Livermore High School - El Vaquero Yearbook (Livermore, CA)

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Bolb Simmons' Experience OB SIMMONS, air mail pilot who fiew between San Francisco and Reno, was preparing for his daily run. His plane, which was a Curtiss scout plane, was his treasure. He had been Hying with it ever since he had been employed at the San Francisco air port. He spoke of it as if it were a person and he called it Betzy.,' Hey, Bob, called one of the mechanics who had been helping Bob prepare for the fiight. The Boss wants to see you, guess he'll say you can't make the run in this wind. Gee! the wind is blowing sure enough, but I've got to get through with that sack of mail. It contains money that was collected here in Frisco and it's being sent to Hood refugees in the Mississippi Valley. The quicker they get it the better. VVith this Bob jumped down from the wing of the plane where he had been tuning the engine and ran across the field to the office of the air-port superin- tendent. He was pufhng when he reached the door of the olhce as he had been bucking the strong north wind. XNell. Bob, I guess you'd better not try it tonight. There's no use taking a chance. NVait a minute, interrupted Bobg don't say I can't Hy tonight because I know I can. Those people need that sack of mail and they're not going to wait a day or two because some chicken-hearted air pilot in Frisco was afraid to make his part of the run on schedule. Now I don't know what else was said in that oiiice but I do know the super- intendent gave his consent and that Bob took the air in his plane at 7:30 that evening. The wind had made the 'ttake-off difficult and Bob was about twenty minutes in finally leaving the held. In spite of the wind that evening was clear and the beacon light at Livermore greeted Bob fifteen minutes after he left Frisco. Bob Hew over the Patterson Pass with great care. He kept accurate watch on the gauges and meters and kept his plane out of the treacherous air pockets as best he could. The wind was straining every wire, every bit of the fuselage and Bob once or twice wished he had not taken the chance. Then again he would think of the cause of his fiight and fear left him. Then like a flash of lightning out of a clear sky a sharp singing sound came to Bob's ears. He felt his plane give from under him. XYhat had happened? XYith a horrified glance over his left shoulder Bob saw that one of the main wing sup- ports had been conquered by the strong pulling and twisting of the wind. Then the plane seemed to give a last leap like a wild animal that was fighting for its life. But it was useless. Bob thought of his parachuteg he thought of the mailg and then he quickly grasped the sack and leaped from the plane, which was then about one thousand feet above a wooded district. All this had happened in less than a second and now Bob was swiftly being taken helter-skelter by the wind. Poor old Betzy was twisting and turning hurriedly toward the earth. Bob closed his eyes just before she hit the ground. His old companion had been conquered! Wlliat was to be his fate? Swiftly he was descending. He knew that the para- chute would drag him after he landed. Certainly the wind would keep it open and his chances would be slim.

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The Most Interesting lperson I Know HIC is small, has wonderful eyes of blue that look at you unllinchingly, dark brown curly hair that reminds you of silk and velvet, and a chubby ever-rosy face. lt was her face that won nie at first sight. VVhen she! was in deep thought, her eyes became sober, her face lost its tint, and even her hair took on a somber aspect. Wlhen joy was in her heart her eyes began to sparkle, her lips began to curve, the rose flowed back into her cheeks, and even her tresses seemed to smile back at me. Since the first time I saw her l have learned that every change of thought, every type of emotion is registered on her face. Although her hair is bobbed, she is not a tlapper. Indeed, she seems to take little interest in things that usually claim a girl's attention. She rarely goes to a party and when she does at least one of her parents accompany her. She does not dance so far as I know and she is no great talker. Birds and animals always interest her, however, and she also likes to ride. As I said before, she is not a Happerg and yet there are times when she actually delights in Hirting. Although I am modest by nature, I can truly say that she has tried to charm me with her smile on several occasions. I must con- fess, however, that I smiled in return. I am not her only victim for she has practiced her wiles on many others, but, I say it once more, she is NOT a Happer. This most interesting person has very few faults but perhaps I should men- tion them, nevertheless. Ifirst, I must confess she is inclined to be lazy. This is the fault of her parents, however. They think she is a perfect doll and conse- quently do not allow her to do work of any kind. She does not even wash the dishes! No, indeed not! X'Yhile her mother toils in the kitchen, she sits com- fortably in a chair or on the hed and plays with a doll or looks at a hook or listens to the radio. And sleep, my how she can sleep! She sleeps in the night timeg she sleeps in the daytiineg she sleeps anytime and anywhere she pleases. Second, she seems to have very poor table manners. Perhaps I am not the one to criticize her but, nevertheless, I thought lingers and hands had long ago passed out of use as implements for transporting food to the mouth. Not so she. I doubt if she could handle a fork or knife in a becoming manner. In fact, if she thinks it necessary, she will make direct contact between her mouth and the desired morsel. Lastly. she is quite conceited, This fact is fully demonstrated by the way she makes her parents step lively to obey her slightest wish Indeed, everyone seems to think she is a queen and they her subjects. Perhaps you have guessed the name of the person of whom I speak. If you have not, I shall say for your benefit that the subject of the above discourse is now spending her second year on this earth and has not yet a full set of teeth. Further- more, she cannot walk unless assisted by another. LLOYD Bemis '23, Dawn Iluylvrvule and flu' birds' clear roll Duylvrcule and zlzitys call llitzlee lIIUfl'17'11I my sleep. Ilyllfkl' 1110 from. my flrenuz, Siizzlmznizx clinzlwing 0'er tlzv mill: 3111117011115 tlzmzuizzg slzculoztxr iallg Illia' .rlcefi from my eyeliflx cwcjv. Good lzra1zfe11.v.' llfy English tlzeuzef -GRN iz SHi2RM.fiN 20.

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liyerything went hlack, he imagined he could hear the roar of old Betzy. Hey, you! Simmons get up there, it's time you were getting ready to hop oft! screamed a voice. Roh opened his eyes and to his surprise found he had been dreaming and was safe in his hed at the air port in San Francisco where he was employed in making special flights with mails between California cities. He lazily stretched himself and dressed, thinking all the while how thankful he was it was only a dream. RUSSELL CRANE '27. Beauty Tlzerv is beauty in the mooizhglzt ll'l1e11 Hn' stars are shining bright, Yilzere' is beauty in flu' szmliglzf lI'if1z the bright blue sky above, There is becmfy in the meadows lV1ze11 the wild flowers seem' flu' air, There is beauty on the ocean lV1zvn the wives are soft and fair, All the world is full of beauty llvllfll you can see if flzvrc. ECIECILIA FRE1sMAN '27. Plus Not Minus The kind of personality that we should endeavor to cultivate is a positive one -one in which there are almost all positive qualities. It is never too early to hegin molding a positive personality and it can easily he done no matter how negative We may have heen. At first this statement may appear impossihle hut it is not. The only thing a person must do is to take Mr. Knox's advice and Uhegin to lim' these qualities and no matter how deep our posi- tive qualities have heen buried hy our negative ones they can he unearthed in time. One might compare this unearthing process to an old silver teakettle Whose shining heauty is hidden hy many years of dirt and dust. One day the teakettle was found and hy polishing it daily with good polish its hrilliance was once more restored. We too, can bring out our shining qualities hy the faithful use each day of the very excellent Positive Polish. THELMA FERRARIO 'ZS