Central High School - Prospectus Yearbook (Flint, MI)

Page 29 text:

miles. It is not known whether human sacrifice was practiced among the ancient Oopaneros as it was among the Aztecs. We might picture a victorious army marching along these avenues halting to salute the statues of the Great Men and kneeling before the Temples of their Gods to give thanks and offer sacrifice. Or we might imagine the populace gath- ered in the great Amphitheater to listen to the proclamation of King or General or the decree of the Council of Wise Men. There are the remains of an aqueduct, tunnels through the hills still open and flagstones indicating that streets and squares may have been paved. There are strange and frightful animals carved in stone, intended evidently to inspire awe, possibly Gods. It was a vast City, mayhap, a City of Temples and Tombs. As the sun was sinking we left this Ancient Capital of a forgotten Kingdom and turned our horses into the cornfield and wended our way back to the Town. The Alcalde told me that among his people there are no traditidns of the ruins or of the race that built the ancient City; that there were many who knew the loca- tion of each ruin, but not one who could tell anything of the builders. One of the Stone Pillars of Copan

Page 28 text:

Copan, (the Jfimtottcn (Citii By The Hon. Fenton R. McCreery, former United States Minister to Honduras When Cortez landed in the Western World in 1519 he found Mexico ruled by Montezuma, with Tenochtitlan or the City of Mexico as his Capital. The Aztecs were a semi-civilized people, agriculturists, stone-workers, potters, warriors. The Great Temple of Mexico was a marvel in the eyes of the Spaniards, as was the splendor of Montezuma’s Court and Palaces. The ability and strategy, the arque- buses and powder, the horses and armor of the Spaniards soon overthrew Monte- zuma and planted in the Kingdom of the Aztecs the standard of Castile and Ara- gon. As the Dominion of Spain was extended to the North and to the South re- mains of Cities which had been deserted for centuries were discovered. These Cities were overgrown by the tropical forrest long years before Montezuma ruled in Mexico. There were Uxmal and Chichen-Ytza in Yucatan, Palenque in Chiapas, Quirigua in Guatemala and Copan in Honduras. In July of last year I traveled on horseback seven days, from Guatemala City to western Honduras to visit the ruins of Copan. We took a couple of mules for the baggage and a guide. When night came we swung our hammocks in some wayside hut and occasionally indulged in the luxury of a cot in some hamlet. Before daylight we were on the trail. From the modern town of Copan we were taken by the Alcalde to the ruins of the ancient City two miles away. Emerging from a corn field we came into an opening covered with high brush. The machetes of the ten men brought by the Alcalde cleared a path through the brush. We came to a stone pillar fifteen feet square. On one side was carved the figure of a man with an elaborate head dress, ear ornaments, bracelets, a coat extending below the waist, sandals and orna- ments just below the knees. The face was round and smooth, the eyes slightly suggested the Asiatic. On the opposite side of the column was another figure carved in the stone. They may have been Kings, Chiefs or Sages. On the other two sides of the pillar are inscriptions which have not been deciphered, in fact none of the many inscriptions found in Copan have been deciphered. There were two rows of these monoliths with carved figures facing each other. It may have been the Acropolis or the Via Sacra of this long forgotten Na- tion. This Avenue led into a Plaza or Square on the four sides of which were truncated Pyramids of earth with stone steps covering their heads. Here was a pyramid the size of our High School cut off square at the second story. On the top were ruins of buildings, temples probably, into the walls of which enormous trees have grown. From this Plaza avenues led to other Plazas around which were temple-crowned pyramids and remains of buildings. At the base of one of the Pyramids was a frieze of death’s heads with a large sacrificial stone a few feet away. There were a number of altars evidently for sacri- fice, among the ruins which extended along the bank of the Rio Copan for two

Page 30 text:

“ CLlie prickly JJatl) to llromise” As Xnactel» lut tljc Class of 1912 “AH tl)l‘ World's a Sftaiu. anit AH tljc Jttcit anh Women Wereln Ac 'ra ’ 'nnopsis of flic |)Iay ACT I. SCENE I. Campus of the Flint High School. A fine September morning in the year 1908. Enter the largest company of Soon-to-Be-Freshmen that ever graced the green. The usual description of the species applies. But note the high brows! The time hon- ored role is at once thrust upon them. They are the installed entertainers. Sym- pathy for the upper classmen in the strenuous life of the higher planes, fills the hearts of the newcomers. They seek to bring smiles to the careworn faces by dancing jigs, speaking pieces, doing acrobatic stunts in the trees, and being gen- erally agreeable. SCENE II. Interior ofthe F. H. S. Freshmen are seen scurrying hither and thither, according to the latest directions issued by the obliging (?) students. At last they find themselves gath- ered under the protecting care of Miss Fuller and Miss McMullen and there they demonstrate their great love for leaning, to the delight of their teachers. SCENE III. Freshmen session room 3:10 P. M. The usual calm prevails which always marks the class of 1912, (except when outside elements creep in.) Mr. Farley addresses the meeting. He urges the need of organizing, and maintains that law and order are the first requi- sites of civilization. Accordingly a Constitutional convention is held and later the following officers are elected: Herbert C. Murphy, President Sarah Gillespie, Vice President Faye Bovee, Secretary Charles H. Mann, Treasurer. SCENE IV. Same as Scene III. Time—June. The Freshmen are holding an indignation meeting. Resolved, that by this time the other classes ought to be able to amuse themselves without the aid of the class of 1912. Plans are then made for the picnic at Owana Park. Here their longings are realized and they, at last, have time to enjoy themselves.