Newburgh Free Academy - Graduate Yearbook (Newburgh, NY)

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perfume. They take turns chopping, and after a due expenditure of el- bow grease and mild criticisms on dull axes, they compel the tree to give up the ghost. After hailing the scouts, they shoulder their prize and march with ,triumphant step toward the school. They pass through the principal streets. Pedestrians stop and view the procession, and then almost invariably exclaim, Ohl 'tis the Acad- emy tree they plant on Arbor Day.'7 Poor, deluded mortals I Can't they see it hasn't any roots? There is soon another case of repentance. As we near Chambers Street and Gidney Avenue one of the above mentioned humantarians is seized with a severe attack of conscientious scruplesf' He leaves the party for good, although next day he informs the scholars he sat on the fence for over an hour waiting for the rest. He was probably sorry for his misdeeds and sat in the rain to have his sins washed away. The schoolyard is at last reached. The tree is placed beside the lawn where the Board of Education, with wonderful forethought, had caused a hole to be dug. But it is not deep enough and they commence to en- large it with the axe. Axes were never made to dig with, and this one was no exception to the rule. About this time the neighborhood became inquisitive. Night-capped heads protruded out of windows, while one old gentleman came to the door carrying a bootjack, with the fond exa pectation of 4' getting square l' with the feline tribe. Evidently the cats had been troubling him. i A I They now came to the conclusion they needed a spade. If they con- tinued to dig with the axe they might expect a visit from a citizens' com- mittee. One of the members was now sent for the spade, after being duly cautioned against disturbing the slumbers of the owner. Possessed of this implement they made better progress. As they turned up the rich, black earth more than one remarked what a fine onion patch it would have made. The digging is now completed. All the while the rain had not ceased to fall, but, with the exception of a few remarks about the water being Wet, it was not noticed, the youths going about their task with that spirit of energy and perseverance that everywhere characterizes the American race. They place the tree in position, and then push it deep down in the yielding earth. As they view the results of their labor many must wish for the genius of a Burns or a Milton. As I think of their achievement -261

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Zan in. Q. gavage On the Thursday night preceding Arbor Day six members of Class 'go tooka stroll to the suburbs of the city. They went with a well-defined object in view. Perhaps it was to View the aspect of the country during a rainfall, again, it may have been to see how the grass grows at night 5 but I think the youths journeyed with the sole intention of procuring a tree. It was a warlike band. One of the members carried an axe, to chop the tree, or mayhaps to prevent molestation. Another carried a revolver, but for what purpose I am unable to find out. The most logical conclu- sion is that he knew of an adjacent hen-house, and intended camping by the wayside. In this case one must admit the usefulness of a firearm. About 8.30 they commenced their nefarious work, the desecration of one of the most ornamental of Nature's productions. The first sound of the axe seemed to awaken all the denizens of the region. The frogs be- gan to croak, the song of the katydid was invested with new life, the cows commenced to moo, while all the dogs within a radius of six square miles took up the chorus in such a long-drawn melancholy howl that the boys were frightened into silence, while the man in the moon became so sad and tearful as to cause a perfect deluge of rain. Simultaneously with the howling of the dogs the courage of some of the members began to ooze. They were too humane to belong to this earth. One didnlt wish to arouse the farmer, for fear he would come out in the wet to investigate, and mayhap catch cold and die. Another didn't wish the farmer to put a load of buckshot into him, for fear in after life it might lieiheavy on his 6072562-57265. Their consideration for mankind was angelic. So these humanitarians posted themselves about a block away from the scene of industry with the avowed intention of cautioning the agricultur- ist against undue exposure. They must have performed their task wellg anyway, they weren't seen again until the rest were on their homeward way. But to return to their colleagues. They are busy at their tree. It is a beautiful, wild cherry, just beginning to sprout, and exhaling a delicious .1251

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Tlong to- put it to verse, in fact it is the only time I ever feel real poetical. The diggers now liold a war dance around the tree. As they become warmed to their work they become more and more hilarious, until with one last, combined cry they scamper from the grounds. About 9.30 they bid each other good night. Their work is done and well done, and, conscious of their achievement, they depart, knowing they have given to the school an example of true American go-aheadness. About 5.30 the next morning the tree is discovered. The janitor first views it. Happy mortal, he doesn't appreciate how the fates have favored him. He doesnlt look at it in a true, poetical spirit. He comes down to everyday life, and estimates the time it will take him to pull it up. The problem is a hard one, and he seeks the advice of pafer frznzilzkzs. Pam' familiar is prejudiced, he has been pulled out of bed too early to appre- ciate beauty. He advises notification to the Board. So they journey to the house of the nearest member and request his assistance. He ac- companies them to the scene, views the tree and looks wise. He takes a good view of the matter, considers ita joke. He grasps the tree and com- mences to pull. The joke deepens. The tree is planted about four feet deep, and in five minutes, by good work, he can pull out a half an inch of it. After pulling about ten minutes he- gets enthusiastic and offers twenty-five dollars for information. as to who planted it there. He evi- dently knows a good job when he sees one. By the time he got the tree up he was very enthusiastic on the subject of tree-planting, and could discourse quite eloquently about this particuler case. The next day, with due ceremony, the Board planted their tree. It was of a different variety than the first one and not nearly as large. Their tree still Hourishes, that of the scholars met an ignominious death, but to a few loyal members of Class 'go remains the honor of planting the first tree in the New Academy yard. 1 rfgx er5ksN1Q't 127-