Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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Jfatfjer’s Cooking experiment OLIVER,” said his father, “let’s have something tasty, I’m getting pretty tired of eating bacon and eggs for breakfast and eggs and bacon for dinner, let’s have a little wider variety.” This part of the conversation took place at the end of the first week of mother’s vacation when the stock in the pantry was beginning to run low, not through any fault of mother’s, for she had left the pantry well stocked. There had been a generous supply of mince pies and pumpkin pies, a whole row of freshly baked bread, three frosted cakes, a jar of cookies, and a plate of doughnuts. These, mother had insisted upon leaving, much to the disgust of father’s dignity although not to his appetite. For father thinks himself an excellent cook and able to get on by himself. But even mother’s supply gradually disappeared, owing to the regular ravages of father, his two healthy sons and an over voracious hired man. “I’m going to show mother that I can cook just as well as she! most of the hotel cooks are men, so of course men know more about cooking than women.” “That’s what I say,” answered Oliver, “let’s begin right away.” Whereupon Oliver and his father organized a search through the pantry for something worthy a man’s efforts to cook. They were rewarded at length by finding a sack of rice, presumably five pounds. “Now watch me closely,” said Oliver’s father, “so that some day you will be able to cook a good meal of rice. I remember when I was a boy I watched my mother cook it and so that is why I know how to do it.” Father emptied the rice into a dish, poured plenty of water over it and soon had it boiling. In his enthusiasm he said to Oliver. “I believe I’ll roast some chickens tomorrow; we’ll have royal fare until mother comes back.” Soon father’s face had a troubled look. “This isn’t the way the rice that mother used to cook acted. I don’t believe it’s any good.” Father’s rice seemed to have miraculously increased and kept on increasing, so fast that father had to empty some of it into another dish but they both overflowed so rapidly that father was kept busy using both hands to empty the rice into new dishes which Oliver brought to him. At last, becoming angry with the rice, he sent Oliver for a larger dish and while he was searching, he heard father in his desperation yell, “For goodness’ sake bring me a dishpan, a tub, or a wash boiler, the stuff’s running all over the stove.” ELSIE MEAD, 1911. ios

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of the system then in use of depositing one’s fare in the box before entering the car. “Well, I declare!” ejaculates the astonished woman. She sets down her baskets and commences to search for her fare. She rummages through one basket then through the other and then through the first again, but no three cents does she find. She is by no means abashed or ready to give up the search, but goes through each of her coat pockets very carefully. Here she is equally unsuccessful. She rummages through each of her baskets again and this time her efforts are rewarded with a handkerchief; a small crumbled handkerchief with a tight knot tied in one corner which evidently contains the cherished three cents. She shoots a triumphant glance at the conductor and declares, There! I knew I had those three cents somewheres.” The conductor says nothing but makes a mental note of the fact that it is just ten minutes since she entered the car. Just at this point a young lady boards the car, and drops her fare in the box without a minute’s delay. Without any visible effect on the young lady, the old woman stares at her in blank amazement, then resumes her task, and after many vain endeavors finally succeeds in untying the knot and hands the conductor her money. Meanwhile she is utterly unconscious how fast the minutes have been slipping by and asks the conductor to let her off at- such a place. “But, my dear Madam,” expostulates the conductor, and he proceeds to tell her that they have just passed that street. The woman is surprised and provoked and mutters a few unintelligible sentences about “foolishness” and “abusing us poor women.” While waiting for the car to stop she unluckily glances up and notices the bystanders all seem to be affected with a mysterious tritching of the lips, and also the amused smile of the conductor, which, try as he will, he cannot succeed in concealing. She looks at him disgustedly. If a woman’s looks could scratch a man’s eyes out, he would have lost his sight on the spot. MABEL HUMMEL, ’10. Jfi (Eberpkotip ©Hoiks JBut Jfatfjer Everybody works but the Juniors, And they sit ’round and look wise. Ask them only a question. My what a look of surprise. Mother takes in washing, To keep her darling in school, Everybody works at Commerce, But the Juniors, as a rule. 107

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Clje Srribal NEVER in the history of the High School of Commerce had there been so much hustle and chatter as there was on this particular morning, Friday, Feb. 4, 1910. Mr. Skygack from Mars sauntered lazily down the street with his head buried in his note-book. He chanced to look up, and his eager eyes caught sight of the throng of people entering this one house. His curiosity at once mastered him. He would find out the particulars of this “new-old” building. He stopped before the edifice and wrote the following in his note book: “Saw parade of girls and boys evidently meeting to celebrate some great event. They entered a large building from a queer looking house situated on long iron bars in middle of highway. Evidently this house is abiding place of all these earth beings, old and dilapidated is the exterior, but the inner portion appeareth new.” This last statement he made in regard to the large building which the many young people were entering. Shutting his book, he entered the building under the arm of the last person who was just entering the door. When the door closed a great noise, as of the roaring “Martian Geckrym,” “wind of the six directions,” fell on his ear. He thought that here would be a chance to use his detective abilities. He was sure that by finding the source of the noise he would also find the reason , for the “parade.” Two girls came hurriedly forward greeting a third just entering with, “They have come Marie, they have come!” “What has come, girls?” questioned the last arrival and upon hearing her question they clasped her by the arm and whisked her off to show her in reality the answer to her question. Our curious visitor from Mars stood with open note book in hand, his eager face buried in his book ready to jot down the answer to Marie’s question. Hearing no sound he looked up and to his astonishment found himself alone. Unabashed he made this note: “Two eager looking earth-beings announce the arrival of some mysterious object to a third party and evidently this new arrival is the cause of a great earth distubancc.” Suddenly a bell rang and for a time the uproar subsided. Soon he heard a single stroke, then a quick double stroke of the bell. This was followed by a whirring sound of voices and people marching in all directions. Bound to gain information he fell in step behind a number of young girls and played the part of eaves-dropper to perfection. “Why Esther, I just simply cannot get my hat in such a small space, can you?” asked one of the party. “No Mabel I cannot and I think they ought to have made the space in proportion to the style of headgear,” answered Esther. “Well anyhow Esther I am glad that they are here because the boys did 109