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

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20 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. slaves in the United States then lived, for the most part, in the states of the South. It is further surprising to note that there were only four or five towns which deserved the name of city. Philadelphia, the capital of the Confederation, though the largest, had but forty-two thousand inhabitants, and New York had less. Charleston and Baltimore ranked next in popular tion. America in the time of Washington was not a land of factories, as it is to-day, but was covered with luxuriant forests and scattered farms. Approximately ninety percent of the people engaged in agriculture, and fish¬ ing and shipping were the only industries of much importance. Little manu¬ facturing was done as can be readily seen by a report of our first Secretary of Treasury, who found it impossible to enumerate more than seventeen in¬ dustries which had made much progress. Among these were the manufacture of iron, leather, pottery, textiles, tools, and hardware. But there was a ready market for our foodstuffs in foreign lands, where we made exchanges for manufactured goods. Facilities for travel were poor in the latter part of the eighteenth century. There were few good roads and the vehicles of transportation, the horse, stage coach, and river boat, were slow and uncomfortable. But ex¬ periments were being made with queer contraptions which later developed into the steamboat and automobile. When Washington became President of our country, wealth was quite evenly distributed, much more so than to-day. There was, however, an aris¬ tocratic class, but there was no such wide gulf between the rich and poor that exists now. Nevertheless, one institution flourished in the United States that was the curse of all society—slavery. It was introduced soon after the first settlements were made and had continued with increasing popularity until the Civil War. Its effect on our nation was so tremendous that it al¬ most resulted in the breakup of the union. One can readily see from this brief resume of conditions that life af¬ forded in the eighteenth century no great luxury or unusual opportunity for advancement. Washington’s achievements under the existing conditions should, therefore, serve as a powerful incentive to American youth of to-day. Wilbur Sweet, ’32u MOTHER. Who makes the world seem sweet and bright? Who makes you happy when things aren’t right? Who tends you when you’re sick and blue? Who mends your clothes and always helps you? Who never complains that things aren’t right? Who makes you feel like staying home at night? Who makes your dreary life worth living? Who never tires from giving and giving? Who always is so happy and gay? Who does her work from day to day? Why it’s Mother, of course. Irene Parente, ’32.

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 19 group raised an army, issued paper money, borrowed gold, and conducted the war. In reality it had no power at all but, under pressure of war, its de¬ mands were readily acceded to by those who were fighting for the one com¬ mon end—freedom. Soon need was felt for some sort of union, and the Articles of Confeder¬ ation were drawn up. Congress ratified them in November of 1877, but they were not accepted by all the states until the Revolution was nearly over. Under the Articles of Confederation the states were all-powerful. Each state sent not less than two nor more than seven delegates to Congress, and each state had one vote. These delegates were paid by the states and might be recalled at any time. It was further necessary for nine states to favor a law before it could be passed. According to the Articles, Congress was given the right to establish post offices, and make treaties, but it had no power to appropriate money to carry out these great enterprises. It could merely recommend the amount of money that each state ought to pay toward carrying on the government, and many states refused to grant the money requested of them. When the Revolution ended, conditions became worse. The army remained unpaid, interest accrued on debts contracted with foreign nations during the war, and many people became discontented. Enmity arose between the sev¬ eral states because of trade conditions, and there was even the possibility of civil war breaking out. Something had to be done; consequently a plan for holding a convention was suggested in 1787. It met in Philadelphia in May, and Washington was selected to preside over the meetings. This Constitutional Convention, as it was called, had met to revise the old confederation, but there was talk of establishing a new government in which the nation, rather than the re¬ spective states, should be supreme. Two plans of great importance were submitted to the Convention; name¬ ly, those of Virginia and New Jersey. Both agreed that the new government should consist of the three independent departments of the legislature, execu¬ tive, and judiciary. The plans differed in that the one proposed by Virginia recommended proportional representation in the legislature, while the one submitted by New Jersey favored equal representation for each state. A compromise was agreed upon in which Congress was to consist of two houses, one of Representatives and one of Senators, exactly as it does today. Many other important arguments were settled during four months of discussion, and the Constitution was finally adopted and sent by Congress to the states for their approval or rejection. More than the necessary nine states ratified the Constitution, and it became the supreme law of the land. George Washington was unanimously elected President of the new union and John Adams, Vice-President. Thus our land of freedom was born. The country over which Washington was called to preside in 1789 was vastly different from our United States of to-day. It was a third-rate power, inferior in population and wealth to Holland, for example, and nearly on the level with Portugal and Denmark. Her population, numbering approximately four million, was sparsely scattered between the Alleghenies and the Atlantic Ocean. Few more than one hundred thousand pioneers had ventured to set¬ tle west of these mountains in the land which now comprises the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio, for that region was then wild, forest country. They had followed Daniel Boone and John Sevier, hardy frontiersmen who had explored the country, and were chiefly of Scotch-Irish stock from Vir¬ ginia and North Carolina. In the East, the population consisted mainly of English, Dutch, French, Scotch, and Irish. The seven hundred thousand

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 21 SHOE! STORIES LIKE FATHER LIKE SON? John Hadley bit his lip and turned the radio off in disgust, while mut¬ tering again and again, “Twenty-six to zero.” He then crossed the room rapidly and peered out over the campus. Already fires had started, students were yelling, and even the college authorities joined in the celebration. John Hadley stood at the window a few moments gazing at the throng of students, yet not seeming to notice them. He laughed harshly, this young Senior did, and looked at his wrist watch: it was quarter to seven. The game was over at five o’clock and allowing the football players two hours to go from Chicago to North Bend, they ought to arrive at the university any moment now. That meant he would have to greet his room mate with some show of enthusiasm. Yes, John “Curly” Ogden, his room-mate and the greatest athlete Mid-Western University ever had. Phi Beta Kappa man, president of the class, and most popular man in the college, would soon be here. Everybody marvelled at the odd union between these two, “Curly” Ogden, the great athlete, and John Hadley, the class grind. Hadley with his horn-rimmed glasses, valedictorian of his class and the professor’s ideal student. He had won all the scholastic prizes since his freshman year and was rated by the faculty as an exceptional scholar. Yet he was dissatisfied. He told himself as he stood in that room alone that he ought to be happy. Had not his friend and room-mate run through the whole California team at random, that afternoon? Was he not proclaimed by the radio announcer as a super man? Was he not mentioned on every all American team as the outstanding halfback of the year? Was not his name written boldly on every front page in the country as the hero of the game? Yes indeed, he ought to be happy and out there celebrating with the other students. He put on his coat, and started for the door, when it suddenly opened and in walked “Curly” wearing a broad grin. He threw his luggage on the floor and immediately buried himself in an easy chair. “Whew! This is some relief after that weary ride,” he breathed with half-shut eyes. “ ‘Curly,’ that was some game. You were great,” said John quietly. “Nonsense,” “Curly” wearily replied. “You mean the boys were great.”