Central High School - Almanac Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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Ti-1E1911ALMANAc T13 9 If ,f jf ,GSL wif ' 1 1 QL: N - L 'Uutzs for women By EDWIN J. TIPP1-:1:'r LTHOUGH everyone accepted the question of woman sufifrage as settled after the debate between our two girls' literary societies in 1911, it so happened that our recreant legislators failed to act upon the proven resolution. That women should be granted equal suffrage with men. The reason for their brazen defiance of the decision is not evident: it only appears that they refused to act. In the city of' Toledo feminine sentiment grew stronger and stronger for equal suffrage with men. Fathers. brothers. lovers and husbands were urged. threatened or coaxed. as the case might be. to vote for equality at the ballot-box. 1Yhen they could no longer endure being pestered, the city council appointed a committee to consider the matter. By chance, the chairman of this committee was also the owner of' the baseball team. 1Vhen he was called upon for his report, the chairman presented the following plan for settling the irksome question: Nine of' the finest young women in the city. physically and mentally, were to be chosen. Nine similar young men were also to be picked. Then they should clash in a baseball game at Swayne Field, If the boys won. the women must accept their inferiority and do without the ballot. Un the other hand, if the girls were victorious, every 111ale voter would be constrained by his sense of honor to vote in favor ofa constitutional amendment for equal suffrage. s T4

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Jfuretnnrh The Almanac for 1911. lVe offer it for your pleasure and consideration. In preparing this number we have aimed to give a glimpse into the activities of T. H. so that not only the Senior, but each member of the School may find something of interest therein. VVe wish also to take this opportunity to acknowledge both the interest and the support which we have received from the Student body. And any small labors on our part will he amply repaid if students and friends as they read these pages may he enabled to live over again the experiences of 1910-11.

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Tl-lE1911AI.MANAC The originality of the plan seized the fancy of the citizens. The newspapers took it up and boosted it in a half-laughing fashion, and the idea soon became so popular that it was adopted, perforce, by the Council. Speeding over a long and dry delay in choosing the teams, let us at once proceed to the place and day of the game. Swayne Field was packed, crowded and jammed with people. The two teams were composed entirely of members of the Class of 1911. At first thought this might seem like an unbelievable coincidence, but mature cogitation will convince you that nowhere could eighteen finer young men and women be found than in the ranks of our old class! The line-up was as follows: Tom Almroth . . . . , . , Gertrude Sampson . ,,...,. s.s s.e'. Elizabeth Stem . , . ,.., c.f Tom Merrell . . . . . . .3.b. Emmy Seubert . . , . ,.., r.f 1Yade 1'tley . . .... . . . l.b. Dorothy Seagrave . . . .... 1.b Howard Yvarwick . . . . . .r.f. Zelma Smith . . .... .,.. Q .b Herbert Tigges . c.f. Geneva Reinhart . . .... 3.b Carl Kelley . . .. L. 2.11. Hemfetta Hannan ,.., . , ,l.f George Stockton . .p. Alice Gavin . . ....,...,.... c Lawrence Teeple . . , . . . . .c. Blarjorie Sutherland . . ,..... p Russell Rabbit . . . . . ,l.f. Cmpire, Bliss Ritchie A small, weak voice cried out. Play ball! and the game was on. Not to waste your patience or n1y pencil. it will be enough to say that for eight innings neither side scored a run. It was an even battle and fiercely fought. The ninth inning opened with the girls at bat. Gertrude Sampson selected a gigantic bat. worthy of the Sampson of old. and walked up to the plate. There she stood, bravely striving to hold up the eno1'mous weapon. There was a large crowd of women in the grand stand who repre- sented the Shakespeare Club. They had noticed that many of the phrases in Shakespeare's plays applied. in the 20th Century. to the slang of baseball. To show men their knowledge not only of Shakes- peare. but of baseball. they had decided to converse about the game only in sentences quoted from his plays. Accordingly. at this junc- ture, one of them cried, Look! He's winding up: bye and bye she'll strike. It was true, Stockton tied himself in various kinds of knots. tbeau-knots. no doubtl then let loose the ball. In her fright at its speed poor little Gertrude tried to duck. But the ball hit her bat. She stood stupefied. Run ! yelled En1n1y Seubert who was coaching at first. She did. The ball bounded out to third. hlerrell was just cracking a joke with a hard shell and was not ready to meet it. He foozled it and Gertrude was safe at first. 75