Browns Valley High School - Thunderbird Yearbook (Browns Valley, MN)

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VL )t Jffllounb JBtulber Class Prophecy Browns Valley, Minn. June 20, 1946. Dear Emma: You have probably been wondering about the Alumni banquet which our old class of 26 planned for this year. Last week was the twentieth anniversary of our graduation and so I will try to tell you about some of the members of our class who were present at the banquet on the fifteenth. As we thought it would be impossible for you to come from far away China, we did not even send you an invitation. In fact we did not know where you were until a few days ago, when 1 happened to be glancing thru Who s Who in America” and stumbled upon the name Morrill. I scanned hastily down the column, and there amidst the names of the most famous Americans 1 found the name Emma Mor- rill. However, it did not greatly astonish me for 1 had always thought that you would rise to fame. Well, anyhow, 1 am glad to know that you have had such a successful career as a missionary in China, and hope you will continue the good work. Possibly it will not surprise you to learn that 1 am a really, truly, old fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool old maid. As to my looks, the less said the better, for I have not changed in the least. 1 wish we could meet and have a good old chat, but since we can t 1 11 do my best in writing. To return to the banquet. Each member of our class was asked to give a short speech regarding his occupation. Merle Erdman was the toastmistress, so gave the first speech. She told us about her immense ostrich ranch in southern California, where she employs hundreds of men to care for her vast ranch. As the present fashions call for ostrich feathers, Merle is doing a splendid business. She also told us about Mary Ben- son, saying “One morning I was very surprised, upon opening my morning s mail to dis- cover a circular ‘How to Keep Thin.’ I don’t know just why that interested me, but I read it thru, and what do you think? It was an advertisement of a school whose specialty is keeping people thin, conducted by Mary Benson.” This concluded Merle s speech, but wasn’t that interesting? The next speaker was Elvera Hokanson, w'ho has just retired from a very success- ful term as President of the Anti-Cigarette League. She told us of her tours thru the States and the Philippines and of her progress in stamping out the use of cigarettes. She had cancelled an important engagement to attend the banquet, and we were certainly glad that she had been able to come. Howard Malm spoke next, giving us an account of his great oil discovery near here a few years ago. He has made a mint of money, and rumor has it that they intend to found a town in the center of the oil field and name it “Malm. The discovery has led a great many people to Browns Valley, for that is the closest railroad point. Howard certainly looks prosperous and we all wished him the best of luck. As John Page was unable to attend, Howard told us about him. John is now an instructor in the Sanders School for the deaf and dumb, and is becoming famous thruout the world for his splendid new method of braised letter instruction. As a side line he has achieved no little popular- ity as a hypnotist and entertainer. William Kuschel was the next to give us his story. He has made a splendid reputation as an auctioneer of pure bred livestock. He was in this vicinity conducting an auction of purebred Holsteins and just by accident learned of the banquet, so came over. (I never thought he would get sidetracked from his brilliant career as a dentist.) The next speaker made a little curtsy to the guests, and who should it be but our old friend Henry Skaggs, now Professor Skaggs, of the Morris Aggie School. He is making a study of the soil in this vicinity and now believes it will be suitable for the culture of “Skaggs' New Type Clofalfa”---a new leguminous feed for dairy cattle. The main subject of his talk, however, was his experience in bee culture. After his talk was finished, the banquet closed and we all separated, hoping to meet again at the 1956 banquet. Only a day or so after the banquet I picked up a copy of the Chicago Gazette Re- porter” which contained a short write-up of the banquet. After 1 had finished reading the item I turned to the back page to look at the column of “funnies. By some chance Page Twenty-Two

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GTfje Jflounb JBuilber Edna Deyo begs to bestow her unlucky birthday on the twenty- ninth of February upon whoever wishes it; and to Thelma Helgeson she leaves her combined knowledge of English, French, and Latin. Merle Erdman leaves her sunny disposition and her busy body” char- acter to Lena Dew. Vivian Fletcher bequeaths her ever ready comeback in arguments to Ray Sanders, who, with his present existing Irish wit, will be as rare a specimen as the Valley High has produced in many a day. Elvera Hokanson tearfully parts with that famous underhand shot in basketball. The grantee in this instance is Bernice Meade, who, of course, henceforth will develop into one of our star basketeers. William Kuschel leaves his esteem for the teachers and his unruly be- havior in English IV class, to Chester Morrill. Be careful, Chet. Mary Malloy leaves, with a pang of regret, her good humor and generos- ity to Florence Oletzke. Howard Malm hereby wills his popularity on the stage, together with his drumming and other musical abilities to Kermit Bartlett, with the proviso that Kermit have a special practice period each day during school hours next year. Emma Morrill leaves her pep and her speedy ways to Merle Sullivan. What Hath God Wrought? John Page leaves his playthings and his temper to Ward Duffield, on condition that Duff construct a special play box to keep said playthings under his desk. Better put post-no-bill signs on your back next year. Hulda Philen bestows her extra credits upon Ruth Brown, with the pro- vision that if she does not need them, she may share them with Clement Dougherty. Hulda declares that she has done this in order to advance the theory that all men are created equal. Selmer Sanden bequeaths his exemplary character in the assembly room to Spencer Bailey. Marc Seeber, the high school sheik, leaves his formula How to stay short to Marcus Williamson. It is generally hoped that Marcus will take advantage of this knowledge, for we do not wish to go to the expense of building higher doors in the school house. Henry Skaggs regretfully parts with his keen sense of humor and wills it to Everett Robbins, trusting that he will employ it to the best of his abil- ity, so that he may be the school clown next year. Russell Smith, altho he loathes to part with it, leaves his leisure time to Charles McLane, who may henceforth have the choicest privilege of using it without being constantly harassed by the teachers. Genevieve Toelle happily bequeaths her perfect manners and quietness to Cecile Knaak, and sincerely hopes it may prove to be a desirable improve- ment. Finally, the Class of 1926 wills to the entire high school a host of sincere wishes for the best of luck and the most successful careers. Done at Browns Valley, Minnesota, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-six. In witness whereof we have affixed our hand and seal. !£«• Tzccnty-Onc Class of 1926.

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QL )t Jflounb Jhitlber I glanced at the signature on the cartoons, and sure enough it was Sinclair Cowles. 1 had heard that he had achieved some distinction in that line, but had never been able to confirm it until now. Who would think it of Sin? I leaved ever the pages of the bulky newspaper to page four, and there before me in big glaring type was the announcement, “Miss Hulda Philen becomes President of the Amalgamated Union of Federated Bookworms. She will appear in a public address at Vermillion Square on June 25th.“ Reading on into the article I learned that she has done a great deal of work in organizing literary clubs in all the leading colleges and universities. We certainly can be proud of our classmate, can’t we? Say, Emma, you know I was talking with Lillian Brown the other day. She looked perfectly stunning, and is as dear and popular as ever. You know she managed the “Parisian Modiste Shop” for two years. Such a splendid business career she has had, too. Her husband is a very successful lawyer, and much of his success is due, 1 know, to Lillian's clever ability as a hostess. She also told me that she had just heard from Vivian Fletcher, and I was glad to hear that she had just published her second volume of “Etiquette for All Occasions. You know Vivian has become the foremost authority on problems of etiquette and conducts columns in all the big daily papers. 1 think the biggest surprise of the season, tho, was about two weeks ago. 1 was lying on the davenport reading, when a blare of trumpets roused me, and I rushed to the window just in time to see a circus parade passing. 1 always did love to see circuses, so that afternoon out to the circus lot I went. I took in all the sideshows, and the menagerie, but the surprise came when in the main arena the announcer came out and shouted, “You will now be entertained by our famous fire eating, fire walking, trapeze performer, Marc Seeber.” Honestly, Emma, I was never so thrilled in my life as while watching the hair-raising stunts Marc did that day. Afterwards we had a long chat together. Eut that isn’t all the surprise of the circus. In one of the clown acts. 1 felt sure that I recognized a familiar face. Clowns wear so much paint and outlandish clothes, tho, that I couldn’t be sure, but afterwards, sure enough, it was Selmer Sanden. Usually he plays his violin in the clowns orchestra, but that day he was unable to play because he had sprained a wrist. The world is small after all, isn’t it? I heard from Mary Malloy the other day, too. She is now on Broadway appearing in the Globe Theater in Eugene O’Neill’s latest play. I read of her dramatic triumphs very frequently. Little did we dream when Mary played “Peg O’ My Heart’ that some day she would be famous on the stage. She told me that Edna Deyo had recently called on her. Edna is proprietress of a large dancing academy at Tampa, Florida. Her patrons are all members of the millionaire colony there. Last Tuesday as I was walking down Jefferson Boulevard, my attention was drawn to a low steady hum. As the noise grew more distinct, 1 glanced upward and saw a huge airplane rapidly diving toward the ground. In just a moment it had crashed, not over one hundred yards from where I stood. A great crowd of excited people gathered at once. I, too, rushed to the spot in time to see the the aviators crawl from the debris, as unconcernedly as you please. They pulled off their helmets almost simultaneously, and there stood Turk Almquist and Skully Smith! It seems that Turk and Skully had been working together on a prospective invention for a polar airplane, but since it had just failed so disastrously, they have had to give up their plans for this year. Raymond tells me that he is going to give up the idea and devote his time and attention to his New Mexican chicken farm, but Skully doggedly insists he will repair the old plane and con- tinue the experiment. My gracious, this letter has grown to be a regular newspaper. Now I must quit. Do write soon and tell me all about your experience with your work over there. Your former classmate. Genevieve Toelle. ’iigc Tueniy-Three