Conneaut High School - Tattler Yearbook (Conneaut, OH)

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Presently we stopped before a skyscraper, the Tower Build ing, whose top seemed to be enveloped in the clouds. Taking the elevator I alighted at the thirty-seventh Hoor and strolled about tin spacious corridors, Glancing at the inscription on one of the doors, I read. Mademoiselle Gleason—Milliner and Modiste. Entering, I found myself in a suite of elegantly furnished apartments. Before one of the windows sat a gentleman whom I perceived to la Glenn Marry. lie was busily engaged in tin manipulation of his jaws, but as to whether gum or ‘Peachey was the cause of these facial activities, I was unable to determine. “Mush” greeted me cordially and told me that In had amassed quite a fortune, owning and operating a large tobacco plantation. This was tin occasion of his twelfth proposal to Mademoiselle Gleason and he hoped the last. Beaming that District Attorney Montigney had his offices in this building. I called on him. He received me kindly and I was astonished at the incessant flow of talk with which he regaled me, even exceeding the marvelous volubility of his high school days. As District Attorney In was indeed fortunate, as lie was afforded unlimited opportunities of displaying his unexcelled powers of speech. Montigney told me that Elsie Fields, whom gossip rumored to he engaged to Prof. Palmer, was his stenographer, and he informed me that she was a very capable young lady. Whereupon 1 mildly replied, that evidently the skill wiiich she had attained while writing her present employer fourteen page notes in school, had stood her well in need. Leaving the Tower Building, we again entered the car and made our way to the High School Building, where I found Helen Hunt installed as Principal. On her face was that sum sweet air of martyrdom, with which she in High School days, was wont to reply to another student's question while study- ini' “Dutch.” By a solitaire on her left hand, I dedtiecd that she would not be averse to a change of occupation. From Helen I learned that Amy Kaukonen was preceptress of a Girls’ Seminary at Oak Drove, a suburb of the city. Her students came from all over the world; and she had been very successful in teaching them, especially German; using the same “trot” in connection with her teaching, which she used in High School. Guv Morton was running a large cross roads store near Oak Grove and was doing a thriving business. It could easily be seen that lie was giving his experience as Cash Boy at the Bazaar practical application. He was known to tin rural element as tin Merehant Prince; and was still evidencing his old time philanthrophv hv dealing out rations of the “Indian Weed” to his friends. Stevens and Stine were running a farm and ranch, respectively, not far from Norton’s store. Stevens had proven a boon to price-oppressed humanity by inventing a churn which would produce six pounds of butter from five gallons of milk; while Stine, too. had gained recognition by inventing a new stock food, which was a compound of sawdust, corncobs, and excelsior, (’attic, it was said, thrived on this feed, as our honorary member thrives on Creamery milk. lsadore Olds was teaching school; fortunately, however, for lsadore’s scholars, she was not setting them the styles in hair dressing. Lucy Olds had become known to the world as an author of several works on Woman’s Suffrage. The graphic manner in which she depicted the oppression of woman, had electrified both sexes. Having obtained all the information from Helen that I could, I started out and took a road leading to Kainhow Mt.. which was a short distance from Oak Grove. Upon arrival

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used to being t Ims unceremoniously saluted and thinking myself attached by footpads, 1 wheeled quickly and endeavored to assume an attitude of masterful defense. Imagine my surprise, when upon turning around I recognized my old colleague and 1010 (’lass President, Charles Attwood, whom I had not seen in years. My resentment at this greeting sans-ceremonic, quickly changed to unalloyed pleasure and I grasped his hand cordially. We returned to the Hotel and till the small hours of the morning, sat and chatted over reminiscences of our old school days. I learned incidentally that as President of the Greek-Ameriean Candy Trust, Charles was a great and recognized power in the business and financial world. His home was in Futurity City, but much to my disappointment, his wife and children had departed a few days prior on a foreign tour. It afforded me great pleasure to accept his invitation to see the city and adjacent country the next day, by auto: and to call upon my old colleagues who I discovered were also residing in or near the city. The next morning while spinning down an avenue lined on either side with fine homes, my attention was directed to a neat brick building, surrounded by a pretty lawn and encircled by a high iron fence, within which were a number of little tots enjoying themselves, going through some simple gymnastic exercises. Cpon inquiry, one of them informed me that they were engaged in “physical torture.” In charge of the kindergarten. for such it proved to be, was a charming young lady whom 1 recognized as Louise Andrews. In teaching these juveniles she had met with remarkable success, her pupils being greatly attached to her and learning rapidly under her tutelage. Her success, however, was not to be marveled at. as I remembered distinctly how in the days of (’. 11. S. she had developed tact with the little ones through her association with Junior Boys. Further down the avenue stood u handsome marble edifice, upon the corner stone of which was carved. First Methodist Episcopal church. Special services were in progress and do sirous of seeing the interior of this beautiful structure. I entered. The organ pealed forth in mighty tones and then in softer strains as the choir of a hundred trained voices sang a beautiful anthem. In the hush that followed, the minister arose and announced the subject of ids morning discourse— Morals and Morality. 1 gave a start, for who should this man be, but Edward Elvin. known to us as “Pat.' It was indeed a source of great gratification to me to know that he had turned out so well. In school we had thought of him as destined either for Congress or for the Penitentiary. Leaving the church, a cozy bungalow around which stretched a beautiful, green lawn attracted my eye for a moment. and I was told by “Jim” that this was the home of Mrs. J. E. ilclman. nee Mida (filbert. Wo drove up the broad gravel driveway, which was shaded on either side by maple trees, and stopped before the large stone porch. Entering unannounced, we found Mida sitting at tin piano. She arose and greeted us most cordially and, upon inquiring where the man of the house was, she pointed to a small shop at the rear of the lawn. Here we found “Jehoso-phat Elijah” busily engaged in the construction of a shirt waist box for Mida. Three large blood blisters on his left hand bore mute and painful evidence to hammer blows that had missed their mark. During our conversation, Mr. Holman stated that lie was Superintendent of the Futurity City Schools. Bidding him good-bye, presently, we returned to the house where we exchanged farewells with Mida and then drove down the driveway and once more out into the street. We were now threading our way through an intricate maze of street tradio which rendered our progress difficult. 7

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lien , we walked to the office of Prank Hawaii, ex-cornetist of the Conneaut High School Orchestra—now Mining Engineer and Mine Owner. Hagan, having as ever an abundance of leisure time at his disposal, was affording himself much pleasure by exploring the old abandoned mines about his property ami driving the rats, owls, hats and other denizens out of them by playing his cornet—needless to say Frank was highly successful. Entering the city again we stopped at the Steel Mills where Ara Pitcher was Superintendent. lie was a prominent and influential man about the city, and had an air of prosperity; but nevertheless t' wild life which Pitcher led while at ('. 11. S.. had evidenced itself in his prematurely gray hair. Twilight was falling as we threaded our way through the industrial districts of the city ami I was endeavoring to re member whom 1 had not seen in my day of sight-seeing. Ah, 1was the most diminutive members of the class- Ruth Murphy and Boyd Work. How we had overlooked them I could not imagine, for in school they had certainly made their presence known on every occasion. A few moments later we halted before a mammoth plant. I inquired of Attwood the cause of our stopping and in answer he pointed toward the lofty top of the building, there in a huge electric sign I read- The B. II. Work Chemical Co., Mfrs. of Patent Medicines, etc. Radium Bitters, Our Specialty. Thus was Boyd realizing big returns by the same methods he had employed in faking the Faculty in ( II. S. IB and Ruth had been married shortly after leaving school; each realizing that either could not make his way alone in this great dark world. Ruth still held the old undisputed record of being the fastest talking little girl in fhe world—except while she was reciting in her classes at ('. If. S.—and as President of the Woman's Suffrage Association. had distinguished herself on many an occasion. Arriving at the Hotel, wearied but happy, I had a farewell dinner with Attwood and then retired. The next morning at daybreak, after sorrowfully bidding ‘‘Jim” “An Revoir, James and I ascended and began our return flight. As we peacefully sailed out of the portals of Futurity City, the sun was rising majestically in a glory of delicate hues; and as the shadowy outlines of the city receded farther and farther from us, the first slanting rays of the sun touched and transmuted them into gold. It was a city of light, of dreams, and I was floating back once again into the cold, grim world of reality. ROBERT C. WEBB. 9—0 Cr'lHZ- 29