Cowan High School - Sachem Iris Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

Page 21 text:

W V AVAV V W V W THE IRIS SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY One summer evening after I had completed mv day s labors. I was seated in a rose arbor facing the lake which was in front of my home. My thoughts had wandered back to the good old days when I had attended Cowan High School. These thoughts caused me to wonder what had become of all the members of the class of 28. Twilight came and I fell into a sort of a reverie. Gradually the air was filled with mist. I sat gazing into it until finally I thought I could discern some people on the other side. Slowly they seemed to cross the lake and come toward me. Perhaps you can imagine my astonishment and bewilderment when 1 recognized the Seniors of 1928. Roger Ream, the former class president, was leading the procession. He told me they had all planned to surprise me with a visit that evening but Ruth Ross, who was a missionary among the barbarous tribes in Africa, was unable to come because of her vital interest in saving the souls of the savages. Roger, I soon learned, was Hollywood's leading comedian, and Mary Johnson, who stepped up at just that moment, informed me that she was playing opposite Roger and was making a big “hit. One of the members, Ina Hayes, who had become very disgusted with men, was gaining much popular- ity as a chorus girl in the Ziegfield Follies. Immediately behind Roger was Dorothy Kirp, formerly vice-president, and Gladys Anderson, former secretary and treasurer. Dorothy had risen to a position as teacher in the Conservatory of Music in the windy city. Gladys, ber old pal, was a physical director in the Y. W. C. A. at Los Angeles. Dorothy and Gladys were kind enough to bring the other members to me and tell me what they were doing. Gladys Buchanan, an American novelist, presented me with one of her latest works, “The Vagabond Prince. Madonna Finley, one whom I was glad to see again, was secretary and satelite of Gladys. Jessie Jeffers was now the wife of one of the Senators from West Virginia and she had also become a very prominent political leader in that state. Towards the back of the line I saw Roy Lyons and his contented wife, formerly Pauline Painter, with their twins Bob and Martha. Roy had established himself as one of the leading dairymen of Wisconsin. Virginia Skinner and Lucile Marsh then came forward and Virginia told me she had gone to an art school at Indianapolis and had become an interior decorator of some fame. Lucile then gave me a print of her masterpiece, At Sundown, a typical Indiana scene. I then noticed some commotion down ti. line and I asked Roger who it was. He replied that it was probably Catherine Reynolds, who was an instructor in toe dancing in Honolulu. “Pray tell me who the gentleman with the cane is, I said. “That’s Senator Carl Oxley, from Indiana, Roger replied. “He's been looking with longing eyes at the presidential chair and he hopes to be chosen for the national leader in the race of 1952 or 1956. “And who is the gentlemen dressed in khaki, conversing with him? Marcus Newton, who has just been put in charge of the boy scouts of Michigan, he said. “I suppose you have heard that one of our members, Dorothy Chalfant, has married Regis Morley, a rich New York stock broker? Page Seventeen

Page 20 text:

THE IRIS SENIOR CLASS HISTORY In September, 1924, 32 rather embarrased Freshmen took their places in the old assembly of Cowan High School. It was one of the largest Freshman classes that had entered high school up to that time. The assembly room seemed like an enormous place to us after being confined to the smaller rooms for eight years. But gradually the feeling of embarrassment wore off and especially after Christmas Holidays when we moved into the new assembly, did we begin to feel as if we really belonged to high school. Mr. Johns was our sponsor that year and did all he could to help the class along. We did not enter into many social activities except that in the first month of school we were properly initiated, which, of course, started us on our successful career through high school. Although we did not step out socially we contributed in an industrial way to the school. The domestic science class raised money by selling hot lunches and equipped the kitchen with cooking utensils and dishes and furnished a dining room. The boys in manual training made several book cases, tables, and such things for the school building. At the end of this year Pauline McKinney moved to another school and Marian Oxley and Vera Lee Keesling quit school. At the beginning of the next year a slightly egotistical but peppy group entered into the Sophomore year. The most important thing in our career the second year was the editing of the Cowan Mirror.” It was the first monthly school paper to have been edited and we were very proud of it. We organized a press club and made some visits to the Muncie newspaper offices, so we thought our newspaper knowledge was fairly extensive. By combining the money we rais- ed by selling candy and that which we had left over from last year, we bought a mimeograph for the school. So with Miss Kirkham as our sponsor we went through this year very successfully although we had but few exciting events. We lost Lucretia Jester, Eli Shreves, and Carl Oxley from our class at the end of this year. The next September we started in with 30 boys and girls, but before the Christmas Holidays one of our girls. Mary Huffman, ventured forth into matrimony, leaving us only 29 to complete the year. We, realizing more seriously our responsibilities, were a more settled group who started out on the adventures of the Junior year. Naturally, our thoughts centered around the social events which would be ours to sponsor later on. As soon as the Christmas Holidays were over, with Miss Blank coaching us, we started on our class play, Aaron Boggs, Freshman, which was staged on February 15 and was a decided success. Next in importance was the reception given to the Seniors which was held in the Hotel Roberts. 1ms event caused us no little worry but we felt that our efforts were all repaid. We feel indebted to Miss Blank, who was our sponsor, for helping us to complete the year in a creditable manner. We lost Norma Drumm, Mildred Sheets, Martha Shockley, Robert Waldo, and Bethel Williams from our class at the end of the year. Now we are haughty and dignified Seniors but the nearer the time of graduation approaches the less haughty and dignified we feel, for we are leaving a place of comparative importance for something we know not what. Our class roll is now twenty-four and we feel proud to say that it is the largest Senior Class that has ever been in the Cowan High School. Whatever our lot may be we shall always cherish the memory of our high school days and shall look back upon them as the brightest and best part of our lives. VSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, 19 2 8 Page Sixteen

Page 22 text:

THE IRIS I overheard a conversation between Dorothy and a lady whom I soon recognized as Ila White. She had been employed by Edsel Ford as a tutor for his daughter. Roger, one member of your class must have a large family. Who is the lady with so many children? I inquired. That's Lola Bullock, matron at the Orphan's Home at Anderson. She has won the affection of all the children there, and seems to enjoy her work very much.” I’m not surprised to hear that Lola has taken up that sort of work, I said. At this I was interrupted with: “Yes, the young people of Baton Rouge seem very much interested in Latin and are very good students, I heard one voice say. Another voice replied, Oh, are they? Well! You know that's where the national typing contest was held last year. I wrote one hundred-twenty words a minute and never made a mistake. “You did? Were you ever in Europe? You should see the scenes of Gesar's battles. By this time they were quite close to me and I recognized the first speaker as Lela Marsh and the second as Frances Harbaugh. Good evening, Lela, I said. How are you, and what are you doing now? “I am working strenuously for a very good cause. I teach Latin in Baton Rouge and in the summer I travel, trying to arouse more interest in Latin, was her reply. To Frances I said, “I've heard that you are private secretary to the Presi- dent of Kitselman's Fence Factory in Muncie.” “Yes, and she seems to be finding the way to his heart about as fast as she can type, Roger added. Roger said he thought it about time for them to be getting back to their respective stations. I tried to express my joy at having received a visit from them. The feeling of complacency left me for they retreated into the mist from which they had emerged. At that moment I was aroused by my maid who informed me that an airplane had landed in the vacant lot back of our home. I hastened toward the spot and to my surprise there were three members of the class I had heard nothing about. There was Othal Knight, clad in aviator’s clothes, which set off his manly beauty quite properly. With him were Dr. Francis LaMar and his lovely wife, formerly Dorothy Ball. We went around to the porch and I related my singular experience. Dr. LaMar told me this was only a dream but the strange thing about it was that each character was really filling that place in the world. Othal disclosed the fact that he was having reduced rates on the trip from the United States to Europe by air. I pursuaded my guests to remain for the night and when morning came we all departed, the doctor and his wife for New York, and I was taking advantage of the lower rates by going to Europe. ANNIE SHRIVER. Page Eighteen