Norfolk High School - Milestone Yearbook (Norfolk, NE)

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THE MILESTONE. 31 council chamber sat the English governors as a reminder of burdensome taxes and unjust rule. What was the outcome of this state of affairs? Was it the submission of an oppressed people to an unpopular sovereign? No. The stream of opposition ran rapidly and angrily, bearing toward the final plunge into the Revolutionary War. The eloquent voices of Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry, crying aloud with the energy of despair, “Give me liberty or give me death,” touched the keynote of American patriotism. The people responded with a will, establishing the declaration of independence, and announcing to the world the birth of a new nation, between the Atlantic, anti the setting sun. From the time when the patriot minute guns sounded the death knell of oppression, from the time when the father of his country was inaugurated first president of the United States, the progress of our country has been the ever increasing marvel of the civilized world. Sheltered 'neuth the undulating folds of our national banner, science ami art and peaceful industry have expanded under the genial influence of the sun of liberty. The secrets of the universe have been revealed to the inquisitive eye of science. The domain of the mind has extended wider and wider, even the realms of the stars have been explored, and thousands of revolving suns descried majestically sweeping through space, all bound by the same great universal law. Thus has the pyramid of our nation been built up, until now we stand high, and, viewing our dominions round about, behold in every part the unmistakable effects of progress. We s e a land whose surrounding waters arc patrolled by ships of the latest do.iign. whose fertile fields are traversed in every direction by the flying railway frain, and who people are among the most enlightened of the globe. Thus are manifested unto us in the history of the past and the facts of the present, the existence and growth of the great structures of the world. Notwithstanding the prominence of these national pyramids, we are building, day by day, a far different edifice, our characters; and, as some one has said, ‘’the building of our character is our own labor, it is a thing of beauty, it is u thing of shame, as we ourselves make it, holding us responsible for its substantial erection.''

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30 THE MILESTONE. The age of Elizabeth stands out like a marble structure on a foundation of granite; the writings of Bacon, Spencer and Shakespeare and the spirit of industry and literary research, pervading the whole nation, gave to the period a lustre which is not bedimmed by the progress of four centuries. Glancing along up the succeeding steps, the names and events become more and more important. Here and there are great rents marking some struggle for popular rights, but the reforms which followed, fill those rents with lasting crystal, leaving the structure stronger than before; high upon the uppermost blocks shine the names of Bright and Davitt and Gladstone, of Newton, Tyndall, Darwin and Huxley. We read the story of the success of popular education and the wonderful development of commerce and manufactures. The names of Watt and Davy mark the time when men learned to bring the elements under control, yoking the sun to their chariots and building with the energy of ages passed. As a result of the strife of generations, the people of Britain stand high up.,n their national pyramid and scan an empire upon which, in the language of Edmund Burke, “the sun never sets. It remains for the art and wisdom and statesmanship of the present generation to carry out imperial federation and thus add the cap stone to the pyramid which shall enable it to withstand the storms of iiges to come Four centuries ag the little H et b siring the renowned Columbus, spread its sails to the gentle August breeze and glided from the rugged shores of the old world in quest of the spices of India. They found, instead, a new continent, and began the foundation of a national pyramid, which for rapidity of building and beauty of outline, is second to none the world has known The ambitious, the restless, the venturesome, the enterprising, the hardy of every nation were gradually to congregate on this new field of activity. The Mayflower landed its band of home-seekers on the rough coast of New England, the Virginia colony planted its little settlement at Jamestown, and here and there, along the coast, the work of subduing a continent was begun. Many were the privations of these pioneers of America. In the forest, thirsting for human blood, lurked myriads of savage foes, while in the

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32 THE MILESTONE. “For the structure that wo raise, Time, is with materials filled, Our todays and yesterdays Are the blocks with which we build. There are many agencies which influence the building of characters, prominent among which are the climate and country. We cannot expect to find in the Sandwich Islands as high a type of character as in North America. In this respect we are among those favorably situated we are in a land the climate of which invigorates the system, and the unlimited independence of which allows the full development of the intellect. Should we not therefore, lend all our energies to the work, and cause our characters to shine brighter and brighter, day by day, as we plod along the avenues of life? Do we not admire the untarnished character of Florence Nightingale, who, throwing aside all obligations to self, devoted herself to the nursing of the sick and needy soldiers on the fields before Sebastopol. It is said that every rope in the British navy contains a colored strand, which identities it wherever found, whether on the coast of China or Nor h America. So should be our characters, distinguished by some noble trait that will illuminate the whole of our work. One of the greatest and most powerful auxiliaries with which we unfavored is the education which is afforded by the excellent public schools found in every city, town and village throughout our beloved nation. One of the most favored is Norfolk where we have been fortunate enough to attend school for some time and where we have gained information which we hope to use to the honor of our city and the credit of ourselves. But what a change has now come over ns, we feel a strange sensation of sadness as we begin to realize the fact that we are about to depart from the happy scenes of our high school life. There are revived in our memories many fond recollections of days gone by. On this occasion, our final opportunity of showing our appreciation and gratitude for the many favors bestowed, we wish to extend to the citizens of Norfolk our sincere thanks for their generous patronage and kindly interest shown in our work. You have ever manifested an enterprise in school mat ters, a zeal in the cause of education. You have, by your efforts, obtained for this noble city a new high school building, which will have few, if any peer