Nixon Township High School - Nixonia Yearbook (Weldon, IL)

Page 30 text:

NIXONIA Z1 just slip it on and let’s see how I used to look fifty years ago. Oh, the night I wore it! I can see it as plain as if only last week. It was in the old auditorium — you don’t remember it, child, for they tore the old school down and built (he mammoth one you have now back in the sixties. There were lights and music, pretty girls and embarrassed boys and roses everywhere. There were eighteen of us all together. What’s this scent of dried roses? Oh, that’s from the rose petals scattered about the trunk. Walter Dressier gave the roses to me. The red rose was our class flower you see. Walter Dressier was our class president. What do you think, child? He’s been president of something or other ever since. Just now he is president of the B. I. O. Railroad. I read in the paper a few years back how he ran for president— but that was one presidency Walter didn’t get. Put the slippers on too, child. See that dent in tin toe of the right one! That ' s where Wayne Meredith stepped on it at the Alumni Banquet, and Wayne has been just like that ever since. When he puts his foot down on a thing, he puts it down to make an impression. He’s been in legislation for I don’t remember how many terms, and I saw by the paper he’d put his foot down on expenses — and right away I noticed eggs dropped three cents. Yes those two girls are sisters, Charlotte and Laura Barclay. Yes, the old maids that live in the red brick house. In school we dubbed them the “inseparables” after graduation, the same story. You never saw one but the other was right there. Finally Laura had a beau, but the affair was soon called off’, for, you see Charlotte didn’t have one and she could not tag along with Laura — not that Laura would have cared, but the man would. The next year Charlotte had a beau, but Laura didn’t, so the affair was called off’ because Laura didn’t have no one to go with. The pair went on and on and they could not attract men at the same time, ’till at last they stopped and settled down. Whose is that lock of hair? Oh, that’s Pearl Long’s. See how it bristles up after l eing in that book these long years. Aggressiveness ran in Pearl’s family. She just naturally went in to reform after college. She reformed the heathens, the church, the schools, the police, the movies, the radio, and politics. Now she has turned her hand to foregin relations. Child, if the world isn’t a better place for your children to live in, it is not Pearl Long’s fault. Yes. and there’s Russell Fullenwider’s picture. Russell was march ' d shortly after graduation, but he invented a contraption for piping home all the oil under the North Pole and soon he was lubricating his wife’s way into the ballroom of delight. Yes. child, I carried that handkerchief. Irene Smith gave it to me. The Irene Smith that went out to Hollywood, changed her name to Betty Blue, and was starring her way to opulence and proposals In no time. Kenneth Smith decided there wasn’t enough marmalade on a singer’s rolls, after dilly-dallying around a year or two, went into business with his father. He returned last fall, taking up golf. Yes. there was Bernice Bebie, who went to New l T ork and Flo. Ziegfield snapped her up and she stayed in his Follies until she was married in The Little Church Around the Corner to an Italian Prince or Russian Duke. I cannot recall which, but she lives on the continent. There was Willard Gift, who every so often ran into some money, left him by a rich uncle or aunt. Once he was walled up for buying oil wells where there wasn’t any oil. Another time for erecting catteries for wandering Pussies and so it went. . How sweet and fair she seemed to he. — Celestin Hiter. 26

Page 29 text:

iii Physics Laboratory to Max Goken. Be sure you understand it thoroughly, Max! Seventeenth — Margaret Railsbaek wills her slim and graceful figure to Ethel Turner; her mental ability she bequeaths to Raymond Miller. Eighteenth — Kenneth Smith leaves his eager desire for a higher knowledge and education to Leland Coffman, and his musical talent to Lawrence Meredith. All the rest of the properties not yet disposed of, we give to N. T. H. S. for their special use and benefit. Any pupil who sees fit to use the knowledge and startling information given to the seniors, may do so. As our said administrator, we appoint Professor Shaw. In witness whereof, we, the class of 27, set our hand and seal, this twenty-third day of March. 1927. (Seal) Class of 1927. Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named Class of 27 as their last well and testament in the presence of the class, 1 do hereby set my hand and seal to this document, this twenty-third day of March, 1927. (Signed) Laura Barclay. — — CLASS PROPHECY So you want to see my graduation suit, child, now that you are having your own made. Well, there couldn ' t be a better time than this afternoon to spend up here in the attic looking at it, I reckon, for it ' s just fifty years ago tonight since 1 was graduated in it ! School used to be out earlier than it is nowdays. How you do take me back to that June with your talk of graduation frills and finery! Fifty years may seem a long time to you, child, but it seems only yesterday that I was trying to make up my mind between a light and dark suit. So you remember me telling you 1 was graduated from your school and now you want me to tell you all about my class mates while we look at my graduation suit. Ah. the old days! Child, you have your new fangled methods in school and haven’t any of the old ways but I declare you aren’t any happier than we were. You have your modern improvements and advantages so you claim, but land, child, we’d never dreamed of them so we didn’t miss them, but took comfort in telling ourselves how much better off we were than the school children of fifty years ago. There, I finally got the key to turn. It’s been — I don’t know how many years since I have had this old trunk oj en. It was my grandfather’s, so I reckon the lock’s got a right to be cranky if it wants to. My, but it’s dusty, child. My knees lmther me so much of late years. I don’t get up to the attic to keep things as tidy as I did when I was younger. I reckon my knees are like this lock and my grammar — kind of rusty from age and disuse. Here’s the gloves I wore to the Baccalaureate. Ah. that inspiring sermon Rev. Kidd preached that Sunday night ! I can hear his voice yet — though I have forgotten his words long since. Those are the socks I wore with my graduation suit. Feel them, child ! You can’t buy silk socks any more. The silk socks you get now-adays arc so flimsy— -nothing like they used to make in the twenties and twice the price. I see you are getting impatient to come to the suit, well I don’t blame you. What’s and old man’s garrulity besides a graduation suit. I do declare if the sight of that suit doesn’t make my eyes wet. I haven’t had this suit on for years and years. Here, child. If freckles were dollars, he’d be a millionaire. — Dale Pitcher. 25

Page 31 text:

Tiie last 1 heard of him he was squandering his latest legacy on trying to rid the world of daddy long legs. Now there was Margaret Railshack. Margaret could sing like a bird in school and after she graduated she earned her way through the highest priced conservatory in the world where she got all them high-faluting things a Prhna Dona needs. Well it wasn’t long before she was thrilling everyone in the heart and pocket liook at the same. Mossie Rich went into the opera and has been given such an ovation down in Buenos Ayres, as no other singer ever was accorded before, at least the papers say as much. Yes, and there’s the write-up of Jessie Baker’s wedding. She got married the next day after commencement ! 1 just can’t recollect Jessie’s married name now. for she’s changed it so many times since. I can’t keep track of them in my old head. Some folks collect Rembrandt’s, and some butterflies, but Jessie’s hobby was husbands. Stop, child ! There’s the picture of Supt. Shaw, that Eileen Fleming drew. I do declare it brings hack happenings 1 haven’t thought of for years. I see you’re smiling, child. What is it? Oh, Eileen’s drawing! Maybe you’re thinking that it is a caricature of our superintendent, but it isn’t. It’s a true likeness of him. Eileen was a wizard with the cryon even back in high school days. Yes, she’s the one that does all the ’osinopolitan’s covers. Eileen drew that sketch on the next page, too. It’s Thelma (ilenn and Grace Goken showing off in the annual Style Show the dresses they’d made in the sewing class. Can’t you just see those ruffles and flutfings, their riblwuis up there on the stage, it’s so natural. Thelma became a Paris buyer for an exclusive shop on Fifth Avenue, and Grace started a philanthropic society for sewing on buttons for bachelors, so the time they put in on the style show and sewing wasn’t wasted. Yes, there is Carol Adams. She is the sanitary engineer on the Roosevelt Dam. It’s her business to see the dam is washed thoroughly with soap and water once a week and to see that the water in the dam is kept clean. As for myself I have lived a hen lacked husband’s life for the last forty years. Nothing I do was ever right. I did the wrong thing at the wrong time. My, how dark it’s getting up here. I declare, child, when I get to talking of old school days and old class mates I never know when to stop. Those were some of the happiest days of my life. We must be going now for it’s getting late and I must go down into the kitchen to prepare supper before you r mother strains her voice, but you come back again and I will tell you more of those happy school days. K. T. “’27.” — 48 - VALEDICTORY High up in the mountain fastness a tiny rivulet gurgles ami splashes joyously, tumbling over rocks, playing hide-and-seek with the sun-beams gleaming on its surface, singing and dancing happily all the day long — it knows no responsibilities, but romps, gay and care-free, through all the bright sunny days. Farther along its course the streamlet broadens a trifle, becomes a little deeper, a little less turbulent. While it still plays and chuckles in glee it has moments of Always happy, always gay.- Blanche Crowe. 27