The Illman School - Span Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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In the next booth is the accomplished Italian singer, Marston. gt At any time you you can hear his deep contralto voice thrilling forth an aria from Winsoriie W'innie, or the Tenderfoot, while he accompanies himself on a mandolin or guitar. It is very beautiful-what I You don't think so? O, but everyone cannot appreciate good music. The next exhibit is the great journalist, S. S. Mitchell, jr., the editor of the News which thrills the school once a week, more or less, with its harrowing account of school life and events. Hearst isn't in it at all, goodness no I Now, my friend, we have come to something unusual. It is J. B. Nichols, the Perfect Man. Notice the Walk I Ah-h-h I The melodious tones of his voice I I The cleverness of his sallies I I I His polished manners I I I And yet some said the Form of which he was a part was kid- dish I Why, there is enough dignity in that one figure to counter-balance the frivolity of fifty others. Next we have the All-Around 'Man-Ros. Park, Ir. There is nothing in athletics at which he is not an adept, there is hardly a school paper which he does not manage, as a natural musician he is unexcelled, and as for his social-well, he is modest and we will say nothing about that. It would take too long for him to go through his different performances for us, but some day we will watch him conduct a Form meeting when some mild question is under discussion, which will make it safe for us to go in. Next we have another Titan, familiarly known as Cow Phillips, who in the Lawrence- ville game proved that his real name was Bull.'I His marks of distinction are the two pillars he owns for legs, and the possession of a brain in proportion to his body. Look out for your toe I I knew he would step on it. ' Here in the next booth you see the famous hunter and Indian scout, Father H Pugsley, who on the broad plains of Pottstown has shot many a wild beast and savage, Cin the shape of cows and trap-boysj. Notice what a lean, athletic build his open-air life has given him. In the next booth is a sad case. This is the once-famous anti-grafter Putnam, whose fierce contest against boodle once made him an object of admiration, but, alas! the subject got on his brain, and he is now a hopeless lunatic, mumbling snatches of Cicero and Dowie over a doll 17

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struggling hard for an education, but has some difficulty, I believe, in getting it. He isn't much good at mathematics or Latin, but when it comes to business methods just watch him. He's a great coon. In the next booth is George Vanderhoef, the human jumping-jack, who was never known to be entirely still for even one-fifth of a second, and I guess some of his competitors in a roo- yard dash thought it was less than that. By some mistake the Lord put a horseis mane on his head instead of hair, and it has caused him some embarrassment at different times. I have shown you a number of mighty athletes to-day, but now we have come to the great- est of them all, W'ashburne, the Strong. His mighty biceps and calves so overpowered Shevlin when he returned to the Alumni reunion that he shrank one-third and returned on the next train. His magnihcent victory over Cavour Hartley on the wrestling mat will long be remembered by his proud Form. . Now, patient friend, we are approaching the end, and I beg just a few more moments of your attention. Next I would have you look at this babe-in-arms. His prodigious brain has earned him a place among the sages of the class in spite of his age, and his feats on the mouth organ, a place among its great musicians. Morrisy Willets is his name, six and a half, his age. Now, we are at the last, but far from the least of these wonders, Peter Wheeler'-tlie man of stone. iFor hours he will sit as you see him now, staring, always staring, until something arouses him. Peter isn't very big, but what there is of him-O, my! Actions speak louder than words and he isn't often silent, although he doesn't use his mouth much. So, we have finished the category. You have seen in their separate personalities the individuals that made up the Class of 1904. They made mistakes, separately and as a whole, but they made something besides mistakes, and they spent their last year together here in a spirit of good comradeship and friendliness that will have an irradicable effect on the life of every mem- ber.. There is no one of them who took anything but pleasure and proiit from his last year here, and there is no one of them but that will swear, heart and soul, by his Class, now passing forever from the life of the School it has learned to love so well.