Grimsley High School - Whirligig Yearbook (Greensboro, NC)

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J v ' ■si Jhe f BFIvECTOI In the year 1923, the great circus of Greensboro High School was enlarged by one hundred and fifty, who entered not the main ring, but the side show of Junior High School. These untrained animals were called Class of ’28 and chose as their king, Harry Gump, who ruled through many good and bad times. In the show number three, a large group of animals was herded together with Miss Daisy Anderson as general manager. With an attempt toward civilization they organized a court with one of the monkeys, Ed Kuykendall, as judge; the seals, Harry Gump, Carlton Wilder, and Henry Biggs, as attorneys; and the zebras, Harry Lloyd and Mildred Knight, as jurymen. In the first session three apes, Helen Shuford, Catherine Vanstory and Rut h Stinnett were tried for match¬ ing, a practice previously unheard of in the animal kingdom. Not very long after one of the same apes, Helen Shuford. was sent to the higher court, ruled over by Mr. Eaks, with the severe charge of throwing a salt cellar across the cafeteria. The most notorious laughing hyenas in the class were Margaret High and Ray Henderson, whose hee-haws were wonderful in their volume and frequency of exhibition. On one occasion Miss Dally, a distinguished trainer of wild animals, had quite a combat with Ray, who had a great desire to laugh at every little pun. After a particularly trying laugh, she snapped her whip, and ordered him back to the cage in the office. He went, but still untamed, for his hee-haw resounded after him. Miss Willie Hall, another director in the circus, endeavored, during this first year, to teach her poor dumb beasts the use of the pen. She had one class, through which Marjorie Cox and Bill Knight sat, composed almost entirely of lambs. Marjorie had a great love of chewing gum, and had succeeded in mastering the 17

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The Troupe We started out, a care-free troupe, A joyous company, Our trainers ever urged us on To work quite ardently. We traveled over many routes For lour successive years. Sometimes our acts were dull and crude And we could hear no cheers. But always, in good times and bad, Our friends to us were true; And parents, inspiration gave. Encouragement anew. And now we members of the troupe Must go our separate ways; But we will hold in memory The friends of circus days. Elizabeth Betts, Evelyn Parks. 16

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F EFIvECTOI - K. ..... ..... art of chewing to perfection. One day she was particularly rash in the exercis¬ ing of her jaws, much to the annoyance of Miss Hall, who proclaimed Marjorie a goat among little innocent Iambs. Bill would be cute, so he established himself as monkey and immediately began annoying Elizabeth Wilson, who was the delicate one of the class at that time. Thus two more wild animals were established with the circus. Directing the girls who hoped to ride well into the realms of housekeeping was one Miss Perkins, who loved her home economics, and Cora Lee Cox. In her class, besides this much-loved one, many others tried out their knowledge of how to make good biscuits, lo some. Hazel Jenkins, for instance, this was very beneficial since she learned enough to win a gold fountain pen for baking the most excellent product. To others, however, Elizabeth Wilson and I- ' ranees Sink, it meant an hour after school just for playing ball with a very small, very dirty piece of dough. Among the ringmasters in these smaller rings were the very famous Miss Ina Pegram and Mr. Bobby unsch. As a side show, they directed an operetta, Dreams ot (). Henry,” in which, after some training, a great many of the bipeds o! Junior High School ring took ' part. It was this which first showed the remark¬ able talent of Catherine Duffy as a dancer, of Ed Stainback as a singer, and of many others, among them Elizabeth Pamplin, Ruth Yarborough, Rebecca Webster, Margaret Bain. Juanita Dillon and Martha Sykes, as chorus girls, butterflies, and flower-girls. Near the end ot the year, when the animals had become accustomed to life in the circus, they had a great desire to return to their childhood days. With this in view, they planned a “kid day” in imitation of the one held by the members ol the larger rings. On the day set, when everyone planned to come to school arrayed in “kid” clothes, the bipeds came, but not dressed in childish garb. Only one, Henry Biggs, came attired for 1 the day. With his curly hair, his short, white trousers, his socks, and his big, “Buster Brown” tie, he indeed won the hearts of all the girls, and attracted so much attention that Mr. Eaks sent him home to change his clothes. As a grand climax to this the first year of circus life, Ed Stainback, a clown in the show, received the distinction of being exempted on Latin I. which was made greater by the tact that he was the only one who averaged enough. In the second year alter the (.lass of 28 entered the circus of Greensboro High School, a wonderful thing happened to its members. The nursery, a new part of the main show, was completed, and they would be transferred to one of the three big rings. Diagrams ot the building were placed before the classes of animals, and all the ringmasters and trainers drilled their especial charges over and over as to where their classes should be. 18