Graham High School - Graham Yearbook (Bluefield, VA)

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Senior Class Prophecy There was a roar of the huge crowd as ole “‘Strike- out” Earnest finally got a hit, winning another ball game for those almost unstoppable Yankee of the greatly enlarged city of Falls Mills, Virginia which overlooked the beautiful Falls Lake. As the sun was slowly sinking behind those beautiful ole Blueridge Mountains and the crowd was slowly filing from the stands, a well dressed young gent ap- proached upon the field to shake hands with his ole friend, Dave Earnest. There was something strange about the face and I asked my old pal Therman Johnson, the Goat of the 1950 World Series if he knew who they young man was. “No,” said Therman, but he looks darn familiar to me,” and ““Me, too,” I said. poo J heard ole “Ern’ call.“Come over here: a minute Lacy, you and Therman.” Immediately we obeyed and soon “Ern” was intro- ducing in his simple friendly-like manner to our ole school-mate, Claude ‘Edison’? Bowman. After a friend- ly handshake, I asked Claude, ‘“‘What’s this I hear about the new water solution called, the Bowman Finger Nail Grower?” “Water solution nothing, come here Marjorie,” he said, as he called a beautiful little glamour girl from the bleachers. It was none other than ole Marjorie Bailey who had lived to see her beloved ole Falls Mills become the tenth largest city in the United States, “Took at these fingernails,” said Claude, ‘‘that’s what this fingernail grower will do toward beautifying a girl.” “By Gosh, what do you call it, the American Eagle?” I asked. He laughed and jokingly replied, “Shucks no, I calls it, “Gyp ’em While You Can.” “Where are you staying!” I said, for it was now growing near my supper time which I never forgot no matter how thoroughly I was enjoying myself, I am staying over at the William Bowers Hotel, he said, won’t you and your Buddie go with me, I have quite a surprise for you.” Well, we all readily agreed and were soon on our way to the hotel. On arriving at the Hotel, we ate our supper to- gether, and were sitting and talking when we were greeted by the Hotel Manager, Mr. Wm. Bowers. “Friends,” he said, “Would you mind going out to the little Stowers Farm with me? “Gosh, no,” we all grasp, for we had not seen ole Elmer since the ole days of 1942. We were all, along with Bower’s wife the former Miss Emilia Bullio, soon crowded into Bower’s ole limousine and were on our way to the Stowers Farm. While we were on our way to the Stowers Farm, | asked ole Bowers, “‘What had become of ole “Argue Them to. They Pop” Cecil? “Well,” said Bowers, “he is one of the slickest lawyers that ever lived.” “He was employed by ole Claude here as a patent attorney when he patented his fingernail grower.” “‘He writes a hand that’s so fancy he has to hire old Charles Buckland regularly to sciper it for his customers. 1 would have asked him more, but by that time we were pulling in at the Stowers Farm. We got out and walked up the walk, knocked at the door, and were soon greeted by Elmer and his loving wife, the former Miss Letha Durham, After introductions by my good friend Bowers we were lead into the modest little loving room and seated. Ole Elmer was the first to speak up, “Have youse saw de paper, yet? Jist look here where Ruth Paynter has done gone and got married to dat handsome old Burton guy,” he said, pointing to a picture and a small piece in the paper. “Well, they sure were in love,” replied Bowers. “Yep, said; Eimer, “L @uess sit wasai natural,” “Not trying to change the conversation,” I said, but what became of George Graham, This time, it was Miss Stowers who remarked, “He's a bachelor and still carrying those ole “Tella-Lie” papers.” ‘And those three hot basketball boys, Tolley, Hager, and Kerley?” I inquired. “They are all married besides Hager, who has gyped his. way into the president of the N. W. Railroad,” said Bill. ‘‘As for the other two, they are co-promot- ers of a prize fighting business in which the great Ray “Joe Louis” Shrader, managed by ole Buford Tabord is one of their best fighters. “Kerley married a girl named Doris Mustard and ‘Yolly married the former Miss Anna Belle Shufflebarger.” “They both live on Walnut Street facing ole Beaver Creek where they have gym between them and ole Tolly is still try- ing to make a goal once in a while with the ole basket- ball’? “Does anyone know what happened to the “Mad Chemist,” Broyles!” Inquired Marjorie. Aint no use in talking,’ said Elmer, “Dat Blaine done made a bigger chemist than Ole Edison, himself.” “Yep,” I always thought he’d be a chemist, but I was expecting it to be only an air bubble,” I said. “Shucks, no, dat guys one real chemist,” said Elmer, “but he aint the only one what’s got to be great.” “Ole Nathaniel “Hawthorn” Richard McHaffa has become a writer of a book entitled, “I Can’t Lose Out With the Women.” (Continued on next page) Page 13

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ARNoLD SarvER—Attend Business College. Beta Club. Lacy BoswEL1—Cheszst. School Paper. BLAINE BroyLEes—Attend College. Loutsr Jones—WNurse. Library Club, Girl Reserves. IRENE WaLKkER—School Teacher. Library Club, Girl Reserves, Annual Staff, Beta Club. Ray SHRADER—Radio Announcer. Varsity Club. Burorp Tasnor—Machiuist. Varsity Club, Husert Hitu—Joim Army. Varsity Club. Page 12

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“Well, P'd never have thought he was that smart, but I guess things do happen in this world, | said, in fact | thought it would only be safe for him to follow his ole ambition of being an undertaker.” “OK; he is also an undertaker,” said Elmer. ‘“‘He’s got ole Arnold Sarver who brought out Platnick Bros. pretending to hurt his men by accident so that Richard Undertaking establishment will not go out of business.” “His first victim was poor ole Hubert Hill, who tried so hard to get out from under that pile ’er scrap iron.” “And de Law ain’t never catched up with him neither.” “But they will,” I said, “cause ole Chief of Police Neal, Lawyer Smiht, and that great “blues singing” detective Summers are one more slick gang.” “Yeah, they air,” said Elmer, but I almost furgot to tell you about ole Fred Kitts.’ He and the slender- figured Virginia White got married and have been given a screen test in Hollywood and they passed it, too, soon they may be Hollywood’s greatest.” The quiet ole Claude Bowman, having been quite long enough, spoke up, “you know they ain’t the only ones in Hollywood, cause ole Ray Hall Heavens and his wife the former Miss Virginia Mae Arms are the owners of a movie making company, but it was Vir- ginia Mae’s money that brought that place, not Ray’s.”’ “He never could save a penny.” “‘His secretary is none other than ole J. B. Burton”? whose so fat now that one day he got stuck getting in and out of his car and had to have ole Harry Wallace send over two of his lumbermen Russell Burton and Leonard Hudgins to prize him out with a wedge.” “That Burton must be a whaler,” I said. “He is,’ said Claude, “but that isn’t all,” Ole Jean Barnett, Betty Lafon, and Dot Beard are three of the companies best actresses and recently made a picture called, “Our Beauty is Almost Gone.” “And by the way old Rex Yost plays on the picture as one of the Navy’s best men.” Also in the picture are Jack Nash and Norman Flowers, two of the best soldiers that “McArthur McClintock ever knew.” “Well, by the way,” I said, “you spoke of Jean Barnett awhile ago, what became of her friend Ila Brooks? ” “IT forgot to tell you but she became the head of the Country Poor Farm,” answered Claude. “She’s got ole Jesse Ward Matthews, Mary Lee Lanter, Emma Hughes, and Ha Jean Scott and Tom Ratcliff all on her old farm.” ‘‘And very ‘Tuesday night she sends Mari- lynn Eschback and her ‘Worry ’em’ orchestra over to play for them.” And ole Elmer, piped up, “Well haint dat grand, I never would have knowed.” “Well, it was quite a surpise to me too,” said Claude, “however, I would like to tell you about visit- ing ole Carl Carbough, the railroader last summer.” “Ves,? Liedid= a 9010n. 4 He continued, “She has a little house in New York where he and his bride the former Miss Phyllis Peery live. He still keeps up right well with the girls and Page 14 he told me all about Janice Barrett getting married to “Hop” Compton, Ruth Worley winning a prize for that sneakie little laugh, Louise Jones winning a prize for being the fatest girl, Margaret Johnson going off and marrying some soap salesman that she ain’t never seen, and Margaret Compton marrying a man that turned “Boy, he knows it all, that ’ out to be a Jap spy.’ Carbough boy.” “Has anyone heard from Margaret White?” ask Dave, who as usual wanted to know all he could find out about girls. “Sure,” said Elmer, “she works as a maid for the sick Earl Davidson and his wife the former Miss Louise Harman.” ‘“He’s one of the sickest farmers in T'aze- ‘Hazel Wimmer is hired to chaffeur them around and Betty Christain looks after all seven- teen of them little children that belong to the Davidson family.” well county.” “1 don’t see how old Earl remains rich, do you?” said Letha. “No, said Thurman, ‘‘but that ain’t all he boards five ole devorced women who eats more than they pay in board.” ‘“They are Laro Irwin, who goes around sing- ing, “You Got Me This Way, Bluer than Blue,” then there is Cloy Dennis who was forced by the thrid, a woman-policeman, Gladys Brooks, to give up her lover. “Next is Margaret Compton who runs a dance hall “fit for a King” which she calls ‘““The Stagger.” ‘“The fifth is the beautiful Hazeltine Barger who does fan dances at “The Stagger,” “Boy is she something.” “Then, last not ‘least’ is Irene Walker who has studied so hard that every bood is hide from her to keep her from going crazy or dying.” “She might get well were it not for Richard McHaffa who brings her books every time he gets a chance, hoping some day she would mean a few more dollars to his undertaking Company.” “By the way,” said Elmer, “You ain’t married, Thurman, why don’t you go over and get you a gal?” “Not a bad idea.’ said Thurman as he grabbed his coat and started for the door. Soon he was on his way, and Elmer remarked, “glad to have got rid of that nuisance, I hate him.” “You should not feel that way Elmer,” I said, “but can you think of anyone we missed in our ole 1942 classes? ” “Well ves,” said Elmer, “where is Shirley ‘Tibbs and Francis Slade?” “Shucks, I forgot to tell you, Shirley is my wife, but that rascal Frances Slade I got a divorce from her, that sorry rascal, | don’t know where she is, and don’t give a hoot,” I said yawningly, but with temper “high asa. kite? “T guess we had better be leaving,” said Bill, looking at his watch. “It’s getting late, ten o’clock, new Eastern Daylight Saving Time.” “Yes,” I said, and after the general goodbyes, we were again on our way leaving “poor little” Thurman with his “tole maids.”