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

Page 31 text:

THE CHRONICLE 279 sirs, that without the aid of those wonderful works of art, these pub- lications would have perished miserably. Here Rubens, who had been listening in rapt wonder, asked timid- 1y: What type of nose has the feminine element of the drawings- tipsy or straight ? A Straight, of course, I retorted, the highest form of Art. Wonderful! he sighed, Hmarvelous! incredible! and, slowly nodding his head, he sighed again. In the Debating Clubs, too, our turbulence was felt, and ten more cracks appeared on the walls of the lecture room during the course of the year. The new school song was the product of the co-operation of a junior and a Senior. The H. H. S. Club boasted six- ty-eight members of the junior class. Twenty-one articles by Juniors saved The Chronicle from being dropped from the exchange lists of many high schools, and juniors led the Seniors in and out of the as- sembly hall on Class Day in 1915. As Seniors, we were vested with the highest authority given to high school students. It was now that, clothed in this authority, our remarkable faculties for organization, innovation and execution came into full sway. Primarily, as a direct result of our enormous executive ability, the new high school building was completed, and a S250,000 appro- priation was passed for still another addition thereto. And, further- more, as a partial proof of the diplomatic procedure inherent in us for obtaining what we want, we convinced the faculty that we were the greatest bunch of 'bull throwers' that had ever entered Hartford High, and that Spanish must necessarily be taught. And now good old Spanish echoes and re-echoes from the lips of our gay troubadours. 'KAgain, in sports came our great supremacy. I very reluctantly turn to cold figures as proof, but flowery statements alone of our eminence will be frowned upon and disregarded. Again, in football twelve members of the sixteen men on the entire squad, regulars and substitutes, were Seniors. Three members of the hockey team were still breaking each others' shins. Four members of the basketball squad were Seniors. Vtfithout the presence of Nineteen Sixteen men the tennis team would have a grand total of one player. In baseball six members of our class were the only direct cause of the team's remarkable prowess. XVhy, that team was so great that we could have played a whole game with any two of the Seniors on the team

Page 30 text:

278 THE CHRONICLE Seniors? Most assuredly not! Four out of the seven regulars were Juniors, and naturally the majority of the games were won. Two members of the basketball team, one member of the relay team, and two members of the indoor track team, were Juniors that year, and contributed their indispensable impetuosity toward the re- nown of aforesaid teams. Around came the tennis and baseball seasons. If one were to dispense with the juniors on either the tennis or baseball teams, there would remain two men on each team to hll all the positions, for seven out of the baseball nine, and two of the tennis team were members of our class. Chopin, who had been mumbling and yawning heretofore, broke in with a growl: Don't you do anything in that place of yours but take gym. and swat balls around? I was taken aback by this impolite interruption, and looked ap- pealingly toward the judge, he was asleep, however, and I continued: Although we were producing some of the most unearthly har- monies with thirteen members in the Girls, Glee Club, and some of the wildest bedlams with twelve members in the Boys' Glee Club, and, although these were assisted to such an extent by three members of the Boys' and three members of tl1e Girls' Mandolin Club that offi- cers of the law twice threatened to 'run in, the gang for disturbance of the peace, nevertheless, the volume of sound was insufficient. Therefore, an orchestra was formed, seven members of this orchestra were Juniors, and whenever the augmented riot broke loose, window- panes for miles around were shattered and good housewives nodded at one another and whispered, 'What a wonderful classl' Chopin hung on every word and at the end, with tears in his eyes, sank to his knees and begged forgiveness for addressing me, a representative of so glorious a class, so harshly. I forgave him with the magnanimity worthy of our renown. In the realm of Art, sirs, I hastened on, our superiority was of such an astounding character that the Metropolitan Museum of New York co-operated with the faculty in bringing before us the masterpieces of the world in monthly lectures-a thing which had never before been done. Nor did we accumulate our talent selfishlyg every heading in The Chronicle was drawn by a junior, and twenty- four of the thirty-two full-page drawings and headings in the Owl Annual were delineated by members of our class. It is safe to say, 77

Page 32 text:

280 THE CHRONICLE playing all the positions-and won. To top our achievements two school records were smashed by our athletes. I saw that Beethoven was getting restless, and, bearing in mind my former experience with Chopin, I immediately veered off in another direction. Did we rest upon our laurels which we had won for distinction in the line of musical art? Rest? Assuredly and most vehemently not! 'Higher and onward--always higher I' was our cry. Now, we had fif- teen members in the Boys' Glee Clubg this year there were eighteen members in the Girls' Glee Club, there were eight members in the Boys' and six in the Girls' Mandolin Clubsg there were twelve members in the Orchestra. 'lfhe harmonies that have issued from this group of artists have been most re- Stop, cried Beethoven, those harmonies are to us. Often have we sat and listened, here above, to the sweet strains of enchanting concord that penetrated through the silken clouds, even to these aetherial abodes. Oh! what sounds! Continue, my son, for they are indescribable. In Art. sirs, I continued, heeding Beethoven, although a great innovation had already been made for our benefit, there was still room for expansion and progression-and where there is room for anything, Nineteen Sixteen will fill ity if there is no room, Nineteen Sixteen will make it. Beginning now, there comes a series of proofs of our wonder- ful genius for organization and execution. In the department of Art, a Sketch Club was formed, composed primarily and almost entirely of Seniors. Models of the highest nature were procured, Art such as the school had never seen before was produced. Members of the organization received honors at outside exhibitions, and their work was shown in outside cities. Dramatics had for many years suffered a relapse within H. P. H. S., Nineteen Sixteen was the only class that could revive it. And Nineteen Sixteen did l'FT'li'Z.'L' it. A Dramatic Club was composed whose foundation and cornerstone were Seniors. Needless to say, the club proved a remarkable success, and settled forever that argument as to whether Hamlet ate hard-boiled eggs or soft, which we were wont to debate so feverishly with our cherished English teachers. A Commercial Club was needed. Who were the ones that could do it? Nineteen Sixteen. And Nineteen Sixteen did it. XVas it a success? XVell, I have already said that Nineteen Sixteen founded it.