Cochran Junior High School - Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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COCHRAN AERIAL the Devil's Pass. Here the trail led us over a ridge, wide enough for only one person at a time, and on either side the mountain sloped down at a dizzy angle. Here, also, we came to the first snow, huge drifts of it lying on either slope below us. A little further on and al- most to the top of the peak, we stopped again for a rest and to watch the mountain sunset. Against the western glow we could see the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, some eighty miles distant. As there is very little twi- light here, we were soon climbing by moonlight and now some of our party who had thought it too warm at the beginning of the trip, were sorry indeed that they had left their coats at camp, for without the sun's heat we found the air of the mountain top uncomfortably cold. On arriving at the summit, we gathered a few twigs and limbs, and built a small fire, around which we gathered to eat the lunch we had brought along, thoroughly enjoying the rest before beginning the descent. Going down, we had the moon to help us find the trail, and in places where we traveled through the wood we had to use search- lights to find our way along. It was very much cooler now than it had been when we ascended the slope but a few hours since. Far below we could see lights of Camp Baldy. We drew nearer and nearer to the lights. We were so very tired when we arrived at Camp Baldy that we lost no time in getting into our automobiles and going home. ROBERT BAUM GARDTNER. ALL FOR A QUART OF ICE CREAM We started on that long walk from camp to town just for a quart of ice cream. I looked around vainly for the moon, it was nowhere to be seen. George reached for the lantern, but he was greeted with re- marks about bein' afraid and wantin' to read, and so we started up the long humpy and dusty road, heading for the little store in Wehrum, with nothing to light our way We stumbled along, our eyes every- where, but seeing nothing. We passed a little farm house where lights twinkled through half-drawn blinds. A lonely dog gave a half-hearted bark, then sat down and eyed us good-naturedly. The lights vanished as we went around the turn and we seemed millions of miles away from civilization. When a rabbit scurried across the road in front of us, we both started, then stumbled on. Ahead loomed a little grave- yard, we scurried along its low wall. Nothing happened. Farther on we plunged into a kind of tunnel made of arching trees. They shut out even the dim starlight which had been helping us along before. All the branches clutched at us, each tree grinned at us. George stop- ped and with a tug at my arm that nearly tore it off whispered, What's that? I strained my eyes, something was coming up the road. Pad, pad, pad it came. A thousand pictures of animals went through my head as I searched for a handy stone or club. On it came, a white thing of indefinite shape, traveling close to the ground. We both stood still, waiting and hoping, hardly breathing. Suddenly George laughed nervously and said, It's only a dog. With a sigh I relaxed. A black and white spotted dog trotted up to me, wagging his tail and snifliing inquisitivelyg after I had patted him a few times he went his way. He knows just where he's going, said George. We groped our way along again. George stumbled on an unseen rock and fell fiat with a resounding thud. Confound these roads, roared George as he got up, it's a pity they can't fix them, what do we pay the road commissioners for? Well, there's the town, said I as we rounded the last turn, and you can bet we were glad. VERNON HORNER. Cseventy fivej

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COCHRAN AERIAL how much hard work was ahead. First he collected a number of pieces of wood about two feet long. This had meant many trips to the woodpile. Next he secured an auger, bored a hole in each tree and into each little hole placed a little hollowed piece of wood which pointed downward. From the roadway below the maples was an unpaved road. Here he gathered a large pile of small stones. These he placed at the foot of each tree and across them he placed two of the boards from the wood pile. He ransacked kitchen, cellar and pantry for buckets and large tin cans. He washed these at the kitchen sink, placed them on the board at the foot of the trees, and sat down to Wait for the flow of sweet water. Laughing about it now, he says he thought maple syrup came down in bucketfuls, not in a drop, drop of dirty water into the bucket. Hour after hour he sat there listening to the constant dripping. As it was nearing evening, he poured all the sticky, dirty looking water into a live-gallon can and carried it back into the house. He placed the cans and buckets under the spouts. Each time he wakened in the night he wondered whether or not his vessels were filled, and early in the morning he dashed down to the trees. Hurrah! each was nearly full. A chum helped carry the sugar water up to the house. All day they truclged from kitchen to cellar to trees, watching the drop, drop, drop of the sugar water with great care. After three days the five- gallon can was full of sweet water and it was placed on the stove. It boiled and boiled and boiled. John looked at Aunt Jane and back to the stove, wondering whether the sugar would ever be done. He went out to play, but every little while he must have a peep into the kettle. The day seemed very long. Aunt Jane laughed, say- ing, Have patience, ,lohng give it time. Sometime later, Aunt Jane poured a little in a saucer. It tasted all right, but it looked all wrong. Aunt Jane beat up the white of an egg, stirred it into the syrup, placed clean cheese-cloth over a pintujar and poured the liquid in. Four days of hard work for a ten-year-old boyg but it had paid, for he was allowed to take it to the front door of his home and proudly say, I made it myself for Betty. Two dollars and fifty cents is too much? Well, I guess not! 11,01-T CLIMBING THE HIGHEST PEAK OF THE SAN BERNARDINO RANGE, OLD BALDY Old Baldy is some fifty miles from where most of the party lived. We traveled by autos to the foot of the peak, the highest point that can be reached by auto. There are two methods of ascending Old Baldy -by riding a burro, or walking. We decided to hike upg there- fore we ate a lunch at Camp Baldy, then, seeing that our canteens were filled with fresh water, we started our climb at about one o'clock. Just after leaving the camp We traveled up a canyon, down which a stream of sparkling water is rushing. A score or more of cottages are located along this small stream, anyone of which looked like an ideal place to rest over a week-end. After leaving the canyon the ascent became steeper, calling on us to lessen our pace and conserve our energy for the harder part of the climb. We soon arrived at Bear Flat, a small level plot, and the only level place on the long climb to the top. Here, also, is a fine spring of Water, the source of the stream which attracted our attention at the start of the hike. After a rest and refilling our canteens, we again started our up- ward climb. The bright California sun shining down upon us began to tire us and our stops for a rest became frequent. We soon arrived at Cseventy fourj

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COCHRAN AERIAL I was jogging home from the village store one clear summer day on our old gray mare. A beautiful arching elm tree drew my eyes to a pond in which I could see little fish dart here and there and blue and gold dragon flies hovering over the Water. As I rounded a curve, a pasture dotted with black and white pigs came into view. In a fence corner a horse was rolling on the ground. As I passed on I met a road mender at Workg he greeted me with a Hel1o! which I flung back at him. When an auto drove me to the side of the road, I no- ticed a picturesque fern growing in the shades of a massive oak. Woods bordered the road now. It was darker and cooler. I sniffed the rank green scent of mint. Sarlet tanagers Hitted across the road. A wild squirrel jumped from tree to tree. Beside a little stream which trickled along the roadside brilliant cardinal fiowers and blue flags were growing. On the other side a little farther on were delicious looking blackberries. Through a few scattered trees a lone farm house came into view. In front was the wreck of an old wagon. I did not need to turn the horse in at the gate, his instinct was as good as mine. We had come home. STANLEY STEPHENS. ...Q-,. COCHRAN'S CLUBS The present tendency in progressive schools is to include within the actual working program of the school wholesome forms of recrea- tion. A craving for pleasure is inborn in every individual and so strong is the desire for personal enjoyment that if socially desirable forms are not available, lower types will be seized upon to the detriment, physi- cally and mentally, of the boy or girl. To counteract this tendency, schools must provide pleasureable activities, under circumstances that mean worthy associations and refined surroundings. Children differ in ability, social status, environment, race, and in- tellectual development. For this reason the range of natural and wholesome amusements must be broad enough to attract these chil- dren of varying tastes and temperaments, and the hobby or club period is finding itself in the junior high school. We have come to recognize the fact that school cannot prepare children for social life unless it reproduces within itself the conditions of social life. . Cochran has a club program this year which is filling these re- quirements. During the past we have had outside activities for only two groups of pupils--those interested in music and athletics. To-day our aim is the enlistment of the entire enrollment of the school. Because they are not familiar with the junior high school aims, ideals, and practices, the Term I pupils are not given a choice, but are assigned to such clubs as Travel, Art Appreciation, etc. The following clubs have been successfully organized at Cochran: The Boy Scouts, Hi-Y, Aviation, Embroidery, Story-Telling, Type- writing, French, Latin, Dramatics, Stamp, Auto Mechanics, Toy- Making, Millinery, Sewing, Cooking, Home Nursing, Nature Study, Art Gift, Art Appreciation, Art Metal, Chemistry, Basketball, Glee Clubs, Etiquette, Life-Saving, Penmanship, Lettering, and Hiking. The Boy Scouts Club is open to any regularly enrolled Boy Scout attending Cochran. The platform of the Hi-Y Club, Clean living, clean athletics, clean speech and clean scholarship, is worthy of the large number of boys who attend this club. The Boys' and Girls' Glee Clubs are preparing a cantata, entitled Rip Van Winkle, to be given Music Week. The junior Dramatic Club gave two little plays the first semester - The Bond Issue and Tommy's Thanksgiving, While the Senior ' Cseventy sixj