Millersville University - Touchstone Yearbook (Millersville, PA)

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CLASS PROPHECY. 29 powers as an elocutionist. She has, however, gone far beyond our expectations. She has just made an European tour together with her husband, Mr. Smythe, the well-known vocalist, and Mr. Leopold, the famous violinist. I allude, classmates, to her who is familiar to us as Grace Castner. One of us was of an extremely benevolent disposition. This statement does not necessarily exclude all the rest from the possession of that most admirable trait; but at least we were reminded most often that this lady possessed such a virtue. In surveying class many were the times she told us people weren’t so stingy in Blair County. In surveying class it meant only a difference of a few perches; in recent years it has meant a difference of many square miles. Miss Jeannette Wertz was never known to shirk work, and the habits of close application which she formed here were naturally continued when she got out in the world. She has prospered, and from her money has made frequent and generous donations to the various cities of the land —by no means excluding Tyrone, her native town—for the purpose of erecting almshouses and hospitals. From present appearances she will continue to make much money and dispose of it in the same way until from overwork she will be compelled to stop. Then she will realize what the rest of us already know—that self must be considered as well as others. Miss Hilda Steel, one of the tallest ladies of the class, who has such a stately appearance and who makes her superiority felt everywhere, is president of a Woman’s Club, San Francisco. This position she accepted after her graduation from Smith College in 1908. In glancing over the San Francisco newspapers during the past few years, I find the following are some of the themes upon which Miss Steel has lectured to the Club: “Moral Suasion,” “Darwin’s Theory of Evolution,” and “Predestination.” During our Senior year we were fortunate to have among our number two gentlemen who possessed rare abilities as to class management. It was not necessary for the class to worry about programmes for sociables or Class Day. Oh, no; these gentlemen very kindly took this difficulty from them. They planned everything during a few of their leisure moments in the summer

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28 THE HAMMER. usual self-composure and accepted. Nevertheless, they are living perfectly happy in their cosy little cottage on one of the Wayne County lakes. Frequently they go to New York to attend a good concert or some fine dramatic performance. Miss Rena Laurer in her earlier years always showed great interest in the architecture of her land, not so much in the rarely found brick or stone mansions which have been built regardless of expense, and which, though sometimes over-ornamented, seem almost perfect both in architecture and arrangement, but to the erection of the ordinary dwelling houses. Miss Lauver shortly after her departure here went to Wellesley, where this idea to beautify and adorn constantly increased in interest. She attended Pratt, taking the special course in architecture. While attending there she received many orders for her works. The last number of the Ladies' Home. Journal, her favorite paper, has just devoted several pages to Miss Lauver’s “Original Designs for Modern Homes ’ Miss Conklin was a girl of wide interests while at school. She made for herself a prominent place on the gymnasuim floor when basket ball was in session. She was a conspicuous figure on the tennis court when tennis was in season. She had an important place boating on the lake, when that sport was in season, and had no minor part on the campus when “snapping” was in season. For several years along all these lines she developed rapidly after leaving school, and she added to her accomplishments golf and hunting. Then suddenly, we know not why, Miss Conklin gave up all these indulgences. She took up the cause of woman’s suffrage. The powers of her bold, dashing manner, which she displayed here, are now spent in going from town to town of the United States trying to bring men to her way of thinking. And in her methods she seems bound to rival the once much-talked-of Carrie Nation. She visits the polls where women are not allowed to cast any votes. She tries by force to discontinue the election until the men solemnly vow they will ever afterward favor woman’s suffrage. We will now consider our elocutionist. During our public entertainments at school she seemed to have very promising

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30 THE HAMMER. vacation between their Middle and Senior year. A few weeks before the event was to come off, the entire program was submitted to the class for approval or disapproval. But it was necessary to convince the class that their plans were all wise ones, and Mr. Hull usually did the convincing. After his forcibleness the arrangements were adopted unanimously. Of course, their plans seemed best, for the class had not thought about the subject before class meeting was announced. But several days after the class meeting, when it was too late, the fact dawned gradually upon them that there was another side to be considered. In truth, if the class meeting was to be held over again, they might venture a suggestion or remark. The fact of the matter was they had been “hauled in” by the smooth speeches of these youths. What seemed to be honors conferred upon them was simply a means they used to secure for themselves the honors of the class they wanted. These two attended F. and M. College after leaving Millersville. There Mr. Laurence Shaeffer Bitner always came out at the head of his classes. Mr. Horace Mann Hull continued to think that the world thought more of a sport than of an intellectual guy, and acted accordingly. They continued to be very popular. We who attended school at Millersville while they did well remember them as the two youths whom though only a privileged few dared to make any advances. Mr. Hull is at present in the House of Representatives at Washington, where he is convincing people in the same confident manner that he could not possibly be in the wrong. Mr. Bitner is a well-known chemist of Chicago. Along this line, as along all others, he was never satisfied until he reached the head. And, lastly, one of the girls of our class had aspirations along the line of domestic science. She studied it in her own home for several years, then took the course at Drexel Institute. The year of her graduation marked the opening of a Department of Domestic Science at the Millersville Normal. She was asked to take charge of that department and accepted, which place she has filled ever since. She has made her adode at the Waldorf hotel, and it is she who supervised the dinner given to the class this evening.