Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

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moved to Walnut Hills, where she might more closely observe and study customs as they exist “in the city.” Taking up the thread of our journey, we at last reached the Hocking. Now we could scarcely wait. Before we reached Knterpri.se, some one suggested that we stop, as one of our classmates lived there—Mildred Wharton. She was not at home, however, for school had begun in Logan the day before, and she and Catherine Wolf had resumed their duties. Mildred as instructor of Music, and Catherine in the Domestic Science Department. So these girls, con- trary to the warning administered by Miss Davidson, had deliberately chosen to be school teachers! Sugar Grove,” some one called out. and we could scarcely believe our eyes, for it reached almost to Rock- bridge. We couldn’t think of going past without stopping. Wonder of wonders! Hugh Baumgardner was sole owner of the Fordchen Jitney Bus line and employed Hubert Ey- man as business manager and chief chaufTcur. Hugh took us for a drive and didn’t charge one cent. After a light luncheon, we started for Lancaster. Not far from the city, however, a sunbonneted figure awaited us at the water’s edge—“Bunny Ward. She had given up her musical career and settled down to the more enticing farm life, or. as she expressed it, ‘The Wright Way of Liv- ing.” She held a much-worn volume in her hand written by Florence Rhoads. Its title was “Why I Do Not Believe in Dancing.” After a few words of greeting, we parted and soon ap- proached Lancaster. Alighting from the boat, we made our way up Main street. On the fountain square stood a huge building, and on the front appeared the sign. Becker and Wiseman—Successors to Wool worth and Co.” In we went, and found that a thriving business was theirs, for they had for sale a vast array of useful articles, ranging from a five-cent egg-beater to a trimmed hat. In the new High School building we found Joseph Hew- Ctson, superintendent of schools. Russel Dupler was assist- ing n the language department, where his revised Virgil translations were as popular as Doctor Williams’ Grammar had been during our school days. As theGovernor. “John” Frederick William Sexauer, was in town that day, we called at his hotel to see him. In a few minutes he entered the room with a dignified, stately tread. He was accompanied by his wife. Nannie. “John” Frederick had shown himself to l e a leader of men early in life, having successfully piloted the class of ’15 over count- less stormy periods of class dissension. We were urged to remain for dinner, and of course we did. Oh, did you know that Mildred Sherrick is conducting “Questions and Answers” in the Columbus Citizen and is a noted authority on love problems and etiquette? And Irene Hengst and her husband are attending law school in Boston,” said Nan- nie. Of all improbable things! Then dinner was announced and as we entered the din- ing-room Helen exclaimed, “Oh. what are those beautiful flowers? I never in all my life saw anything so lovely.” Upon examination they proved to be roses. The tips of the petals were a rich scarlet, shading off into a delicate gray— our class colors! To these was attached a card, reading “Schneider Bros., Florists.” This was their contribution to our dinner party. I.uther Burbank himself could not have excelled this. The next forenoon we walked out into the country. As we passed a trim farmhouse, a woman stood at the kitchen door, blowing a large horn to announce the midday meal, and afar off in the field a man waved a glad response. So rapt she was that she did not see us. But on the steps of a schoolhouse a short distance away we came upon Hazel Ballmer, gazing with joy on the flock of children playing about the steps. After talking a short time, she said, “Did

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the earth twice without stopping until now. And just be- cause of a dare, too. After a few words of greeting, they passed on. Our boat now turned northeast and came to i. stop at Sitka. We scarcely expected to see any one we knew, but here again we were surprised. A strange outfit stood in front of one of the leading stores. About thirty dogs were hitched to the cart, which could easily be transformed into a sled. Supplies of every description were be:ng loaded on it by two heavily-boarded men. One man’s beard was a rich purple color. Stepping up closer to view the curious equip- age. the purple-bearded man turned, and we heard him utter our names. He was Lloyd Thompson. He explained that his hair had turned white because of the extremely cold weather, and he had used a dye. prepared by Lillian Botkin and Florence McCalla, which was guaranteed to restore hair to its natural color. Instead, it had turned it this peculiar shade. He had begun legal proceedings against these two women through his lawyer, Walter RufT. The defendants were retaining Ada Mnllon as their legal adviser. By the time he had finished his story, the other man approached and announced that he was Harry Wolfe en- gineer for the Pole Railway Company, and «as now engaged in the work of constructing a railroad to the North Pole. Lloyd was his efficient helper. We were glad to see these friends again, and could scarcely keep Martha from joining them, for they said that upon the completion of the railroad they intended to go down through Greenland. Martha had heard that Ruth Miller was stationed here as a missionary, and she “just felt sure that this was her calling.” Consequently, we left sooner than we had expected. At last we were nearing home, for we were now coasting along the western shore of the United States. On down to Mexico we went, and cast anchor at Manzanillo. This country we found to be restored to peace at last, with a nourishing trade established under the governorship of Fred Gerhard. Lawrence and Harold Ruff were in charge of the experi- ment station there and were obtaining astonishing results concerning d'fferent crops of the country. They were both happy bachelors. In this city our party attended a charity concert given by Alice Fricker for the benefit of the little Mexican orphans. Journeying on down the coast, we passed through the Panama Canal and steamed up to New Orleans. Glad, in- deed. we were to be on home soil again. Hungry for some- thing to read, Elizabeth bought ‘The God of Self-Conscious- ness Conquered,” by Paul Cullumber and Clarke Ward. It was lovingly dedicated to Mr. Hickson, a former High School teacher. We found that the public was making clamorous demands for more work from these authors, with just such a human note to it. At Memphis we visited Mrs. Mildred Acton Pineapple and Adeline Griffith. Adeline was a kindergarten teacher and was spending her vacation with Mildred. She had taken the three little Pineapples on a fishing expedition, but returned just as we were leaving. She told us that Gertrude Billingsly was comfortably located in Virginia. Somewhere in our wanderings we had heard that the Hocking River had been improved to such an extent that large river steamboats could navigate it as far as Hooker. Suddenly a wild desire and a homesick feeling to see Lan- caster seized us. “Why can’t we go up to Lancaster?” questioned Martha. “Nothing at all to prevent.” replied Elizabeth, and. suiting the action to the word, our boat was soon headed up the Ohio River. At Cincinnati, while walking through the zoological gar- dens, we came upon Lucile Southgate. She had long ago

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you see Leafee Reese as you came past? That is she, stand- ing in the doorway now.” And to think, she did not even see us! We went back to Lancaster, tired but happy, for in less than four months we had seen or heard from every mem- ber of the Class of 1915 of I ancaster High School. Our trip had been a delightful one, and we were unanimous in voting this the happiest year of our lives. ?iiiH IGaat 2Urr By Virgil Today I sat in my armchair beside a cheerily blazing wood fire, dreaming of days of long ago, days when all nature seemed to exist only for me. so happy was I. Natu- rally my boyhood companions were in my thuts, and fore- most among them was Jack Langdon. Poor old Jack! How well 1 remember him. Strong- limbed. healthy, clear-eyed and brave, he was a boy that excited admiration and made friends wherever he went. No barrier of dislike or hatred could long withstand his sunny disposition and hearty good-will. No deed was too daring for him to participate in. but where destruction of property was threatened or downright meanness was to be indulged in. Jack balked. And so thru his natural power of leadership he was a mighty factor for good among the young people of our village. How Jack and I came to be so closely drawn together. I do not know, for in general make-up of disposition and character we were as widely separated as the North is from the South. By nature I was rather serious-minded, given much to a great deal of thot. He was serious enough at times, but in the main he was happy-go-lucky and reckless. I was reserved; Jack was bold and daring to the extreme. But it is often the case that one chooses for his bosom Adams. friend a person who is widely different from himself. The great motive in Jack’s life was to be able to stand on the topmost round of the ladder of fame. Often he ridi- culed and rebuked me for having no more ambition than to be a minister of the Gospel. I bore it all good-naturedly and tried to convince him that it was better to lead a life of humbleness and lowliness, a life of service and helpfulness to others, than to live and work for selfish ends, to gain fame for an instant, then to pass into oblivion and be for- gotten the moment that we pass ffrom this life. But to no avail. He refused to see life in that light. I think it was his restless, daring nature, rather than his honest convic- tions, that held him in his aims. When he was about eighteen years old he told me that he had decided upon his life course. I asked him what his decision was, and he told me that some months before he had written to an uncle who was an auto manufacturer, ask- ing for a chance to become a driver of racing cars. His uncle had replied favorably, and Jack was to leave the next week for the factory to serve apprenticeship as a mechanic. I knew that it would be useless to try to dissuade him, so I kept silent. He left during the next week, to the genuine sorrow of every one in the village. 31