Charlotte High School - Witan Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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The WITAN CHARLOTTE r« that light and pushing open the door, fell upon a woman there. She explained that she was the care- taker and I, drawing a weepy breath, asked for the phone. After calling my father, I was overjoyed to hear him say that he’d come and take me away from rhat house of horrors! Margaret Sandi.k, 34 TURPENTINE CAKE When my mother was a small girl she was asked to make a cake for a church supper. Mother was very happy to think rhat she was asked to do rhis favor for the church. It was Thursday, and Friday was the night of the church supper. Mother hurried home from school and after changing her clothes she hurried to the kirchen to mix the cake. When she removed it from the oven her mother told her rhat it looked eatable. When Friday night came mother dressed in her ver best and sat waiting for her escort. She told him of the cake she had made for the supper and rhat he should not tell anyone that it was her cake. When the table was cleared and the cake and ice cream served, mother did nor norice the expressions on the people’s faces when they had rasted of hcrcake. It was her first cake for the public to sample. Her partner thinking it his place to praise her cake remarked how goexi it tasted and asked if he might have another piece. The church members looked at him in question. He did not wish mother to be dis- appointed bur it was of no use for her Aunt Anna said, Esther, is rhis your cake? Mother replied, Yes, Aunt Anna Why? Why? Why my dear child it tastes like turpen- tine. We will all he very ill, she replied. After many embarrassing moments and uneasi- ness, mother made her exit and ran home. Her mother met her ar rhe door and asked her whar the trouble was. Mother repeated her sad mishap. Together mother and grandmother went to the kitchen to look over the ingredients that mother used in her cake. When they came to the vanilla bottle they removed the cork and after smelling of it, they stood looking at one another. Even though mother was unhappy she could not resist laughing. After a few minutes mother returned to the church supper happy and laughing. Mother tried to take it as a mere jest when people laughed at her. Rut to rhis very day mother is teased and laughed at about her turpentine cake. F.lain South, '3 4 A COED WINTER’S NIGHT The night was cold; the stars against rhe dark blue sky made me shiver, and the moon with the clouds passing over it now and then, as well as the shrill blood-curdling shrieks of the shriek owl pro- duced a cohl atmosphere, making chills go up and down my spine. Help! Help! ’ came the cry of someone, at mid- night, over the hill. I left my camp and found near North Peak Cane, a man, with l oth legs snapped in the bear trap I had set! He was almost frozen to dearh. I carried him to my fire, and tent, for he couldn’t walk. I rhen covered him with my blankets and went out to get more wood for the fire. When I returned, my dog was at the opening of the tent, howling, howling as dogs howl when someone is dead' ' Arthur Hocak, iiB CAT’S FOOD, M-m-rn One Sunday evening, as the family was gathered around the fireside, rhis is the story that mother told: When Adele was about one year old, I left her alone in the house to play with the kitty, while I hung out the clothes. When I returned, she was not in sight. I looked everywhere, hut could not find her. Finally coming to the conclusion that she was kid- napped, I telephoned rhe police. Just before the police arrived, I heard a whimper, coming from the direction of the stove. Looking under the stove, I found Adele eating the cat’s food. After that, I never formed such hasty conclusions. AN EDUCATIONAL TRIP One day last summer I was invited to rake a trip through Ithaca, New York. Ithaca is located in a valley; it is the home of Cornell University. The day after our arrival wc went through diff crcnt buildings about the college. The museum was rhe firsr we entered. The structure was of two stories. On rhe first floor were relics, such as: weapons, Indian's tomahawks, different kinds of pottery and jewelry. The second floor consisted of a huge skeleton of a man-eating animal. Its structure re- sembled a giraffe, only many times bigger in size. In jars there were petrified animals and plants. Wc also saw stuffed tigers, lions, wild-cats, and a structure of a huge fish caught by a man living in Ithaca. After leaving this building we went to a Picture Gallery, a beautiful building inside and out. In this building they have beautiful paintings, costing millions of dollars; in one part of this building there are statues of famous people; the headless horseman and many other statues. I f you ever have the chance to go through some of these buildings, do so for they arc Ixith interesting and educational. Cora Papke, gB

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HIGH SCHOOL The W I T A NT a concrete road wound its way along the other side. The train was speeding steadily homeward when there appeared on the canal a tug towing several barges, an automobile passed over the road, and an airplane zoomed overhead. Thus for a brief moment, four different means of transportation and com- munication presented themselves. The slow, puffing barge, the smoothly riding auto, rolling along the winding road, the screeching train, speeding relent- lessly down the straight track, and the zooming airplane, speeding ar a terrific speed through the unobstructed air above, showed the wonderful progress man has made in the development of transportation. This picture seemed to me rather unusual, as four such widely different means of travel are seldom seen in operation ar one rime. P. Andrews, ’ji CHRISTMAS MF.MORIES The kettle singing on the hob, the hot, bright fire, the soft, crunching sound of feet on the snow outside, the gay expectancy of the morrow, all tend to make this Christmas F.ve a merry one. Cheeses, pics, cakes, nuts, and beverages stand on the table ready for the feast to come. The deep easy chairs drawn invitingly close to the fire will soon be filled with happy occupants. There is but one flaw :n the whole of this content- ment; I am not to be permitted to stay for the fun. Even now mother has come in and bundled me up and pur me off to bed. As I lie awake I hear noises below. People are laughing and the constant pop of corks denotes that the party has begun. How to get downstairs! I hear the carollcrs singing below, who go from house to house singing about the new born Babe, but not a word about Santa Claus (or Daddy Christmas as he was known to me then). Where is the jolly old man? I go over to the fireplace and look up rhe chimney. A fire is not to be built in the grate tonight; Santa’s whiskers might catch fire. I look on the mantel piece to see if mother has pur rhe candy there which I am to get if I behave myself well until morning. I ger an idea ’ Going back to my bed I begin to cry very loud, in order to make myself heard above the others. After almost crying myself hoarse, mother comes running up the stairs and I tell her that I can sec bogey men on rhe wall. Mother’s powers of soorhing me seem to be a little lacking tonight, so I gain my end and I am carried down stairs. The living room which was so green, cozy, ami quiet is now filled with laughing people, good things to cat, and Christmas hymns are being played by the guests who are gifted with the talent to play and sing. Bur where is Santa Claus? After parraking of some of the sweets handed to me, I cuddle up in a very large green chair and fall asleep. Annie Rawlinson, '.»4 THE HOl'SF. I INHERITED 'The wind blew fiercely. Ir was raining cats and dogs. I hastened up the steps slipping about a million times in the pitch black of the night because of my rubber soles. After fumbling around under the mar about an hour I finally found the key to the front door. I turned it in the lock with a click and pushed the tloor open Heavers, how musty ir smelled in there. I hoped that I’d find a candle or an electric light switch, but after feeling over the walls and lighting seventy-five matches, I decided that no such thing existed. The floor creaked terribly and I nearly jumped out of my shoes as the lightning hit a tree near by with a crack. Gosh, why hail I gone to the country in such a dilapidated affair as my old tin-lizzie. 1 knew it would hreak down some day, bur I hadn’t expected it to fall completely to pieces so soon. My thoughts wandered for a second, but after knocking my head on a mantle I came back with a start. I thought I’d remembered the house quite well. Ir seems I hadn’t. My Unde had dial a year ago and left me this old place and this was the first time in years rhnr I had seen ir (rather felr ir.) Suddenly I felt myself shoot into space. ()h-h-h, had I stepped into an elevator shaft? There had been one I remembered. Well, if I had, I had come to the bottom, hut no, it couldn’t he unless it was a new kind of one. I picked myself up, a hit stiffly to he sure, and stood upon rhe soft pile of clothes I hail landed upon, trying to accustom myself to the darkness. Jumping off on to a cement floor I saw stairs winding upward. Being desperate hv now, I decided to follow them whatever the cost. I followed those steps that wound around in circles until I was ready to drop. Finally I reached a wiggly landing, off from which was a corridor. A cobweb brushed my face. Glorv, if there was a spider at the end! But I had worse things to worry about; a bat swooped down and seemed to take a chunk out of my arm. I screeched and ran pell-mell into the blackness until I was winded. Gee whiz, what would happen next? I sprawled full length over a pail of stagnant water spilling it over my legs. Picking myself up I began to cry like a baby. Then with .1 sol I looked into the distance and saw a light1 ! You can’t know how I felt. I charged like .« hull 21

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HIGH SCHOOL The WIT AN MANY HAPPY Ki ll RNS OK THK DAY Ten years old! This year the Witan is celebrating its renrh anniversary. Mow proud we are of our school magazine. Roger Butterfield was the first F.ditor-in-Chicf. When it was first undertaken, the staff did not expect to be able to publish the book regularly. However, it met with great success anil was published four rimes yearly after that. Our magazine has been improving with age, and last year, in the Columbia Scholastic Press Contest, it won third place for schools of our class. Some day we hope to attain first place. The Witan is interesting for its timely news events and for its literary merits. Also the Witan forms an accurate record of school activities for future years. How interesting it is to look back upon the old numbers and read the accounts of various happen- ings. The pictures prove especially amusing after a few years, as the styles and manners change with every one. The Witan needs the support of each and every student of our school. Arc you doing your share by contributing money and material? We offer the former staffs of the Witan our most hearty congratulations and hope for the future workers that it will have many more happy and successful birthdays. THOUGHTS ON THOUGHTS Have you ever pondered upon the different types of thoughts which take hold of your brain, your spirit, your soul, and grip them rclcnrlcssly until you cither are exhausted from the struggle and give up or you succeed and triumphantly Hash your banner of victory over your opponent? In my mind there arc four varieties of thoughts: first, those that astound you, that cause you to wonder how you ever received them and separated them from the maelsrrom of your mind, that arc altogether too sacred to be imparted to other humans; second, the thoughts you confidently launch upon the sea of conversation for discussion and comment by your friends and await dubiously the outcome; third, the thoughts that come to you late at night or at moments of inspiration, that you pur aside for a more urgent duty until, you say to yourself, you will have time to think; fourth and last, the small dark thoughts that you resolutely put from you as nonsensical, as im- possible, as unworthy of you, hut that bob up on the plane of your vision in the most inopportune moments when you arc sure you have vanquished them. Often I wish that one might control his thinking faculties but then again 1 realize that thinking is really the most important ability one possesses. In truth, thinking should never be put aside for some other occupation seeming more worth- while for there is none! GOOD OLD CHAKLOTTh! Charlotte isn't such a bad place, after all. When I see some of the new school buildings, Charlotte, in comparison, is a pitiful sight, but Charlotte has its past. These new sc1hk Is arc just plain buildings. They can’t recall to one very intimate memories. In crowded quarters, one learns much more about one's friends. To me, roominess seems to create an atmosphere of coldness, of politeness. Intimacy, in such places, is strained K.ven all of the incon- veniences endured in Charlotte have only served to bring the teachers and the pupils closer together. As Burke said, “Public calamity is a mighty icvclcr. I’m glad to have gone to Charlotte. Marion Wricmt,'32 CHRISTMAS Do we all realize the true meaning of Christmas? Some think only of gifts and festive occasions and forget the true spirit of Christmas. This spirit is typified by the Babe born in the manger of Bethlehem who brought rhe love of fellowmcn into this world. Wc all know that His example is most needed in this time of depression. Let us forger ourselves ami take care of the fellow who really needs some help and in this way we shal all realize the true meaning of Christmas. 23