Macomb High School - Spiderweb Yearbook (Macomb, IL)

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History of the Class of 1910 BY ALFRED WAYLAND - ©«« September third ,1906, dawned a peaceful day in the little city of Macomb; but on that clay there assembled at the High School a class that should stand for the perpetuation of the school s honor, and should defend her against her most formidable foes until four short years had passed and Commencement snapped the vibrant chord that bad bound them in fraternal union. The class upon that day was vastly different from the one which will leave the school in June. They numbered nearly fifty, coming from every part of the county—from Good Hope to Littleton, from Bardolph to the western boundary. But they were an apt class; and as soon as the C lass of 1909 had administered the water hath under the school pump, which is so vitally necesssary to all aspirants to High School fraternity, they entered into the school’s history, to leave a mark that may be traced through all her future annals. But in every Freshman class there exists a spirit which is not entirely conductive to mental labors . 1 hough that spirit may sleep during the cold winter months, it is gathering force, and when the warm spring sunshine bursts forth, the demon awakes, and evert member feels a throb in his innermost soul which demands that lus class be made notorious. Xot unlike former organizations, this class rose in their youth to crush their upper classmen. Matters came to a climax at the boys’ declamatory contest. The Freshmen lost to the Class of 1906. The boys of the class arose in their indignation, swore vengeance at their superiors and attempted to revenge their defeat in the manual arts of warfare; but were not only escorted home by their upper classmen with barrel staves, but also were compelled to give vaudeville performances on the street corners for the amusement of all passersby. We awoke the next morning sadder but wiser Fresh-men. The year closed with the track meet at home; but the rain, pour- — 24 -

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Florine Fulkerson giving an illustrated lecture on art? My questions are answered; those “rapid fire’’ drawings can be none but hers. In a nearby city I see Miss Myrtle Ritter, prima donna, singing the leading role in the----------opera. Miss Evelyn Wyne holds the place of principal contralto with the same company. Their singing is certainly of a high order: their voices blended together would put a brass band in the shade. Next, my eyes alight on the city of Chicago, where 1 see in the new Sears Roebuck skyscraper, which has the top story on hinges lor the purpose of letting the moon go past. Mr. Harry Gardner, general floor-walker for this establishment. Here is another institution of learning: and in one of the rooms 1 see Miss Lenore Stephens, the same sedate little Lenore, in a prim little black dress w-ith foreign-looking little collar and cuffs, teaching French . She is, perhaps a little more dignified but is still recognizable. Farther south, but still in Illinois, I see in a little town called Hdwardsville the coziest of cottages. In the homelike library is Mrs. Laura Chandler L--------, sitting in a large leather chair with a book in her lap. She is reading aloud to a tall, distinguished looking man. who leans on the mantlepiece. and to two children, one on the arm of her chair, the other on a stool at her feet. At last my eyes seem drawn to the other continent. There, in a dainty studio, 1 see Miss Alta Gamage enveloped in a large bib-apron, while smudges of various colors of paint adorn her face. She is painting masterpieces by the score, and everywhere I hear her praise. ()ne is left from that class, and where. Oh where, shall I find her. I am half afraid ; but at last my eyes are slowly, slowly but irrisistibly drawn southward: farther and farther, hotter and hotter—surely no one could be found in such a place! At last appears a large dark spot. 1 look closer and see a band of natives in full paint and scant raiment, seated cross-legged on the sands. They have an expectant look, so I return to discover the cause. Just at the horizon 1 discern a small speck; it comes nearer ami nearer; at last I am able to see that it is an elephant, an especially large one, carrying a jogging, swinging canopy, under which I see—Oh, can it be?—myself! calmly jerking along under that sweltering sun. That elephant stops and Ursula clambers down. She is dressed in the native style, rings on iier fingers and bells on her toes. She alights, and taking her position before those heathen. I listen to a sermon poured forth in such a torrent of grunts and mysterious sounds as would astonish anyone .-Hort of an iron man. Perhaps Ursula could talk before, but she has certainly improved in speed. Suddenly a mist comes between me and the world, and I slowly come back from the Future. 1 open my eyes and find myself still in my own room. It is quite late, so I bid farewell to my vision, and wish the members of the Class of 1910 all success and happiness. URSULA KENNEDY. - 23 -

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;ng from 10:00 a. m. until 6:oo p. m. spoiled everything that the day had promised. SOPHOMORES. On the second day of September. we again assembled to claim our supremacy in class rivalry and to exert our authority over our lower classmen in a true “college atmosphere.” We administered the annual hath with all solemnities due such a ceremony, and in consequence remained the following evening to practice writing our names under the supervision of our dear Professor E. J. Myers. The year was probably the blackest in our history. It was but a repetition of flunks and failures on every side: but it did accomplish one important thing, and that was the development of penmanship. fter our daily 4:30 class we had several proficient artists that could write the word “deportment” five hundred times in twelve minutes. However, matters eventually became quiet: but spring, with its demoniacal impetus, brought the fiercest class conflict that has ever ensued in the history of the school. One morning chapel was dismissed. and the Juniors and Seniors retired to the campus and battled over a straw dummy. Several of the Sophomores participated, and were executed in a most ungentlemanly manner with boards and i arrel staves. In the declamatory contest the Sophomores were doubly victorious. Miss McGillivary won first honors from the girl contestants, reading The Red Disk; while Alfred Way land succeeded in behalf of the boys with “Gentlemen, the King! To celebrate this victory the Sophomores flew their colors of -ed and white in the highest maple trees and loosened a white pigeon in chapel with the colors in its beak. Never was a victory more dulv celebrated. ' W e bade farewell to Mr. E. J. Meyers, and while at times lie seemed the sternest of instructors, kind thoughts of him will exist as long as a member of his classes remain. JUNIORS. September again called us together for the third time . ()ver half our numbers had fallen back, and many of those still claiming their title looked forward without the slightest ray of hope, but with a determination that always wins. Class rivalry was nipped in the bud, and the school was run in the most strict manner. Our studies completely quelled the desire for public notoriety, and demanded our time to study. The football team was strong, but our class held but one representative in the squad. Early in the second semester a move for individuality was taken, and the white hat was placed upon the heads of our studious twenty-four. ()f course, this provided some amusement and rivalry, but it was declared by Mr. Burns to be a “legitimate piece of foolishness. - 2S -