Emmerich Manual High School - Ivian Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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MIND AND HAND. 19 not be plotted by tbis method of rec- tangular coordinates. And since imaginary roots always occur in pairs when the co- efficients are real and rational, an equation whose curve is found not to cross the X-axis as many times as is indicated by the highest exponent of the unknown quantity, will cross as many times as is in- dicated by the highest exponent diminished by 2, 4, 6, etc., according to the number of pairs of imaginary roots. Some interesting relations between the derivative curve and the original curve have also been noted during the term. In addition to the study of the solution and geometrical interpretation of some of the higher numerical equations, some work in arithmetical, geometrical and harmonical progressions, the binominal theorem and determinants has been accomplished. Henry Leser. THE CALLA LILY ' S UGLY BROTHER. WHEN we look at the beautiful, dig- nified, spotless calla lily, it does not seem possible that any plant related to it could be otherwise. Yet it is true that this pure flower has a very ugly brother, who is so objectionable that he is carefully ignored while his beautiful sister is petted and admired. He has isolated himself from all other plants, and has found solitude in swampy places in the woods. We find him very near home. At Crow ' s Nest his genus abounds. Here he is busy all the year around, so when other spring flowers are making up their minds to put in an ap- pearance this diligent hermit of the bog has already lifted his hooded head out of his muddy bed and is enjoj ' ing the fresh spring breezes. He does not resemble the calla lily ex- cept that the purplish spathe answers to the pure white, petal-like leaf of the calla. The spathe differs from the white leaf of the calla in that it droops over, sheltering the spadix within as in the Jack-in-the- pulpit. When the spadix, or round, fleshy head begins to lengthen, the spathe dies off and the spadix then grows into seed. It forms a fruit resembling a papaw, except that it has a scaly, outside covering. This pod contains a soft, yellow, custard-like substance, and in this are imbedded the round, black seeds. The large, heart-shaped, netted-veined leaves are bright green, and possess quali- ties pleasant to lower animals, but objec- tionable to man, the juice being acrid and narcotic, and when broken the plant gives off an offensive odor which has won it the name of skunk cabbage. It is also called bear-weed, for it is said that bears are fond of the fresh, green leaves. This is odd, as the acrid juice causes severe, darting pains through the tonerue. Another peculiarity of calla lily ' s disa- greeable relation is that the root contains a juice which, if taken, would cause blind- ness. By these various ways this ugly member of the Arum family can revenge himself on others. Clara Dippel.

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18 MIND AND HAND. POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF UNITED STATES. THE world is at this time considerably disturbed. Turkey ' s future is uncer- tain ; the Cubans are tottering between des- potism and republicanism. Venezuela and England have not yet settled the boundary dispute, and many other corners of both hemispheres are quivering with the uni- versal thrill of res novae. Consequently, this is a period for setting forth to the world new modes of government, new ideas of international relationship and new poli- cies. The United States has been steadily ad- vancing, gradually gathering strength, till now it is ready and able to give to the world advanced doctrines. When, in re- gard to the Venezuelan question, the United States stepped from the ranks of conserva- tism and, in effect, said to England : We are protectors of republicanism ; we shall investigate and give our decision without partiality, the world did not laugh. It was the stand of a nation which has given proof of its capability for leadership. The revival of the sentiment of the Monroe Doctrine has given to our nation a distinct individuality and to the world a noble policy. But this is only the first of many forward and upward steps yet to be taken by a nation in itself a departure from the usual civil polity. For instance, from arbitration may soon spring the abolishment of the standing army. Every nation has its period of leadership. The United States is now at the threshold of a brilliant age. Irene Collings. HIGHER ALGEBRA. I 1ST 1637 Descartes, a Frenchman, noted that the position of a point in a plane is completely determined if its perpendicular distances from two straight lines in the plane, at right angles to each other, are known. These perpendicular distances he called the coordinates of the point. In a single indeterminate equation in X and Y — that is, one satisfied by an infinite num- ber of values of X and Y — it was found that by taking associated values of X and Y as coordinates of a point, it was possible to graphically represent any number of solu- tions of the equation as points. As the coordinates of every point satis- fied the equation, it became possible by this method to produce a graphical repre- sentation of the equation ; that is a line or curve which l ' epresented the path pursued by the point whose movement was de- termined by the condition laid down by the equation. This invention has been in- valuable in all branches of scientific re- search, so much so that almost every science of to-day illustrates many results of its investigations by this method. Besides becoming familiar with various means of solving an equation, it has been the purpose of the class in higher algebra to investigate the meaning of an equation by means of its graphical representation. Thus peculiar characteristics of several kinds of equations have been investigated. For instance, a pair of simultaneous equations of the first degree has been shown to produce two straight lines which intersect at some point. The coordinates of this point satisfy the pair of simul- taneous equations. A quadratic or an equation of higher degree generally repre- sents a curve. The peculiarities of this curve are, that it can not cross the hori- zontal axis more times than are indicated by the highest exponent of the unknown term of the equation. Furthermore, if the curve does not cross the X-axis as many times as the highest exponent indicates, another truth is revealed. This last case shows that the equation has some imag- inary roots, for the imaginary roots can

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TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT. THE WOODWORKING SHOP. I 1ST order to enable the hoys of this city to train both the mind and the hand, the citizens of Indianapolis have erected the Industrial Training School on South Me- ridian Street. On the second floor of the north build- ing is a room fifty by ninety feet, known as the woodworking shop. It is heated by steam and lighted by windows on four sides. About one half of the wall space is given to windows. The windows are provided with shades. The shop is equipped with thirteen double joinery benches, twenty pattern- maker ' s benches, twenty lathes, four pat- tern-maker ' s chuck lathes, one large pat- tern-maker ' s lathe, two circular saws, one band saw, one jig saw, two planing ma- chines, two grinding machines and a uni- versal trimmer. On the southwest corner of the shop is a tool room. It is parti- tioned off from the rest, and contains a collection of special tools. The shop is also provided with an assortment of tools used in carpentry and turning, for the use of the bench work, turning, and pattern- making boys. Upon entering the shop we see forty-five boys, working with might and main at the exercises which the instructors have given them. Each day one of the boys of the class is detailed to this department. It is his duty to become familiar with the names of the tools and to furnish them to the other boys on checks. The forty-five stu- dents are in two classes — twenty-five in the bench class and twenty in the turn- ing or pattern-making class. At present there are three classes a day in bench work, three in turning and one in pattern- making and foundry work. The pattern- making boys are in the woodworking shop only a part of the time. We can accom- modate one more class in bench work, though another year will probably see the limit reached. In the bench class two boys work at each bench. Each boy has, on his side of the bench, a vise for holding work which he may be fitting, and a stop for holding stock which he may be dressing. He has, also, a drawer in which to keep his indi- vidual tools. On each side of the bench is a press in which are kept the general tools ; i. e., the tools which are used by all the classes. They consist of a hammer, mallet, saw, square, gauge, level, dividers, rule, screw-driver, oil stone, brace and box of bits. The first work this class has to do is in squaring up stock and laying off work. This is followed by exercises in boring and chiseling, and this by work in making joints. From this on the work is more of the nature of individual work. Cabinets, brackets and newel posts are constructed, each boy making one or more parts. All the work is such as tends to make the boy think what he is doing. He must know how and why he makes each cut. The second half year ' s work is in turn- ing Each boy is assigned to a lathe at which he is to work. He is given four tools and shown how to use them. Later on he is given two more tools. With the six tools he can make all the cuts used iu turning. The hoys are warned of the peril in careless movements about ma- chinery and then set to work. The first exercise is in turning a straight cylinder. The work then becomes more and more