lunch. I quickly accepted an invitation to ac- company him and also suggested that we add Frank Smith. Henry's soulful eyes immediately filled with tears and 'he led me in silence to the corner. There stood the old store of Radford R. Smith but its counters were bare and its windows untrimmed. A few articles of furniture were scattered here and there as if in a vain attempt to produce a homelike appearance. Standing over a stove in the corner and surrounded by several howling chil- dren stood my old friend Frank. I gazed at Henry and convulsed with grief, we both burst into tears. Henry sobbingly uttered three words which conveyed to me the terrible meaning of the sad picture before our eye, Florence Hanson-suffragcttef' Quietly we left the scene but our spirits were soon revived by the dis- tracting character of the adventures which befell us. Directly ahead of us, a Salvation Army meeting was in progress. Abe Schwartz was in charge of the drum, while the Misses Chichester, Conklin, Gallagher, and Hamilton did the singing. XYe arrived in time to hear Abe shout, Ladies and gentlemen, I take great pleasure in in- troducing to you a man who has been saved from the deepest depths of per- dition through the infiuence of this or- ganization. Allow me to present Mr. Louis Blumbergf' Amid thunderous applause, Louis rose, and with a gen- erous desire to let all the company gaze more easily upon his rescued soul he started to step majestically for- ward, but unfortunately he tripped and Seventeen fell on Abe's drum which collapsed like paper. Abe angrily demanded who was to pay for the damages, but Louis shouted that he would have Abe hung for attempted murder. Having be- come used to such occurrences in our school days, we did not wait for the outcome of the affair but proceeded up the street. A peddler whom I recognized as .lack McLeod tried to sell us a neck- tie, but as he had nothing but red ones in stock, we refused. Next we met Marshall De XVitt, who, without even greeting us, offered to fight us singly or both at the same time. XVe told him to call around after lunch and con-- tinued on our way. By this time we had arrived at the Waldorf lunch room. I expected that this would be our stopping place, but to my surprise, Henry walked right by. In answer to my inquiries, he said that the place was managed by the Misses Hopkins, DuBois, Beers, and Judy and was the Hnest restaurant in the city as well as the most expensive. I asked Henry to give me some idea of the rates which they charged. Chl they have no special rates, he replied, when you enter the door you just give them half of all you have in the world. I remembered that it always did take a lot of coaxing to get any- thing to eat out of the girls even in IQI3. At last we reached the Stratfield and proceeded at once to the dining room. From the menu cards, I learned that H. and C. McElroy were the managers and that the Misses Howe, McNamara. Shey, Newstrom, and Shine were in charge of the culinary department. The waiter was no other than Casimir