Burnet High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Burnet, TX)

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rHE COMET 7 In that mood I have drifted from place to place. Of course I act queerly. Who would not? This is the first time I lm e imparted my history to any living soul. Now yon understand that with these memories constantly before me life holds tin fascination for the. Now much lunger will I be compelled to live In lids world and endure the © terrible reminiscence»? Oh, that IvUelen had kllU i me on ihst fatal night ! Now much better It wntild have b» «-n ! The Child Labor Amendment By Leslie McDaniel 1 have learned that our states have not made and enforced laws u» prohibit children from working in nnhealthful an dangerous plates. Some states alb w the children to work 14 hours a day while some states have eleven hours as a limit for child labor. And these children are from twelve to four- teen years of ge. What are we going to do with such a condition? This is the future citizen of the United States, our beloved country, that other nations are looking to for a pattern. It is a Union of freedom and prosperity. But on the other hand ns soon as other jieople («me from other countries, their children begin to work in the factories and mires fur they mu find little else to do. And if they can accumulate enough money to return home on they do so for they d« not w ant tlieir children to work under such conditions. When people are in need of money the whole family usually work» In order to make a living and the children usually do anything that they can find to do. Some of the children work with In a y machinery in the greasiest places for they are so stun IT that they can do little else n limit machinery exf'ept to clean and oil it and this is very dangerous work. To have a child working among heavy machinery Is like hav- ing them to lie keepers of lions for it is impossible to tell when i he i are going to get their fatai blow. There are state laws but they are not being enforced and some of the factories are like an old sheep-killing dog. It will sneak around and get children in another state to do home work and dodge the state law . Therefore the states cannot control chihi labor The children and their mother together make 26 cent per hour at home work, while a woman who has no children makes 27 tents tier hour, and In some of the homes rhe children are sh k in i ed, s«,me of them with contagions diseases, doing hard work such as making powder puffs, etc. These articles carry the proud lat»el made in Ameren ' nod ‘’sanitary What do you think of ,■( nation letting sm-b a thing «» that exist? Of course children that are working under such conditions are not gainfully employed and there are many homes that take home work and do the work in the liack of the house, so if an Inspector were to come he would not find them at work. Now what are we going to do with that? 1 say give the Federal Government a trial for the States have had their trial and have not mceeded. of all the children of the United States, there are only 1.06P.H5K that are gainfully eue ployed between the age of ten and fifteen years, while three hundred seventy-eight thousand and sixty-three of them an Iteiween the age of ten and thirteen years, according to the nineteen hundred and twenty census. In New York City, five hundred and ninety four of the families were visited and one fourth of these had children between the ages of five and fifteen engaged hi home work. Mr. Hall said. “More than seventy nine [«er cent of the five hundred and thirty-five children reported working by the Investigators were under fourteen year» of «go, while thirty live per «•ent were under the age of ten and |«irt of the parents were foreign born, If this is not remedied and the rhll dren educated, we will become like Mexico, Those children are citizens of the United SfateH and will soon lie taking i»irf in the government. In ('«lifornia. land sella for three thoiiNnnd dollar» |ici acre and capital fs twelve jjer f ent. After the grapes and other fruits are gathered and the Intereat on (lie capital 1» paid there la very little left to pity the children and women so they have to suffer. Hiifij » - an angel or «« monurron dragon would come to the earth and piare pa hand on on- of our leading men each flay for one year and every man that it touched would no longer tie Me to fake a jeadcr’t part for his mind would is like s child mind K , ryUodv would lie in nn uproar trying to destroy the peat for they would realize it was u menace to our country Bor have something of the name kind happening today exoppr i children do riot have the chance To pirn enr the awful con- ditions, i say when a thing affects a nation as a wbofe a rhe dUW labor does, then It Is time for the Federal governmenr take charge. A republic government mng dnumrv rne mh dren so they can solve the pr idem that I f fore rh nL If one state has a high standard. The man lfa-mr r will vend their goods to another state That lias a iiow trandard. Haiti state ought to have to make report of the home work- ers that they have employed. Then the marcetor ' -nid ligate the home workers and see if they were worgimg ae cording to the standard Bat if it were a F iermi .aw it would lie the -ume offense in one state as tit n«Tiier. The first ten amendments w re made jnm diarejr after he constitution whs signed and were a--c r r i almost i a nar ’ of the original conati t or Ion ard ah ,Berber desirable and smut afterwards two more were Accepted by afL For the Jiat one hundred and twenty years oaty en imemtmenr.s made during all of the grt-ar progre- -. An»i it ta avfni for another amendment to tie made. Som - p-’Jtie say if dia amendment is passed that the children an lev ehshreen wan of ago will not have to work and th»?tr parent:? will nor da w any rower over them. But that Is all a misraice. Fbr odl one will have something to do. If mi • a : Tie i v i w.itild continue to milch the and Miry to »a u ne dishes. But the children who «re etirr h rml rill lint go on with their business as ’ef '■v The r Federal government will not pass an Ameodm-nr chu vouiil disable nny one After a MM s pot tvfbr either rf 'he houses it is referrem! to a vwiun» r tt e for puhtic tjtmrmg aail : file (‘oQmdtter anictinces it eve the Mil t» lend lint if i is pm it is placed on the calendar for a vra:n lay wi each metal er can express his v »v iro subject vmi t pn seti the President bas a veto power $t t hill goes through both bouse . 1 tkJmA :: a’ : Iu «ttfbcwe that bill especially If that hill U to poAiMt Tie wor ing of children In factories and ru • sow r tna !r r another a mend men t to t e added to the Here are some facts that you sh i i know anvm ni(j ntHir by Senator Med III Mci’ortnick IN you Sjiow 'll! since rfj - Snpmne wnrt in nltwttrtt hundred T»J w?uty- wo iev+tcod the child labor law uncottscltuthmaL .hitd inhw n he fifcc lories, fields and canneries has tW‘hfus iJ a i i i u niing n.e Do you know that tu WaterNir that nc-ir y eight times as inauy children twvl ei work wrutUh n ’UAe t hninirist twenty three as tu ulneteea TmumJ cstiio ' ’TN» you know that the tuvrva- tu onw k Itty per iviit in fourteen cities twvat.v fvui [er vo . ii i a 'kifn one hundred per ivnt. w hile m ulh «r(» i. -aa • hundred per nt? ’lk« ■(« know that tu V iiLU|0 ur«, wei fhau the limes as many chUdivi vrv tt w JWfc na a year ago' Ik you know that work vug j t he Ks (W4ds uiia.»a m

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THE COMET 6 Dud gave a start. The song was one that Marthy had sung to Jake when he was a baby and Dad fancied that Ella in some way resembled Marthy. He shut the door. Sanity had returned. Softly he replaced the account». No! lie could not rob Jake s children of their birthright. After all, he was an old man with one foot in the grave. He stumbled and swayed Everything was going dark—-he took a totter- T. A. CHAMBERLAIN. By Jesse Pogue The subject of rbls sketch. T. A. Chamberlain, was born in the year eighteen hundred and forty nine. He is now 77 years of age. He has been a resident of Burnet for sixty years or more. At the nge of twenty-two or twenty-three, he started to teach school. The school which is now known as Bethel was opened at that time and he was chosen as the first teacher. It was also his iirst experience In teaching school. He had about twenty-live pupils, many of whom are still living in that same community. After teaching school for a few years, he entered politics ing step. Suddenly he extended bln iirins. “Marthy,” he called, I'm coinin'. You'll forgive won’t you Marthy! Wail Marthy— but he fell. The oeeulist was wrong. Blindness had occured and with it came death. But a metamorphoses had occurred. (rone was Dad s bitter sneering look and in Its stead was that old sweet, benevolent smile that was fam- iliar to all Lake Point! and was elected county surveyor of Ilurnet county. This office was of considerable importance in those days, as the coun- ty was young and was being settled up rapidly. With the exception of a few years during which be was living in South Texas, following his vocation, he has held this office contin- ually and still holds It. Uncle Tom, as be is known to everybody. Is one of the l»est men 1 have ever known. Although making no greAt display about It. he is a true, ('hristlan gent Ionian, willing to help anyone in any way that he can. When any one has surveying to la done, he is called No government or other surveyor has ever found a mistake in his da I a. for he is very careful with his work. He has surveyed a large portion of Burnet and Llano counties and is still at 1L“ JKe House of Horror %n£leren Some people say that 1 am Insane: others say that I am mad: others, that I am feigning madness like Hamlet, Per- haps I aiu mud. Who can tell? My jtast life has been ho hor- rible. so full of grief mid terrors rhat 1 feel as if I am grop- ing hi utter darkness and slowly, slowly losing all control of my superior lieing. Shall 1 tell yon of my lad life or keep it buried deep down in my heart forever? No! 1 shall tell It. It hangs over me like an Immovable cloud and is so terribly depressing that 1 feel as If 1 must lell someone or 1 shall die. Many years ago when 1 was still unite young, my family, consisting of my father and mother, Mr, and Mrs. Dupree, my sister, Henrietta, my brother, George, and I came to Amer- ica from France. We were accompanied by Lucien. an old French servant. He had been with our family for many years. Our first few years In America were spent happily on a small farm on the banks of the Hudson River. Ah! how 1 took back on those years as the only time life seemed worth living. How peaceful! How sublime! Into those few years 1 can place all my pleasures of this life. My father became inveigled In some land schemes. As 1 was too young and carefree to understand what realty was happening the first thing that I knew my father announced that we had lost all that we poeaeacted lu this world. We were outcasts in a foreign land, without home or money. We finally found a small hut overgrown with thick green vines. The people who lived near told us that It was haunt- ed and abandoned and if we cared to live there we were perfectly welcome. Alas! how little my dear family knew what was in store for us. If they could only have read their sad fates, how we would have fled from that place as from a deadly viper. Lucien who was very superstitious, was horrified at the Idea of living In such a house, but rather than leave the family, his only friends, he submitted. Of course the grue- some aspect of the house and his own Imagination bore heavily on his mind, I could see that as time wore on. his mind was weakening. One night 1 was awakened by peculiar nosies In the ad- joining room, 1 got up, lighted a eandle, and went in where 1 heard the noise. There stood Lucien with a terrible gleam In bis eyes. Indeed he was filled with the evil spirit. In his hand was a knife with a long thin blade that reflected the eandle light like a mirror. 1 stood motionless. 1 was struck perfectly dumb with terror. 1 was quaking with fear but 1 dare not move. Lucien ran his long, bony linger over the shimmering blade, Then he looked at me and grime Mich a horrible ghastly grin that I thought surely my time To die had come. But slowly he run his linger the full length of the blade n second time: looked at me: shook his head; turned and walked off. By this time I realized that Lucien was Insane. What could I do? About this rime, I beard my father cry out for help. Before 1 cniild reach him. Linden passed me waving the bloody knife hi the air. shriek!tig like one puaaea ed with a demon and swearing vengeance on the whole family. Where he went 1 do not know; 1 went to tny father. He was dead, Lucien had stahlied him. This was more than 1 could stand. 1 felt that T would go mad myself. During the next year the rest of our family lived in fear of Laden's return. Imagine, friends, living through a whole year with such a terrible remembrance of Lucien and knowing that any time he might return and murder the whole family. Every noise at night, every shadowy figure crouching in the darkness. 1 thought to ite Lucien. Henrietta, my beautiful sister, was terrified at the idea of his return and lived in sin- dread of It that she liecaiue a mere shadow. At night she would wander down to an old well and stand for bourn In the moonlight. One night we saw her walk to the accus- tomed spot and stand looking into the well fur a long rime. Imagine our unspeakable terror when, after a while, we heard n splush In the well, 1 rushed down there but 1 was too late. She had been grasped by the mossy entanglement of the treacherous green water of the old well. Horror-stricken I called for aid. We worked all night hut could not find the bottom of the well. We could drop anything in It and could hear the reeking of the moss through which it was (tfiKslttg for at least five minutes. It seemed to be a bot- tomless cavity, 1 was distracted with grief. Then, that very night when i returned to the house, Im- agine my horror when 1 found that my mother and George had fallen victims to the wanton hand of Lucien. Nearby was Lucien dying from a self-inflicted wound. 1 wan crazy with grief- Stay at that house from th:i night on? No! I left as quickly as 1 could. I was travelling to some unknown Mecca for my soul. I wandered from city to city. People did not understand the Invisible torture of my mind. How could 1 tell them? Would they believe me?

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8 THE COMET harks of little boys and girls crooked and that in two conntle alone in Colorado there are seven hundred and fifteen children under six years of age and one thousand four hundred be tween six mid sixteen at work in the Helds from eight to ten hours a day for weeks at u time? Do you know that In the Anthracite mining district of Penn- sylvania many children of thirteen and fourteen yt?ars of a e have taken their place as full time wage earners? Do you know that the child mortality rate are dlstrv «sing- ly high in some districts? bo you know that In Eouhdnna in the oyster and shrimp «•anneries children of eight and ten and twelve are working from six o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night? “Do you know that in North Carolina boys may enter in Mills at twelve, and boys and girls between fourteen and six- teen may lie employed eleven hours a day? Do you know that in Georgia orphans or children of wid- owed mothers may work in factories at the age of twelve and may he worked sixty hours a week, and after they are four- teen-one-half they may legally work all night? If yOu do not know these facts and figures, and they are only a drop in the bucket. it is about time you did. If you have pity of heart and wisdom of spirit, help the children of the nation to escaiie from the toils of the exploiters. Support the McCormick Child Itabor Amendment, which will give congress power to erase from our national record the black mark of child destruction. Cupid Rolls the Dice Humphrey The Forbidden Tower! The Forbidden Tower! This kept going through my mind as I lay on my lied trying to go to sleep. I could see it. In my mind, standing as It did when we passed it that evening on our way from El Paso back to Dicky Boxford’s ranch. Mrs. Box ford had often mentioned the tower and Dicky started to tell me all that was known about it. but Mrs, Boxfordl made him stop. 1 had been help- ing Mrs. Box ford on the ranch for almost a year but I had never mentioned the tower as It seemed to be a mystery that no one liked to discuss. It was an old tower and looked as if no one had been near it for many years. Yes, as every one believed. Dicky and I were engaged and Intended to lie married the next spring, hut for almost two months Dicky had been going with a movie star who was spending her summer vacation on the ranch adjoining the Boxford ranch, I fell that he was not treating tuc fairlv, but I never said anything to him about It as he was silwas so niee to me. I tried to think atmut something l e ?de this Forbidden Tower, hilt my mind always wandered back to the tower. Dicky had told me that I ramut not go in or near the tower, but like most girls I wanted some excitement, a thrill, or better just something different, I decided to get up and dress slip down the hack stairs and go to this tower. It was only eleven o'clock and the moon was shining so brightly that I had nothing to fear, only that some one would see me and tell Dicky where I was going. Dicky was almost six feet tall and was strong enough that he could carry me back to the house If he wished to do so. I got down the stairs and out of the yard without disturb- ing anyone, not even the dog, I felt very comfortable In my (smt suit as the night was «■old. Every sound scared me, even my own shadow made me have cold chills running up and down my spinal cord. I hurried on as fast as my feet would carry me and in a short while I had covered the dis- tance to the tower. I knew that Dickey would be very angry if he knew that I was doing this against his wish. In the moonlight this tower looked as If it might be haunt ed. I found the door and when I tried to open it, to my sur- prise it opened easily, I had forgotten to bring my flashlight along, but by the light that camp in through the (Tacks I could see the outline of a small room and a staircase leading up. I could not tell how far, for I could not see the top. i began to slowly ascend and when I reached the top I leaned against the cold wall to get accustomed to the dark- ness, I was thinking of the noise I made in stumbling up those stairs in the dark, I could not get my breath easily. I was not scared or tired, but It seemed that the air had just all left and I was smothering. I moved down the hall, being sure to keep my hand on the wall until my hand touched something cold. It seemed like Ice but 1 found that it was a brass door knob. I turned the knob and the door opened Into a room and in the comer on a table wa a I gbted candle. I was preiiaring to ctose the door and hurry down the stairs when a man’s clear voice said, Gome on in. I did as he said and there by the table sat the most hand- some man that 1 had ever seen. When he looked at me, one of the most jieculiar expressions came over his face, then be liegan to sjieak. This Is what he said, As you may not know. I will explain what you have done by coming into this tower. I was to have married the most beautiful girl in this whole country but she decided to lie a movie star, so I was left. My temper was so roused that I with my friend, a priest, came to this tower to live we have with us a man and woman to keep the tower In order. I said that I would marry the first woman that entered this tower, so you, in a few minutes shall lie my wife. I wanted to scream or run from him, but at that moment the priest entered the mom and he had said in a few minutes we were married. Think, 1 was married to this man and back at the ranch was Dicky, What could 1 do? 1 had to go home so my husband accomiranJed me to the door of the tower, here he told me g«»od-bye. When I got to the house it was almost time to begin the morning chores so I hurried upstairs, changed ray clothes and liegan the morning routine of work. When Dicky «•aine into the kitchen that morning he had a troubled look on his face and I thought of the tower and that I must break our en- gagement. t was saved this humiliation as Dicky told m? that he loved another and they wanted to get married that evening. He also asked me to go to town with them, so I told him that 1 would lie more than glad to go with them. We reached the county clerk’s office at fifteen minutes after three and whom should be there but my husband. The tlerk introduced him to us as Mr. Walter Linsey. Oh! so I was Mrs. Linsey. Mrs. Walter Linsey, and not Joy I een Rtmto. After TMeky purchased his license, Mr. Linsey said that he thought we four should have dinner together and tell each other something about ourselves. After dinner we went with Dicky and Diana to the parson's house. Diana was the girl that Walter had been engaged to, but we were all happy. I live in the tower wTlth Walter Unaey and am so happy that I wonder if it Is not fairyland, A Successful School Teacher That I Know. By iSthel B. Warwick In writing the life of Mr. W, E. IjeFerre, I do not know much concerning him. All that I do know he has related to me himself. And In doing so he has probably omitted some honors that are due him.