Central High School - Centralian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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THE ADVANTAGE AND VALUE OF AN ANNUAL. XAtE all know that books are not of equal value. We know that they differ in this respect as much as diamonds differ from the sand on the seashore, as much as our living friend differs from a dead rat. We hope and expect that this little volume will be of the greatest interest and value to all those interested in our High School work and especially to every member of the Class of ’90, not because of any extraordinary journalistic genius displayed, or any artistic skill in the arrangement of the matter, or the selections of its engravings, but because it contains incidents, happenings and names, that, in after years, will be a pleasure to recall to mind, which otherwise would soon be lost, crowded out of our memory by more recent experiences. Besides, it contains our Class History, Prophesy, Oration, Address to Juniors, and Class Poem, which cannot fail to be of greatest interest to every member of the class. The Classes before us have always had to be content with hearing these productions and remembering (if possible) the principal hits for a short time only, but the Class of ’90 can, by means of this Annual, bring them to mind at any time. We (the editors) content ourselves with the thought that though our book may not now yield to us riches or fame, that in after years we will be blessed and will be recipients of large fortunes from members of the Class of ’90 because we have been the means, through our Annual, of m iny pleasant hours recalling familiar faces and bringing to mind the many pleasant incidents of our Senior year. Other Classes, leaving behind them nothing as a monument to their memory in the public mind, have, as it were, engraved the figures of their graduating year in wax, which, being exposed to the heat and wear of after years, has been melted and worn away, leaving but a faint outline; but the Class of ’90, proud in that it contains the largest number of pupils ever graduated from the Minneapolis High School (105), and besides inaugurating many other reforms, it is the first class that has ever attempted to produce a volume of this kind, a book which will engrave our figures 90 upon marble instead of wax, which though exposed to the heat and wear and experiences of after years, will still be as deeply and finely cut as ever.

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INTRODUCTION. “Since brevity is the soul of wit. And tediousness the limbs of outward nourishes, I will be brief.” IT is with pleasure that we present to our classmates and friends, the first volume of the High School Annual. We confess that it is with a little pride too, inasmuch as this is, so far as we know', the first volume of the kind ever issued by a High School Class. It is not w ith an idea of being original, or yet with an idea of apcing the colleges or universities, that we do this—we are “wiuc i too humble''{ ) for anything of that sort—but merely for our own satisfaction in possessing something to enliven our memories of many a pleasant day and occasion, and to call back to mind, once familiar faces, reluctantly forgotten. And now’ that you have the Annual—and we hope paid for it—peruse it well, and if you like it, we should like to hear you mention it, but do not, we implore, shake hands with us—we mean the boys—just consider the youthful energy put forth in the manipulation of dull scissors and our exhausted condition after several elaborate efforts with a whitewash brush and a well-known solution of flour and water—and kindly refrain from anything more than a verbal expression of your congratulations— that is, if you have any. Hut if you feel inclined to criticise or perhaps vent your w’rath for some fancied wound to “your feelin’s”—it cannot be real for nothing has been written in such a spirit—we will gladly listen, by proxy however, as our time and patience are indeed quite limited ; we will simply give you a sitting at a phonograph, into which you can pour your criticisms and words of reproach to your heart’s content. We have endeavored to make the “Annual” a reliable edition, to omit so called “personals,” and to present the advertisements »»f firms for whom it is a pleasure to bespeak your patronage.

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OUR FOUR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. OOKING forward from the threshold of our entrance to this High School building four years ago the course seemed long and dimly lighted; but now, looking backward from our graduation point, they appear very short and full of light with only here and there a bit of shadow. These four years include that period of our life which has the most influence in moulding our character and determining our future. Among other things we have learned how little we know, how much larger the world is than we thought, how many more people there are on the earth than we had supposed, and how many other persons there are who look just as handsome and know quite as much as we do. This concession will be understood as applying to individuals but not by any means to High School Classes, because no one will deny that the Class of ’90 has ever been equaled in numbers, scholarship or good opinion of itself. We have learned something from books, much more from our teachers and most of all from one another; for in our daily contact with each other, especially in the last year, we have learned to respect each others opinions and peculiarities. Indeed this High School building is the capitol of the youth of this city, and every home here may have some day sent its representative to this building where the humblest and plainest walk up its steps and enter its halls absolutely equal in opportunities. Four years may seem to some a very short period to accomplish any great results, but hundreds of persons, at different times have leaped from obscurity to undying fame in four years. Ex-President Cleveland easily unmade himself in this time and four years will tell whether President Harrison will make or unmake himself. And again, four years will make nearly every boy in this class an American citizen of the highest rank, a voter. As Freshmen in the High School, we were shy, timid, knowing so little and not at all certain of the little we thought we knew. As Sophomores we took some heart, considerable liver, and a good deal of pluck. As Juniors we began to black our shoes, wear broad collars, and wake up to the fact that there were girls in the class. As Seniors, 0 well! here we are, such as we are, and we do hope you like us, for really at this date it is “too late to mend.” In this first “Annual” sent forth from our school we trust we have established no precedent that will cause annoyance or dissension to the class succeeding us; and we close with the hope that the Annual of’91 will be a brighter and worthier exponent of life in and about our High School