Conshohocken High School - Echo Yearbook (Conshohocken, PA)

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BLUE AND GOLD called the “New Kenneth.” As I entered the lobby a young lady came forward to meet me and I gasped with surprise when I found her to be my old classmate, Evelyn Phillips. But then I might have known better for in corresponding with the hotel in regard to my rooms, appeared at the top of the stationery the name of Miss Evelyn Phillips, Proprietress. When I asked“Ev”why she decided on this vocation she informed me that she received the idea on our trip here in 1931. Since she always had a way with bell hops, and there wasn't much possibility of her getting her man, she decided to use the excess furniture from her father’s business and become independent in life. As for the name she gave the hotel, she said it was just “to remember him bv.” I was then taken to my room and after dressing for lunch I proceeded to go to the Roof Garden. On entering, sweet harmonious music greeted my ears. Oh yes, I recalled seeing in the paper that the season’s rage in the music world was appearing here for a few weeks. A waiter took me to a table and I asked him who was the leader of the orchestra. He informed me that they were very fortunate in having famous Jackie Kochhies Orchestra. What! I could hardly believe my ears. Not our Jack Koch of C. H. S.! Yes, it did appear to be him. After sending a note to him he came to my table and I asked him how long he had been in this musical career and he said he had so much trouble keeping his hair combed and never had much money to have it cut so he decided to go in for this type of work, for as a rule, orchestra leaders look more impressive with long hair hanging over their face. He sure had plenty of it and one could hardly detect that it really was our old friend Jack. I requested him to play something for me and he played his latest song, Jeanette, I Dream of Thee.” My, how pretty that was with Jack crooning it. So much like Jack! 1 was about to go when the waiter informed me that I should remain as there was to be a floor show and when Jack announced Madame Anna, the sensational gymnastic dancer of the season and her two assistants, all sorts of things entered my mind but never the one that appeared in the dance, for it proved to be nobody but Anna Suvitsky with Charles McCarron and John Divitis as her two assistants. They entered with Anna held high over their heads. She was dressed as a summer nymph and the boys were dressed in leopard skin representing the cave men of 1941. First the boys retired to one side and Anna to the other. After running the length of the floor she flew to Charles’ arms who caught her and held her high above his head. After doing all types of gymnastic dancing, they ended by doing their specialty dance, the “spooky dance.” They received many encores and then retired. I rushed back scenes to talk to them. Anna informed me that she was tired of studying and that when she danced like this she felt carefree so she was giving up studying for good. The boys also said they had at last attained their one ambition to be big strong men. As I had planned to visit the Concoran Art Gallery I hurriedly left them to continue my tour. The doorman called a taxi for me and when it drove up to the entrance it was painted a turkey red and a peacock blue. My, what colors! As I stepped in I noticed that the driver was no other than Jane Kowalkowski. Well, since Jane’s hobby was to drive fast, this was the very place for her to be for the traffic in Washington moves very quickly and I recall the many tickets she received while in high school for speeding. I spoke to Jane and she told me she was working for an old classmate of ours, Dot Vandegrift. What, I asked? Not the Dot I knew in school, but Jane assured me that she was correct. I immediately asked her to take me to her office. She drove me to a very large building and before my eyes appeared a large sign, “Vandegrift Taxi Company.” Our slogan, “See Washington Page Sixteen

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BLUE AND GOLD TIH IE CIL SS IPLCLinECy Time—1941. Place—Harmonville, Penna. Population 50,000, consisting of all nationalities. Noted for its many industries, large department stores and beautiful residential district known as Karr’s Boulevard.” Also, is proud owner of a very exclusive swimming pool, known as “Harmonville’s Delite.” As there seems to be nothing of any importance going on in the great metropolis at the present time and knowing that since it is now ten years to the very day since I graduated from high school it sort of recalls memories to me of C. H. S. Since 1 have just recently returned from a trip to Washington I felt that perhaps it would be a good idea for me to write a story for the Blue and Cold magazine, now having a circulation of one thousand subscriptions, for 1 know the alumnus would be glad to know the whereabouts of a few people of the Class of 1931 that I encountered on my trip. I left my home at six A.M. and arrived at Seventh Avenue and hayette Street the same morning. I intended to travel by way of Auch’s Sightseeing Buses. It appeared that I was the only passenger for no one else was around. As I stood there gazing at the former site of our old high school, now a massive construction of beautiful lime and sandstone, I had many fond memories rush back to me. For I had not seen very many of my classmates since Commencement, but I had often thought of them. After a few minutes’ wait the bus appeared on the scene. And on entering, the driver, to my surprise when I saw him. was no other than our old friend, Joe DelBuono. Fancy seeing him! After being the class chauffeur I should never have been surprised to find him here. I asked him why he chose such a profession, and he replied that upon leaving school no jobs were to be found so he tried making use of his ability which he acquired while in school—driving a class taxi. 'Phis was quite a help knowing the driver and knowing that he was such a capable driver in school I felt at ease for I knew we would not land in any ditches while on our trip. After a few uneventful hours we finally arrived at Conowingo Dam. Here we stopped. We were assigned a guide and after hearing him explain to us the different things we saw in the power house, I sort of recalled the voice to be quite familiar. After pondering for a few minutes I finally decided that it was no other than Tommy Carter. There he was talking away and not a thing could stop him. After he had finished his lecture I approached him and asked him how he had acquired the art of talking this way and he told me that he had answered an advertisement on Public Speaking and this was his reward for making such a high average in the course. My, what a change from the good old high school days! After saying good-bye to 'Pommy we were on our way again when I thought I recognized two people sitting in the front of the bus. After gathering enough courage to approach them I found them to be just whom I suspected, no other than our familiar twins—Betty Ambler and Clara Caine. They informed me they were traveling to Washington to attend the Old Ladies Convention for the raising of Bunnies, carrying on Betty’s hobby during school days. This proved to be very interesting. They also told me they had their apartment together and Betty said she did the housework while Clara did all the cooking. They always were known to be together in school and hated to be separated at this time of life. By this time the bus had arrived at the hotel. I was very much surprised to find that the hotel that 1 was stopping at was built on the site of the New Colonial Hotel,” which had now been torn down and a new hotel had been built in its place Page Fifteen

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BLUE AND GOLD by Horse and Carriage.” That slogan really fitted the idea behind Dorothy’s company because she had received the idea when we were in Washington and fell in love with the unique way of sightseeing and sooner or later she would do something about it. When I entered the office I was delighted to see her because we had been such good pals in school and had drifted apart after leaving C. H. S. I spent almost an hour with her and during that time I saw Eleanor Emens, Margaret Funston and Bessie Gabin who are now working for Dorothy as taxi drivers. She said they were much more dependable than men so she was having all the men discharged. The girls told me they had taken the job simply because of their love for driving in traffic, the interesting people you bump into, and the beautiful outfits, to match the cabs, Dorothy provided for them. Blue taxicab pajamas and Vermillion red coats with high silk hats of the same colors. Dorothy put a taxi at my service for the remainder of the afternoon and I was again on my way to the Concoran Art Gallery. On my arrival at the place of art, at the door of the building, stood a man collecting money for admission. As I paid him the money I became spellbound when I beheld Samuel Sidney McCloy standing before me. Well, of all people that I should find him here! I inquired how it was that he had obtained such a position and he said he took this position because it was an easy way to save money as the building was open morning, noon and night and as his presence was requested he was never able to go about and spend it. This pleased me very much because I always did hope that Sid would get ahead with his wonderful ability to save money. After wandering around the building for awhile I came upon a group of queerly dressed people. They seemed to be making sketches of the marble figures that adorned the gallery. They were dressed in dirty looking smocks and varied colored berets. Being very much interested in the group I walked over to them to take a glance at some of their work when I recognized, to my amazement, that they were all members of my class in high school: Virginia Custer, Emma kohansby, Elsie Tucker, Beatrice Wannop, Dorothy Crossmore and Ella Wolf. I immediately questioned them. “How on earth did you all come to such a place as this:” I asked. And I was told that they liked the life of an artist very much in Conshy, but they felt that their art was not appreciated in the town so they moved to the great metropolis and at present were living in an art colony just outside of Washington. They all lived together in a little hut. They were having the time of their life for they only had one room but it was very convenient because they did not have much time to spend in cleaning and when this room did need cleaning they all pitched in and in no time they were finished. Above all, they gushed, “No men are allowed.” After spending almost an hour with them I thought I had better run along. After leaving the building, and as I entered my taxi, a sightseeing bus came by and the guide was pointing out historical points to his tourists. As he passed the building I heard him yell, “On the right we have the most noted art gallery of the country,” and at once I recognized that voice for it was no other than Albert Hannum Riker. I jumped out of the taxi again and called, “Hey, Bert.” When he saw me he leaned out of the window and left out a big yell. He asked the bus driver to stop for a minute. I asked him why he had chosen this particular occupation and he informed me that he was chaperoning a group of girls from a select school for girls at which place he was now head coach of athletics and at present time was guiding them about Washington since he obtained some knowledge of this profession during our trip in 1931. Just then the girls started to yell for him and so he said he had to go and the last I remembered of him was hearing that all-famous laugh of his as they continued on their way. Page Seventeen