Liberty High School - Lion Yearbook (Brentwood, CA)

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We all rushed from the ear and began looking about. The tirst wonderful building whieh greeted our eyes was the beautiful new lirentwood llotel. whieh was built in the old mission style. Feeling strange and sadly at a loss where to turn. Mr. liewis suggested that we should walk up to the new City llall and have a look at it. VVe entered the building. and as we passed through the halls we glaneed in at the otiiee doors whieh stood open, and in one of these offiees whom should we spy but our old friend.George Barkley. VVe did not recognize him immediately. so 1-hanged was he. Ile now wore a full beard and a serious faee. not that ever-smiling fare as of old. Ile rushed out to greet us, and after making some inquiries he informed us that he was now oeeupying the honorable offiee of Mayor of Brentwood. He then most kindly showed us through the building and afterward insisted on taking the whole party to his home to luneh. ln this way we met his wife, whom we remembered meeting at one time when she was visiting in Brentwood. After dinner George took us for a ride in his touring ear and we had an opportunity of still further beholding the great ehanges that had come to Brentwood and its vicinity in ten short years. As we were passing one large ehieken rant-h George ealled our attention to it and asked us to guess the name of the owner. After vainly guessing he satisfied our euriosity by telling us that this beautiful raneh was owned by Morgan Sehroeder. our former jolly sehoolmate. As it was now growing late we returned to town. As we rode - ff through the main street of Brentwood two large signs eaught my eye. On one was inseribed Arthur Murphy. liutelierfi and on the other. Harold Anderson tk Co.. Leading Departnient Storeug so here were two of our former friends accounted for. We ate supper at the Hotel Brentwood and then withdrew into the spacious and beautifully furnished hotel parlors. there to await the eolning of the other guests. VVe spent the time in waiting by merrily ehatting of old times. and ere long the guests began to appear. The first to arrive was Earle Shafer, who eame in smiling and as handsome as ever. We were not surprised to learn that his wife was no other than the one to whom he had been devoted during all his high school days. VVe soon learned that he had established beautiful undertaking parlors in Brentwood and was in every way very successful. Next came our old friend Ray Shafer. the same Ray. and yet quite f-hanged. He had grown and was now large and dignified and extremely businesslikeg and why should he not be? for was he not supervisor of this district and had taken quite a part in the im- provement of this county? A Suddenly we heard a familiar laugh which Miss Baird immediately reeognized as Miss Baur's. and so it turned out to he. She rushed through the door and joyfully greeted us. NVe learned that she was living in a little bungalow in the hills of Brentwood and was devoting her life to bringing up three little orphan boys whom she had adopted. Little by little the other guests were assembled. Of eourse our

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contingent, which was as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wallace Jr., Doctor Morgans. Mr. and Mrs. Earle Shafer, and Ray Shafer. i Having looked through the list and copied down some addresses, we left the building. We had only gone a few steps when my attention was attracted by a young lady who suddenly quickened her steps as if she had seen one whom she recognized. For a moment I did not speak-it couldn't be Miss Baird. my old English teacher? Yes, it surely was. That same old smile as of old greeted us. Entering into conversation I learned that she was no longer Miss Baird, but Mrs. -, and that previous to her mar- riage she had been one of the assistants in the English department of the University of California. Upon inquiring from her what she knew concerning the welfare of the Brentwood people and especially the former pupils of Liberty Union High School. Mrs. - CI can not remember her new name. so will call her simply Miss Bairdj informed us that she had just received a letter from Miss Baur in which she had spoken of a reunion of old Liberty Union High School pupils, which was to' be held in the parlors of the new Brentwood Hotel on the following evening. Mr. Lewis at once suggested that we get up a crowd and go down. Miss Baird and I readily agreedand we arranged to send word to as many' of the Brentwood vis'itors as we could reach. Before parting Miss Baird asked us to accompany her to the Agricultural Building. where she said she had something to show us. This turned out to be an .- exhibit of immense potatoes whieh we learned mueh to our surprise had been raised on a farm near Brentwood. owned by no less a personage than our old friend. Ray Wallaee. This was evidenee enough that Ray had turned out a jolly good farmer. -Iust. as we turned to leave the building we were met by the smiling faee of Robert Wallaee. IIe was looking very happy. and we soon learned why. for he was on his honeymoon. and he and his bride were enjoying the fair to the utmost. During our conversation Robert told us that he was still living in Brentwood. in faet was the leading lawyer in that town. We divulged to him our plan of going to Brentwood the following day for the reunion. and he gladly assented to go. I now took leave of Mr. Lewis and Miss Baird. Early next morning the party assembled at Six- teenth Street Station-Mr. Lewis and his wife. Rob- ert and his wife. and Miss Baird. The others were to follow on a later train. Connection by eleetrie ear- line had been made between Brentwood and Oakland and the trip had become a delightful one. As we passed through Contra Posta County we noted the wonderful growth whieh had taken plaee. Small villages had become bustling townsiit was surely wonderful. At last. we reached Brentwood. I eould seareely wait until we reaehed-there. so anxious was I to see this town-the home of my ehildhood and early girlhood, At my first glanee I was almost stunned. Could this be little Brentwood? It had changed from a small. dull town to a flourishing r-ity.

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conversation turned immediately upon olden times and what the former Liberty Union High School pupils were now doing. Our old friend, Willie Mor- gans, talkative as ever. informed us that he was now a full-tledged doctor. and that being so well known in this section of the country he had been enabled to build up a large practice. He said that he was now handling a very difficult case, but that the patient was getting along nicely under the vigilant and ten- der care of Addie Knight. who was now a trained nurse. Because of the seriousness of the case she had been unable to attend the reunion. Robert Wahace and his wife were there and he and Esther had lots of fun joking about old times and old-time romances. Esther was living in Antioch. the wife of the leading druggist of that city. Esther disclosed the secret of lllarguerite Geddes' engagement to a young minister of Brentwood. who had recently graduated from University of California. Many of our old schoolmates had changed a great deal, but in none could we discover so great a change as in James Barkley. He had assumed all the dig- nity and seriousness which becomes a minister of the gospel, for such he had become. At this time he was holding a temporary position as pastor of the Brentwood Christian Church. but was soon to leave for his new field of work. having accepted the pastorate of one of the largest churches in San Francisco. He told us that he was in connnunication with our old friend Tva. who was at this time a mis- sionary in China. alone at the present time. but not to be so for long. for a certain young man was soon to Join her and together they intended devoting their lives to Christianizing the heathen Chinese. Mean- while Theodore Cakebread had been asking Mr. Lewis for some advice in regard to disciplining a high school. Of course we knew then that Theodore had fulfilled the promise of his youth and had become a learned professor. He said that the high school pupils in the Brentwood High School were not nearly so docile as we had been. but then of course we were unusually good. Someone im- parted the interesting news that Minnie Sheddrick had married a prosperous farmer and was living happily with him on a large ranch, in the hills. This reunion called to our minds the housewarm- ing which had been given in the High School build- ing under the auspices ol' the Woinan's tllub. and at mention of the club Bessie Collis spoke up and told us that she now held the position of president of Brent- wood lmprovement Club. She also told us that she heard quite frequently Csecond-handedi from our old friend Zilla. who was now teaching schoolw- teacher of history in the San Jose Normal. Now since learning into what paths the Fates had led those present at the reunion we naturally were curious to learn the whereabouts of the missing ones. There were a number of these. among them lieonard Dainty and Millard lliffing but their absence was soon accounted for. Just a week before a large circus had exhibited its wonders in Brent- wood and the owners were our old friends Millard f