Gardiner Area High School - Quill Yearbook (Gardiner, ME)

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THE QUILL 11 Comic strips and sports events rated only one brief paragraph. At my birth, Maine was a land of livery stables, hitching posts, and muddy roads. Motor vehicles have brought vast changes to our way of life. School days of my childhood were very different. Old school districts have been abolished. Education no longer sticks to the three R's, but extra-curricular subjects add to the efficiency and happiness of the pupils. Among my acquaintances are famous writers such as Edward Arlington Robinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Kenneth Roberts is probably the out-standing Maine author of fiction whom I knew. Maine poets and playwrights have been numerous, and Maine literature has become best selling material. I have observed that fire and flood, the worst in generations, visited Maine, but she has recovered and built anew. Many saw- mills on river-banks have disappeared, but the water is being used to generate electricity for even small communities and provide power for industrial plants. Gasoline has played a big part in revolutionizing industry, agriculture, and transportation. Marked changes have been made in the political set-up of Maine. Direct primary law came into being. Women voters now out-number men and occupy key positions. In my youth, the mother's place was in the home. The shipbuilding I knew as a youth reached a grand climax in World War II. Bath Iron Works and the South Portland yard turned out destroyers and merchant ships. As I look back, it is with pride I recall the events of my life. Who am I? Could you guess if I told you that the fifty years of my life are at an end? Yes, I am Father Time of the last half-century. I wish to bequeath all of my experience to my heir, 1950. May he have a prosperous and peaceful life! - Lois Lackey, '52 IT'S COKE TIME The bell rings. School is out and all the gang is headed toward the drugstore. The door opens, then bangs shut. This goes on almost continually until they all arrive. The six stools covered with red leather are taken. Boys and girls are waiting almost three deep for a seat in order to get their after-school lunch of cokes and crackers. Troubles are hashed over and some are getting help on the next day's lessons. Plans are being made between some for a movie. The boys have a date with the cue and eightball. The basketball team is praised and criticized. Bets of ice cream sodas are being placed on the Cony- Gardiner game, and so it goes. The clock has swung its arms around until it's four o'clock and time to be getting home. Good-byes are said and off they go by twos and threes. So ends another day at the Manson and Church Drugstore. - Patricia Roberts, '50 A MEMGRABLE GAME It was a day in early November, And the sky was dark as night, When our team would clash with Brunswick, And our boys with them should iight. We left Gardiner quite early And cheered most all the wayg Our very hearts were with our boys On that important day. The game began - with cheers and songs - Our men went out to play, And play they did throughout the game, A long and bitter fray. We lost - but everyone declared Our men were not to blame, And after all it's not who wins, But how we play the game. - Pamelia Dick, '52 ANIMAL FRIENDS Life at five in the morning would be ex- tremely dull for me if it were not for my animal friends along my paper route. No other friends would be able to show so much enthusiasm at the sight of me at any hour of the day. . Y

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10 T H E A 1950 FIRESIDE JOURNEY Come with me if our country you would quickly scan while cosily seated by your fireside. In Boston town we'll take time for a Tea Party of our own, and before we leave we'll surely have codfish cakes and baked beans too. Then Plymouth Rock we'll view with awe, remembering well that First Thanks- giving Day. On we go to Providence, a lovely city in our very smallest state. Roger Williams, we are told, made it famous long ago. We visit New York City, the grandest in our land. Here we see the Statue of Lib- erty shining forth the light of freedom. Long days it would take us to see all the wonders of this great city. Next, proudly we scan the Midwest's largest city, Chicago, the city of much wind. Many hours here we spend at the Natural History Museum. St. Louis, Missouri, so rich in historical lore, holds us spellbound. We are told that years ago trappers used to come and go on that old Mississippi shore. But on we must hasten to Detroit, the pride and joy of our state of Michigan. Here we well know is manufactured almost every make of car. Cleveland, too, we must not skip on old Lake Erie in our great state of Ohio. This many a year great ships have in its harbor come and gone. In Milwaukee on Lake Michigan's shore we feast on many fine dairy foods, while historical facts about them are unfolded to us. Much Indian lore here can be learned. We spend a little time in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the beautiful story of Minnehaha and Hiawatha originated. CThis famous poem we all should read.j On, on we go, through Indianapolis, Indiana, to see that land so fair and grand where the Wabash River flows along. Now we are on the crest of Pikes Peak in Colorado, and towns and cities for miles around we view. At last, at last! We reach that great West Coast. On famous Puget Sound, in Oregon, Qs QUILL we stand and View with awe the mysteries of that vast state. Then, to see motion pictures in the mak- ing we gaily stop in Los Angeles and watch the stars of Screenland's fame. The brightest day we'd ever seen began at San Francisco's Golden Gate. The West we surely hate to leave, but other scenes ahead of us beckon and we speed along our way. Soon we are in the Lone Star State, Texas is so vast and great! CYou know the battle of the Alamo was fought here years ago.j Ere we realize it we are in the land the French and Spanish first did see-New Orleans - and just in time for the famous Mardi Gras. The beauty and gayety of this we'll never forget. Georgia peaches and cotton fields so white loom up in front of us, and yes, long our Gardiner boys do linger, gazing at the pretty belles of Tennessee. But time is switfly passing. Through to Florida vacation land we'd like to drift, still home is calling strong. In deep respect we pause to view our Capitol. Thankful are we in heart that Old Glory waves so proudly over this, our Land of Liberty. A quick stop in Philadelphia gives us sight of where the Declaration of Indepen- dence was signed by those farsighted men of old. But, when all is said and done, home is always best, and here we are again back in the good old state of Maine. -jane Whittier, '52 MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY I was born on a winter day among much celebrating and rejoicing. The announce- ment of my birth was published throughout the world. Although my youth and strength have passed away, I wish to recall for you a few interesting facts and changes which have happened during my life. My birth was not a matter of front-page concern. During my infancy society news was contained on one page of the paper.

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12 THE jorky, a shaggy overgrown German Shep- herd pup, rushes at me as soon as I come into sight. He never barks but tries to pounce out in such a way as to scare me. He wants me to stay to play for a while but doesn't know quite how to keep me. Patsy, a black fuzzy dog of no particular breed, does her best to frighten me with her loud bark and toothless nips. I know she doesn't hate me but only tries to make me think so. Rocky is one of my most loyal pals, since I seem to be the only one who likes him. All the neighbors hope to have him move away. When he is in the best of spirits, I can- count on his company for the rest of the routeg but only because he wants to chase his favorite cats and squirrels. At one house Grandpaw, a big fluffy grey and white cat, comes out to be put in my paper bag for a short ride. He loves to be petted. My squirrel friends are always ready for games of hide and seek. One in particular calls me names nearly every morning for disturbing her plans. Even Mr. Woodman's house has a friend for me. Chippie, the chipmunk, who lives under the porch has many squeaks and chatters for me if I sneak up on him. Last but not least is my own cat, which waits on the porch rail. He always has a loud Meow - as much as to say, Isn,t it about time to let me in?', I have many other animal friends of different kinds and dispositions, but these are my favorites. Some fine morning I'm sure they'll all be glad to meet you if you care to come along with me. - M. Carlton Storms, '53 A DIME TELLS ITS STORY I am just a plain little old dime. I can't remember right where I came from, but here I am anyway -in an old lady's money box. I'm in here, tucked down with all the rest of her money. I don't have any fun any- more, just lying here day by day. I can remember how I used to enjoy life so much. QUILL There was the time that I fell out of jimmy's daddy's pocket and was given to jimmy for his piggy bank, then he sneaked me out and I went to the store to buy him an ice cream. Then once I was given to the Salvation Army where I helped buy some coal for a poor family down in the poor part of the town. I was very proud that time to think I could help out. I remember little Janie and Tommy Brown so well. They were the ones that took me to the fair that terribly hot day. Poor little Tommy couldn't ride on the merry-go-round because he lost me. I tried my best to cry out to him when he dropped me, but I couldn't make a sound so I just had to lie there in the dirt and dust and be walked on and kicked around. After the fair was over, two little boys found me and had a fist fight over who was going to keep me. It never occurred to them, I suppose, that they could share me. After a time a little old lady came along and ex- plained to the boys how they could share meg and taking me, she gave each of the boys a nickel. How happy they were! Well, I am still with that little old lady. I've been here for a long time now, but I hope that soon I shall be off to new adven- tures and that I shall be happy again. - Barbara Hamilton, '51 A POND MEMORY The moon was shining through the trees That brisk and silent night, And looking up and down the road Not a person was in sight. Suddenly a sound came to my ears, A sound of tinkling bells, And looking up the road I saw Two horses galloping pell-mell. Behind them was a sleigh Filled with many girls and boys Whose laughing, giggling, and talking Surely made a lot of noise.