Hartford High School - Hartford Key Yearbook (White River Junction, VT)

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land's Busiest Business Woman! Miss Frances Mace!! . . . and now, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the nine hundred and ninety-ninth episode in the daily presentation of ‘One Man’s Family Relations,’ starring Miss Jacqueline Gohie in the leading role of Maggie Mophandle. Today we find . . At this moment Burton returned with the manager, who was, of all people, (even in this dream world I had entered I, “Herbert Smith!” I cried. “So you’re the owner of this establishment! Why, it’s impossible! 1 can’t believe it!” “Yes,” he replied, smiling. “You see, I won it in a raffle five years ago. But come into my office, where there’s less confusion.” In we went to what he modestly called his office, and there he motioned me to an easy chair. “Well, Everett,” he began,— and then the telephone rang. “Hello . . . yes . . . yes . , . what? . . . really! . . . how many tents? . . . well, well! . . . when is it coining? . . . yes . . . yes, we certainly shall . . . thanks for calling . . . good-bye!” “That was Margery Roberts,” he said, turning to me. “She says that Mary Izzo’s Circus is coming to White River. Mary surprised even the most imaginative of us a few years ago by becoming a bareback rider. Margery, you know, handles the column on ‘Advice to the Lovelorn’ in the ‘White River Post.’ She’s wonderfully adapted to such matters, it seems.” “Say,” I queeried. “how about telling me what some of our other classmates are doing now? I haven’t seen or heard from them for years!” “Well,” Herbert began, “Joyce Bixby is still living in West Hartford, where she runs the famous dance pavillion. Island Park. Her husband, Evans Perry, is the bartender. and is noted for his delicious lemonade. Leon and Leona Chase are still together, and own more than half of Quechee, including Chases Mills, the largest woolen mills in Vermont.” “What about Arlene Lyman?” I interrupted. “Oh, Arlene still lives in Jericho, ‘the thriving metropolis of the hills’ as she puts it. Why, it now contains a store, a post office, and a hotdog stand! 't ou know. Arlene was Vermont Senator in Washington for six years, hut is now married and has three children, all future Hartfordians! Her husband owns the largest dairy-farm in Vermont. But it took Lucille Hill to he really different! She’s conductor on a sub-street car, which runs under the ground from West Hartford to Quechee. Doris Putnam drives the school bus from Quechee to Hartford High School, where, incidentally, she teaches Pig Latin. She holds the record for having always made the trip in two minutes and four seconds flat. Once again we were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. “This time it was Lucy Drew,” said Herbert, after the conversation was over. “She told me that Althea Hefllon is playing in the concert at City Hall tonight. She has, you know, travelled all over Europe, playing piano solos, hut she has returned, reporting that it’s very cold over there, for since Iceland won World War No. 2 in 1946, every European citizen has been required to buy one cake of ice each day. Lucy, by the way, operates the toll bridge over the Connecticut River. Her job pays her thousands of dollars each year. “Now that you've told me about everyone else, how about yourself?” I asked. “Well,” said Herbert shyly, displaying his becoming blush. “I’m married, and have three little hoys; Billy, Bobby, and Berty. “My, my,” 1 laughed, so ‘history repeats itself,’ eh? Hurrah for the Smith brothers” A short time later I retired to my room, and went to bed. Soon I was dreaming that Herbert’s children were trying to smuggle Althea’s piano out of the city by way of Lucy’s toll bridge. The next day I visited Hartford High School. Of course I did not recognize the new building, so large that it could easily accommodate four thousand students. It [31]

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I immediately told him why I was bound for bite River, and asked him whether he knew anything about any of our old friends. “Well, he said, “1 met Albert Couture about two months ago, and he told me that he had taught English in a high school in Arizona for nearly ten years. He said that after graduating from Hartford High, he decided that English was what he really liked the l est of anything. “Good old Albert!’ I ejaculated. “I’m glad to hear such a good report! “Only yesterday,' Earl continued. “I heard that Katherine Bagiev was a candidate for the governorship of the State of Mississippi. What do you think of that? “Fine!” I exclaimed. “1 only hope that if she s elected she will always remember how to s|h 1 I ‘Mississippi.’ Those little things used to bother her some. “I sav, he continued, “have you heard or seen Russell Bement o er the radio lately? “I’m afraid not. You see, I said wryly, “1 don’t believe that I’ve looked into a television set for five years. I’ve been so busy. “Well.” Earl explained, “Russell's been for years to the kids of today what Gene Autry used to be to us. You should hear him ‘go to town’ on his guitar sometime. “I'll try to, the very first day I get home! I vowed. “Do you remember Ellen Davis? he asked after a pause. “Why, of course! What about her? “Well, she's now married to a descendent of Henry Ford, who owns the Ford Submarine Company, and she’s considered an absolute authority on the art of steering a submarine. We talked on and on, until, at about three o’clock, Earl remarked that we were nearing our destination. Home again! Little wonder that my heart-beat quickened! I step| ed to a window. Had the old town changed much? Was Teddy’s Diner still standing? Would the Surprise Store be having an Easter Sale? I looked out of the window, and down on the W hite River valley. As I did so. I gasped. As far as the eye could see were spread hundreds of business blocks, and stretching beyond them in all directions were the residential sections. The whole city appeared to be a solid mass of buildings, skyscrapers, railroads, and avenues, with here and there a spacious park. “City of spires! My city! “Hold tight! Earl called out. “We’re about to land! Ten minutes later I was in a taxi which was taking me away from the City Airport. I had, of course, said “au revoir to Earl, who was now bound for Hong Kong. “W here to? asked the driver. “Well, what’s the best hotel? I inquired. “The Ritzy Rox,’ he replied. “It's the best in the state of Vermont. “Then take me to the Ritzy Rox! (What a name, for old White River!! )’’ In a few moments we drove up in front of a grand hotel on Maple Boulevard, its granite sides towering fifty stories into the air. To say that I was greatlv impressed by life's changes would be putting it mildly. As 1 entered the Ritzy, a bellhop came up to me, whom I instantly recognized as Burton faneuf! He alone hadn't changed at all! The same carefree, happy Burton that he was back in high school! A great deal of handshaking followed. “Say, I’ve got a surprise for you! he exclaimed suddenly. “Wait here while I go get him. the owner and manager of the Ritzy Rox!” Completely baffled, I stood there waiting. Meanwhile a silver-toned radio was announcing at the further end of the lobby: “This is your announcer, Adlord Dulac. returning you to New York. You have just heard from our famous foreign correspondents, Fulbert and Frederick Demers, who have brought you the latest news direct from London! . . . Friends of the radio audience, for better quality and better service, do your shopping in the Ben Franklin Stores, which are located throughout the United States, and oj erated by New Eng- [30]

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was made of Vermontium, the new fire-proof, water-proof, and fool-proof material which had come into use throughout the country. Over the magnificent marble archway was the date 1961. It was all very grand and very imposing, but I rather missed the little old brick schoolhouse of the past. In fact, that was the one thing I had hoped to find unchanged, but I suppose that was expecting too much. 1 entered the building, and was admitted to the principal’s office. Sitting at the mahogony desk was none other than our old math shark, studious, good-natured Eunice Linton! Besides being the math teacher, she was the principal of Hartford High School! She told me that Mr. Holland had long ago resigned to become the president of Harvard College. 1 asked her if she had heard from any of the members of the ('.lass of '41. “Why, yes,” she replied. “Dorothy Coutermarsh has taught typing and shorthand here ever since Miss Kingsbury retired, several years ago. Ruth Pitkin teaches chemistry and physics. She built the school an atom smasher without ever having seen one. Irene Coutermarsh operates the We Keep 'Em Fresh Fish Market in the suburb of Hartford, and does a thriving business, too. Rosemary Orizzonto is the city weather prophet; she hasn’t made one mistake in predicting the weather during the past ten years. Jessie Jaeger is a model for Yolande Corbin at the Corbin Sketch Shoppe, and is considered a very attractive one. You know, ever since Yolande drew that picture of Walt Whitman for the ‘Optic’ hack in our Junior year, she’s been drawing and painting, and now she gets pretty good prices for her works. “Have you heard from Marjorie Jorgensen?” 1 inquired. “Yes,” Eunice replied. “She’s in the movies. Her first hit was ‘The Ghost Train hack in high school. Then she went to Hollywood, and now she’s appearing in ‘I as a Fifth Columnist’.” We chatted for a while, and then, after having made the rounds, I left Hartford High School, perhaps, as I thought sadly, never to see it again. As I was walking down Maple Boulevard, I met a woman whom I knew I had seen before. Of course! It was Stella Grzeszczak! I rushed up to her. nearly frightening her to death, for she did not recognize me until I told her my name. She told me that she was married, and was leading a life of luxury. “I worked in Newberry’s for five years,” she said, “and then I was able to retire. She told me that Regis Crowell was a noted blues singer at the Andrews Night Club, which was (as you can guess I under the ownership of Marjorie Andrews. Regis had sung before the crowned heads — and feet — of Europe. Marjorie, it seemed, was now' planning to lower the price of her six-course dinners to thirty cents. “Now there’s only one of our old classmates whom I don’t know about. I said, “and that’s Betty Shepard. Whatever became of her?” “Do you mean to say,” exclaimed Stella, “that you’ve been here nearly twenty-four hours and didn’t know that Betty is the mayor of White River City?” “What!” I gasped. “Yes,” Stella continued. “She was unanimously elected five years ago, and since then the city has grown rapidly under her guidance. It’s strange you haven’t heard before.” It was strange, indeed! Well, at last I had located every member of the Class of ’41, and now 1 was ready to go home, content. Already I pictured myself riding over the Australian plains on my kangaroo. That night I boarded a fast plane for Sydney. Soon nothing remained of White River City to my eyes except the flickering lights, ’till even they were swallowed up into the darkness. As the plane roared on into the night, tears came to my eyes, for the only thought in my mind was that I was speeding rapidly away from my old home town, farther and farther away perhaps forever. Far into the night, my thoughts were filled with Althea and her piano, Lucy and her toll bridge, and Herbert with his group of three. Everett Savage [»2]