Humboldt County High School - Winnada Yearbook (Winnemucca, NV)

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H. C. H. S. WIN NAD A p 1927 attempts a horror-stricken whisper came hesitatingly. A whisper barely audible to the apparition who stooped close to him. “Tell me, O Spirit of Death, what has become of the graduates of the class of ’27? From the day that I left America I have never heard of them.” The phantom rocked back and forth on long bony feet while the answer to the sheik’s request came between peals of thunder. “In glancing over the picturesque city of Shanghai, I see Lieutenant Charles Menicucci who is aide to General Chank-Tso-lin. He is fast becoming a Chinese warrior and is learning the Chinese language at night school.” At this point a loud, terrifying roar of thunder drowned his voice. When the clamor finally ceased, the ghost continued: “The celebrated Ringling Bros. Circus is making a tour of the world. At this time they are in Africa, where the person who occupies the limelight is Geraldine Blattner or Miss Ton, the celebrated fat lady of this world famous show. Accom- panying her is her husband, the only living skeleton, Mr. Edmond Recanzone. “Upon looking over Egypt, see Miss Ethel Maraska, who has just accepted a position in a leading cafe, the Harem. “In the tiny province of Patagonia the well-known Dr. Stites has, by experiment, settled a much discussed question. He has discovered that during an attempt to secure some rouge for Eve, Adam mixed some jungle chemicals and created a most peculiar hairy beast, which is known to us as the monkey, thus settling the perplexing question of evolution. Humanity owes Dr. Stites a great deal for the satisfaction afforded by this discovery.” Lightning split the darkness and illuminated the interior of the luxurious dwelling. The old sheik lay on his couch, pale and weak, for through all this he could not help but think that when the ghost had ceased speaking his life would end. Even now the horrible apparition was grinning gruesomely at him. Then the terrible phantom emitted a ghostly laugh and continued: “Miss Bernice Rossier, the far-famed lecturer and public speaker, is traveling in Borneo. Only last evening she delivered a lecture to the savage bushmen of that country on the interesting subject of prohibition. In the most northern part of Greenland I see Elmo Recanzone. He is a noted African missionary, and as his health required a slight change of climate, he has con- sented to travel among the Esquimaux. He visits so great a number of missions that the kind-hearted Esquimaux have given him a great white bear as a means of transportation. After rendering one of his sermons Mr. Recanzone gallops madly across the ice on his gallant steed to the scene of his next duty.” The ghost stopped speaking, but appeared to remain buried in thought. Outside the wind howled mournfully, thunder rolled across the heavens and occasionally a dog howled dismally. A blinding flash of lightning aroused the ghost from his meditations. His bony jaws cracked sharply together as he resumed his narrative.

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H. C. H. S. WIN NAD A p 1927 SENIOR PROPHECY HE OLD SHEIK ALI- BEN- HASSEN was vaguely troubled. Sev- eral times during the night he had risen to watch the clouds gather in the east. A storm was brewing, not a few grains of sand scattered about by the night wind, but one of those soul-terrifying storms which sweep the earth like a plague. It was nearing midnight when a loud crash shook the very earth as the storm set in. Loose tents took to the air like birds, camels crouched in a position of abject terror, dogs whimpered as the storm roared on, lightning played on the scenes as flames from the dungeon of hell—a fit display for the wrath of angry gods. Ali-ben-Hassen suddenly sat up with a jerk. Outside the storm had increased into a raging maelstrom. The peals of thunder from the black sky seemed to rent the very earth asunder, a spirit of evil appeared to brood over the storm-swept desert. Suddenly the feeling that he was not alone came over the old ruler. A sixth sense warned him that the luxuriant dwelling contained a being other than himself. Was he seeing aright? It seemed as though a shadow had deatched itself from the surrounding gloom and was floating toward his bed. What could this be? Were his eyes deceivers of his soul. A cold sweat broke out upon his brow. He raised himself to shout to his followers, but as the words sprang to his lips a demoniac cackle struck his ears only to be drowned in a deafening peal of thunder—mean- while a streak of lightning split the roof of his tent and threw into bold relief the scene contained therein. The old sheik fell back among his pillows with a low moan. Another dazzling chain of lightning showed the surprise and horror mingled upon that bearded face, for at the corner of his bed stood the most horrible apparition ever seen by mortal eye. From under the grave-mouldered turban peered a grotesque fleshless face as a wild imagination can conceive. A pair of red-rimmed eyes glared malignantly at him; a pair of toothless gums grinned horribly into his face, while a long bony body dangled gruesomely at his bedside. Not trusting himself to look again, the old sheik spoke in a high, strained voice. “Who be ye that walks in the night and disturbs me from my slumbers?” Bony arms rattled against a fleshless body as the phantom attempted to speak. Finally a hoarse, harsh sound arose to those bloodless lips: “I am a descendant of the ancients, sent to rule the desert and its people. I control the destiny of any man of the desert. Your time has come; however, I shall grant you one wish before you pass unto your maker.” A peal of thunder drawned out his voice. Then all lapsed into silence. Out- side a dog howled mournfully while the restless movements of the bedded camels could be faintly heard above the clamor of the storm. For a long time the old sheik pondered over the strangeness of the situation. Finally a clattering, restless movement roused the old ruler from his deep meditation. He attempted to speak, but no sound proceeded from his throat. After repeated

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H. C. H. S. oq| WINN AD A p. 1927 “The Hon. Joseph Lyon, Jr., has just signed a contract by which he has purchased the ownership of the Ziegfeld Follies from its former owner, Mr. Flo Ziegfeld. Within a period of two weeks, New Yorkers will be treated with a new sight, namely, huge electric signs emblazoned with the name ‘Lyon Follies.’ “In far away Brazil Mr. Bruno Ramasco is being entertained in state. He is the owner of a large coffee plantation in that country and has received the favor of the court because of his success in producing a prize winning coffee bean. “The law firm of Gastanaga and Laca are receiving much attention and publicity in Chicago, where these famous women attorneys are successfully combating the million-dollar law suit against Mr. Henry Ford. Once more the gruesome spirit was interruped by the fierceness of the storm which raged With ever-increasing fury about the diminutive desert dwelling. Lightning lit up the scene with a ghastly hue, while outside the rain came down in a potential torrent—all the world appeared to have gone mad. The death cry of a lightning-stricken beast rang out, then as if having accomplished a definite purpose there came a lull in the terrific down pour. “My time grows short,” the ghost muttered, “ I must hurry. In far away Canada an old hunter is hunched over his campfire, dreaming of his youth. A sound in the dark beyond his fire causes him to turn and I behold the bewhiskered counte- nance of Glenn McAllister. “Miss Edith Menicucci has just been given the lady’s world championship riding belt. She was a competitor in the world championship riding contest held at Chicago and won chiefly through the vicious performances of her Shetland pony. “Miss Alice Gartiez, the world-famous explorer, is in Siberia at this time. She is endeavoring to obtain a carnivorous tripede known as the ‘baboonamus miraculus. “Fifty miles across the desert there is an encampment. It is headed by a young fortune-hunter from America. It is his intention to pierce the jungle to the south in an endeavor to gather ivory and to gain seclusion from the world in general and blondes in particular. That person is George Va—” Crack! A loud clap of thunder drowned out the'voice of the phantom. A shriek rent the air, lightning illuminated the tent and—lo! the ghost had disappeared! As the old sheik listened in wonder, a voice came to his ears, a horrible voice filled with fear which was borne faintly on the wild night wind—“My power has dimin- ished in the storm which is destroying me. You shall live only because I am dying!” The voice died away and the ancient sheik, much relieved, turned over and went peacefully to sleep. Outside, the storm which heralded the coming of the ghost, died down and a beautiful golden moon rose to illuminate the storm-swept land.