Nokomis High School - Old Nokomis Yearbook (Nokomis, IL)

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1924 G-reendale, Florida March 30, l934 Dear Bernice: NVhy didn't some of us think of the new idea of letter-writing long ago? l might as well be in the jungles and put up with their inconveniences as to be down here in Florida near this swampy place and away from civiliza- tion. Nobody knows how l welcome those letters from the outside world. Evidently the world thinks that Florida has the perpetual Fountain of Youth, but l've failed to find it yet. Alfred is constantly writing new poetry and he is truly in his ele- ment for we are living close to nature. Not even a flivver for Alfred. l'm in constant dread that we will be landed in the ditch by some speedist. Our old horse, Molly, is nearly blind and she takes just one leap for the ditch when a threshing machine looms up and l have to laugh to see Alfred suddenly wake up and begin to think about his precious poetry notes. Doesn't that sound like a typical ,-'Xlfred Green? l've been trying to persuade Alfred to send for Harold Kettelkamp to come down from Mobile, Alabama. It is reported that people have asked Cotton why he doesn't marry, and he replies that he has no use for a wife since everything in his home is run by electricity, and if he had a wife he would never know where she was. tlixcept, not at home.j l'm in hopes that Cotton will be able to persuade Alfred to introduce some of those electrical labor saving devices into our home if Alfred is going to want to reside here for fifty Years. Alfred took Julius Caesar up to St. Augustine last month to a circus. Julius Caesar came home so greatly excited over the fact that his father knew a midget in the circus. His father states that it was Anton Gerigk. Some of my friends in Miami write that the tourists are going wild over a classical toe-dancer, and since l hear that she is lllildred Ramsey. I am threatening to escape from here and join the visitors at Miami and admire our old classmate. too. Peggy has had an intermittent toothache all spring and l can't prevail upon her father to let me take her up to Tallahassee to see the dentist, Dr. james Griffin. Alfred once went over to visit Jimmie and Jimmie used some hypnotic powers over him, and Alfred never did know when he lost his tooth. v Orie Barnstable writes that she may come down to see us in june, pro- vided that llenry Ford gives her leave. She is making some chemical ex- periments in fertilizers at llluscle Shoals for Henry Ford. She likes her work but some of her chemical terms are like Greek to me. Now'don't pity me too much, for l'm exceedingly proud of my poet husband and he sends off his third volume of verse this week. Sincerely, May Roberts Green. OLD NOKOMIS A

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1924 Nokomis, Illinois Dear May: March 20, 1934 The most wonderful suggestion has come to me in my last letter from Velma, that we write Round Robin letters. Velma may think that she leads a busy life now that she is a famous singer, but poor little me is so ex- ceedingly busy looking after my four responsibilities-a husband and the three four-year-old sons. I don't believe that I will ever forgive jack for keeping me at home so that I can't deliver my address on women's rights to the women at Coalton and VVenonah. Velma Elvers is in VVashington as secretary to the President. Oh, why didn't I take a business course, too, so that I could see some of the world instead of being tied down at home with three children. My only consol- ation is that I don't have to be a secretary to a Republican president. How I long for some Paris frocks, but the best I can do is to go to WVitt and have Viola johnson sew up a gown for me. Everybody goes to Viola. but if I had my way I would go to New York to shop. There now, Tommy upset my ink bottle. He is the naughtiest boy. What he doesn't think of, then Dickie or I-larry will, They drive me dis- tracted and still jack just thinks that it is all right, Sometimes I just want to elope. I can't keep a maid because the boys run a maid crazy in one day's time, and again I have to do all my work. They are wild to get hold of my new Hunter. By the way if Lydia hadn't invented that combined sweeper and duster I don't know how I would ever keep house. I have to keep it under lock and key and keep it away from the boys. Town is full of the talk of the achievement of Leonard Morgan. I-Ie has just completed a new state dance hall at Springfield and laid more bricks per day than any other Workman did in a similar building constructed at the same time by a private concern. He ought to try out for honors as a national bricklayer. It is the funniest thing to go down Main street and see the brilliant signs put up by the two opposing candy shops. Gertrude Satterlee and Albert Viola are terrible rivals. Their stores are opposite each other and they are jealous if one gets one more customers than the other. It is a wonder that they don't go bankrupt, for they outbid each other in special- ties to catch trade. Wlieii the boys go shopping with me Tommy sets up a howl to go to the Greek's as soon as we come to town, and Dickie to Satterlee's, and Harry to neither place, and I just can't do anything when they are along. Williain McCaslin came into town yesterday. He is very fat and still makes eyes. and oh girls, he wears slashed trousers, no collar, a red ban- dana around his neck, a barber-pole shirt, and a green plug hat. He went out to N. T. I-I. S. today and can't you just hear those infants reeling with laughter? Is that the specie of farmer they grow out in Kansas? No doubt you are leading a life of ease down there in Florida and I only wish that I were any place but here in dead Nokomis. ' Lovingly, Betty Christian. OLD NOKOMIS

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1924 Smith Hospital North Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois My Dear Elberta: I April 7. 193-l Since the terrible fire that wiped out part of one suburb, I never know when I'n1 to be called on to extra duty to care for some fire victim, who has only been dug from the debris and has slight chance for recovery. If it had not been for the negligence of the fire chief, hloseph Gourlay, probably the fire would not have wrought such vast destruction. Evidently Ioe received some of his training in the old Nokomis fire department' I haven't been out of this hospital for ages, I am constantly being called to quiet some afflicted child who is crying for Mother and probably that mother lost her life in trying to save her children. I want to go to Chicago so badly to see the newest movie star, Howard Pendleton, who, being the Shiek of Movie-land, is taking the part of the Deserted Lover in the recent play, Tears of Love. The come-hither look in his eyes certainly causes many a young girl's heart to flutter. l don't suppose that you see any of the movie magazines, but the latest ones are full of the comments about Movie Director at Hollywood, namely Er- nest Reisner. All of the movie stars fall in love with him at first sight and they make every year a leap yearg although he is at home with them, he will not listen to their entreaties. He is evidently all business, but still I am wondering how he has ever overcome his bashfulness enough to get out before a crowd of actors and direct them into a successful movie. lt's bc- yond me. Medical journals are packed with write-ups on the radical advance of the Denver specialist, Dr. Rupert Herron. 'He took his medical training in a shorter time than was ever believed possible. Iile went over to Rus- sia to experiment on some poor peasants Che won't tell how many diedj, then returned to Denver, opened up an office there and is taking the coun- try by storm. There are no windows or doors in his office and guards have to be stationed there to keep the suffering beggars from flocking in. I-Ie is a nerve specialist, removing nerves and amputating people's arms. without giving any anestheticsg all this he accomplishes while they wait and then the patients walk ,out new men. Clarence Staples is stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Camp. They say he is a wonderful swimmer. Wfhen the Flappers are told not to go too far out they reply, Oh never mind, just send for that good-look- ing Life Guard. Evidently Stapes is still the old pal we knew in 'Z-l. Vlfhenever I do get an entire day off I must run down to the poor farm and cheer up Florence. Remember how we had always supposed that the name of Miller would be emblazoned in historical magazines, lauding her research work on foreign relations? Instead she has only fulfilled the M-R-S and OLD N OKOMIS