Central Catholic High School - Echo Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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10 CENTRAL CATHOLIC OU R GRADUATES tBy R. L. Beuret, '16.J 1. J. STEPHEN WEBER Are you interested in automobiles, real estate, or insurance? If so we would advise you to call at 723 Court street. As you enter, you will see a young gentleman busily engaged pouring over all kinds of ledgers and documents. He receives you with a dignified cordiality and shows himself ready to talk on any subject. After five minutes talk with him you are convinced of his selling ability, his solid education, and his integrity of character. As you leave the office after buying your insur- ance or real estate you are anxious to know more about this entertaining young man. Your curio- sity is soon satisfied, for he is very well known. As you already know that he is the son of Mr. Carl J. Weber, you are prepared to hear good things of him, and you are not disappointed. You learn that he is chancellor of the Knights of Co- lumbus, an exemplary member of the Cathedral parish, and a graduate of the Central Catholic High School. While at high school he showed himself an apt scholar in every branch of study, winning the class medal each year and also the elocution medal in the Junior year. He was gratuated in 1913, and since that time has been in business with his father. As far as loyalty to his alma mater is concerned, we know of no graduate who has shown more interest in the welfare of the school and its students. He has taken an active part in the sports of the school and is always present to cheer the boys to victory and to smooth their dif- ficulties. He has given us an example of what we ought to be when we have bid a last farewell to the school where we are now completing that education which has enabled him to act man's God-like part. And We predict that in future years we can point to J. Stephen Weber as a great man with a great business. .-.1-117. TOM tBy Bernard Byanskie, '17.l William Brown and his wife Irene were seated in the parlor of their roomy residence at 2001 C..urt Street, talking, and from their style of con- versation it could be plainly seen that they were not on the best of terms. HIGH scHool. Ecu-no Why didn't you come home last .night for sup- per? inquired Mrs. Brown, a middle-aged woman who had anything but a pleasant disposition. - Why, said Mr. Brown in a pleasant tone, I had a little extra work to finish last evening, so 1 1ouldn't get home as early as usual. As early as usual, eh? I don't see where the 'usual' comes in. I have suspicions of my own that something else besides work keeps you out late. Just the other day, Mrs. Bowman told me she saw you in Stanford's saloon. What she said is true, but I had only run over and taken a glass of beer for it was terribly hot in the shop, you know, and I thought a cool drink would help me a little. Well, what you say may be true, but all the same I shall hold my suspicions, said Mrs. Brown, hastily leaving the room. ' She had scarcely left when the front door flew open and a boy burst into the room exclaiming, 'iHurrah, father! I've sold eighty-nine extras,' and one 'man gave me a ten-cent tip. Gee! if I do this well all week I'll be able to get that new pair of skates I've been wanting all winter. Then glancing around the room he added, Where's mother? I think she has gone to bed, son, said his father. - Alr'eady? Why, she's generally up until ten o'clock. A I know, but she said she had a headache, and thought that if she went to bed she would have more relief. Well, I'rn going up to say good-night to her, anyway, said Tom, bounding up the stairs two steps at a time. Now, however bad they might quarrel, the Browns dearly loved their son, and kept all knowledge of their differences from him. For this reason, when Mrs.'Brown had heard her husband alluding to her going to bed, she quietly slipped into her room, and when Tom came up she was already in bed. How are you feeling, mother? he inquired. O I'll be all right in the morning, Tom. Did you have good luck with your papers today? Great! And he went on to explain his suc- cess with such enthusiasm that his mother could not help smiling, for she loved to see .her child happy and successful. She did not seem inclin'ed to talk, so Tom kissed her good-night and retired. Next afternoon after Tom had gone to school, Mrs. Brown went over to the poker club she had lately joined, to try her luck with some nickels

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X CENTRAL CATHOLIC .JAMES WHITCONIB RILEY CBy C. A. Harkenrider, '16.J Other poets may soar above you, You keep close to the human heart. In the above lines Henry van Dyke gives us the reason for Riley's honored position among the poets of our country. But you mayask: Why is James Whitcomb Riley Hclose to the human heart? If you have 'never lived in Indiana, but have patience enough to listen to a Hoosier school- boy, I shall tell you. I On October 7, 1849, Riley first blinked at day- light as it came peering through the windows of a little log cabin in Hancock County, Indiana. Here he grew up, a boy whose head- was iilled with dreams of what the future held in store for him, but nevertheless, a boy who wasted none of the golden moments of boyhood. Here he swam in the old swimmin' hole or lay on the bank listening to the song of the 'stream as it glided lazily by. Here he listened to the stories of the Raggedy Mani' or to those witch ,tales about which he speaks in Little Orphant Annie's. His imagination was fed on these tales, and also on the prose poetry that iills the pages of the Arabian Nights. He preferred to sacrilice the delights of a feast on ginger cakes and candy, for the pur- chase of a book of poetry,'fDivine Ehnblennsf' The great affliction 'of his boyhood was a freckled face. His playmates designated him as Spotted Face, little realizing how much he felt the sting of his nick-name. One day, however, his heart was gladdened by the sight of a certain bottle in a drug store window. On the lable were the magic words: Sure cure for moth, tan, freckles. etc. But the price was fifty cents-an impossible one for him. He was determined to get the bottle, but how? A few days after, his father sent him down town to get some sugar-fifty cents' worth, and gave him the .money to pay for it. though it was customary to have such articles charged up. Young Riley was consistent and charged it up, all right, exchanging 'the fifty cents for the freckle-cure. W On his way to school that morning he sought a secluded spot and applied the sure cure gen- erously. Then he started off for school with a light heart, feeling sure that the freckles would be gone when he got there. As soon as he entered the school room there was a general uproar. His face had a regular lemon color, for he had read 'HIGH SCHOOL ECHO , 9 only half the directions and did not see the words, Wash off immediately with salt water, etc. It was too late to wash off now, but the cure was ef- fective-'he lost his lemon skin-freckles and all --before three days. So much for his boyhood. As he grew to riper years, he began to think of the future. He could do many things, but he could not work In his discouragement, he sent some of his poems to Longfellow. A poet knows a poet, and so Longf fellow encouraged Riley, and had the pleasure of seeing the Hoosier's first volume appear- The Old Swimmin' Hole and 'Leven More Poems. Volume followed volume, until Riley became ian- other Longfellow. V And now, that you have listened to me.thus far, I shall let another Hoosier poet praise him. ,Here is the postlude of the Indiana Odei' for the Pana- ma-Paciiic Exposition by the Rev. Charles O'Don nell. C. S. C.: A s Postlude: K To Indiana's Poet. James Whitcomb Riley. Lo, o'er the fields at home now sinks the sun, And with the crickets' hum t The tinkling bells of cattlehhomeward come Familiar tell The dim, tired land another day is done. U And my song pauses for a last farewell D To you, and greeting unto one h , II. NVhose ears Have caught, how many, happy years, . The murmurs, of the music of our speech, A Whose tongue ' ' I 4 ' Our simple days with kindred art has sung, And kept silence where no word could reach. .Him by whose Brandywine . . g 5 First strayed in childhood days thesefeet of - mine, I ' i Brother and friend, m I I hail him as our State's sufficient pride And give him part- , Wliose words, deep-springing from a people's heart, N Home-gathered there abide- In glories of a day that has its end, L As has at length theiiiiigering song ,Qfione Who brought'his dreams to thee, O City of the Sun!

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,4Q1!rwse'3 3 1 I CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL ECHO 11 and quart-ers. Luck was with her, and in a short time she visited the club daily. She went there early to hear the latest news-Mrs. Hick's divorce, Mrs. Simpson's son-in-law's abuse of his wife and many other items that interest the idle. Before two weeks her luck had changed. She had lost her own money and also that which was destined for house expenses. A cunning thought She would watch until she found struck her. her husband in some club-house or saloon instead Then she would give him a piece of of at work. her mind when he came home. He would increase the house-management allowance in order to 'pacify her, and so she would again have money to play her favorite game. Before she had finished her plans, in walked Mrs. Bowman, to tell her that Mr. Brown and Mr. Bowman were over at Kelly's pool room. She welcomed the news and determined to take advantage of it. When he came home that night, before he had time to say a word she had started the old quar- rel. He tried to explain that the shop had closed at noon because a boiler had burst, but she would not listen. She threatened to get a divorce when he would not increase her allowance for the house- hold -expenses. He said, Go aheadg I'll keep Tom. She had not thought of thisg 'but now that he had mentioned it she said she ,must have Tom because she cared more for Tom than he did. They were still arguing when the rumbling of wheels was heard outside the door. A minute later, the door bell' rang violently. Both rushed to the door and saw two men supporting Tom on a stretcher. He was unconscious. He had been run down by a jitney bus. They stayed up with him that night. The next morning he recovered consciousness and his ,first words were, Where am I? Take me homie to father and mother! They looked at each other. He resolved to quit the pool roomg she resolved to quit the poker club. The word divorce was never again uttered between them. ON A PIRATE SHIP IBy Alfred Brown, '19.l I Although I was free- to' go out into the street to play, ,I told my mother I would much rather stay inside, for it was very cold. I seated myself by the fire-side. The wind was blowing furiously against the window panes, causing.them to rattle very loud. The sound echoed and re-echoed through the rooms and corridors of the house. As I sat there, I began to fancy myself in many exciting adventures. My fancy carried me so fax from my present surroundings that I dreamed l was being captured by a pirate ship. Beating and bruising me, the pirates made me work until l was almost dead. , One day an opportunity to escape presented itself. No one was watching me, for the Scound- rels were nearing arich Spanish ship which they intended to capture. Setting fire to the ship in the hold, I ran up to warn them. All hands set about to extinguish the fire. In the heat of the excitement, I jumped into a lifeboat and lowered it very clumsily, for I was unaccustomed to sea life. I received a few bruises, but I had no time to worry over these, for the pirates had discovered me. The report of a rifle followed, and a bullet whizzed by me. I plucked up courage and began to row rapidly for the Spanish boat amid ayvolley of bullets. The sailors realizing my situation, threw me a rope. After many attempts I got hold of the ropeg and though the bullets were bouncing off the Side of the boat, my new-found friends be- gan to pull me on board. As one of the sailors ,leaned over to catch me, I heard somebody call out: Alfred, why don't you go and see who is ringing the door bell? JUNIOR CLASS NOTES Real Hoosier spelling tests have been started in our English class. In the first contest Cap- tain Brennan's team defeated Captain O'Brien's by a score of 43 to' 39. The O'Brienites swore vengeance, and resolved to stay up 'and burn some midnight oil. They returned to the fioor a week later, and won by nine points. The Brennanites declare they lost because their captain had hay fever. He does not admit this, however, and has lodged a protest because the oscillations of Tony Trapp's ears had a magic effect on the back rows, for Casey missed confidence and Kinney spelled dissipation As Kelly came through anaesthe- tic all right, we no longer suspect him of having a weak heart. Byanskie smiled at acquaintance and whispered to Kinder. We don't know what he said, but we think that he was making a bet that the next word would be affinity, The Junior dance has not been discussed. but it is expected that Fritz will bring up the mat- ter in a few days. Bob Clifford says that when he finishes school he will get a job that pays by the day. --A. S.