Burbank Junior High School - Wizard Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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4 THE WIZARD THE BIRD MAN. An Evening Spent in Knowledge and Laughter. Wednesday evening, September 17, 1919, an entertainment was given at the Luther Burbank School, by Mr. Hutchins, “The Bird Man,” which we all enjoyed very much, 1 am sure. He is called “The Bird Man,” because lie can imitate any kind of bird and can also draw their pictures in a very few minutes. He said he hoped he would have a very pleas- ant evening as a remembrance . of the school, for that was to be the last evening lie was going to speak to the school children on this coast. He was going East after speaking at the Oakland Technical High Fri- day morning, then East to teach the children there to. be more careful of our little feathered friends. He whistled the calls and songs of many birds; the canary, mocking- bird, mourning-dove, thrush, meadow- lark, humming-bird, and others. He also whistled the a-b-c’s. While he drew pictures of the birds, lie whistled songs in the bird voice, to the accompaniment of the piano, played by Miss Wilson, who has assisted him while visiting the schools in Berkeley. The songs lie whistled were, “The Mocking Bird,” “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton,” “When You and I Were Young, Maggie,” “Blue-Bird,” and “Home Sweet Home.” The pictures he drew were the canary, humming-bird, Macaw par- rot, and the carrier-pigeon that used to fly in the air in flocks, but now, has been distroyed altogether. His last picture was a beautiful blue- bird flying in the air, while below on the same sheet his little shack in the woods (as he called it) before he enlisted in the Army. He said, and we surely must know, that it has taken him a long time to cultivate his voice the way lie has, because lie does not use a whistle oi anything like that in his mouth. He used his hands and fingers while whistling “The Mocking-bird. He said it was not done down in his throat, but only with tongue and teeth. Between the making of the pic- tures, he told us jokes to make us laugh, and some serious stories, too. The Boy Scout story, with its sad ending as to the little mother bird, and her nest of young ones will never be forgotten by those who heard him. Before he left, he asked if we would promise to take more care of the birds, make little bouses for them and fountains where they could drink. ' He asked that the boys wouldn’t use their sling-shots as they have been doing, because the birds are our best friends, for they eat all the insects and bugs in our gardens. I am sure we all enjoyed a very pleasant and instructive evening. VTOT.FT FOSF A 9 THE ROOM UPSTAIRS. A little boy had a room that was decorated according to his own taste. A flag with thirteen stars hung on the wall, also the picture of the boy who had fought for that flag and had given his life for it. This boy always thought what a great honor it would be to fight for one’s country and give his life. While lie was small there was no thought of war, but after he had entered college, war broke out and when the United States went into the war he was one of the first to en- list. For a long time he fought and was not hurt. Then one day he found himself in a hospital. Then he asked himself if it were hard to give one’s life for his country, and

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THE WIZARD 3 A PLEASANT SURPRISE. It was a beautiful night with the moon sending down its beams through the window. The night was so lovely that it seemed a pity to waste it in bed. But nature had to be obeyed and by 10 o’clock Ruth was obliged to go to bed. Everything was very quiet and still. But once in a while a rustle was heard and a flutter outside and around the house. It was two parent birds lost in the night. They had left home early in the morning to find something for their little birds at home. They returned with food at noon and then had departed to seek supper. All the birds and insects seem to be on strike. The parent birds knowing the little birdies at home were hungry flew far and wide searching for food. Darkness was upon them and they had not reached home yet. The mother bird was very anxious for her little ones but they could not get home that night. At last they decided to stay over night at the nearest house. A rustle was heard in the room. It broke in through the silence of the room and made it seem ghost- like. “What was that,” Ruth said to herself, “can it be gh 1?” She pulled the covers over her head as the rustling and fluttering continued. Then she took a tiny peep and asked himself if it could be a th — - — ; and buried herself deeped down the covers. But she grew bolder and looked and saw the two little fright- ened birds flying around the room trying to get out into the open air again. But finally -they settled down to rest and in the morning they were welcomed by a nestful of hungry birds. RUTH TO MW YE B 9. ARE THE NYMPHS DEAD? It was a springtime morning when I loitered about the park of an old castle. Birds of varied colors and sizes sang their sweetest songs. Flowers of bright colors sweetly per- fumed the air. There stood a group of blue violets, and lilacs, there a group of beautiful roses, and far- ther behind a grove of tall trees blossoming, shone the golden sun with all his splendor. Marble statues of the Greek gods were seen, and fountains of crystalline water ran over golden beds. I was enraptured with the con- templation of that beautiful pano- rama of nature. As I turned, I saw a lake, which stood in a dark- place in the wood. Snowy swans bathed in its pure, and fresh water. I went slowly toward the place. When I was near I thot I dreamed. In the center of the lake, among the astonished swans, stood a nymph. She was as beautiful as Venus. As she saw me, she came out from the water, and asked me if I would like to listen to her for a few mom- ents. I told her that I would be the happiest of mortals to listen to her words. And so she began : “You are very much surprised to see a nymph in this twentieth cen- tury! This generation thinks that we nymphs disappeared a very long time ago. You are mistaken, in- deed! We are immortals! Just what has happened is that you have become too practical, and material- istic. You have neglected us. We are generous, thou. We are yet the friends of the little ones, and our joy consists in making them happy. So watch for me again.” I was about to throw myself at her feet to beg her pardon, and ask for a little more of happiness, but it was too late. She had run thro the woods, and vanished. MERCEDES BO GRAN A 9.

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T H E W I Z A R D 5 tlicn in his mind’s eye he saw the picture of the man who had fought for the same flag for which he was now dying and his question was answered. IRENE JORGENSEN B 9. THE LIVE STOCK SHOW. 1 here was a Live Stock Show held in San Francisco from November second to November eighth. It was an exhibit of the live stock, poultry, pigeons and rabbits, from the Pa- cific Coast States. The cattle and other animals are all thoroughbred prize stock. I think the best exhibit was that of the Holstein-Fresian milch cows. The world’s greatest milch coav, which is a Holstein, was at the show and is owned by Morse and Sons. It has a milking average of 10.6 gallons of milk a day for one year. At one time it gave twenty-nine and some odd pounds of butter in seven days. The name of this famous cow is Tilly Alcartra. It was born in 1909 and has been milking since 1911, and ever since then, has been increasing in its milk production. The son of this cow is King (Marco) Alcartra and I think he was the finest looking bull at the show. There were some cows from the Napa State Hospital farms which were also fine looking Holsteins. The next best exhibit, I think, was that of the Jerseys. And here was also some of the best cows I ever saw or ever will see. The Jersey is a smaller animal than the Holstein and are not as famous milk pro- ducers according to quantity, but they are the most famous cows when it comes to producing rich milk. The Jersey bulls did not com- pare in size with the Holsteins. The Jerseys arc in color a light yel- lowish-brown, and a sign by which one can always tell a Jersey is by the perfectly white ring around its nose. Of the young heifers exhibited at the show I think the Jerseys had the best. But all this is only a small part of the exhibition, and all those who didn’t go, missed something you will probably never have a chance to see again. HENRY BURM EISTER A 9. THE BOY SCOUTS’ TRIP TO GOAT ISLAND. The Scouts of Berkeley were told at their last meeting, which was Fri- day, the 29th of August, that they would be expected to go with all the troops of Berkeley to Goat Is- land the next Monday at 8 o’clock. This was to give the Scouts a chance to see the fleet. They were told to bring twenty-five cents and their lunch. Monday morning the Scouts and also other boys who were going to join them were there. They bought their tickets from the head Scout Master of Berkeley, Mr. Hunt. They found their ship. It was a large freighting barge pulled by a large tug, which was attached to its side by means of heavy ropes. The Scouts all got in and the men put up gates so they wouldn’t get out. The crew put on the ship several bundles containing life-preservers. It took them an hour to get to the island. They sang songs and the band played on the way over. When they got there they marched out of the ship, starting with troop one, then troop two and so on till the last. They then marched up the path on the side of the island until they came to the place where they were to eat lunch. This island is quite a large one, and is covered with trees and shrub- bery. There are two wharves lead- ing to the island. There is a large