Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

Page 14 text:

Not a few incidents we must leave without recording, among tliem being the Valentine party, Gardner reception, Mr. Obear’s marriage, Mr. Vosburg’s arrival and po])ularity, the day that We were chosen, and last and by far not the least, the destruction of eit ' hall. Adieu, poor little misguided Undergraduates, accept this timclv advice: Follow in our footste])s and you will all win glory and success. 12

Page 13 text:

We were a siieeeSvS soeially as well as intellectualh , “Our First Attempt” netting glorious results. This was due, largely, to our attractive posters, one of which appeared in our popular friend’s music store window, and toward which our principal especially seemed attracted. In conscc|uenec of this we were summoned to assembly hall to receive a heart to heart talk on our originalit} ' . The great love which our Gardner friends bore us was shown in a second invitation from them to attend a corn roast to be held in their domain. For some unaccountable (?) reason the invitation did not reach us until two days after the affair had taken place. “The saddest words of tongue or pen Were those few words: ‘It might have been.’’’ But amidst all this revelry a blow fell upon us from which we have never recovered : the news of our beloved principal’s resignation. Others than we had realized Mr. Hitchcock’s worth and Fate decreed that he should leave us. We did not fully real- ize our loss until we were obliged to submit to far different treat- ment than formerly. By this time we were well prepared to assume the role of the dignified Senior. At our first Senior class meeting Shanks was unanimously elected president and the other officers were chosen without any wrangling. Imagine our despair when we learned that we were to lose our dear and most popular teacher, Mr. Cobb. As the time drew near for him to leave us, we suddenly became endowed with rich gifts of poetry and song (sad farewells). We gave him a rousing send-off, thus showing to the last how highly we esteemed him. Shortly after his departure, we learned to our great satisfaction that he was not lost to us all for he had chosen the dearest one of our faculty for his life partner. It was during our Senior year that the “Red and Gray” appeared, and its success was due largely to our class, from which we furnished the editor-in-chief and two assisting editors. Every one seemed to regret our departure, even Mr. Nolen realized that it would be absolutely impossible to even try to teach school without Us. 11

Page 15 text:

It was one o’clock. The last bell had just rung. I was pre- paring to leave the building when Professor ()l3ear handed me a note as I was going out of the door. The paper contained only these words, “ Meet me at door 3, 7 p. m. to-night.” That was all. I was surprised and perplexed. Why should he want to see me at such an unheard-of hour? Perhaps I had committed some misdeed or perhaps I was backward in my lessons. But no ; th£it was too improbable. I could come to no conclusion. I hastened home. I thought of nothing but the mysterious note. The hours dragged on like days, and it seemed as if seven would never come. At last I heard the whistles blow. It was six o’clock. I ate my supper and hurried to school. I was early, but finally Mr. Obear appeared and opened the door. His countenance betrayed not the slightest emotion, and not a single clue to the cause of this singular appointment did I obtain. ‘‘I haven’t done anything, really, Mr. Obear!” I cried. “Please come up stairs with me,” he said quietly. I followed him up two flights to the fourth floor and into the dark room just at the right of the stairway. He pressed a but- ton and immediately the apartment was brilliantly illuminated by an electric light. In a corner of the room stood a workman’s bench covered with tools and appliances of various sorts. Behind it was a shelf filled with bottles containing chemicals. Close to the bench was a large something, which resembled a telescope. Seeing me looking inquiringly at it the professor said: “This is what I have brought you up to see. Now I will com- mence at the beginning and call to your notice some of the pecu- liar chemical properties of Polonium and Actinium, of which I have taken advantage in producing this instrument.” Then he 13