Lincoln High School - Lincolnian Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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24 THE LINCOLNIAN becoming too monotonous, in our civic classes, towns and villages were incor- porated ; great murder, slander and stealing cases were tried, in order to give the pupils some idea of how cases were dealt with in our everyday life, and incidentally to give the verbose members of the class an opportunity to exercise their vocabularies and to show how little they really knew about such affairs. In our English classes the pupils were allowed to write their autobiographies, in which exercise everyone tried to make himself as illustrious as possible, and in their efforts to surpass the others some lives were read wherein the inci- dents could rival those of “Opie Dill- dock.” When the time came for us to re- enter school as “Sophisticated Sophs” we were given a pleasant surprise in the shape of a new school building, with new teachers and added departments. The honor of being the first sophomore class to enter New Lincoln was greatly appreciated, and for this and other rea- sons no steel band could have been made strong enough to incase our fast swell- ing heads. W eeks went by and someone sug- gested class organization. A day was appointed, we met and a club was or- ganized. All officers were girls. The boys then begun to think of some plan by which they could overthrow this state of affairs. They thought if a boy could only become president the rest would be easy. A conspiracy was formed, out of which grew the first triumverate, the ob- ject of which was to bring about an- other election of officers and by sheer force place a boy in the president’s chair. The triumvirs were Hockaday, Doug- lass and Williams. Like the great Ro- man triumvirate, each man had a differ- ent function — Hockaday for leadership, Douglass for eloquence, and Williams for ornament ; in other words, he just accompanied these other gentlemen. But, alas ! like all other great tri- umvirates, all came to naught. The summer months rolled by ; we entered schol not as “Verdant Freshies,” not as “Sophisticated Sophs,” but as “Noisy Juniors.” In despite of this true, but misleading, name, we had the dis- tinction of being the first class in school to organize ; not only that, but we were the richest club in school in talent, whether musical or otherwise, and in finance. Nor was this year without conflict. The girls held the balance of power ; the boys felt that they should receive more privileges ; a declaration of independ- ence, demanding a square deal, was drawn up, signed by every boy in the class and presented to the club. At first it was not considered and this was the beginning of the famous Tau Sigma Sigma, Lincoln’s first and only Greek letter fraternity. The estrangement be- tween the boys and girls was short lived ; they were united once more, and things went along smoothly ever after- ward. But the Tau Sigma Sigma had come to stay. The presidents of the class throughout the year were James E. Williams, Amanda Leonard and Lula Shelby, in the order named. By this time it had been whispered that we were not only the premier class in school, but the best junior class that ever walked the corridors of Old Lin- coln. It was this year that more students took up Cicero than in any of the pre- vious classes ; thirteen was the number, and all stuck together throughout the en- tire year, and all passed. Unlucky num- ber, did someone say Well, hardly, for at the end of the term Prof. Dawley served the members of the class with ice cream. Now, would anybody call such a treat unlucky? It was this year the class of ' 09 brought the “Noise,” a strictly junior class paper, to such prominence. In the way of programs rendered we were never surpassed. Two members appear- ing in as many programs shall ever re- main fresh in the memories of all who heard them. One was the burlesque on the class of ’08, by Herman Hockaday, in our junior farewell program; the other was the response to the class of ’08 by Edward Baker, last class night, which was undoubtedly one of the best ever given by a junior class. Then came another treat. Prof. Wal- den, our roll call and physics teacher, entertained the entire class at his resi- dence. We were fast becoming the elite of High school society. Last, but. by no means the least, came the cul- minating feature of such an illustrious

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THE LINCOLNIAN 28 With bated breath we waited for what was to come ; only a second we waited., but in that second we passed death in its blackest forms and looked : ark with dread into the frowning, icked past. On our strained ears tloaied from somewhere music. It was not the piano, violin or cornet, nor the oi, thing strains of an organ, but music ■ ne sweetness of which I had never heard before or since, then voices sweet and clearing singing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.” The chorus came from the skies, still all was deepest dark- ness. Some bowed down in prayer, ' .ome in shame; some stood still, dazed by wonder. The music played on and voices still repeated, “Holy, holy, holy, ■ ord God Almighty.” Then slowly the darkness parted, the sun shone brightly ‘ midnight upon frightened women and ahid faces of men. Children frightened by the sudden change, screamed and clung ' o their mothers. The sun shone in all ts splendor, yet not a soul moved i opoke. We gazed with awe at the midnight sun, when slowly it faded, and far brighter than it shone another light. Blinded and dazzled, we fell upon the earth to shut out its brightness. I tried in vain to pray, but the words of that clear old prayer were forgotten. I tried again and again. Oh, that now I could live again that life I wasted for worldly vanities ! Oh, that now I could sooth a heart my bitter words had broken ; that I could give now to the beggar the crust I refused ! I tried to pray, “Our Father” — I gave up in despair. My life was ended. I was weighed in the balance and found wanting. Not since I kneeled by my mother’s bed of sickness, years ago, and laid my hand in hers, had I prayed those sweet prayers she taught me in my inno- cent babyhood. that would drill V brightest diamond — He wdio H v u cross, Our Savior and Rede ' if ■ , ot look into a face sc- hob ; ‘ al pure. In shame I bowed o • id sed the earth. Then it se.eme- a a h ug again my infancy. When in -ic .tiler’s arms I heard her sweet voic • .ring chat dear old song, “I shall hi like Him when I see my Savior’s smiim, ace.” Again I tried to pray, but could not. Again I looked heavenward. Around Him stood angels with robes of spotless white, and I saw my mother kneeling at His feet. She turned on me her sweet, loving eyes, but again I bowed my head and wept as a child. I heard her speak my name; I looked up, but her smiles were tears, her face was sad. Then the Ruler of heaven and earth parted the throng to right and left; the moans and screams from thou- sands rent the air. Moved by some un- seen power, I passed to the left, and I heard a cry that echoed and re-echoed in my soul. My mother fell at His feet ; I lifted my hands up to heaven, I longed for forgiveness. . “Too late, too late, I know you not,” was the answer. I tore my hair, I buried my nails deep in my flesh. I wept in despair, but still that voice repeated, “Too late, too late, I know 7 you not.” Again that music, and the gates of heaven were closed against me, and again reigned that unearthly darkness, when flames seemed to envelop the uni- verse and there came over me a feeling of sinking into a pit of fathomless dark- ness. I awoke with a cry. It was early morning. But that dream shall not be forgotten until that last day. History of the Class of ’09. James E. Williams, ' 09. All things have a beginnig; so has the clas of ’09. All great events go down to make history; the class of ’09 may feel flattered for having a sufficient number of great events to have a his- tory of their owm. Some things are great front the beginning, but the class of ’09 have acquired their fame. Four years ago more than a hundred boys and girls entered Old Lincoln on Eleventh street. On the opening day we find our boys and girls in line ready to assume the duties of freshmen. As “verdant Freshies” there was very little doing, as the class was then unsophisti- cated in ways of High school life. But to keep our “Freshie” days from

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THE LINCOLNIAN 25 year, the juniors’ reception to the seniors. The enjoyment of the evening shall be long remembered by all that were present. Thus closed the year for the greatest junior class that ever graced Old Lincoln by their presence. Autumn came ; once more we find the faithful few entering Old Lincoln, they hope, for the last time. Following up the precedent established in our junior year, our club was organized at once, with Edward Baker as the executive head, and we begun to advance not step by step, but by leaps and bounds. In our Virgil class there were more pupils than were in all of the other pre- vious classes combined. Eleven is our present number ; this single fact, like scores of others, speaks volumes for the ciass of ’09. Another fact is that no other class can boast of so many sterling athletes. On the ever-victorious football team seven members were of the class of ’09, five of whom were regulars. No other class can boast of so large a number. Another singular fact is that we are the first senior class to possess all of the qualities that a senior class should have, and some that We shouldn’t have. Fol- lowing up the precedent of our previous year in the way of programs rendered, we rendered one that will be long re- membered, the celebration of the cen- tennial anniversary of the emancipator and martyr, Abraham Lincoln, February 11, 1909. By the way of showing the faith that the faculty has in us, we will relate the following: About three weeks before the date, Prof. Crisham informed the class that he would like for them to have a program on Lincoln’s centennial. No sooner had the words fallen from his lips than we began to prepare, and on the appointed day the program was ren- dered, which was said to have been the best program ever given by any class in the annals of Old Lincoln. This fact, like others, speaks volumes for the class of ’09.1 • It would take volumes to write all concerning the versatility of this class. Put we shall endeavor to give you a few r facts concernig this great power. We have some of the most brilliant array of talent ever presented in twenty-eight graduates. We have among our mem- bers pianists, .a violinist ot rare merit and whose technique and tone qualities are not to be surpassed, a musical com- poser, Miss Mary White, whose setting to “Nearer, My God, to ' t hee ' ' is, to our minds, more beautiful by far than the original setting; orators, of no mean de- gree of eloquence ; would-be dramatists and actors, vocalists and writers whose simplicity of style could rival that of an Irving; writers whose range in depth of thought is almost Miltonic. Last, but by no means the least, is our class song, which is held sacred in the heart of every member of the class. For the words we are greatly indebted to .Mr. James F. Browne, and to our own j. Gerald Tyler for its tuneful music. Another tact of no little degree of im- portance is that the class of ’09 is the first class to give a play, on class night or any other night, written entirely by themselves, and to have the nerve to present it. This year marks the organization of the S. G. R. T., the senior girls’ club. The meaning of the name we mere boys have been unable to ascertain, but not- withstanding this we can say that the S. G. R. T. (what that means) is the first and only sorority in Old Lincoln; not only that, laut it has the distinction of being the only real literary society in school, not excepting the seven other or- ganizations. That’s a pretty bitter pill for a Tan Sigma Sigma to swallow, but nevertheless it is true. It has been said that the class of ’09 have a good opinion of themselves, the truth of which statement we make no effort to deny. The fact of the matter is we are trying to give our patrons a true account of our four years in Old Lincoln. We know that others should do the praising, but we all have our faults. Then, again, if you would suc- ceed in this world you must let the pub- lic know something about you. We have not always been free from petty strife and enmities, but there is not one of us that is not willing to forget all of our grievances toward one an- other, join hands and meet on a com- mon level to bid to Old Lincoln and her concomitants our best goodbys, with minds ever resolved to “Follow the Gleam.”