Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

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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

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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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For a year Jack served as a mechanic in the factory, and then his uncle permitted him to go on the road as me- chanic on a racing car. For two years he traveled over the country, participating in many successful racing events. He wrote to me regularly, telling me of his travels and of his hopes. Several times he paid visits to his home village, and each time he was treated as a royal guest. After two years on the road as mechanic, during which time he had himself driven in a few minor races, he re- quested his uncle to put him in command of a car of his own. Added to his request was a statement from the driver with whom he had traveled recommending him as capable of handling a car of his own. Finally the uncle consented to his request and Jack was perfectly wild with joy. At last his dreams were on a fair way towards being realized. The road to success was open before him, and from afar fame was beckoning him on. Happy as a lark, he came home and gave a royal banquet to a host of his old friends in honor of the occasion. That night Jack asked Nellie Wagner to marry him— pretty little Nellie Wagner, the most beautiful girl in the village (excepting my wife, of course). Jack and Nellie had l een sweethearts from the day that Nellie had come to our village, twelve years before. Thru childhood, up into young manhood and womanhood, they had grown side by side. Nellie had been genuinely grieved when she had learned of the dangerous life course that Jack had chosen, and she had besought him not to go, but he laughingly assured her that no harm would come to him. After Jack made his proposal. Nellie gently but firmly told him that as long as he re- mained at his present occupation she would not marry him. Jack left the next morning, his spirits considerably damp- ened. During the next three years Jack rose, step by step, until he stood in the front ranks of the world’s great auto drivers. Fortune seemed to smile upon him always. He had lost but few races. He seemed to have exceptionally good luck with his cars. Never an injury had come to him in all these years. He had many narrow escapes from death, but somehow he had always come out with hardly a scratch. He was frugal and by this time had a snug little sum of money safely deposited in a bank. In the midst of his triumphs he came again to Nellie and again asked her to share life with him. She replied that she would do so if he would give up racing and settle down at home. Jack con- sidered for a moment, then replied. “Well, Nellie, I guess you’re about right about this business. It is too strenuous a life for any one to engage in for long. I will drive one more race and quit. In about six months I am to engage in a contest for the world’s championship at the Meadow- brook race course in Iowa. If I win, I will be satisfied. If I lose, I will quit the game.” Joyously she consented to marry him under these conditions and they began to plan for a church wedding on the Thursday immediately after the great race. Jack came to me and asked me to perform the ceremony, and I never accepted an invitation with greater pleasure than that one. He and Nellie began to look about and choose a site for a home. Jack immediately placed a contract in the hands of a builder for the construction of a beautiful bungalow. Then he went away to make preparations for the great race. Several weeks beforehand Jack sent me an admittance ticket and urged me to come and see his last race. Nellie was asked to attend, too, but her aversion for racing was so great that she refused to go. Altho attending races is rather outside of my line of business as a minister, yet, for Jack s sake, I went. The great day had arrived. The immense grandstands