Hugh Morson High School - Oak Leaf Yearbook (Raleigh, NC)

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Prophecy of the Senior Class Arriving in Raleigh. N. C.. May l, l95U. I see on every billboard in large letters that are familiar: TURN ER and WIl.LIAlVlSON'S CARNIVAL Wfhe Greatest Collection of Freaks and Oddities Ever Assembled on One lVlidway.,, Of course, Billy Williamson and Clyde Turner were in my graduating class of U03 so this must be the reason for our homecoming day at this time. I have heard that quite a few of my former classmates have joined this successful carnival. I can hardly wait to see what has become of them all. l'll catch this bus coming. It runs like the way Henry Smith used to drive. Wow! It is Henry! If luck holds out, I may get to the carnival. Here I am, and who is taking up tickets? Leon Mills and ,lames lVIaddreyl Greetings gate, I must be late. While fighting my way in, I stop-, I hear-, Iave heard that voice before. Hurry, hurry, hurryl Step right this way folks. The big show is about to begin. If you're under sixteen, you wonlt get git., If youire over sixteen, 'it'll' get you.', Whoever thought Walter Ellis would become a barker. It's a pity he doesn't have a urebuttalf, As I step up to the ticket box, I see lVIcCartha Johnson and Johnny Holmes, lVIcCartha buying his ticket as usual. It is rumored he will graduate with Ace,' Holmes II this coming year. Entering the midway I see Tony Hogue, Elbert lVIartin, and Paul Shepherd, janitors and general handy-men, pursuing their daily duties which at this moment happen to be Sally Lou Barker, Christine Brooks, Lillian Whitley, Margaret Wehbie, and Leona Ferrell, who are now five of the best drawing cards at the most popular sideshow, 4'Views of Sixty. Walking on a little further, I see Roger Ce-ttem Offl' Smith, III, buying tickets on the merry-go-round for his little 6'Rogerettes', IV, V, VI, VII, etc. Besides raising a family, he raises sports news for the Panther Branch Variety. I just found out that L. lVI. uAtlas Dodd, who claims the weight-lifting title of wllhe Strongest lVIan of the Centuryf' j'ust set a new worldis record. He lifted lVlildred lennette, the 550-pound '4lVIountain of lVIirth.,' I wonder who that beautiful blonde is standing by the Rollum, Loadum Gambling Divefi I know. lt's that glamorous movie actress, Mildred Bryson, who is starred in Strong Men and Women7s Destiniesf' She is planning to forsake her career and marry Cordon Lynch, her high school crush. He is now her press agent. This must be the freak show. The little midget with the bald head looks familiar. Why, it's ,lulius 4'Slick'7 Godwin. I heard that he posed for hair tonic ads before losing his hair. Here comes that great baseball star of the New York Yankees, Everett 6'Kelly,' Dixon. with a crowd of autograph hounds following him, yelling, Slide Kelly. He has had four movie contracts offered him since great success brought him fame. I see another great personage of baseball. It is a member of the 4'Swift Creek Nine. Alfred uLefty Horton. As I start towards the 4'Hot lVIikado,'l the 6'Sizzle of the midway. I see Nell Lloyd. Laura Holland, ,Iune Pittman, lVIary Northcott, Alice Pitchford, and Kathryn Cunningham leaders in a new organization called 'lEncouragement for Careerless Women. I hear it is quite a success. Leaving this, I hear Doris Hockaday, the bearded woman, tell Clyde Stone. 6'Stay out'a the game. He thinks his beard is the toughest. 25

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The Class of 741-O The Class of '40 is different. they say. But though in size we are not great, From all the others in many ways. We never hesitate to State First, we could have left Hugh Morson High The show weiye put on as we labored here But preferred to let another year by Will set a high mark for many a yearg Before departing from its classic doors, And when other circuses come this Way, Leaving its halls forever more. The faculty will recall our dav. 4 Then. in numbers small we may beg And out into life as we do go. But others may our glories see We'll pay to Hugh Morson the debt we owe, Who follow us in years ahead And on into the future years And seek our worn paths to tread. Weill hold her morals and precepts dear. GORDON LYNCH History of the Senior Class Ever since. we. the Seniors. entered Hugh Morson six years ago we have been on a merry- go-round. As sub-freslnnen we asked Mrs. Morrow to be our adviser and ride the lion, the king of the beasts. When the music started. we began our work and elected our officers. We chose blue and silver as our colors, the gladiolus as our flower. and 4fWe can still do betterf, as our motto. When the merry-go-round gathered speed as well as many newcomers, we had become freshmen. Miss Laura Bell and Miss Nancy Beddingfield held the reins for us this year. We elected Hugh Marr as president. Myrtle Brown as vice president. Ruth Brown as secretary, and Sally Beal as treasurer. Hugh soon left for preparatory school, and Myrtle Brown took over as president. The merry-go-round broke down. But during the summer our merry-go-round was remodeled. Mr. Claude F. Caddy Was our new operator while Mr. George H. Arnold was our new conductor. Our officers that year were: president. Harriet Jones, vice president. Nancy Fordg secretary. Mildred Lewisg treasurer. Lydia Stronach. We had two socials. a picnic and a dance. The merry-go-round continued its circular way the following year. We became Juniors. Our advisers that year were Mrs. Morrison and Miss Leah Godwin. We elected as our presi- dent, Billy Williamsong vice president. Kathleen Thompsong secretary, Mildred Lewis, and treasurer, Charles Mims. We gave a banquet for the seniors. We had begun to get that ffupper- classmanii feeling and to look down on underclassmen. Another summer came and went. For four years we had been riding the merry-go- round, but all that time we had been striving to reach one goal-graduation. At last we were Seniors. We rode proudly, with our heads thrown back and our eyes on the future out of which came the supplement. This meant an additional year to many of our high school ca- reers. Uur class officers were: president, Frank Turkal. vice president, John Millsg secretary, Margaret Honeycuttg treasurer, Mary Alice Moore. The editor of our annual was Edward Murray. We celebrated Senior week, which opened with a banquet. It was followed by a tea and a tea dance and closed with the Senior Play, ML Pim Passes Byf' The play was di- rected by Miss Marian Hartshorn. At the close of the year when the merry-go-round stopped, many people got offg but some were having so much fun that they stayed on for just one more ride. This year has been an enjoyable and full one. We elected as our officers: president, Billy Williamsong vice president. John Lumsdeng secretary, Kathryn Cunninghamg and treas- urer. Charles Minis. We voted to have a yearbook of which Afton Daniels is editor, Mar- garet Parker, business managerg Mildred Jennette, advertising editorg Ruth Olmstead feature editor, and Jack Field. photographer. We gave our Senior Play, Peg ,O My Heart, directed by Mr. John Paul Nickell. A senior chapel, HAntic Springf, was also directed by Mr. Nickell. We have had several socials. among which were a steak fry, a party, and two dances ill the gym after school. Yve are looking forward to Senior Week, Class Night, and graduation. The merry-go-round is slowly stopping. ln a very short time it will have ceased to rotate, and we will all be looking for another ride, but none could be so enjoyable as the old merry- go-round. - 24,

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Marjorie Valentine is directing The Last of the Schafer's,i, a serious drama on the midway. Across from her, Marian Schafer is directing a side-splitting, hair-raising comedy, The Schaferis Ride Againf' It is being said they give each other right much -. Cutting through two tents tnot literally! to the other side of the grounds, I unintention- ally hear somebody say, MLet those dark angels roamf' Another voice retorts, HAW, don,t be a niggerf, Itfs C. T. Wheeler and Charlie 6'Pretty Boyn Powell, head 'fget-offi' men at the minstrel show, Chocolate Varietiesf, In masses we see the housewives of Raleigh, Nell Harrell, Anne Hatcher, Mary Frances Johnson, Christine Matthews, Betsy Riddle, Ruth Cain, and Janice Mullen. Trailing the girls, I see the Bachelors of Raleigh, Ralph Heath, Willard Lassiter. Ralph Laughlin, John Lumsden, Howard Marler, Wilbur Perry, and Carl McDowell. I see they are headed for 'CDaniel's Hash Housef, owned and operated by Afton Daniels. After having a conference with my stomach, I too, go for goo. I hear Afton say, uShoot the chile to me, Willie.'7 It is William Gilbert, her chief cook, to whom she speaks. His assistants are Madeline Hill and Harold Mas- sengill. Finding a seat, I hear the voice of Charles Mims, operator of the ferris wheel, asking Jerry Lambert, a trapeze artist, to join him for a coca-cola. But Jerry declines, saying that he needs something solid to send him. Suddenly there is a flash of light, then dark. I didnit guess, I just knew. uJack Field, how do you do?,' He tells me he now owns a photographic studio in New York. Mildred McCrary, Betty Brooks, and Doris Jo Watson, who are head knockers at the MBOW and Beau Finishing School joined me for a sandwich. They tell me they turned out a crop last year that was low finishedfi Leaving the ucash for haslf' I see Dudley Bridges, Bobby Brown, Thomas Browning, Walter Dodd, and Wayland Smith walking down the steps from the show, Views of Sixtyf' and do they look beat! Zowiel Robert Wilkerson, a member of the Raleigh Police Force, tells me that they are talent scouts for the U.C.M. Studio for Cedar Forks. I walk on a little farther and hear Rose Roth, the fortune teller, who is telling Dorothy Thomasl and Glynis Clarkls fortunes say, Well, Confucius say: Boy meet girl, Boy date girl .... I glance at my watch and see that it is getting late. Starting towards the gate, I observe a crowd that has gathered. I push my way through and find Kemp Weaver, who is still try- ing to graduate from Hugh Morson, showing Irving Goodwin, J. P. Wimliish, Graham Tannery, J. C. Goodwin, Marshall Williams, and Jack Meadors his new Hwind upw with a beer bottle. It's a killer. Tragedy Strikes! Some one was hit in the head! Who can it be? Who always gets hit in the head? Ruth Olmstead! We hear the sound of a siren. Richard Riddle and Robert Parker lit takes them bothl driving the ambulance, arrive on the scene, followed by Margaret Parker, Evelyn Clement, and Rose Alla Parrish, nurses. After a close examination, they find that nothing serious is wrong. Just another bump to add to her collection! Ruth goes back to her job at the pop corn stand. Being beat for my shuffle, I bum a ride with Richard and Robert in the ambulance, be- cause I figure Ifll be just as safe with them as I would be with Henry Smith on the bus. With the shouts of uCome again next year , and It's been grand seeing youf' I zoom off with a lump in my throat but with hope that I will see them all again soon. Lois WALKER 26