Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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After a few days we called a class meet- ing- to order and in this meeting we elec- ted our class officers which were as fol- lows: President Jarvis Cartledge; Vice President, Margaret Hunt; Secretary, Madeline Chase; Treasurer; Eleanor Tit- comb. We also chose a social committee. Upon the decision of this committee all our social activities of that year were held in conjunction with the class of 1923. The girls of the class were especially ac- tive and- at one of the socials they pre- sented a play entitled “A Pan of Fudge. ' ’ Although Miss Harrigan insisted upon say- ing “errawneous” for erronous and al- though the youthful actors, in their zeal, nearly set the school house on fire when they tipped over the chafing dish, the play was quite a success. Also well do I remember the day when Henley, a former member of our class, was sent to the mourners’ bench to look up, in a ponderous Bible supported on an umibrella rack, all references to the devil and his abode. The results of this re- search, I understand, are still treasured by one memiber of the faculty. Our freshman year passed before we hardly realized it, and the majority of us were ready to become sophomores. If one had passed through the lower hall in our sophomore year, he would have at any time seen one or more sopho- mores seated there,. The reason was evident, for although we were under the stern but kind hand of Miss Whittemore, the double seats offered an excellent temptation to whisper. Our class officers for this year were: President, George Bean; Vice President, Jarvis Cartledge; Secretary, Alice Scott; and Treasurer, Elwyn McCarthy. However , except for a very few so- cials held with the class of 1925 our so- phomore year was quite uneventful and we were soon prepared to be upper class- men. At last we were upper classmen. As in the preceding years we called a class meeting to order and chose our class offi- cers as follows: President, Clarence Gould; Vice President, Edna Peabody; Secre- tary, Madeline Chase; and Treasurer, Alice Scott. We also chose a social com- mittee. Of course the most important event of that year was the “prom,” an event in which we were very successful financially and otherwise. After a hot argument and many threats, mostly from Raymond Callahan, we chose suitable class rings. Regarding our lesser social activities; the most interesting was a kid social held with the class of 1923. It really was surprising to learn how many kids we had in school. Among the many good representations I must say that Cart- ledge, alias Cecil, garbed in his pictur- esque Buster Brown suit was one of the best. It was also during this year that it first became noticeable how popular the girls were in our class. Room II was the center of attraction, if not the center of gravity, for the majority of the male population in the school. Finally the day came when we could call ourselves seniors. The preceding three years looked like very short ones now. For the fourth and last time we called a class meeting to order for the purpose of choosing class officers and a social committee. Our class officers were: President, Jarvis Cartledge; Vice President, Edna Peabody; Secretary, Dorothy Harrigan; and Treasurer, An- toinette Burns. Our social activities of this year, how- ever were not extended beyond our own class. We were well repesented in athletics this year, having six men out of eleven in the football team, three men out of nine on the baseball team, and the best runner together with two other good runners on the track team. Certainly it must not go unsaid that the most important event of this year was our class play. This play was a great success. For one thing it showed how the human eye can be deceived, for the demure ipiss in the first part of the play was none other than our most hon- orable president. Bud Cartledge. He was anything but demure in the rehear- sals, however, for it was he who threaten- 22

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frugal living- and long hours of work, can underbid and outwork white men as la- borers. They will work under any con- dition however unhygienic they may be, and all this of course tends to lower the standard of work. After the Jap is em- ployed, he is not satisfied to remain a la- borer but as soon as he learns the “ins and outs” of the business, he leaves his employer and goes into business for him- self. He is quite satisfied with much ‘.maller profits and because of this he can undersell his white competitor every time and often ruin his business. In real estate deals, the Japanese use some rather underhanded methods, to say the least. One Jap may lease a farm at a fair rental, and then being satisfied with small returns, he deliberately im- poverishes the land. The white owner is induced to sell and the Jap buys. Where- upon he begins to cultivate the land pro- perly and to hire more Japanese. In a short time the farm is bringing in good profits. In the cities a Jap will buy a house in a white section. Because of his poor care and untidiness the value of adjacent property falls, and more Japan- ese buy. Thus it ' continues until finally it results in a Jap “quarter.” Then again they are very unreliable. They may sign a contract, and when the work is perhaps half finished someone of- fers them better wages, and they leave the contract job for the other, often caus- ing a considerable loss to the contractor. They are also quite vindictive. If they feel that they have been wronged, and they are very sensitive, or if they cannot secure a piece of land which they desire, they will usually find a way to injure either the man who caused the trouble or his business. It is stated, too, that tbe Japs have too great a love for their own country ever to become real Americans. They always think of their country first and themselves later, and it is because of this intense patriotism that some claim ' that the Jap- anese could never become true citizens of any other country. In such places as Vacaville and Florin the Japanese have established almost en- tire communities which continue in Budd- hist religion and Japanese national cus- toms. Someone has called the communi- ties “cankers in our body politic.” Of course these conditions described are true more particularly of California and the Picific Coast section, but the problem there is a serious racial problem which threatens to involve the whole country. It is a question which must engage more and more the attention of thoughtful men and women. There is little doubt in the minds of most people as to whether or not we have the right to pass an exclusion law because first, the Americans own the land of the United States and theirs is the right to say who shall and who ' shall not live here; second, Japan herself set the exclusion example by not only excluding Chinese coolies but even by exporting them; third, Japan will neither allow Americans to become citizens of Japan nor to hold land there. On the other hand the United States is the last nation in the world to become involved needlessly in war. Summing up the situation, the general sentiment of the country seems to be that although we desire to maintain friendly relations with Japan as a nation, we feel at the same time that American ideals and principles must not be sacrificed. JARVIS CARTLEDGE HISTORY OF CLASS OF 1924 It was a few days after Labor Day in the year 1920 that a group of pupils just graduated from the eighth grade the proceeding June stood before the gates of Manning High School. It was several minutes before we found the courage to enter but it finally came to us and we did so. The proud upper classmen looked upon us with contempt and disgust. We with- stood their looks all right, but when it came to initiation, — well, it was quite a different story. 21

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ed to break up the whole performance by making up such peculiar faces that the other players were too convulsed to con- tinue. Then, ' too, he was so innocent himself that it was long before the blame for the disturbance was finally fixed where it rightfully belonged. Most of the boys of the class took the opportunity extended to them by the Ro- tary Club and went on the trip to Bos- ton. All of them got home safe and sound although one of the cars in which ;;ome of our boys were riding did get mixed up in a funeral and threatened to break up the whole procession. The girls also enjoyed a trip to Boston under the auspices of the Rotary Club members’ wives. We hear that a more elaborate lunch was prepared for them on the ground that girls always eat a great deal more than boys, which is no doubt true. The parade of that week is worthy of mention because it is the only occasion on record on which Gould was so weighted down with the seriousne ss ' of his position as military leader that he forgot to smile. During this year there has been an epidemic of bobbed hair and mumps from which even dignified seniors have not been immune. We are hardly pre- pared at this time to state which is the more conducive to good looks. For the latter part of the year prepar- ations for graduation and class day have occupied most of our time and attention. During a few bright sunny days on the first of the month, we all repaired to the front lawn and had our pictures tak- en for “The Tiger.” When you gaze at our likenesses on the pages of that well known publication, we hope you will be reminded of the cost and sacrifice which made those pictures possible, for we hear that Gould’s camera has been out of commission ever since. The preparations now, however, are complete and we are looking foi ' ward to receiving tomorrow evening the reward of our four year’s labors. The last page of our history will not be written until Saturday evening when we are anticipating a good time on the occa- sion on which we meet together as a class for the last time. Our past history, however, has indeed been a happy one, and I am wishing a happy future to the class of 1924 and to all succeeding classes. ANGELO MINICHIELLO. GIFTS TO GIRLS Last evening I sat up late trying to think of some gifts that I might give to the girls of 1924. No inspirations came to me. I was just about to collect my papers and retire when suddenly before me there appeared a figure, indistinct at first, but oon it became clearer. I could see that it was a man carrying a bundle, but I did not recognize him. Al- most immediately, however, he spoke and in a deep voice said, “I am Mephisto, the god of the lower world. As I heard that you were troubled about some of my fu- ture subjects, I have come to help you.” He stopped for a moment and then went on. “This megaphone give to Mar- garet Hawksworth so that in the future she may have the joy of being heard the first time that she says anything. “To Davida Perley I want you to give this Laboratory Guide in order that fu- ture hours spent in the laboratory may be more impiring. “As you know. Hazel Smith is always fk rgetting things. You remember how she was always writing thousands of spelling words because he forgot she had any. Give her this memorandum to lengthen her memory. She’ll . need one out in the big cold world. “I am sure that this fan will aid Zella Zuoski in flirting with a certain male member of the class and also in hiding her blushes. “Here is a pair of scissors given as a souvenir and reward by the United Bar- bers’ Association to the person who does the mose to help barbers, and as Made- line Chase started the bobbed hair craze in your class, I think that she should have them. -23