Butler High School - Magnet Yearbook (Butler, PA)

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SENIOR MAGNET I ljad searched our attic over an over ; gain, but I never thought it con tainecj anything but just—well, yo know what attics of old plantation mansions hold—just the relics qf slaver trunk y days, and may be a discarde or two of the present generation but I started to search. I opened cuj hoard after cupboard until I came to the l st one. While looking through rjoticed a small door nailed shut, you know how a locked door it I Now stand Thd body two found Cabin must Then LITERARY T1 THE EXPERIMENT CHARLES R CRONENWETT “THE DIARY OF JOHN AND GEORGE HUME.” The pages were yellowed by age and the ink had nearly faded away but I started to read and this is what I found: Seventh of October, 1855—This is V our birthday; we are fifteen years old. :o Jack aiuL-1- ,ha.u; decided ■4d 1 a we make: one want to peek through the keyhojle, but a nailed door with a sign on the outside saying—Private—really excites one’s curiosity. I wisn’t long in forcing the door; it wasn’ much bigger than a small cupboard and the first thing I noticed was strong musty odor. I crawled through the opening and found myself in a Small room about ten by twenty feet and just high enough for me to erect. room had likely been some-den for there was a table with dhairs, some books, and a little charcoal heater. I started to look over the books and one to be a copy of Uncle Tom's an autograph edition, in faci, another Smalley’s works on “Treatment of Diseases by Herbs.,’ Someone ave been a doctor, I thought. I noticed a dust covered vol lime with an old quill pen lying across it and upon investigating found it marked: keep a ek at a diary. Each will write for a time. Yesterday we found th and we are going to make it c ur cozy room. Ninth of October, 1855—T made a discovery. I found book of Mammy Loo’s. 1 will it in the diary tomorrow. It is on herbs and witchcraft. Tenth of October, 1855—We book all through last night. It about changing the form of a Jack and I may try it some da}. Fourteenth of October, 185 this is my week to keep the di I’ll tell you about our find. In Mammy Loo’s- book it says to take thfc dried herbs of the purple swamp lilv and make a tea, drink the tea, and say “numbely umbely sibety say—I wish that 1 may become a bird today]’ Then one changes to a bird. To get back one drinks a tea made of the dpwn o. the white thistle and say the rhyme backwards and one gets back to his original shape. We are going to try it lav we an old escribe a book read the ells all person. Well ary and Fifteenth of October, 1885—We are going to try the experiment. George

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22 SENIOR MAGNET Our Salutaloriaii is Bernice Mortland, She certainly is a dandy; She is fond of school, but we believe Is a little more fond of candy. Ruth Maxwell has decided She would like to be a nurse, Because she thinks it a pretty good job To bring “something” for her purse. Then there’s Frances Sherman, (Not one of bakery fame), But willing to work at anything To uphold the class’s good name. Two of our class-mates from out-of-town, Irene Smalley and Leta Ray, Recite their lessons very well, But another word don’t say. Marie Howard is not very big. But we know she’s pretty brighi, And boys who take their coats off in school She thinks are not polite. Tillie Matthieson came from Grove City And her duties never did shirk. As a qiember of the girl's basketball team She did her share of the work. We now have Hazel Manny, Another country lass; Rural air agrees with studying, For she recites in every class. Another girl in our midst Goes by the name of Scott, And at all of our class meetings She’s “Johnny on the spot.” Whenever there is singing There is a girl in our class, Helefi Porter’s always near, Whose name is Agnes Caldwell, But the song crtTTed The Miller’s Wooing” She spins around the town all day Is one she likes best to hear. Jean Stechler and Sara Richey Are hlways seen together, They know their lessons all the time In sunshine or stormy weather. In chapel every morning Bertha Reith sings like a lark, But that’s not her only accomplishment For she’s some arithmetic shark. In her little car called Maxwell. We don’t hear much from Lois Kerr, A quiet little mite, But even though she is a “Kerr,” She doesn’t scratch nor bite. Dorothy Fletcher with bright red hair, Is also one of our class; And a certain football hero Thinks she’s a mighty pretty lass. We have another Bertha Whose other name is White, She must burn up the midnight oil, For she always could recite. Rosalie Wagner is little, They! say she’s “short but sweet,” And she’s certainly liked by everyone She ever chanced to meet. Hazel Coulter, as you probably know. Hails from up on the hill, And every day she comes to school, She’s dressed up fit to kill.” Helen Hoover’s wondrous singing Would soothe the wildest beast; And Bertha Yund we will remember As “Last but not the least.” —Karl Koch, ’17.

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24 SENIOR MAGNET is goi )g to be an owl and I’m going to be an pared eagle. We have both drinks pre-I will write tomorrow and tell you vfhat we do today. Ilefe the diary ended. I was so sur-priscc at finding such an ending after so in eresting a narrative that I was like t|ie Irishman who looked speech less. Aftfcr I had recovered my bearings I started to explore the rest of the room. I fou id one end to be partitioned off but before I had time to investigate further I heard Uncle Joe call, “Ho! Marse Henry he’as Miss Bessie.’’ I 1 :ft my explorations at once at Uncle Joe’s call for we always left every liing when Miss Bessie came. I told Bessie of my find and we de cided Ito go and ask Mammy Loo. Ma tales an no one ebber heered ob deni since. Fo about ten yars arter dey done gom an ole owl an an eagle used to lib up in dat attik an I declare to goodness dat dey wus the spirits ob dem boys jest hauntin dare old play house. None ob de niggas would shoot dem birds for dey witz afraid ob de ghosts but one day when dat Sherman guy arid his sojers cum along one ob dem low!down white trash shot dat der owl an busted its wing. Well dat eagle jest flew down and grabbed dat owd in his talons an jes done flew up on de roof vif it. Den another sojer done took a pot shot at dat eagle en hit it too but dey didn’t kotch it. “Well, arter dat we niggers done neber saw dose birds again an your grandfatter done nail up dat attik an nmy Loo is the oldest nigger on nobody has eber ben up dere til the plantation, a relic of slavery days, and knows all the war stories and ghost hat a.re told for miles around, so i we asked her if she had ever heard of John and George Hume and when she replie 1. “she did,” we asked her to tell us the story. And this is her story : “Lan sakes chile, whar did you all eber hear ob Marse John and Googe? Doan’ yon eber tell Marse Henry dat I done foie you about dis, or he shore done sell me down de ribber. Dose boys done run off when dey was about fifteen yars old and we hain’t nebber heered ob dem since. “I) 3 used to stay up in dat attik and eber since dey left de place has done been spooked. Dose boys dey done stole ny ole witch book and some ob der dad’s fitrnieture and des disappead mammy came to lib here. Now you all tell Marse Henry dat you coz lie done fobid to ebber ob dem boys agin.” Well, after this narrative Mis Bessie and I went up to the secret room and after again inspecting the diary ventured to look behind the curtain. There we saw two skeletons. I carefully gathered them up and took them to Miss Bessie's father for examination, for he is something of a naturalist. After carefully examining them he pronounced them to be skeletons of an old barred owl and a bald pate eagle, species now nearly extinct. Evidently the experiment had not succeeded. youa doan [ tole speak BEWARE OF AMBITION HELEN FRAZIER T never hear that sound that I am not reminded of my terrible episode. Thus the palsied, old man began hrs narrative. Years ago when I was young, several