North Carolina School for the Deaf - Clock Tower Yearbook (Morganton, NC)

Page 23 text:

Hass Prophecy By OLE CALHOUN fe One warm spring day in 1960, I decided to take time off from my duties as president of the Calhoun Gum Co. and see how things were getting along at Morganton. After a pleasant fifteen minutes drive in my Jetmobile, I found myself in front of the newly remodeled main building. Of course, my first thought was to see the new gymnasium - but imagine my surprise to find the old gym still in use. Soon overcoming my surprise and disappointment I decided to call on Dr. Rankin. However, he was not in his office and after some inquires I found he was down in the dairy barn supervising the installa- tion of some new Atomic Milking Machines. Next I paid a visit to the class rooms and was disappointed to find no familiar faces there. However, I learned that Dr. Randolph was still living in Morganton and although he had reach- ed the ripe old age of (censored) he conducted a weekly Boy Scout hike to the top of Table Rock. Arriving at his home I found him tinker- ing around with a mass of copper tubing, boil- ers, and other equipment. At first I thought he had become a moonshiner, but upon seeing me he immediately began a description of his new invention. It was a device which, he claimed, would make a pill which would enable the user to see anything or anyone he set his mind on. After this explanation Dr. Randolph paused for a minute to see who he had been talking with and was greatly surprised to find it was one of his old pupils. We had a nice time talking over the old days at N°? Ces, D and’ as I was pre- pared to leave Dr. Randolph offered to permit me to be the first to test his new invention. Hating to disappoint the old gentleman. I con- sented, and with great misgivings swallowed one of the little purple pills. Immediately my head began to swim and there were red, white, and blue spots before my eyes. Only half-concious, I became aware of Dr. Randolph dancing around shouting “Eureka!” and encouraging me to “Think, think, think!” For some reason my mind first turned to big Kenneth Leonard and I found myself looking on an interesting scene. This scene was in an immense forest someplace, and after careful study I found it was in one of the red-wood forests of California. There were many men busy everywhere cutting down trees, making re- cords in books, and loading logs on trains. My attention became fastened on a group of men who were attempting to make a huge log roll the last few inches onto a freight car. They were sweating and groaning, but all to no avail. All of a sudden a large well-dressed man with a blazing red necktie, a diamond stick-pin, and a gold headed cane appeared. He saw the situa- tion and walked up to the log. With one well- placed shove he sent the log rolling into position, and then sauntered disdainfully away. I had no trouble in recognizing this man as Kenneth Leonard, but still didn’t know what he was doing there. After surveying the scene again, I found the answer when I saw a truck with the words “Leonard Lumber Co.” written on the side. Satished that Kenneth was doing all right, I turned my thoughts to Dottie Moore and im- mediately saw a figure dressed in white working over another person laying on a flat white table. At first I thought it was a nurse or doctor per- forming an operation - but after a second glance I saw that it was a beauty parlor in Hollywood and the white-clad figure was none other than Dottie Moore. Dottie certainly had been suc- cessful in her work. Among her personal custo- mers were listed every famous movie star in Hollywood and several famous people came all the way from New York to receive monthly beauty treatments in her beauty parlor, I was very anxious to talk to Dottie, but of course the pills I had swallowed did not enable other persons to see or converse with me, so I had to be satisfied by just looking.

Page 22 text:

Superlatives of the Class of 1948 o GIRLS SUPERLATIVES Boys Hatleens Crater eee ee ee Best. Looking 2.2) 23) Melvin Ellis Brances. Withrow, 9-ss see eee eee Best Dressed (ie eee Bascom Robinson Erancesi. Withrow, e222 eee eee Best All Around = Kenneth Leonard Dotties Moote 2) = oe eee eee Most: Athletic’ 22 ee Melvin Ellis Dottie: Moore === =e Biggest Furi (2 eee Elrice Daniels Pattie» Kerley 22, -.2esee ee ee Most. Situdjous ee Melvin Ellis Ollie? Calhoun! = 22 ee ee Slee piestiicte) Sol. Elrice Daniels Earleen Crater Pome: hse Most Likely totSucceed = ae Melvin Ellis Pattie? Kerley g25 nee ee ee Most Enerceticge a eee Kenneth Leonard Earleen’ Crater: 33.5 2g.) ee ee ee Quiet 6s eee jak Bascom Robinson Dottie: Moore Mes Se eee eee Most J alkatives Elrice Daniels Frances) Withrow. jesse eee eee Most: Cheepjul 2 eee Kenneth Leonard KarleenaCraterieee 22 seem ee eee MostaCourieous ee = 35 Kenneth Leonard Ollies Calhoun wae eenaeee po REN Settee Most. Popular 22... ee Melvin Ellis Frances’ Withrow 2222s =) s aOSi™ SO POrLs Mani t he a= Kenneth Leonard Ollie Calhoun =e os Oe MOsteiMisGhevious 2. eee Melvin Ellis

Page 24 text:

Next my mind turned to Elrice Daniels, and I found myself looking through a huge plate glass window bearing the following inscription: Dr. Daniels. Let me save your shoes from’ the trash pile”. On closer inspection I saw Elrice, himself, surrounded by a pile of shoes: “After watching him swing his cobbler’s hammar for a few minutes, I was convinced that he was turly a “Doctor” in his trade. Don’t ask me how he happened to take up this trade. I wanted to ask him, but of course I was unable to talk with him. Now my attention turned to Earleen Crater, the mathematic wizard. I half expected to find her teaching mathematic in some large college, but instead found her as the proud owner of a large wholesale company in New York. She had not changed much in appearance and ap- peared from very happy in her work. Earlene’s new company handled everything from shoe- strings to ocean liners. Remembering that Earl- ene had been married on July 4, 1948, I looked around for her husband but was disappointed to find he was a stranger to me. After watching Earleen for a while I was soon convinced that everyone liked her even though she was a very strict boss. She could tell at a glance whether the bookkeepers were making mistakes or not. Frances Withrow was the next to come to my mind. She had married the rich owner of one of the South’s leading textile mills and had a beautiful home on the east coast of (N. Cy I watched her go about her household duties for awhile, and discovered that three-fourths of her time was spent taking care of her four children. In the basement ! was surprised to find that she had a whole room full of Algebra books. Watch- ing her, I wondered what in the world she wanted with all of those books. After awhile I discovered the answer. Frances received great pleasure from hurling an Algebra book in the furnace whenever she felt like it. Sometimes just for variety she would chop one to pieces with an ax. Frances certainly had not changed much, Bascom Robinson proved to be a bit difficult. I had to focus my mind on him for several minutes before he came into view. He was dan- cing with a beautiful brunette and at first I thought it was his wife. Looking around the room I noticed several other young ladies watch- ing him with adoring eyes. It soon became - apparent that Bascom had become a profess- ional dancing instructor, and from the looks of his customers he was a very popular young man. When I saw Melvin Ellis, I knew at once that he had succeeded in his ambition to own a furniture factory. He was sitting at a huge mahogany desk smoking a cigar and he had a bay-window that would have taken first prize at any business men’s meeting. Above his desk there hung several pictures of factories. Upon examining them closely, I found they were pic- tures of the various branches of his furniture company. No doubt about it. Melvin was surely making a success of his life. Finally, my thoughts turned to Pattie Kerley. I expected to find her at home reading a book, but instead saw her seated at a table with a handsome man and three little girls. It was late in the evening, so she had probably finished work. However, I listened to their conversation hoping to discover what kind of work she was doing. It soon became apparent that she was teaching literature in the S. C. School for the Deaf and keeping house for her husband and children. By this time the effects of the pill had begun to wear off and I again found myself back in Dr. Randolph’s lab. I had a terrific headache and Dr. Randolph offered to let me sample another of his inventions - guaranteed to cure anything, but I politely declined and bid him a fond farewell. After fixing up my headache with a few aspirins, I looked back over my experience and was certainly pleased when I recollected that every one of my old class had been very successful in life.