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

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THE CHRONICLE 275 On a brilliant afternoon in September, 1912, the Class of Nine- teen Sixteen entered the Hartford Public High School, brightened its halls, obscured its walls, and breathed into that now familiar at- mosphere, the energy and force for which the school has been noted since that memorable day. From that moment, O most learned jury. the chronology of events in this historic and renowned institution has been scintillating with the pyrotechnics and achievements of this most remarkable class until today at the perihelion of its meteoric career I stand before you, honorable sirs, ready to receive the recogni- tion to which it is entitled. Among the many events of Freshman year, a few only is it neces- sary to mention. Our remarkable abilities were immediately recog- nized. for without pull, drag, or any other inlluence but sheer skill, one each of our members was selected for the tennis and hockey teams and two for the Boys' Mandolin Club. XYe very naturally and expec- tedly defeated the Sophomores in the indoor class meet and ran away with second place in the rope climb and shot-put. Here the school had its first introduction to our beautiful voices, which later were to win such fame, for we yelled ourselves hoarse all during the meet and all the way out of the building. And then for a change in the evening we yelled ourselves hoarser. Our literary and artistic talents were on a par with our brawn and muscle, for we had four contributions in The Chronicle--one, mirabilc' didn, a poem, in the very first issue. Also many drawings in the Owl Annual bore our names. We honored the Glee Clubs by allowing eighteen of our sweet singers to melodiate their music 3 in fact, an office in the Boys' Club was immediately thrust upon us. Thus the supposedly infantile, kindergarten, 'wait-until- you-are-spoken-to' Freshman class shattered traditions, prematurely burst forth from its chrysalis and modestly yet convincingly mani- fested its precocity. XYe had already heard and greeted with delight the news that we were the largest class that ever entered H. P. H. S. g the faculty found with wonder that we were the highest standing class that they ever had anything to do with. Infact, they were obliged to raise their standard of marking in order to reduce our numbers to a reasonable-sized Sophomore class. Thus we started and thus we have progressed, excelling and outdoing all who came before us. Ever onward. ever upward -- As I paused for breath, I saw the jury had taken a keen interest in my story. Rubens was sitting up and taking notice, Socrates

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274 THE CHRONICLE with gems and silver enhanced the grandeur of the hallg before me, on a lofty stand of wrought gold, sat a stern-countenanced personageg to my left, in a gleaming jury-box, sat twelve silent men. I looked down -I was on the witness stand. Before me was a court-the judge, the jury, the clerk, the sheriff-all were present and viewed me coldly. Oh! But the jury! Shrinking, trembling, I passed my glance from one to the other. My knees began to quake-Beethoven was there. He eyed me in disgustg Chopin sat next to him, Michel Angelo regarded me listlessly, while Rubens was sleeping. Virgil and Homer gazed at me sneeringlyg Shakespeare stroked his whiskersg Garrick eyed me with contempt. Hercules towered above all and the stand creaked beneath his weight. Homely Socrates seemed, as always, ready to be convinced, and graceful Phidippides beamed upon me, and I was grateful. But Demosthenes was waving his arms, although no word issued from his lips. Fear seized me anew! XVhat was I doing here? The suspense had become almost unbearable when the clerk of court rose and faced me: At the honorable supreme court of the entire universe, heavens and seas, hidden aloft, it is charged that one Elinor Corbin and one Vahe Garabedian did wilfully and feloniously, and of their own deliberate, premeditated, malice aforethought make a statement re- garding one certain H. P. H. S. Class of Nineteen Sixteen, claiming said Class of Nineteen Sixteen to be the most renowned and illustrious to have been graduated from any institution. And that then and there, said Elinor Corbin and Vahe Garabedian did feloniously and wilfully and with premeditated malice aforethought cast into disgrace and oblivion every other class that had been graduated from any institution by proclaiming said Class of Nineteen Sixteen supreme. And so said members of said Class of Nineteen Sixteen did in man- ner and form aforesaid speak the most monstrous fabrication capable in the lips of mortal, contrary to statute in such case made and pro- vided. My eyes Hashed. ' Guilty or not guilty !', shouted the sour-faced official before me. Guilty, I cried defiantly, guilty to the authorship of the words. Not guilty to the charge that it is a monstrous fabrication! Evidently it is for this I am tried, and I am glad. Nineteen Sixteen supreme? Yea! A thousand times, yea! Listen, oh learned men, and judge my plea:

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276 THE CHRONICLE nodded, and Phidippides smiled encouragingly at me. I now went on with greater confidence and enthusiasm. Our Sophomore year, reverend sirs, was simply a procession of brilliant achievements which one would naturally expect from a class of such promising beginnings. The weakness and timidity of child- hood had entirely disappeared, and with the manifestations of strength and self-confidence came the proper rewards and recognitionsf' I looked steadily at Hercules now as I said: We were the proud possessors of the captain and one member of the tennis team, two members each of the hockey and football teams, with two and three substitutes respectively, one each on the baseball and basketball teams. We appropriated first place in the shot-put and pole vault in the indoor meet. Then feeling we had received a sufficient amount of first-class honors, we gave the other classes a chance in the rope climb. However, we were given second place for our generosity. By this time we had five wearers of the 'H'. Here I was rudely interrupted by Hercules and Phidippides for, contrary to the usual dignity of jurymen and no longer able to maintain their self-control, they threw their arms around each other and let out a warwhoop. They were immediately silenced by the judge. However, this episode gave me much courage and I went on with still greater assurance. We have always been known for the fortissimo and dulcetissimo of our lung power, hence we presented to the Glee Clubs Qmuch to their delightj nine girls and thirteen boys, including two officers. Our deft and artistic fingers gave us an officer and three members in the Boys' Mandolin Club, and put thirty-three drawings in the Uwl Annual of that year. The editors of The Chronicle were so convinced of our literary ascendency that they published ten contributions from our members and begged for more. ' Seven of our boys joined the Hartford High School Club, then in its early stages, and a large number had the necessary price and csprit dc corps to join the Athletic Association. Thus far, most right- eous judges, I have not claimed special honors in literary feats or in athletics, other than would be expected from an aggregation of such brilliancyg but, oh most learned critics, in appearance we were a re- markable class, whether we saw ourselves as others saw us or not. Examinations were soon upon us, which found us in various stages of preparation. But even these submarines in our educational course were, for the most part, disposed of successfully, although there was