Bristol High School - Green and White Yearbook (Bristol, RI)

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THE (iREEN AND WHITE 7 of this period that any important advances were made. After this intermission the curtain goes up and we see Henry de Wyck, at the command of Charles 5th of France, at work upon the best known of early clocks. When finished in 1379, it ran unceasingly for five centuries. Peter Heulein, who was an armorer and locksmith of the picturesque town of Nurim-burg, used springs, and because of their compactness, invented the first watch, humorously called the “Nuremburg Egg.” Queen Elizabeth of England had a large collection of watches. One of her courtiers, knowing, of her desire to set the fashion, gave her the first wrist-watch, a wide bracelet, in which was a small watch. European tourists never miss the clock at Heidelburg Castle if they can possibly help it. This was a fairly large clock built by the court jester for the amusement of the nobles. When those unacquainted with its story attempted to examine its works, a fox tail flew out and slapped them smartly in the face. Eli Terry, one of New England's proverbial Yankees, started the production of the famed grandfather’s clocks. Anyone who has gone to sea on a real old fashioned vessel will remember the apparent hard-heartedness of the crew when he asked the time. This was because of the difference ill striking the hours. A ship-clock strikes one bell at 12:30, two at 1:00, etc., until eight bells are struck at 4:00, then continuing four more hours. Eight bells completes a watch. Museums have very costly collections of timekeepers, ranging from the crude, open devices of ancient times, the bejeweled and highly ornamented Elizabethan models, to the highly efficient ultra-thing models of today. RUSSELL AKIN, ’29. THE RICH BEDQUILT The scene is a busy custom house in Canada. There is the screech of whistles as the trains leave the station; the people are hurrying to and fro; some gay and happy, others sad. In one corner of the custom house stands a man, an official of the house, auctioning off unclaimed articles. An old man stood near earnestly engaged in conversation with another gentleman. The old man wanted to buy something but did not know what to buy. Finally a bedquilt which looked as though it might have once belonged to an aristocrat was auctioned off. There was something about this quilt which stirred the old man to purchase it. As he was the highest bidder he received it and immediately started for home. On the way there he noticed that two fellows were always near him. When he looked at them, thy pretended they were talking. “Surely, said the old man, “they can want nothing from me, a poor old man. And then, he remembered that they were the next highest bidders for the quilt and then realized there was something mysterious about that quilt. Arriving home he barred his door and sat down to think it over. He untied his bundle and as he did so he tore the quilt as it was very old and easy to tear. Looking to see how much of a tear he had made, he found the edge of a bit of paper sticking out. He tore open the quilt and got the paper. In the upper right hand corner was the seal of a royal family ami underneath the name: “Richard Coeur-de-Lion. The old man’s face pinched into a knot when he read this for he knew it was a very old document. Underneath was written: “To whom it may concern, I, Richard Coeur-de-Lion bequeath to the finder of this message a vast tract of land in Devonshire under the conditions that the land will not be used for tournament grounds. I do this because 1 am about to die leaving my vast estate to my younger brother whom I do not want to own Devonshire.” Together with this was much English money of old origin and which would now bring many times its original value. After taking out these papers, the old man —with shaking hands—sewed up the tear just as a knock came to the door. He quickly hid the papers behind a large cobweb, after first placing the quilt over the bed. He answered the knock and the two suspicious men entered. They glanced around and saw the quilt. “Well, said one, “want to sell us the quilt ?” “No,” answered the old man. “for I bought it because of its pretty colors.” They offered a very large sum, so he sold it to them, telling them he could not understand why they paid so much. They went out thinking they had deceived him, and he chuckled for his scheme had worked. He again got the papers and thanked himself that he had never disturbed that cobweb. He bought himself a house in England, used the land for a health resort for sick children and lived a retired life on a farm. He lived long and hearty and told children many times over about the quilt. One night he invited a number of the sick kiddies to see him. After a hearty meal they sat down by the fire while he told them stories. Suddenly one of them asked him to repeat the story of the quilt. He started to tell it and had got fairly through when he took a sudden stroke and died thinking of how he, a poor man, had granted a King’s dying wish. A king who had lived centuries before. If one will travel today to London they will find in many homes a copy of that quilt, and every family is proud to own one. Every night in these homes before retiring the children beg to listen to that famous story that has now become one of the stories that is printed in minds forever. FREDERICK VERA. ’28. When the world is free of sins When eternity begins. Is your life as bright as light? Or your soul as pure as snow? Then awake and do what’s right. To the world your good work show. FRANCISCO CANA RIO, ’27.

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6 THE GREEN AND WHITE tiec you will soon notice that it isn’t such a hard task to ascend to a level of honors and fame. But a greater consolation awaits you. however, and that it the fact that you will have built for yourself a strong and reliable foundation for the future, and that you have proven yourself not a liability but a valuable asset in the betterment of all mankind. JOHN VICTORIA. ’27. LIBRARY The need of a library and a librarian in the Colt High School has long been thought of by the teachers and pupils alike. Now that this purpose has been accomplished, it is principally up to the pupils to see that the library is kept at the school. To keep the library at school depends upon these things, as follows: (1) interest in the library. (2) order, while in it. and (3) obedience to its librarian. Interest in the library will perhaps influence the School Committee to appropriate money for its upkeep and perhaps aid in getting new books for it. Order, while in the library, will do its part toward showing that the pupils want the library to study in and not to fool in. Obedience to the librarian will show the School Committee the need and necessity of having a librarian. Books have been stolen and destroyed in the absence of a teacher and so causing the closing of the library. To keep a librarian would prevent stealing and destroying of the books and would cause the library to open again to the students. The library will aid the students in their school work. References are often given by the teachers to the pupils, to be looked up at the Public Library. A school library will aid the student in getting his reference in school hours during study periods. A library will give a pupil more interest in his school and his school work and will make him feel proud to know that his school boasts of a library. A library would improve the scholarship of the school at large and would be a great help to debating teams, a team, which in the past, the school has not ben able to have, owing to the lack of interest and a place in which to meet and to study. Subscriptions to several magazines would increase the interest of the pupils in questions and discussions. This library cannot be kept up unless the students co-operate with the principal and teachers in helping to make it a success. FREDERICK GOFF. ’26. GLEANED FROM JUNIOR THEMES Poetry is the soul of literature. Through it we learn the tales of ancient Greece and the heroic deeds of the Roman heroes. It was a patriotic poem which caused the French Revolution, and won the victories of Napoleon. It vvas poetry which fought slavery in the United States. It is through poetry that we learn the best of nature’s wonders. Poetry is, in fact, associated with the most profound and glorious dates of the world’s history. Storms end, years pass, heroes and stories are forgotten, but poetry remains an unrivaled art. Though some of the greatest poets led unhappy lives, their names remain immortal. Keats, who died at the early age of twenty-six, gained during that short period his immortality. Poe gave himself up to drinking and gambling, living an unhappy and miserable life. Shelly was expelled from the University of Oxford for Atheism. He married Harriet Westbrook, then leaving her in England, eloped to France with Mary Godwin. Byron, who was lame, swam the Hellespont. Coleridge abandoned his wife and children. Riley was a sign painter. Lowell had a law office at Boston, but no clients. He almost lost his degree at Harvard but for his knowledge of literature. Burns’ last days (in contrast to his early days) were darkened, and he feared being sent to the debtors' prison. Whitman was an errand boy, a printer, a teacher, and a journalist. Wordsworth had such a love for the young French Republic that be prayed for the defeat of England in the war with France. Noyes is one of the few living poets who makes his living by writing poetry. From the above facts we learn the following: 1. —No matter how short life may be, something worth while may be accomplished if we make the best of every day. 2. —If we should be so unfortunate as to have vices, there is a chance for us to do some good work to repay for the wrong we did. 3. —There is always money in every profession if we work with mind, bodv and soul. FRANCIS CA'NARIO, '27. KEEPING TIME THROUGH THE AGES Many centuries before Christ, an early Egyptian invented the first sun-dial. It was a crude affair, made like some of our smaller obelisks. This device cast a shadow upon a stone placed at its base. Its chief drawbacks were that it could not be carried about or be used at night. Babylonian kings assembled the sages of their kingdom for the purpose of finding a way for recording time. One of the results was the water-clock. It consisted of two earthen jars, one suspended above the other, the upper dripping water into the lower. Although it appeared accurate, it ran faster when full than when nearly run down. Egyptian glass-workers next came to the fore with the sand, or hour glass. King Ahaz of Babylon had a sun-dial built of very highly polished stone. Rays of tropic sunshine fell through a split in the roof and glanced from one of twenty-four glistening surfaces; hence our twenty-four hours. At Hampton Court. England, a huge sundial is vertically fastened to a large tower, facing the court. Our simple, economic Puritan ancestors, to save time, steps and money, cut notches on the window-sill so that the sun’s rays fell on all but the space of the shadow cast by the stick in the center of the window. Chronologv suffered a period of neglect during the Dark Ages, and it is not until the end

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8 THE (iREEN AND WHITE “FISHERMAN’S LUCK” Spring was in the air. Mother Nature had aroused the joy of living and sent the young blood of John and Roger, aged nine and ten years, respectively, racing through their veins. The brook was calling them again; they must go fishing, although Daddy said it was too early for that occupation. Mother, however, helped bend the pins for hooks and collect the strings, donated a can for bait and packed the lunch for these ardent pursuers of Isaac Walton's art. At nine o'clock they reached the brook which wound this way and that among the trees of the wood lot. Quietly, but earnestly, the boys held their baited hooks waiting for a nibble. “Say. Roger, began John, do you—. Sh! you'll scare the fishes all away,” interrupted Roger. Well, 1 only wanted to say—he began again, only to be hushed by his brother. After a few minutes' pause, John tried to speak again: Don't you think that— “Naw, I don’t think at all; I’m busy. I do; I’m hungry, cried John jumping up. 1 don't w'ant to fish any more; I want my dinner.” Yes, lunch would taste good, and it is rather cold and tiresome sitting here so still,” thought Roger. Presently he joined John at lunch. I say, let's go wading for turtles,” suggested John. “Maybe Daddy was right about the fish. And so they went. Below their fishing ground the brook widened into a little pool. When they reached this spot Roger called out. “I see one. Where?” asked John. He's mine, though. I saw' him first, argued Roger. “Not if I help you catch him, was the return. When the object didn't move in response to stones, the boys w'aded in to get it and found—not a turtle, but a rusty and battered tin box. “What do you 'spose is in it?” asked one. “Diamonds, guessed John. Gunpowder. added Roger, struggling with the cover. At last the cover was loosened and in the box was—not what the boys expected, but a tiny celluloid doll, one arm of which was missing and whose body was badly mutilated. Aw gee, moaned Roger as he threw the things away. John was dumb. RUTH SKINNER. '28. IT IS NOT EASY To apologize. To begin over. To admit error. To be unselfish. To take advice. To be charitable. To be conservative. To avoid mistakes. To quit bad habits. To forgive and forget. BUT IT ALWAYS PAYS. AN EXCITING MOMENT (From Two Years Before the Mast ) The crew of the Pilgrim. while stationed at Santa Barbara, often went down to the Point, and caught a quantity of cod and mackerel. On one of these expeditions, they saw' a battle between two Sandwich Islanders and a shark. The shark had been playing about their boat for some time, driving away the fish, and showing his teeth at the bait, when they missed him. In a few moments a great shouting was heard between two Kanakas. The Kanakas sprang directly into the water after him. Before the shark could get into deep water one of them seized him by the tail, and pulled it on the beach; but the shark twisted around, turning his head under his body and made him let go. The shark now turned tail and made the best of his way, by flapping towards deep water. But before he was fairly off. the other Kanaka seized him by the tail, and made a spring towards the beach, his companions at the same time pegging upon him with stones and a large stick. As soon, however, as the shark could turn he was obliged to let go his hold; but the instant the shark made toward deep W'ater, they were both behind him, watching their chance to seize him. In this way the battle went on, the shark, in a rage, splashing and twisting about, and the Kanakas yelling at th top of their voices; but the shark at last got off, carrying away a hook and line, and a few severe bruises. MARY NEWBOLD. '27. MOTHER 1 Mother, in all languages, has a definite meaning and is a precious word. A mother’s face to every son or daughter seems to bear indescribable tenderness. The unselfish love she gives us, is given from the very depth of her heart. For many she is an unforgotten memory. To others she is a hallowed name. She seems to touch us ever in our dreams. Her caress is the sweetest one can receive. In time of danger she hides us under her wings as does an eagle her eaglets. Her struggles, pains and sufferings for us are often very great. She appears to be made of steel, yet she is but human like the rest of us. But a human with graces that speak eloquently. Her love is the nearest approach to the love granted by God to us. Blessed are they who receive tender caresses from her trembling lips. Blessed aer they who learn to love and cherish their mother. For what we are and what we shall be. we owe to our mother. DOMINIC TROIANO. '27. THE EASTER BELLS Now harken to those sweetly chiming bells And listen as they ring out o’er the dells. For now it is the joyous Easter time When all the world is happy and so fine. ELIZABETH DWYER.