Lompoc High School - La Purisima Yearbook (Lompoc, CA)

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The L. U. H. S. LoMPoc UNION HIGH SCHOOL man in that condition ought not to stick around where the currents are hot. VVell, anyhow, he and I and a couple of others went to work. Just as we were starting off, Kelly came up to me. Kid, 'Dutchie' was drinking and gambling all last night. For Heaven's sake be careful! I promised and walked away behind Dutchie Up we went to the top of nowhere on a fifty foot pole. We were pulling wire and we had to be careful, for it was hot. Right at the start I noticed that Dutchie was acting rather finicky. He'd push himself his way, then shift around nervously a little more. I didn't like his state of mind at all. I was busy on my end of the cross section and wasn't minding him much any more when suddenly I heard a funny wheeze. Instantly I realized what had hap- pened. I gave a warning yell to the men down below and whirled about towards the Dutchman. There he was, limp, with his foot on the twenty-three hundred and the four-forty in his hand. It had nailed himl A sickening odor of scorched flesh came to my nostrils. I pulled him loose and hung on to him while the men down below got ready for him. We got him down, and somebody came running up with a pulmotor. Maybe this would set up his breathing again, but the chances were mighty small. VVe strapped the rubber mask on his face and fell to pumpingg We worked for two hours, hut he never once showed any sign of life. It was night now. All the camp had gathered around, yet everyone was as quiet as the tomb. After the Dutchman had been wrapped in a blanket and carried away, Kelly took my arm and shook his head gravely. -H. S. '25. REGRET If it only could have beeng If I had only thought: But I didn't, And it's not. WVhat's the use to fret Worry and regret? lt's done! So let's forget. -Charles Hibbits, '25. A SKETCH His spurs clinked sharply as he strode into the little old store. He stopped and narrowed his eyes on something he saw 'on the counter. He stood there look- ing fixedly at the paper for a few minutes. Then he looked up and there was a look of furtive fear on his face as he said with an uncertain smile, I know that fellow they want there. As he said this he pointed at the paper on the counter at which he had been staring. But I don't know where he is now, he added dully. There was a hoarse murmur heard throughout the room as he spoke, for a large reward was up for the man's capture. Craftily the man had slipped from sight when he found out he was wanted. Some from the back of the group said indifferently, Why don't you hunt him up if you know who he is? You ought to be able to get some trace of yer pardnerf' But above the sound of his spurs as he stalked out of the room he was heard to mumble, I donlt want to find him. -Ted Lundberg, '24'. U21

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t.oMPoe UNIONJIIGH seuoor. The L. U. H. S lags Ulm RYZ X THE LINEMANH Tell you about the excitement on the job? I'll admit theri-'s plenty of it at that. You never can tell whether you'll get nailed yourself one day or see the next fellow knocked, for a lineman's day. is pretty grim sometimes. But Ilve always figured this way: if a current of electricity comes along with 1ny name on it, no matter whether I'm wearing rubber gloves or working with a t.en foot stick, it will get me anyhow. ' ' ' ' But I'll admit I've been scared aplenty. I'll never forget the day I began work. The first morning I went on the job was told to grunt for a young man named Kelly. He started on up the line, whistling: I followed, somewhat puzzled as to whether the term grunt was to be taken literally or not. Pretty soon we reached our work and Kelly showed me a transformer. X Now, see here, he said, if you work this thing this way you get four forty volts, and if you work it the other way you get eleven thousand. Both of 'em will kill you. ' 'I'hat's all he said, and believe me, it was enough. I nearly passed out as it was. i But I liked Kelly and the job from the very start. He was a fine chap, always there when it came to showing you things, and so easy to learn from. Wl'hen I got around to the stage when I thought I knew a little we had fine times! He'd say, Now that fuse is supposed to go in this way, and he'd proceed to demonstrate. Naw! I'd argue, Don't you think you ought to make it go the other way? That way it'll overload right away. Oh, will it? he'd ask, looking up. And since when have you acquired such brilliance? he'd add witheringly. VVhy, it stands to reason that you ean't overload a fuse the way you're try- ing to. Might as well pile all the junk around I.ompoe on a poor Ford and expect it to run. There'd be about as much sense in that as in putting all'of 'Happy Valley on this fuse, I'd maintain, pulling a good bluff. By golly, kid, you may be right at that, he'd say, scratching. his head. Anyhow, it's worth looking intof' WV, I 2, Then no matter whether we were on a thirty or a fifty foot pole, he iwould climb down and I after him, and we would squat on the ground and argue the thing out. He generally was right, for he had it over me in experience. .But right away when we disagreed on something, I knew the1'e was no more work for a while. It was always, All right, let's get down and go over to the office, where it's warm, and finish this argumentf, A, , ,,,. , l hadn't been grunting Cwhich I found to mean working as xg-roundman'.'j for Kelly more than a month when, one afternoon, the boss told me to work on the line further south with another fellow. I didn't like to work with this man? He was a stumpy, queer, nervous Dutchman, who seemed to have heart trouble. A rm

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LOMPOC UNION msn SCHOOL The L. U. H. S A LUNAR FLIGHT Say, have any of you fellows seen Phil Green lately? No, guess he's gone off on one of his trips again. Queer fellow-whatP,' 'HS far hack as I can remember him, he was that way, always restless, dis- satisfied with everything. Oh! I suppose l1e'll get over it some dayf, Yes, Init what's become of his shadow, Cole, y' know? I haven't seen him since-oh. since last .lilly at the Scientists' I,uncheon-rememberP He's a regular little owl: quite, but say, hc sure takes everything in. Funny how he and Green always hit it off so well,-ever since they were little kids. Say! close that door! It's cold enough herein Turning about, the speaker gasped, then exclaimed, XVell, speak of the angels and they're hound to appear Springing up he hastened to meet the newcomers, who were no other than Philip Green and his shadow, James Cole. Drawing near to the warm fire where thc group was seated, they were greet- ed: What news, old chap? Where y' been now Say' don't you guys ever stay home? WVell, casually remarked Green, drawing up a comfortable chair, and warm- ing his hands by the blaze, come on, Jim, let's get really warm for the first time in some months-quite a while, fellows, since we've felt the need of this, indicat- ing the glowing fire. Cole stretched hmiself out comfortably in a big chair and gazed into the fire. Say, aren't you going to tell us? lim not going to be nagged to pieces for six whole months and not be rewarded for it. Every person I've met has asked where you were, and, of course, I didn't know. So snap into it, and relieve my mindll' Well, here goes: but mind you, don't criticize or butt in 'till I'm through. Jim, here, and I have been to the moonln He stopped, letting this blunt piece of information be absorbed by his audi- ence. Nor was he disappointed: looks of ineredulity, sly glances of neighbors at each other, then at Phil, who sat grinning pleasantly. Think I'm mad, don't you? VVell, I can't say as I blame you. Thought so myself for a while. But, truly boys, l'm not spoofing, what, Cole? Cole nodded his head in acquiescence, staring, meanwhile at the fire. VVell, either you're crazy or I am, came from a skeptical chap who sat in a corner. Anyhow, go on. Maybe we'll bite. Say, if you wanta know, shut up for at least one minute, will you? broke in Phil. Just listen. He paused reflectively: then, crossing his knees and staring into the fire reminiscently he began to speak. p, Fu About six months ago I was just down and out with the wear and tear of things, so I went over to .lim's and I said to him, 'Say, old whale, what's chances of doing something peppy? I'm fed up on this pink-tea training I've been getting. Any kind advice will be gratefully acceptedf 'Huh, got it again, have you?' he says. 'I-Iow'd you like a trip to the Moon? I looked at him for a minute and then fell for it. 'You're on, old top, I'll try anything once.' 'Well, thenf he says, 'you remember old Doc Mallory ?,-well, I guess I did -and tllen Ile went on. 'He's working on an experiment down 'at Ford's Island. lt's an apparatus he thinks will go to the moon, and he must have some one to try it out.' I13l