Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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VoL. III. MILFORD, MASS., APRIL, 1887. No. 8. I’m Your Match. Do not be alarmed ; for I’m not a Sullivan pugilist nor that to which a young man’s fancy lightly turns in spring-time, so paint no cottage red with love for me. The pugilist, to be sure, often makes you see sparks oi fire com¬ monly called stars, and the lover’s life is full of but I bring only a momentary light to man, yet in that moment I am a power for good and evil. I light his household fire to cook his food and warm his home. At the close of day, when weary of labor, he reclines on vine-clad piazza, I inflame the narcotic weed which sends his cares whirling in (douds of smoke up into airy space. Sometimes, gnawed by wandering rodents, I burst into flame and destroy this same domestic paradise. At other times the inquisi¬ tive two-year-old, bent on m ischief, tries my taste-able jjroperties and voles me “wholly bad.” Then I have a lit tie trick, when struck, of unexpectedly sending u]) a noxious gas into the striker’s nasal organ which is apt to make a breach between us, and he naughtily exclaims, “O Lucifer!” Yes, I ' m Lucifer, the light bearer, not his Satanic majesty, the bearer of dark¬ ness. What of my pedio-ree, do you ask? Well, my life is the old, old sto¬ ry— a coming into existence, a fash¬ ioning for future usefulness and its fulfilment and then, lost to the eves of man, my individual elements set free take their places again in that cease¬ less round of atoms which goes march¬ ing on and on like J. Brown’s soul iti the song of other days. If, now, you really wish to know how I came into your hand in this strangely metamor¬ phosed condition. I’ll tell you as brief¬ ly as I can. Only a short month ago I was a liv¬ ing part of a pine tree on a hill-aide miles and miles from here, and there I stood and sunned myself, and summer breezes moved me, and the birds built their nests, and the birdlets,—Too po¬ etical, did you say? Well, don’t ring that bell and I’ll give you prose then. A biped like you came along one day and with his shining steel laid this parent pine low; then he lopped off its branches, cut off its tapering body and left the trunk bare and mutilated. Soon there came other men with pa¬ tient, plodding oxen who loaded my tree with many others, my old com¬ panions, on great wheels. Then, away we went jolting and grinding one another until it seemed as if every fi¬ bre would be crushed to a shapeless mass of pulp. Where a branch had been cut off, I had a chance to look out upon my surroundings and also to listen to what was said. You may be sure that my anxiety was so great about my future that I allowed noth¬ ing to escape me. By verdant farm lands, by houses and barns, by shops and country stores we slowly crawled along. The reason that no snails passed us on the road was because there were none going our way. How destitute of nerves our driver must have been to adapt his step so easily to the sleepy pace of the laboring cat¬ tle !—guess he must have been hired by the day. Well, after a long time we turned aside from the highway and beside a long, low building from whose roof escaped a white cloud of steam and from whose open window discor¬ dant sounds came forth which set my nerves on edge, we were unceremo¬ niously dumped u])on the ground with hundreds of others whom I recognized as old friends who in former days had mysteriously disappeared. Wearied by the loss of sap and the sufferings of the morning I fell into a doze, but for how long I cannot say; for I was suddenly aroused and found myself being hurried along into the building with others and immediately pushed sidewise against a great saw. Piece after piece was amputated and, before I had recovered from my fi ' ight, my trimk had fallen in a dozen pieces and I, in one of these, was picked up and roughly thrown upon a moving table when, oh horrors! I was sawn from end to end and all the parts of the trunks were reduced to mere planks. There was no rest, again our lengths were reduced by a third saw to many diffei’eiit sizes, but always to some multiple of my present length. How¬ ever, in this third cutting, there was one satisfaction; for some knotty neighbors just below me in the parent ti-uuk who had been a constant annoy¬ ance were then thrown out, and at the same time, too, some unlucky ones just above who had always been afiiict- ed with all the ills to which wood is heir. These were ignominiously thrust into a roaring fire under a great boiler wiiich furnished power to tor¬ ture their old companions. Up an elevator then we hurried to a large box full of steam so hot and stifling that I fell in a dead faint and only re¬ covered my senses to find myself in the hands of a girl who thrust me un¬ der a great slasher, so she called it, but I heard a visitor who stood near by say that it was just like a guillotine, whatever that is. I felt pretty thin, I assure you, when I flew off from this pitiless knife, in fact, nearly as thin as I now am, but we were still twelve of us nestling beside one another and be¬ yond us were other twelves. A boy then packed hundreds of these strips into a box and carried us into a room so hot that I lost my breath, my eyes closed and 1 knew nothing until I was taken out into daylight again and carried up a flight of stairs into a room where the buzz of saws gave me an earache. I was deposited upon a table, but how changed! 1 must have slept in that drying room a long time ; for I was so shrunken and all the moisture of my body seemed to have left it. As

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LILY -A.ITL) lYY. U S K DR. FLATLEY’S COU H SYRUP The Best in the World. Every Bottle Warranted Made By J-. XjXjEnsr 116 Main Street. Milford. Mass. WE OFFER SPECIAL INDUCEMENTS -IX- CLOTHING FOR SCHOOL WEAR. B. E. HARRIS, CLOTHIER. The Best and Cheapest place to buy FRUITS AND OONFEOTIONERY IS TA J. W. ROBERTS’. Cake and Ice Cream constantly on hand. Wedding Cake a Specialty. THAYER’S BLOCK. Main Street, Milford, Mass. and Bourne’s is the place to find the best assortment of Dress Trimmings and Kid Gloves in town. In¬ fant’s goods of every description. w. H:. 00. 106 Main Street, Milford, Mass. 1 ' ' yr 1 ATJ ■ » L 1 Greenhouses and residence on Church Place. “ Active shears gather no rust.” MILFORD FLORIST. Firesli Cut Flowecs Constantly on hand. Special attention paid to all kinds of floral work. o- Billon, Dealer in Ldl E JA T S AND PROVISIONS, Fruits, Vegetables, Butter, Eggs, Etc. Also, home- cured Hams and home-made Sausages. 33 Exchange Street. Heath Brothers, FASHIONABLE TAILORS, 118 Main Street, Milford. BUY YOUK- DRY MODS AND SMALL WARES AT 166 MAIN STREET, OF COBURN 0 LM STEAD. A-T rr. jST’s, 79 3IAIN STREET, MIEiOKO, For a large assortment of , OONFEOTIONEEY AND FP.DIT. All Ice Cream orders for parties and chureli fairs will be promptly attended to. I’riees as low as the lowest. J]) lowering an electric light, ])hoto- gra])hs have been obtained of the clee])-sea bottom. It is idleness tliat creates impossi¬ bilities. ' The shortest and surest way to jirove a work possible is strennonsly to set about it.—[South. I am not so lost in lexicography as to forget that ivords are the daughters of eartli, and that things are the sons of heaven.—[Samuel Johnson. “Are you the conductor?” asked a lad on the exenrsion train. “I am,” replied tliat obliging official, “and my name is W ood.” “0, that can’t be,” said the boy, “for wood is a non-con¬ ductor.” Ba;tf ,ed comes from the custom, in the days of chivalry, of taking a recreant kniglit, iiersonally or in effigy, banging him nji by the heels, and making him the snliject of all kinds of indignities. How little has our word of that meaning or force! Every school, established by law, should be specially bound to teach the duties of the citizens to the state, to unfold the principles of free institu¬ tions, and to tr.ain the young to an enlightened jiatriotism.—[W. E. Chan- ning. The total value of the colors derived from coal tar is $45,000,000 and they are jirincijially used to color the fibres of silk, wool and cotton ; though the blue used to color paper and the color¬ ing of ink are exam])ies of their minor use. The great beauty of modern prints is due to tlicse colors. “Feb. 11, 1808, made an experiment of burning the common stone coal of the valley in a grate in a common fire¬ place in my house, and find it w’ill answer the jmrjiose of fuel, making a clearer and better fire than burning wood in the common way.” This is an abstract from a diary kept by Judge Bell of Pittsburg, Pa.; but before this date, in 1768, two hlaeksmiths of Wy¬ oming valley first used anthracite coal, or “stone coal,” for business purjioses. The human figure, ivhen well pro¬ portioned, is about eiglit heads in length ; tlie elbows come to tiie small of the waist; tlie tips of the fingers reach half way from the hip to the knee; the knee is about one fourth the height of the figure from the fioor; tlie liead and trunk are one half the length of the figure ; tlie lower limbs are one lialf also; the distance from the tips of the lingers, arms extended, ought to he practically equal to the height ; the length of the arm should be three times the lieight of the head. A. L. SMITH Livery, Sale and Boarding STJABLE. First Class Teams at Reasonable Prices. Transients Well Cared For. 83 Central Street, - - MILFORD, MASS. JESSE A. TAFT, ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW, IRVING BLOCK, OPP. POST OFFICE, Milford, Mass. C. H. THOMPSON, Has the largest and most complete stock of Chil¬ dren’s and Misses’ kid and goat L In heeled, spring heeled and common sense to be found any where. Prices are very low. Invite all to call. 114 Main Street, - - Milfo d. GEOPGE G. PAPJvEP, Attorney Counsellor at law, No. 2 Washington Block, Milford, H. 0. SNELL, Dealer in MEATS AND PROVISIONS Fruits, Vegetables, Pickles, Ktc. Also, home-cured hams, and home-made sausages. Cl Main Street, IMilford. v-im- DEALER IN Carpetings, Stoves, Tin and Sheet Iron Ware, Paper Hangings, Upholstery Goods, Uliamher Sets, Etc. 160 and 163 Main Street, - - Milford, Mass. A. S. Tuttle Co., DEALERS IN ' H ,R NT i: T ' W R E CARPETS, STOVES, RANGES, CROCKERY. GLASS, TIN, and WOODEN WARE. 91 and 94 Main Street. A .S. TUTTLE. H .1. DE.VRIN ' d. INSURANCE, LAW SINE FLAW, Veni, Vide, Ridens Lee.

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O . I looked myself over I was reminded of a bear on my native hillside who, at the beginning of winter, came stag¬ gering uj) the hill under his load of fat, seeking for Ins winter-quarters; but, when tlie sun again a]q)roaehed the equinox, he went forth a living skeleton. Such was I; but excuse this digression, let us proceed. A man picked ]) a handful of these strips, pounded us on end and sides and worse yet, pushed us against a set of eleven saws. In we went until I gave up all hopes of longer clinging to my broth¬ ers, but just in time we were pulled back, cut off just two and a half inches long, and there we were in com])anies of twelve, held together by a half inch of wood at one end. A woman’s hand- next picked us up and deposited us in a long, narrow, box-like channel where some sort of machinery shook us about and knocked us on our heads until mine was nearly cracked with its a(;hes and bruises. I heard the woman say that we were being “racked.” I have no reason to dis])ute her, for I certain ly was racked—racked fore and aft. Much to my surprise, as we bounced up, I found that our sets of twelves were arranged alternately heads and tails, so to speak, just as you find ns in the bunches you buy. Then we were placed in jack-screws where we were squeezed and jammed to such a degree that I became so heated by my wrath and my sufferings I nearly set the whole establishment on fire. After a time a boy removed me to a shed at a distance from the main building—I heard someone say that there was dan¬ ger of fire—and there I found that “the terrors of the wicked awaited me. Brimstone, oh how suffocating! Phos¬ phorus, oh how hot! There was no hesitation on the part of him who held the jack-screw in which we were held fast. Down he dipped us right into the batli of melted sulphur and then into one of ])hosphorus. One would think that, by this time, the little life still remaining in us’would have been exhausted; but it’s wonderful with what a tenacious grip we all hold on to life in this world of struggling and suffering and—What ? Too much wan¬ dering? Well, well, bear with me a moment, I’m nearly through. A little time for drying was given us and then a thoughtless, unfeeling girl (I really couldn’t helj) admiring her dextei ' ity though) grabbed myself and my eleven friends together with seven othei- cards (that is what she called them) slapped down—What’s that? My dic¬ tion isn’t very elegant? Well, 1 know that, but that’s just what she did all the same—a piece of brown tissue paper and with a rapid whirl and a folding up of the ends, I was impris¬ oned in a cell. Although my eyes I were thus blinded I kept my ears wide ! open and so learned that our ninety- six were only one bunch of many— that thirty-five other bunches were with us in one package and that four of these made what they call a gross. Queer word, isn’t it ? I heard one of the clerks down to the store where I was sold say that it came from the Latin crassus, meairmg fat or thick. I don’t see anything fat about us. Do you? Yes, yes. I’ll hurry on. We were ])acked in great wooden cases and carried off a long, long distance and, after many vicissitudes on latid and water, here am I in your hand ready to do your bidding. I hope that you have enjoyed my lucid ex- planation and—What? Not lucid enough? Want more light? Well, strike me then. Oh, Ell and Eye. In a Milford Straw Shop. As I had resided in Milford for nearly twelve years and had never seen how straw hats were made, I de¬ termined to visit one of the principal factories. The foreman had a little leisure and kindly offered to show me over the woi’ks. He first took me to the stock room whore many different classes of braid were kept that came from different parts of the world. A few of the different kinds were Jap¬ anese Mackinaw from Japan, Canton from China, Leghorn and Milan from Italy and genuine Mackinaw from Michigan and lower Canada, He next conducted me to the reeling room where the girls were employed getting the braid ready for the sewing iiall by measuring, assorting and wind¬ ing it on wooden reels. In the sew¬ ing room we found the machines in constant operation. Some of the op¬ eratives begun the hat by sewing a part of the crown, some sewed the crown and others sewed the brim and put in the size marks. In the blocking room we saw the men pinning the hats to the 1)locks and then i)utting them in the drying room. When taken out of the drying room they were ready for the press room, where we saw the men sha])ing and smoothing the better class of goods by hand, but the cheaper grades were put into hydraulic presses. The hats then went to the trimming room. Here the girls were employed putting in leathers, sewing on bands and mak¬ ing satin tips. These tij)S were very neat and attractive, embracing all colors imaginable and each having a design upon it. The leathers were nearly all made of sheepskin. These were the most pmportant processes, al¬ though there were others, as the wash- ino- and bleaching and the steam blocking. As these hats pass from one room to another they receive careful inspection from each overseer. The number of hats finished here was about four hundred dozen a day in the busy season. The greatest wonder was the Ma¬ nila and Java rooni. Here we saw the hats as th ey came from the far-off Manila Islands , hardly bearing any re¬ semblance to a hat but under the hands of the workmen they were made to assume the sliapes tliat are so desirable and attractive. In the dye¬ ing sho]), which was in connection with this department, we had no de¬ sire to remain for a ' long time on ac¬ count of tlie steam and unpleasant odor. Here all the delicate shades and tints were brought out by a man who had made this a lifelong study. The foreman told me that one of the finest straw hats they made was the genuine Mackinaw of which I have spoken befoi-e. These hats were first introduced in Philadelphia by a man who had been making a fishing tour through Canada. He purchased a few at twenty-five cents each and readily disposed of them in Philadel¬ phia for five dollars apiece. They proved a success and he gave them the name from the Mackinaw Indians who first braided them. Fearing that we were intruding too much on the foreman’s time, we hastened on feel¬ ing very grateful for the attention shown us and well rewarded for our time and trouble. H. B. s. ’89. Human Verbs. As Anchises, from a mound in the realms of Pluto, pointed out to Aeneas, the long line of his descendants, who were to go forth upon earth, and by their heroic valor make Rome the mistress of the ancient world, so let us imagine ourselves on a lofty outlook, and, gazing down ui)on the familiar faces of our friends, try to characterize them as they pass. Surely they are acting, they are existing, and as this is the definition of a verb, or action word, why not classify them as human verbs? But since tlm abi lities and ]»dwers of men, as well as verbs, are very diverse, and “Man in his life plays many parts,” we shall assign to each one the part that he plays in the great drama of life. See how steadily these go pressing on. They are the active verbs. The busy men of the world, who, never wearying of work, ever strive for suc¬ cess in life and, not content with their own e.xertions, furnish enqJoyment to their fellow men by building factories, work shops, and other places of busi¬ ness. They are the backbone of the