Lacon High School - Tickler Yearbook (Lacon, IL)

Page 69 text:

' A oNHrGnScuoon. THE TREE OF LACON ,X1l overwrouglit with branch-like traceries ln which there is religion and the mute Persuasion of unkindled melodies. A -SlIlCl.l,liY. From the dim aeons of early history to the present year our little city has nestled within a great fraternity. a brotherhood of trees, On this sloping' glade our ancestors found beautiful groves of nature's rearing, and they cared for the trees, and planted others that their children and their childrens children might live in communion with tiod's first temples. What a divine heritage is ours! Surely if any division of mankind belong to the plebeian rank 'tis those people who see nothing' but material gifts in the trees about them. So much firewood, so much timber for homes and barns and fences. They are like the sordid-minded parents who compute the value of their children in terms of the ineagre pittances which they earn in the mill. llow narrow their outlook upon this beautiful world! lint there are in l.acon people who ask other things of their trees. XYe ask for companionship and friendliness, for inspiration and vision. A sort of virtue seems to come from our brothers, the trees. Lacon is a city of tree-lovers. XYC love the trees that have come to us and lived with us, those that have stretched their arms protectingly over our homes and silently woven themselves into the tenderest associations of our lives. Our homes are surrounded with poetry, religion, gospelling' glooms. The old roof-trees have become members of our families and we watch over them, as we do the rest of the family, to protect them from the ills that trees are heir to. When Nature pours forth her cordials from the vials of .Xpril and May we carry on beneath intricate shades and emerald canopies. XYe are re- minded of the Sunrise of that great tree-lover. Sidney Lanier: Ye lispers, whisperers. singers in storms, Ye consciences murmuring faiths under forms, Ye ministers meet for each passion that grievcs, liriendly, sisterly, sweetheart leaves, Oh, rain me down from your darks that contain me XYisdoms ye winnow from winds that pain me,- '19 9.1

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it An ornamental street lighting system was recently installed in the down- town streets, which adds much to the appearance of the business section when the shadow of night comes down, and artificial light becomes necessary. And Lacon has a progressive school, evidence of which is furnished by the publication of this little volume. As this article is written, the people are preparing to vote on the annulment of the old special charter, under which the school district was originally organized, and the adoption of this proposition will put the district under the general school law and make possible the estab- lishment of a Community High School. reaching out farther from the center. and making possible a still more efficient school. The membership of the pres- ent board is without exception favorable to this change, and it is likely to carry with little opposition. Lacon has a peculiarly clean and up-standing class of youngsters, budding men and women, who will insure a period of progress and development for the coming generation, and as the mature citizens of today are finally compelled to lay down their civic duties because of advancing years, and turn them over to the boys and girls now enroute to maturity through the pathway of the Lacon schools, these civic duties will be ably handled and properly cared for by those upon whom they will devolve. Of course, there is an occasional black sheep in the flock, a few drones in the hive, such as any community has to contend with, but on the whole the personnel of the pupils of the l.acon school is one to be proud of. So far as the writer has been able to observe, the pupils of the l.acon schools are polite, respectful to their elders, clean, ambitious and active, and those attributes, properly encouraged, directed and rewarded, will make for the citizenship of the right kindg so that, in the years to come, Lacon, now a most satisfactory community in which to make a home. will be still better. NELSON D. HARKEN. J

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AC onHrGnScuoon. Sift down tremors of sweet-within-sweet That advise me of more than they bring,-repeat Me the woods-smell that swiftly but now brought breath lfroin the heaven-side bank ofthe river of death,- Teach me the terms of silence, -preach me The passion of patience,-sift me.-impeach me,- And there. oh there As ye hang with your myriad palms upturned in the air l'ray me a myriad prayer. L. G. H. TI-IE LACON HERALD Through the courtesy of Mr. XX'illis lford, the editors of this Annual were given access to the tiles of the first newspaper ever printed in Lacon. lt seems that in 1837, Mr. Allen Ford, of lrlartford, Conn., having com- pleted satisfactory arrangements with the local citizens of our then town of Columbia-, set up and printed our first local paper. The press and fixtures came by boat from St. Louis, and at Alton, Mr. lford engaged two printers to assist on his paper, one of them a brother of the martyr Lovejoy. On the 13th of llecember. 1837. the first number appeared, christened The Lacon llerald. .Xnd the files of this eighty-four-year-old publication we have en- joyed looking over. lt was a seven-column paper, neatly printed. There was a notable lack of local news and with the exception of a few advertisements and notices the greater part of the space was given over to general news. There were no cartoons and a total lack of jokes and fun. There was a great deal of poetry. many gems of contemporary poets being found. Many articles of a literary nature were included. One notice of particular note was that of the Lacon Debating Club. Such questions as slavery and even prohibition were vo- ciferously discussed. One writer wrote an article on the rapid traveling of the times, having traveled live hundred miles in thirty-one hours. averaging' sixteen miles an hour. One is impressed with the strong' characters of our early citizens and one tinds much to inspire in these early invaluable records. l,acon news papers have thrived to the present day. l.. li. ll.