Chester High School - Summit Yearbook (Chester, IL)

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George was a very apt scholar, and as a rule was good In school. He was generally in a position to be good—that is. he was generally kept at the teacher's table, where she could reach tor his neck when he got too frisky. On entering the third reader we were joined by a little “third-warder”- a product of Miss Whitehead’s school. Gant by name but not bv nature. Her hair was seven shades redder than Miriam’s and she could easily be recognized, coming down the walk, by the various colors she wore, and her highest ambition was to out-strip the rainbow. She was also an apt scholar in music, and in the lower grades was noted as a warbler. She became successively a singer, a pianist, a flutist and a flddleist, and has been given the name of “Nightingale. Atter leaving this room there were no new members joined the class, until we reached the 11 Grammar, or seventh grade, where we caught up with our old friend Miriam. Our performance in the seventh grade was so notable, that the teacher gave us an encore and we were obliged to repeat the whole year’s performance. Miriam’s performance being of an inferior kind she was sent on to the next room in disgrace. In the succeeding year we were joined by George, who wu still as fat and smart a« ever, and also by “Alfred tl»e Great, whose surname was Rebbe, a fresh arrival from Germany, who came down to take a post gradunie course at the “Dickson University. He also taught us to read Latin with a Dutch accent and to work the rabbit’s toot on the teachers and thus avoid writing essays, Rebbe has been accused of introducing the use of the pony into the school, but this has never been proven. On entering the eighth grade, or A Grammar, we made the acquantnnce of our Teutonic friend, Richter, better known as E. C., who, on account of the fact that he wa able to trace his lineage back to the old sea pirates, Hengest and Horsa, he was placed in the A Grammar, lie was unusually bright in all the studies but— In mathematic he was greater Than Tycho Brahe or Err Pater For he, by geometric scale Could take the sire of pots of ale. Resolve by sines and tangent straight If bread or butter wanted weight And wisely tell what hour o th’ day The clock does itrike by algebra. G

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SENIOR CLASS HISTORY BY rob DKVINK. COMMENCEMENT NIGHT MAY 24, 1905. It seems to be a custom all over the land, for one member of each graduating class, to indulge in some foolishness which is called Class History. Why, classes like to do it, or why the public have patience to hear it, is one of the mysteries to us that has its basis in human nature. The public hear these alleged histories, perhaps, for the variety it gives to the more serious productions of the evening, and the class enjoys one last backward look together, over the events of their school life, and it is the experience of us all, that the little things, the foolish things, and the comical occurrences of school life, stand out in our memories, while the serious events lie in the shadows. In the first place our class will he noted, among other things, for being the first that has graduated in the New Four Years’ Course, and the last to graduate under the supervision of Mr. Dickson. I shall first introduce our honorary member, Miriam Gerlach. who graduated in the three years course two years ago. and whom we found as an orphling, and adopted into our class. Miriam was a very bright and precocious child and especially noted for her originality in all things. She was especially bright in regard to her hair, which according to fate, was a very bright red, causing her to shine among her schoolmates, like unto a glow worm among a company of sober June Bugs. The year after Miriam had started to school Olga, Xlsbet and myself started on our great school career, and were, in fact, the first members of the illustrious class whose honors you are met to celebrate, known as the “Naughty Five.” Olga Gerlach distinguished herself as an artist from the very first of iicr school career, and has now become ati artist of some renown, ami has been selected as the chief illustrator for the Year Book.” Those of you who are fortunate enough to get hold of that work of art, will be able lo distinguish the picture of Mr. Dickson from that of Mr. Jones— by the names written underneath. At the end of the year we passed into the second reader, and were followed by our teacher, Mrs. Morse, whose patient soul we vexed troin day lo day for another year. It was here that Pinky began to shine as an orator. Here is where he held up Jack Horner. and his pic, to our hungry imaginations. Here it was, that he cultivated that voice for pie. that doth so often disturb our band practice. In the meantime little Georgie Dickson startled the school by his appearance in a white blouse waist, checked pants, and an enormous red necktie which seemed, like the wings of a butterfly, to carry him whither it would. 15

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But now it i In music where Richter shines, anti he has just accepted a position in Chris Bahr's Band. The class first came into prominence as a conspicuous, well-rounded aggregation, on their graduation from the Grammar school, and in the language of their motto, had climbed The first rung of the ladder. Then and there we changed from the state of intellectual tadpoledom” and hopped into the deep waters of high school life. When we got into the High School Swim” we left off all of our childish sports, such as throwing paper balls, spinning tops, placing marbles, etc., and became Freshmen,” with Prof. Jones as our teacher. The fight had now commenced and we began to battle with the cruel algebra problems, and that dreaded study, known as Latin, the very name of which makes cold chills run up and down the spines of all high school students. During the Freshmen year a new spanking machine was introduced, and proved a success. Pinky, who was rather large for his size undertook to run a bluff on the teacher, but sud denly one day he was seized by the muscular Jones, who laid the said Pinky across his knee, and as gently as a horse doth kick, the blows began to fall fast and thick. When he went back to his scat he was a sadder and a better boy—changed, not only in color, but also in his behavior, and ever alter that terrible event, ioo in deportment, was his monthly income. During the Sophomore year nothing of much importance happened, ami I have been forced to record it In my history as a dark and dreary age of ceaseless labor during the day. and fierce dreams of the coining examinations at night. The next year we passed into what is now the Junior Class. In this year the “Class Orchestra” was organized, which has since become famous for three things; first, because every member of the class plays an instrument; second, for the remarkably short time it took them to learn, and last, but not least, for their capacity for discords. During this year the “Olympian Games” were introduced into the school, George Dickson and Mr. Jones, being the only ones to enter for the fifty yard dash. The performance took place around the school room, and Dickie won the race by dashing out the door, before Mr. Jones could get a hold of him. and thus avoided the severe punishment that is due those pupils who insist on talking back to the teacher. We now have become diginitied Seniors. The name we have so much longed for, has at last been achieved. The years, the labors, and the comical experiences we have had, have brought us closely together, and made us a congenial and mutually helpful, class. The last year has been one of harmony and pleasant associations in school, and out, and all the pleasant events of the past, we add, the delightful experience of this night, and the whole will be written in our memories, as the first and perhaps the brightest chapter in the history of our lives.