Lancaster High School - Mirage Yearbook (Lancaster, OH)

Page 30 text:

28 MIRAGE CLASS HISTORY (Louise Wilson). The raindrops, falling from Heaven and alighting upon the river, instantly become a part of it. Scores of these tiny drops form a ripple, which little by little becomes stronger until, at last, there is a mighty wave. Some of the water is taken up into the air again, some drops become separated from their wave and join others, while all along its path the wave is joined by small drops of water on their way to the sea. Such has been the history of the Class of 1917, one of the largest, and not the least illustrious classes which ever entered Lan- caster High School. Four years ago, ninety-six rain drops coming from various tributaries of the river of Education, entered the main stream and formed the ripple of 1917. This ripple be- came stronger and stronger until there was a mighty wave, from which some of the drops departed to join the wave of the Work-a day World, while two floated away upon the wave of Matrimony. Our Freshman activities were neither numerous nor varied, consisting of a single class meeting called for the purpose of ap- pointing a committee to arrange a stunt for the Senior Carnival. This meeting was characterized by the usual pandemonium of Freshman gatherings, and by Mr. Cur- rier’s heroic attempts to bring order out of chaos. He must have succeeded to some de- gree at least, for the committee was actual- ly appointed, and the stunt, “The Seven Wonders of the World”, as finally pulled off, reflected credit to the committee and made the Sophs. Juniors and Seniors sit up and take notice that what they may have considered a bunch of innocents would soon prove to be a force with which to be reckoned in L. H. S. The usual tragedies came at the close of the Freshman year when a number of our drops assumed the past tense and were dropped, so many in fact that the roll call at the beginning of our Sophomore year was responded to by only seventy. Since this was a scriptural number, however, we still had a feeling that we were the chosen ones and proceeded to fortify ourselves against future losses by making friends with Caesar and his associates of the Soph- omore year. Unfortunately, too many joined the Cav- alry branch of Caesar’s army and when forced to dismount for tests, exams, and finals, found that their long unused pedals would not support them, although Miss Curtiss almost equalled the marvelous feats of Bonesetter Reese in her valiant ef- forts to save them. It was during this year that the class proved its title to a place in the Hall of Fame of L. H. S. by producing a master- piece in art under the title of “The Human Organ”, as its stunt for the Junior Hal- lowe’en Fair. It is beyond the scope of the historian to attempt a detailed or technical description of this instrument and it is per- haps sufficient to say that it was fearfully and wonderfully made, skillfully manipu- lated by Emmett Speriky, having numerous internal workings. The raindrops, during the latter part of this year, visited Buckeye Lake. It was supposed to be a picnic of Sophomore rain- drops only, but there were others there as the cohorts of Jupiter Pluvius held a con- vention at the Lake the same day and got rather mixed with our crowd. Our ardor was somewhat dampened but neither rain mud nor automobiles ditched, could separ- ate us from the good time we set out to have. The record of this year could not be com- plete without mention at least of the de- lightful journeys o’er time and o’er space we took in Ancient History under the hap- py guidance of Miss Davidson, for who has ever known her but to Jove her? But hark ! the thunders crash, the billows roll, the waves dash high-nay, nay, noth- ing but the Soph Finals, but to some of our sprightly drops they meant finis. They might just as well have splashed over the

Page 29 text:

MIRAGE 27 school. Item 7. Because of the inability to find a sufficiently talented vocalist, we were un- able to bequeath to any one the place of Guy Jackson, soloist and entertainer of the Boys’ Glee Club. The Senior Class air leaves a great gap in the choral clubs, which time alone can fill, and as for our singing in Chapel, Well! any kind of a noise is pleasing to hear sometimes. Item 8. To the school we leave such personages as Forest Brandt, Bess Baker, Vorys McLaughlin, Wright Amerine, Will Kiefaber, Judson Morris and John Sil- baugh, who started out the year with us, but, because of a love for the school, the teachers, (or vice versa?) other classes of individuals, have postponed their depart- ure just a little longer. Item 9. To those who have gone back “to the farm we bequeath the hope that they will carry throughout life their abil- ity to forsee coming disasters and thus es- cape such things as examinations, rhetori- cal and note books. Item 10. And, separately, we make the following individual bequests: To a local optician, we leave a Maxwell, which we trust will be guarded safely; to Mr. Flood we bequeath a supply of chewing wax, garden implements and a limited amount of bluff and hot air; to Mr. Sutton, the lady admirer, we will the surplus athletic funds and a dictionary of varied slang phrases; to the teachers who will have to endure Vorys McLaughlin in the vears to come, we bequeath the right to use, as projectiles, all movable property, such as vases, erasers and books. (Will the President of the Junior Class please come forward- Pres. Carl Nourse appears. Also Gerald Hewetson with an unplaned ladder and Russell Lloyd with a finished one decorated in green and white.) This first ladder, still in the rough, is the one with which we started off our high school course. The second, which was sim- ilar to the first, but which has been worn smooth by four years of laborsome climb- ing is the ladder by which the Senior Class has risen to their fame. We bequeath to the Junior Class this ladder, decorated with our colors, green and white, in order that they may attain a degree approaching our present sublimity. We give, devise and bequeath equally all the rest and residue of our personal property, whatsoever and wheresoever, of what nature, kind and quality soever that is not hereinbefore given and disposed of. (after paying our debts and Commence- ment expenses), to Miss Drinkle and Mr- McCandlish, when they shall have reached the age of 21. And we do constitute and appoint Miss Curtiss, Miss Larimer and Mr. Hickson, of our said faculty, as the executors of this, our last will and testament. In Testimony Whereof we, the said Sen- ior Class, have to this our last will and test- ament, set our hand and seal, this the thirt- ieth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen. (Signed), CLASS OF 1917. Lancaster High School. —By George H. Rutherford. Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Senior Class as and for their last will and testament, in the presence of us, who have hereunto subscribed our nam- es at their request as witnesses thereto, in the presence of the said Senior Class and of each other. Russell Lloyd. Mildred Baker Mary Hood. Gerald Hewetson.

Page 31 text:

MIRAGE 29 edge of the universe so far as we were concerned. Ah, Well! Perhaps we may meet them again on life’s broad ocean, or in some cool- ing spring or purling rivulet—who knows- “For there’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we may.’’ “Rivers will always have one shingly shore to play on where they can be shal- low and careless and happy and free,” says Carlyle. The “shingly shore” of High School life is the Junior year. Having weathered the storms of tests, exams and finals for two strenuous years they emerge quietly, con- fidently, joyously into the smooth current of Junior days. “Then, if ever, come per- fect days” for what is so rare as the days of a junior. Memories crowd thick and fast upon the historian of these days for there was something doing every day. We must pause to note the departure of Mr. Brashares to become Superintendent of Hocking County Schools, and to record the elevation of Mr. Thomas to the posi- tion of Prncipal of L. H. S. Both were men of high ideals and our lives will be enrich- ed by their influence. We had never been fully organized as a class, but this was one of the first acts of the Junior year. On September 22, 1915, we elected the following officers: President, Russell Lloyd; Vice-President, Mary Hood; Secretary, Mildred Baker, Treasurer; Francis Pannabecker, Sergeant at Arms, John Silbaugh; Mirage Represen- tative, Eloise Tidd. Class colors chosen were green and white; class flower, red rose bud; motto, “Desire to do well.” This year we had charge of an auction sale at the Senior Carnival. Owing to the arts and wiles of John Silbaugh who acted as auctioneer this proved to be the best money maker of the evening. According to custom, we banqueted the football team and this was voted one of the most enjoyable social events of the year. Our class play “Rooms for Rent” was well patronized and was accorded by those in attendance one of the best plays ever staged at L. H. S- The Junior-Senior banquet marked the high tide of the year for the Juniors and was even quite favorably commented up- on by the Seniors. The class picnic was held under more favorable conditions than the year before and consisted of less experience and more enjoyment. And again the waters are troubled, the rain drops agitated. Some, indeed a ma- jority I may say, bubbled brightly through by the honorary route, while a few, alas, were “all het up” by Junior exams and finals, a very few to the point of ebulli- tion and elimination. “A sad farewell; we could have better spared a better man”. The closing scene—the Senior year— that seemed not long ago so far removed is here, alas, too soon, for scarce have we settled to the serious toil for which we came hither than we are told to pack our books and say farewell—a long farewell. But ere we go we crave a parting word. This year has been little different, we venture, than the corresponding year of all previous classes of L. H. S. We have had the usual Senior studies and activities, in which, while we may not have excelled all previous performers, we have put forth earnest, honest effort. We have not been disinclined to heed the direction and advice of those who have been selected to rule ov- er us, and to each and every teacher who has borne with our faults and commended our efforts and our virtues, we bid an af- fectionate farewell. We bespeak their kind indulgence of the erring Juniors, Sophs and Freshies until, in the fullness of time and by the acquisition of sufficient knowledge and discretion, each class in turn shall occupy our present happy em- inence and shall pass on to join the great ocean of human endeavor and achieve- ment upon whose shores we have now ar- rived. The waters are agitated by the most aw- ful storm that has ever swept the earth and the stoutest hearts may w’ell tremble. Who knows but that the Class of 1917 is come to the kingdom for such a time as this?