Covington High School - Puffs and Patches Yearbook (Covington, VA)

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decided to visit the meeting. XVhen we- entered the door we heard the speaker say that the next speaker on the program would be Representative Carl V. Harris of Alleghany County, who would speak on the subject, 'ilietter Roads in Alle- ghany County. VV e listened spellbound to his talk, which lasted about twenty minutes. VVhen it was over I went up to congratulate Sommer on his line speech. He then invited us to take dinner with him, for there were several interesting things that he would like to tell me about our former classmates. ' NV e entered a cafeteria near the Capitol Square, and who met us at the door and welcomed us in, except Anna Keller, the owner of this place. NVhile we were eating Sooner told me of several more of the class. Harry Owens was the man- ager of The Hotel Richmond, and owned the controlling stock in it. Harold Armentrout was traveling for the Covington Electric Curling-Iron Company, and was a great salesman because his orders far outnumbered the output of the factory. Miriam Barnwell was head nurse at St. Elizabetlfs Hospital. After we finished eating I bade Sooner good-by and we headed for Cov- ington, the old home town. W'hen we arrivedqwe did not recognize the place, because it was about three times as large as it used to be. W'e stopped before a handsome edifice on Maple Avenue, which we found out later was the New Epis- copal Church. As we entered the door I met my old friend and partner in busi- ness, Fish Taylor. l-Ie told me that he was rector of this church and next in line for Bishop. He would not consent for me to leave until I had seen his wife and home QI didn't know he was marriedj. Then we stepped next door to the rectory where Dora Gleason opened the door, then Fish told me that she had changed her name. They had been married about three months. They invited me to stay and talk with them a while. In our talk they told me of the following: Dot Crawford was running a candy shop on Main Street, and her specialty was Fridge Iiila Watts was teaching school at old C. H. S. and was fast becoming the typical i'Old Maid School Teacher. QVV e remember very well how she hated the boys.j Flivve1'l' Foard held the position of head chemist at the mill, and had just discovered a new way to make home-brew without the loss of life. ' As we were talking I happened to glance out of the window and notice that Irvine's great three-ring circus would visit town that night. The name attracted my attention, so we all decided to go. VVhen we went to the ticket box to get our tickets a man with a little black mustache was standing by, then I recognized my old friend Bob Irving. He told us that he was owner of the circus, and if we wanted to walk around a little he would tell us something more about our old classmates and show us a few of them. .

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rupberg ci f F N THE Spring of 1934 I went on a lishing trip which I will not i Kay. 5 v - PQSQU soon forget, not on account of the number of hsh caught, but for an entirely different reason. Thereby hangs the story which I shall relate. I had linished my lunch and was lying on the cool grass, S55 JQX watching a white cloud in the sky, which was cloudless except for this one beautiful cloud. After looking for a while at this cloud it turned into the letters, Class of '24. Presently a fairy touched my shoulder and told me that if I would come with him he would show me what my former classmates were doing. I followed him without hesitation. Soon we were sailing through the sky, using the beautiful cloud as an airship. ' It was to my surprise that the cloud stopped over the Postotiice building in VVashington, D. C. As we entered the building I was amazed to see there our former class president, Sparky Bailey, who was making quite a name for him- self as Assistant Postmaster General. After speaking to him for several minutes we sailed on, until we reached New York harbor, where the largest ship I had ever seen was at anchor. As I looked over the side I saw the name, The Coviwzgton. I asked a man standing near the name of the commander. He replied that Admiral Delaney commanded the ship, and that he was approaching us at that minute. Then I recognized old Bo, our Bell hop. VVe then moved up Broadway. As we were passing the stores I noticed the most beautiful picture I had ever seen in my life. I went inside to ask the name of the artist. I inquired of a beautiful young lady about this, and as she was talking I realized that I had heard that voice somewhere before and it dawned upon me about this time that it was none other than Charlotte Smith. As the time was passing rapidly, we sailed through the sky without a stop until Buffalo was reached. VVe entered the door of a large and magnificent- looking building, At the desk inside the door was seated our little Wallace Harris. He informed us that he was owner and general manager of a group of one hundred and one stores located all over the country. The next place we stopped was in Pittsburgh before the laboratories of the VVestinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. As we entered the door we noticed on the door the following: Experimental Chemist-W'alter T. Owens. On opening the door I recognized- Ted seated at the desk, very busy. We could not linger very long at any place, because our time was limited and there were many more of the Old Students to account for. This time we sailed in the direction of Richmond. The Virginia Legislature was in session and we

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The lirst place we visited was in the elephant tent. Here we saw Louis Dame carrying water for the elephants. NN e entered the main tent just in time to see Mary Jackson riding bareback. VV hen she saw us she became so excited that she fell off of the horse and ran to meet us. VVe talked for several minutes with Bob and Mary and learned of several more of our classmates. Elizabeth was helping a fellow in Clifton Forge named Smith along in life, and was very happy. VVe remember how popular that name had been in faculty circles in '24. Lucy, quiet little vamp that she had always been, was teaching school, but not for long, because she had decided to change her name. The addition Mc--. Evelyn Pedigo had taken the position as community service worker at Low Moor, and was doing a splendid work. VVe didn't realize that Evelyn was so athletically inclined. Virginia McCarthy was teaching domestic science at C. H. S. They said she was ready to enter upon the sea of matrimony. Ruby Harmon was head clerk of the Young Men's Shop of Covington. She sold more articles to the young men than any other clerk in Covington be- cause her attractive personality and good looks were her great assets, as in the days of school. Gertrude Tanner was the assistant of Dr. Pullemout, the leading dentist of Covington. Her ambition to become a dentist was about to be realized. N elle Matheny was married and living at Alleghany, having the time of her life with the young men and the Fire VVater. Mary Conner was selling insurance at VVhite Sulphur, and also owned an agency where they would assure you of getting a wife. It was said to be a very proiitable business. Reba, our class poet, was still following the old line, writing poetry, but this time in the form of love letters. Ora was the owner of the finest cafe in Covington, and was becoming very popular with the male population on account of her delicious eats. Lola Mae had followed the example of a good many of the other girls and had settled down at Barber, She always did like Barber, or some one up there. Ella, last but not least, the hardest working and the quietest one of the class, was one of our representatives in Congress. Her dream had come true. About this time something stung me on the nose and I awoke. It had been only a dream, but the most wonderful one I had ever had. I had lost about an hour of fishing, but had traced all of my classmates. Here's to my old class of '24. May they all fvrosjvcr. -JAMES A. PAYNE, Proplzct.