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

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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

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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 Miller. Casimir informed me that all the vegetables were obtained from the farm of Dorothy and Iilliott Smith down in Fairfield. After lunch, Henry was obliged to return to the boiler factory where he worked and I was left to myself. Al- most unconsciously I wandered across the street to Poli's theatre and read the bill for that week. The headliner was a musical skit entitled The Palace of Beauty in which that dainty come- dienne, Marion Sherwood, took the leading part. She was supported by such well-known stars as llen Spivak, Mabel Morrissey, Kitty Brown, Marion Healy and Alice llarrigan. The special novelty act was Cole and Rosenthal. This pair was guaranteed to speak twenty thousand words in ten minutes without stopping to take their breath, There were also on the bill Meehan and XYise, the famous cartoonists and the Misses Hangs, Cowles, and Mc- Maun presented a playlet entitled Stout, Stouter, and Stoutestf' I could not resist the temptation to attend such a notable performance and accordingly stepped up to the box office. Seeing no one around, I rapped sharply on the window and a voice from somewhere near the Hoor shout- ed, f'Dat's all rig-ht. don't get excited. I'll be up dere in a minute. Soon a woolly head ascended to the level of my own and I beheld the rosy coun- tenance of Fuzzy'l Ostrow. A closer investigation showed me that Fuzzy was obliged to use a stepladder in order to be on speaking terms with the patrons of Poli's popular prices. I asked him how business was for that afternoon and he replied in a confiden- tial manner. Positively great. All sold out except the first twenty-six rows. l purchased a ticket and entered. Cliff Comstock, with a nice gray uniform and a goodly quantity of brass buttons to make him look nice and big, held the position of ticket- collector, while the Misses Hall, Kil- course, Landry, and Treadwell acted as ushers. I went immediately to my seat and started to read the program. From this I learned that Hugh Taylor, Art Keating and Kenneth Christie were the scene shifters. Among the advertisements was that of Lonergan and Shannon, up-to-date clothiers. At this point, the performance began and it surpassed by far my expectations. After the conclusion, I stepped out upon Main street. A man advanced toward me, tapped me gently on the shoulder and asked me for a dime. It was Eric Begg. I could not refuse to aid an old classmate. so giving him a cent, l continued on my way. On the opposite side of the street was the pho- tography shop of Harold Adams while above that was the Colonial llall Room managed by 'Iames XValsh. Feeling rather thirsty, I looked around for a drug store, and seeing one only a short distance away, I approached it. A sign over the door announced that Morgan and XYhite were the proprietors. I en- tered and took a seat at the soda foun- tain. Maurice came forward and, after exchanging greetings,I asked him what was good for quenching the thirst. Ile informed me that Luippold's Luscious Lemonade and Murray's Malted Milk were on a par. I became sporty and took a glass of both. XVhile Maurice was waiting on another customer, I picked up a newspaper which was lying nearby. Opening to the woman's Eighteen