Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 7 to assess anew the value of the intimate and unending service of chemistry to home, community and country: to weigh afresh the obligation resting upon us all to bring our country abreast of the world's foremost nations in this branch of knowledge which literally underlies our physical and our economic life. This shows the great importance which our leaders are placing upon chemistry today. Yet beyond question, even with its wonderful recent development. chemi- cal research is but in its infancy. VVhat the future holds for it no man can say, but all agree that generations to come will look back upon this age in chemistry much as we look back upon ages now long past. :Ks we wonder why a knowledge of gases and the the- ory of atoms so long evaded early chem- ists, so people of the future will marvel that our men of science failed to under- stand many truths of chemistry which will then be universally known. VASHTI CLEMENT CLASS HISTORY. As historian of the class of 1923. it is my duty to cast to the four winds the record of our labors and activities. Four years ago, on September 23. 15139, Fryeburg Academy opened its doors. groared. and sighed. for more desks must be purchased in order to ac- eonimodate forty-five small and Very green Freshmen. For the first few days we had great confidence in our power to maintain our rights. VVe pushed the Sophomores around at will and went on our blissful way undisturbed. Perhaps this conti- dence was inspired by the fact that we were the largest class that had entered the Academy for some years. VVhat- ever the cause, these unnatural condi- tions did not long prevail. At a social tendered us by the juniors, we were shown our place, and what is more, we kept it for the rest of the year. This did not hinder us. however, from receiving a fair share of the prizes offered by the school. 'lhree of our boys won their letters in baseball. One of our boys won the second Latin prizeg anolher won the general improvement prize: and a third won second honor in l'rize Speaking. 'l'here came the fall of 1920. IVe re- turned to our studies with a feeling of more or less importance. We were Sophomores, and as such looked for- ward to teaching the Freshmen the ways of lfryeburg Academy. NVe missed several from our ranks, but their places were filled by new mem- bers. As I looked one over from feet to head, I saw two feet that undoubt- edly belonged to a woman. Letting my glance rove upward, I noticed a set of trouser legs. Surprised, yes, even star- tled. I looked into a face that belonged to a man. Upon inquiring as to whom th's gentleman possessing woman's feet might be, I learned that his name was Percy liurnell of XVest llaldwin. VVendell Ridlon. another new member, seemed to lack the ability of handling himself properly, and so quickly gained the nickname of Weary. Floyd Warren was conspicuous be-

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6 THE ACADEMY BELL for starch, sugar, oil, and all other or- ganic compounds. Nature's supply of many of our com- pounds will soon become exhausted. For instance, this will be true of our coal, oil and illuminating gas. We will soon need chemists who can provide some substitute for these compounds. Chemists are more and more turning their attention to the use of by-products or waste products, and some of these by-products are even more useful than the main products. Only a short time ago, the coal which had been heated to furnish the illuminating gas used in cit- ies, was thrown away. Now we get nearly all of our ammonia from this coal. Hut the most important by-prod- uct of heating coal is coal tar. Coal tar is the scrap-heap of the vegetable king- dom. In it is found a little of every- thing that is in trees. It contains about a dozen primary compounds which can be made into hundreds of thousands of other substances. It heals and wounds. It furnishes medicines and munitions. From it is made perfume which sur- passes that of the rose. It is like the magic purse of Fortunatus, from which anything can be drawn. Its most im- portant use is in manufacturing of dyes. This was practically started in t'1e United States after our supply was cut off from Germany during the war. Gur dye in- dustry has been a great success. Now the value of our export of dyes is as great as was the value of the import of dyes before the war. The chemists of this country could have earlier found a way to make dyes if they had tried. This is just an example of what chemists can do when necessity demands. Nitrogen plays a very important part in making high explosives. The first im- plement of fighting was cellulose, chietiy in the form of clubs. Then came silica, mostly in the form of flint arrowheads and spear-points. Now has come the nitrogenous era, the using of nitrogen compounds to make gunpowder and ex- plosives: Nitrogen is generally consid- ered as an inert substance, so it might seem strange that it is of so great use in making explosives, but this is the very reason it is useful. It is very reluctant to unite with other substances, but on the other hand, very active in getting out of certain of its compounds. So when these nitrogen atoms are disturbed in any way, they, obeying their natural or- der, force themselves out of their com- pounds with such violence that an ex- plosion occurs. Gun cotton, T. N. T. and all our explosives contain nitrogen. The only objection in regard to the nitro- gen is that it must be in a compound. Free nitrogen is of no worth. It is as free as air, but reminds one of the quo- tation from the Ancient Mariner: VVa- ter, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.' At the opening of the world war, Germany was using Chile saltpeter almost entirely in making explosives. Later this supply was cut off and Ger- many would at once have been forced to her knees but for her chemists who found a way to take nitrogen from the air and put it into compounds. This is another example of the skill and power of chemists. Pamphlets endorsed by world prominent people are now being distributed to womens' clubs and other organizations with the avowed purpose

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8 THE ACADEMY BELL cause of his white hair and gold tooth. Rachel Heath, Clifford Kimball, and Alice llallard joined our ranks and again we numbered forty-five. As the year progressed we found more time to take part in the Various activi- ent. My attention was soon called to one of our new members. He was a pale, thin, sickly looking fellow. Today as we look at Charles l-larmon we cannot help but marvel at the change two years of life at Fryeburg Academy has brought about. In place of a wan and beardless face, we ind a countenance with the amplitude of a full moon and with the whiskers of a buecaneer. VVe also welcomed Forrest and VVal- lace lllake, and Marguerite Marston of llrownheld. After a year's absence Charles Davidson returned to F. A., Marion Stokes and Lucille Locke regis- tered, but left soon after they had joined us. ties. The varsity basket ball team took two of our men, one of whom was the captain, and two others won their let- ters in track. Vlfhen the spring term ended seven boys had earned their let- ters in baseball. .Athletics was not the only thing in which we gloried, however. The gen- eral improvement prize was earned by Percy llurnellg Lillian Swan won the medal for excellency in Englishg Percy Burnell and Marion Charles won prizes in the annual speaking contestg Lillian Swan and Vashti Clement won the Latin prizes. When we returned as juniors in the fall of 1921, we counted and recounted the class roll and found only forty pres- Few were the functions of school life that did not find some of the Juniors in- volved. The improvement prize for girls was won by Doris lfernaldg the English medal was won by Vashti Clement, the first prize in Latin was won by Mary Eastmang and the first prize in the annual speaking contest was won by Raymond Cotton. Two Juniors served as literary editors on the ACAD- EMY BELL, while a third held the position of assistant business manager. Five Juniors, including the captain and man- ager, won letters in basket ball, and eight juniors earned letters in baseball. At the end of this year we heard of Mr. VVelch,s resignation with misgivings, for he had guided us through three years of our school life. At the beginning of our Senior year Mr. Elroy O. LaCasce took the position as Headmaster. Mr. LaCasce has proved himself wholly in sympathy with the scholars, and has thereby gained the co- operation of the entire school. Early last fall a debating society was organized by the Senior class. Percy llurnell was chosen President, Robert Eastman, Vice-President and Mary Eastman, Secretary. Un March 22 we presented a drama entitled His Unclels Niece. The parts were well taken, and from this drama and the dance which followed the class realized one hundred and sixty-one dol- lars. Un March 29, 1923, we were sad- dened by the death of Mrs. Alberta Mabry Abbott who had been the faithful and efficient head of the Music Depart- ment for the past quarter of a century.