Hartford Public High School - Classbook Yearbook (Hartford, CT)

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280 THE CHRONICLE mensely significant fact in itself. Thirteen has from time immemorial been considered as either a lucky or an unlucky number, and I chose to call it a lucky day for the Hertford High School. Then, too, the word September is derived from the Latin svptcuz, or Greek lzepiu, meaning seven, which is also a lucky number. In regard to the year 1911- add the digits and you will get twelve, which is next door to that first mentioned mystic number, and near enough to be lucky in itself. Hardly had the doors closed behind it before the class, thus triply blessed, began to show its colors. On that first day, a Fresh- man girl became lost in the labyrinths of the building. XYhen old Doctor Cook lost his way in the polar regions, don't you know, he ran home post-haste and told of his adventures, likewise this young lady immediately ran home and wrote up her escapade, which story was of such importance and interest that it was the first article in The Chronicle that year. Nor was she alone in raising the standard of excellence of that paper, for during the year four other articles writ- ten by members of the Freshman Class appeared in that Bally journal. No little effort was used to convince the faculty of 1915's ability, physically, mentally, and-musically. Fourteen of the lads gave imi- tations of Caruso in the Boys' Glee Club and there were no less than six Mary Gardens in the Girls' Club. In addition to this, two youths of this class gaily strummed in the Mandolin Club. Of the mental ability, the faculty was convinced by the original, if not brilliant reci- tations by the budding geniuses of the class. As for physical prowess, this class displayed such unusual and exceptional ability in that direc- tion, that immediately it was announced that the gymnasium exhibi- tion would be revived. The boys and girls of 1915 aroused tremendous applause and admiration by their cavortings and contortions in this exhibition. Indeed, the affair was so successful that it has been con- tinued each year since. Summer vacation came and went-and so did some of the members of the Class of 1915. Of course the fame attained during the Sophomore year far o'er- shadowed that of the Freshman, and again the Class of 1915 was aided by the fated thirteen, for this was the year 1913. During the short lapse of one year, the voices of four of the boys had so improved that they were honored with membership in the Glee Club, now making the grand total of eighteen of 1915's boys in that home of discords. The voices of the six young ladies already in the Girls'

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THE CHRONICLE 279 I don't doubt but that we have given some very choice debates, with- out realizing it. But there was o11e subject, on which I started the discussion, which I thought my audience in that room did not appreciate fully, so I am going to write about it to you, incidentally showing you what pleasure and benefit I have derived from your kind gift. For the first few days of our confinement here none of us felt well enough acquainted with the others to do much talking, or indeed physically capable of conversing, so we spent the greater part of our waking hours in reading. You, doubtless with perfectly good inten- tions, shipped to this hospital a quantity of cast-off literature, which I digested, or devoured, or rather tried to swallow, as best I could, it being the only reading matter I could procure. There were some forty pamphlet-like magazines, with vari-colored covers, evidently the monthly issues for the last four years of the Hertford Academyg there were also four consecutive volumes of some sort of year-book-I believe they call it the Howl Amzual. Each of the pamphlets was labelled The Chronicle. VVhether this title signifies that the publica- tion is permanent, haunting the school by which it is edited as a chronic disease, I know not. Certain it 'is that it had a lasting im- pression on me. I must say that the majority of the stories were interesting, inspiring, in fact-and as for those dated 1915, they were really works of art. After careful study, determined not to be mistaken in a matter of such vital importance to the world at large, I finally settled on the Class of 1915 as the paragon of all the classes that ever graduated from the Hertford High School, or ever will Cfor the next three years. at leastj. I was determined, also, that my three companions should share my beliefs, and so, with a great deal of time and labor, I set about to convince them, compiling a great many statistics and facts showing the superiority of the aforementioned class over all others. It is odd how a matter of little significance may puff itself into one of tremendous import in the eyes of a rational man. And I am not sure but that the affair of the Class of 1915 is indeed a huge one. It is not for me to say. At any rate, when I was ready, I attacked my fellow sufferers, armed with all the facts I could marshal from the limited scope of my reading. First, the very fact that the class entered the school for the first time, as Freshmen, on the thirteenth of September, 1911, is an im- as

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THE CHRONICLE 281 Club had grown so strong that no more were needed to augment them. Likewise the same two boys were still picking their way in the Mandolin Club. Ohl I say, in the athletic field the wonderful ability of the prodi- gious class was exhibited to the best advantage. Three of the boy-s, like Dutch Cleanser, 'took the rub out of the scrub' on the second foot- ball team, so that the first shone far and wide, even as far as New Britain, and the Hve stars that the planet depended upon were 1915's men. After having made such a pretty debut on the football field, 1915 thought it best to stretch its ability to cover all helds, so it divided its energy by allotting one man to each the indoor track, the relay, the basketball, and the hockey teams. During all this time The Chronicle was subsisting on the literary material of the Class of 1915, for besides enumerating the victories won through the untiring efforts of the Sophomores alone, it contained seven first-class articles written by Third Class men. In the last edi- tion of that Fountain of Culture were three articles by Sophomores, leaving an impression that more and greater things were forthcoming from them the next year. A shell has just exploded very near our tent, and although that is becoming quite customary, I' fear I shall have to delay writing further, until the excitement of my tent-mates has quietedf' Out of the wreck I rise, and again take my pen in hand, to con- clude the outline of the achievements of the Class of 1915 of the Hert- ford Public High School. No, not to conclude-for a conclusion, don't you know, implies a completion-and certain it is that no man living can attempt to complete even an outline of what such a tre- mendous organization has done, or is likely to do. I believe I left it at the close of its Sophomore year, and now, three hundred sixty- nine strong, the class becomes of age, and is allowed to take a more active part in the running of the school. And, indeed, it gives the latter a 'good run for its money.' The Junior year, ordinarily devoted somewhat to the higher mathematics, found our heroes taking a pugnacious, and, from the view- point of the other classes, a dangerously lively part in utlzlctics as well. Nine men on the second football team were endeavoring to imbue their two stalwart brothers on the first with the strength and enthu-