Ferndale Union High School - Tomahawk Yearbook (Ferndale, CA)

Page 31 text:

eastward. The two mallards bathed themselves in the clear water, preened their feathers, and then commenced their search for breakfast. They had just finished eating a bunch of celery-grass which the drake had found, when they heard the sound of footsteps and men's voices. The rxvo frightened birds hid side by side in the marsh-grass with heads and necks laid flat to the water. ' The two men passed by, but a small black dog, trotting along behind, scented them and scared them from their hiding-place. Pitifully the hen tried to fly, flopping her one wing bravely-but she could not rise from the water. A shot, and with a cry to her mate, who hovered over her, her pretty head drooped and she died. The poor drake, almost bereft of reason, voiced his grief in loud quacks and vaulted into the heavens, followed by several shots which missed their mark. Once more a lonely young drake flew sadly over the gleaming waves and flying foam to the southward. ARDEN RING, ,I7 N 1 I ,V I ' -J I Y W' smirk JZ Nllix G Y f 7, X K J i 7 f A Sums at Sunriur Early one September morning, we started for a walk across the fields. Stopping on top of a rather high knoll, we looked out at the scene before us. The fog which hung low over the hills began to drift slowly away, looking like a shimmering, shining, silvery sea. Far away on the horizon, the sun, a glowing red ball, was slowly rising over the hills. The sky--the gray of early morning-was beautifully tinted from the sun's glow, while the hills a bluish mass faintly outlined against the sky, were brightened by touches of red. A little way below, could be seen low hills covered with dry grass. Then a row of stunted green trees stood out to view. Atv the foot of the hills, a barn with farmhouse nearby, almost hidden by the surrounding orchard. The barren branches of the orchard trees looked gray and stiff. A thin spiral of blue smoke, rising high above the little chimney, melted into the pale sky. My eye now wandered to the left, where the tops of a corn-field could be seen, waving gently in the breezeg while straight out before me stretched broad fields of pasture land, in one corner of which a few calves brows- ing under an old alder tree-lay, lazy and inert-the picture of bucolic con- tentment. MARY RENNER, ,I7 27 -

Page 30 text:

Qnmanrr nf the flliarahlanh A lone, drake mallard followed the coast to the southward. He had been separated from his band on a northern marsh. The waves danced in the sunshine and a light breeze flecked the pure white foam through the air. The big lone mallard was happy in the pure joy of living as he sailed gracefully over the glistening foam-crested waves, but deep down in his heart he felt lonely and he wished for some sheltered spot in a small pond where he and a beautiful young mate might sit and preen their feathers in the warm sunlight. The lonely mallard was young and beautiful. He had a glistening green head and a proud and wary eye. He was large and strong. Day was nearing its close and the young greenhead was hungry and tired. He now flew nearer the sandhills in the hope of finding a sheltered marsh where he could feed and spend the night. Seeing a large band of sprigs leave the ocean and the sandhills he decided to follow in their wake. Imagine his joy at seelng a iarge marsh, full of sequestered ponds, with the friendly marsh-grass waving in the evening breeze. Still lonely, he called as he flew slowly over the sloughs and ponds, his bright eye ever on the alert for a resting-place. As he neared a quiet pond, he heard a low answering call. On the placid water sat a hen mallard. She was young, beautiful, and she swam gracefully about on the mirror-like water-proudly yet timidly. ' VVithout a 1noment's delay, the young drake dropped down at her side. At first she avoided him and swam away. It was then that the young drake said his first love-words and tried his best to reassure her. The young hen was very coy-even sad, it seemed to him-as she sat motionless upon the water, with head drooping and eyes averted. He swam closer and closer, speaking tender words and bidding her to be not frightened. He came close to her side and stroked her soft neck with his bill. She answered him with soft, throaty, love-coos-and in their happiness at finding each other they forgot all else. Wliile preening her feathers, he discovered that she had a broken wing. The sympathetic drake expressed his brief by drooping his head and comfort- ing her with soft love-words. He vowed to remain with her forever. She pleaded that he leave her before it be too late-to fly on to the southland, as the marsh was infested with hunters who would mercilessly kill. For days she had remained hidden there in the marsh-grass-but each day she ex- pected would be her last. He must go on and leave her or he too would be maimed or killed. But the young drake would not go-so they tucked their heads under their wings, and beneath the sheltering marsh-grass, slept peacefully side by side. The clear pond, peaceful and serene in the moonlight, with its sleeping lovers, was an ideal settirg for a tale of love and sweet content. Morning came and the sun peeped over the tops of the mountains to the 26

Page 32 text:

illrrnhalr Hninn i6igh Svrhnnl Svinrr 15114 The Ferndale High School was instituted August, 1904. Before this there had been a private school. It was suggested that if Ferndale could not sup- port a school, the adjoining districts might help. So SZSOOEWHS subscribed by the most interested and liberal citizens. Since the town was to have the benefit of the school located in its limits, the proposition was brought up before the voters of Ferndale and eight other school districts. The plan met with their approval, and it became the Ferndale Union High School. The old Coombe residence and lot was purchased as it was thought best not to build for a year. The newly elected trustees selected Prof. C. Dufour and Mrs. Adams as instructors. They began work with thirty pupils and with English, History, and Mathematics as the course of study. The Student Body was organized on the seventeenth of October, under the name of the Athena Literary and Debating Society. Kenneth Robarts was the first President, Mary V arley, Vice-President, and Emily Keohan, Secre- tary. Debates and literary programs were held in connection with their semi- monthly business meetings. The next semester the faculty was composed of Mr. Coddington, as prin- cipal, Mr. Van Horn and Miss Smith. The course of study now included German and chemistry, and the number of pupils had increased to about forty. In January, 1906, the Student Body was reorganized with Helen Burbank as President. The Athletic Association was organized October 5, in connec- tion with the Student Body. The success of these two years proved that they were worthy of a new building. The trustees proposed the bonding of the district for 310,000 to meet this expense. The work was completed and the building dedicated February 22, 1907. After moving into the new building Physics and classes of higher Mathe- matics were added there by enabling students to enroll in advance schools or universities, if they so desired. A piano was purchased and a wooden tennis court was built. The first commencement was held in 1908. The next semester the coarse of study was rearranged. Drawing was added and a more complete apparatus for chemistry and physics installedg also reference books for the library. Each year the num-ber of pupils increased. Agricultural work began in 1910. Much interest was taken in this new work. In 1912 the present senior class entered as freshmen, forty-five in num- ber. From the beginning, we made our presence known. A commercial coarse of bookkeeping and typewriting was added, also commercial arithmetic the next year. VV e have had Domestic Science during the two last years and advance work in Latin has been continued. Vocations was the last addition to the course. Previously the Tomahawk was published by the Senior Class, until last 28