Mt Zion Institute - Tusitala Yearbook (Winnsboro, SC)

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CLASS It was a fall day in 1969 that I boarded the Washington, D. C.-Winnsboro Super Helicopter, At last I had gotten away from my pressing duties at the White House long enough to see the annual Mt. Zion-Chester football game. Just as the helicopter was loading up I bought a paper from the airport’s newsstand, which was run by Tat Boulware and Lawrence Poston, and then hurried to my seat on the plane. As I began to read “The News and Herald”, and now the leading daily of the South, edited by Elizabeth Traylor, I was startled by the familiar voice of John Gibson at my elbow. John, who is now a French professor at Harvard University, was also going to Winnsboro, and we began to talk of old times at high school. John told me that Ted Woodward was playing the role of “Hamlet” in Boston that fall, and that Bettysue Brabham was a leading opera singer in New England. He seemed surprised when I told him that Merlyn Coofer was a fashion model in Washington. When I returned to my paper and the sports section, I read the column “Lookin’ Out From Under the Bleachers”, by “Stick” Herndon, sports editor. His article was mostly about the approaching game, and it reported that Chester had a strong team coached by none other than Grady Branham. On turning the page, I found an article on the new Cannon Molecular Theory, which was proposed by the nationally known physicist, Mary Babb Cannon. As I was just recovering from the shock of my latest knowledge and was just reading of the wedding of Miss Tweedie Timms to a famous movie star, our helicopter gave a sudden lurch and landed right-side-up at the Richmond, Va. airport. The hostesses A Hie McFadden and Betty Surratt explained that Albert Edenfield our pilot, had forgotten to put in any gas. While our plane was filling up Albert told me that his sister, Pearl Edenfield, was now the head matron at the Mooney-Looney Rest Home in California. Soon 1 saw the big industrialist, Clifford Powell, at the airport. He had come to meet his European agent for Powell Perpetual Motion Machines, Simmy Ply lev. The airship was almost up in the air again when we were stopped by a plump lady, her runt of a husband, and five kids who were also going to Winnsboro. When we took them on board I was surprised to find that the very stout lady was Dinny McMaster. Dinnv told me that Fuggy Boulware Hofstaser lived near her in Virginia. Puggy it seems was married to a millionaire and employed Earline Varnadore as a governess for her two sons. Ten minutes after we left Richmond, our helicopter was sailing over the North Caro- lina countryside, and I turned on my portable radio to hear “Joyce Bass Speaks”. Instead all I could get was two stations going at once (FM had gone out of style back in 1956) and could hear Mme. LaVerne Geddings de La Grande, the famous singer mixed in with the Killette Razor Sports’ announcer, Jerry Bennett. To hear their voices at the same time reminded me of our classes together at the Institute. I guess everything is different at Mt. Zion now since Dr. Alan Sheddy Ph.D,, is superintendent, and Miss Beck Starnes is principal. Bonnie Sue Pate, another helicopter hostess, made me cut off my radio since it disturbed the famous painter, Madame Betty Enloe von Frankfurter, who was at work on board our ship. The helicopter, in another fifteen minutes, was over Fairfield County and a large building was below us, with big red letters on top: KIRKPATRICK STOCKYARDS. No doubt Bennett is still “shootin’ the bull”. When we landed a big brass band was on hand I soon found out that the band, under the direction of Walter Taylor, had mixed our helicopter with that of Governor Revonne Hunt, and his staff, which was due shortly from the new State House at Ridgeway. Among Governor Hunt’s party was to be the new head of the state penitentiary, Gene Pate, and the Speaker of the House, Luther Gunter. 24 “If you can look And say which grain will grow

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POEM With the close of our last year drawing near, We think of the past and friends so dear; We’ll remember through the years the joy we knew, The heartaches, the sorrows, and the worries, too. We’ll remember, too, as the days go by With a reminiscing smile, perhaps a sigh, The number of teachers we told “we’ll be good” And then broke our word in the spot that we stood. We’ll think of the gum under our desks, Of classwork, homework, and endless tests; And those things of great importance to all, The clubs, the dances, and basketball. Some day when we open this book and turn a page, We’ll remember the night we stood on the stage; We received our diplomas, one by one, For the homework and classwork at last were done. As we marched from the stage and through the door, We knew in our hearts we’d be coming no more; In our memories, our schooldays remain with us still, Of Mount Zion, the schoolhouse, the “Light on the Hill”. —ELIZABETH TRAYLOR. 23

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PROPHECY In addition to the Governor’s party. Congresswoman Hazel Sntarr was also to be an honored guest at the ball game next day. Hazel is now the wife of a Columbian but still used her maiden name in politics. Women politicians were becoming quite common in South Carolina, for I discovered that the mayor of Winnsboro was Christine George, and that the former Mary Hollis was now Game Warden As I left the airport I met Riley Brice, who is president of Brice’s National Bank. Riley recognized me and had his chauffeur, Harold Timtns, drive me around the city in his new 20-cylinder Cadillac. The next day Riley sent his car to my hotel and had me driven out to Mount Zion’s new stadium, which seats 79,000. As I went into the stands I bought a ticket from Titmice Pope and Annette Coofer, two career women who help out at all the ball games. Turnice owns a department store, and Net runs the Cutie-Tootie Beauty Salon. Just as I was leaving the ticket window, I passed the new basketball coach, Elizabeth Ramsey. She was talking to the famous radio and screen comedian, Bobby Sims, and Audrey Peake, the confidential secretary to the notorious lawyer Allen George. When 1 left that dis- tinguished group and had spoken to the Rev. James McGill, I hurried to my seat on the two-inch line. The first person I saw was Helle McCants, who was with her large family sitting next to me (Nelle was also large—205 lbs.) Above the racket made by Nell’s sons, 1 recognized the voice of Susanne Shedd who was selling football programs and pennants, Susanne’s husband it seems was the 1969 Wildcat Coach. After watching a very exciting first half which found Mt. Zion leading 54-0, I went over to the drink stand to get a coke. It seems the Mt. Zion Teachers were selling and I noticed Ruth Vender ford, home economics teacher, Doris Christie of the music department, Helen McCants, who teaches literature, Hattie Webb, teacher of commerce, Betty Hartin, girls’ wrestling coach. In the second half coach Branham brought his team to life and all too soon the highscoring game was over (score 54-5 3). I had had a wonderful visit to Winnsboro but my job as chief gardener at the White House was waiting. So I jumped in Farris RandalPs taxi, reached my hotel, paid my bill to Clerk Doris Hardy, just missed getting run over by heiress Betty Loftift, and then took the next helicopter for Washington. —ZAN TURNER, Prophet. into the seeds of time, and which will not.” 25