Central Manual Training High School - Record Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 82 text:

Upon our appearance the Principal addressed us with a short talk, now gone down in history as the heart-to-heart talk. We then received a piece of white paper which so closely resembled a chink check that some fellows began wondering if they taught laundering at Manual. After gen- erous instruction by our beloved Principal we were informed of its meaning-how to trace the class from one square to another, and keep going the same direction, because of the wear on the floor. This was our First experience with a roster. - For the first week our minds were full of instruction, names, rooms and warnings not to call Doc. Konzelmann, Mr. Grillon. We received the ways of the different teachers, and like lambs did we take in their good advice. We found we had a dandy faculty, and that granite walls do not make a school. '- Dr. Gerson seemed to be quite amusing with his long A, and chart on how to mark the paper in accordance with big words. X Prof. J. Alexander Clarke, commonly known as Fudge, and his lessons on how to book it in Algebra, made quite a hit, with his dance floor head and open roll sheet. By the time we had grasped Mr. Grillon's way of pronunciation we had missed the most im- portant principles of Grammar which he had been teaching. How well we remember his fa- vorite expressions: I strike the desk, and See him talking to the pole in the room. Louie and his Herbarium classes were surely blooming good times, even if the class did look seedy. Microscopic lessons or seeing things you know you don't, made quite a hit with us, especially the story how Louie rescued the microscopes from the fire. H. Clay Borden-Scientific Bubbles Borden-the man made renowned by stuttering, stalac- tites and general errors in everything. How we used to bring in maps of places, goodness only knows where they were situated, and yet receive a ten. After all, Old Bubbles was a goodfhearted chap, and we often showed our appreciation by helping him in his additions, such as telling him that four and four does not equal eight, but sixteen. 76

Page 81 text:

Qllzwa itintnrg Coming down Seventeenth Street, feeling as much out of place as a Reuben from Bustleton, was the experience of three hundred Fresh on September 8, 1906. The sight that met our eyes was a sorry one indeed, and caused us many anxious moments. Our grammar 'schools had swinging doors, and so did the two buildings that we now saw. The question was, which of the four corners was Manual? Guessing was hard, but being able to hear, threw a new light upon the subject. Follow the noise, our ears told us, and follow the crowd, the shoving told us. We did both, a.nd found ourselves in the so-called Assembly Room, dazzled by the initials newly carved on the benches, which were reflected to us by forty-eight electric lights. A general glance showed us to be in the midst of a number of pillars, but without a guide, we found a bench which had a seat in it, and sat down, not behind the pillars, however, which demonstrated our greenness. No one thought how in the future we would risk a fall downstairs, for a precious seat behind these pillars, in order to hide ponies from the prowling eyes of Profs. We noticed the hand carved furniture, which bedecked the platform, and all had high hopes of some day building nothing less than a mansion, or after a glance at the shops, an auto. The salutations to friends, and the practicing of a whiff-whack were suddenly interrupted by the sounding raps on a bell by our honored Principal, Dr. Wm. L. Sayre. Dr. Sayre will be refer- red to from now on by cognomens, such as Father Billy and - the - OJ if' After a short but impressive talk on what the school stood for, and what it did not, we were turned over to Prof. Louie Sayre for roll call. Under Professor Sayre we enjoyed a sight-seeing tour. This seemed quite realistic, even the voice, which has since caused other Freshies to start from a sound sleep. In the midst of the trip some stale Fresh, who we than all adored, yelled: Come out from behind the bushes: I know you. Louie is the champion roll caller of scholastic circles, calling three hundred names with such rapidity and accuracy that some fellows never even recognized their own names. After the agony had abated we were dismissed to report the following day. 75

Page 83 text:

Mr. Green, the Sprayer, and Mr. Porter made us experts with the saw, chisel and hammer to such an extent that now we are all great knockers. Entwisle, or generally called Tinwhistle, was the man of I am it quality. He used to tell us the plane facts, or how to make a piece of board square. In Prof. Jarrett's room we were instructed in Freehand Drawing, or where sawdust baths were given free of charge. The boards which covered the floor above had warped, and the sawdust from the wood shops dropped down our necks, and thus we spent many a pleasant period in drawing. Last but not least comes our sand modeler. Mr. Minnig. His subject was the making of tin pans, and occasional storms were also indulged in. , Surely our freshman year was a grand success. It is easy now for me to sit here and write until I lose myself in pleasant memories spent in all the rooms at different times. But we have another side to our school life, that is the athletic end. This by no means should be forgotten, for it upholds the school spirit. Q Under the leadership of Ralph E. Harcourt a speedy football team was placed upon the field. It looked as if, at last, High School's time had arrived, but just like our rivals, who possess very keen foresight for side-stepping things and not giving a thought to true and manly sportsman- ship, a satisfactory date could not be agreed upon. Thus we lost our great chance to defeat our rivals. We defeated our sister school, Northeast Manual, and also the strong Penn Charter team, 5 to 0. Before we had half aired our freshman year it came to a close, and we now' told our friends we were juniors. but at school we were just plain Sophs. September 8. 1908. brought back many fellows who were sunburnt, and some who were burnt so badly that they had to repeat their freshman year. This year we met new Profs., and thus new troubles started. We were taught that great men group together and have great cause to believe it in the cases 77