North Quincy High School - Manet Yearbook (North Quincy, MA)

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MAN ET 2 9 S. S. York City, cfo Reardon Smith Line. Merthyr House, James Street, Cardiff, VVales. Dear Mother: VVell, I left Falmouth in Devon on this packet where she was laid up for eight months, and went to Clueta tpronounced Suetab, in Spanish Africa, and got about 1,000 tons of oil there. It is a wonderful place, and you can see people in their long white robes, and the Mohammed XVOIHPII with their veils. Fellows came aboard selling silk shirts and things cheap. Soap comes next. to tobacco on these tramps. I learned that the next day, Sunday, there was to be a bull-fight, and from what I heard it seems that everybody in Clueta was going to be at that bull-fight, but we did not get ashore as we were there only about six hours. The next place was Constantinople, but we lay at anchor waiting for orders. It looked like a nice place with its Moslem temples and Sultan 's palace. We got orders to proceed to Novarissisk in Southern Russia on the Black Sea. The place was all cobble-stones and had no sanitary arrangements, but it is the same all over Russia. VVe called at Port Said in Egypt at the en- trance to the Suez Canal. Most of the things you buy there are made in England, and they can speak better English there than some of us. NVhen coming through the Suez you have to tie up a lot, as it is very narrow, to let tankers and mail boats through. VVhile we were tied up some of us went swimming and it was great. You can see Ali Baba on his camel in the desert, and it stretches for miles on either sfde. The Red Sea took the biscuit for heat- 120 and 130 degrees in the shade, and over 200 in the engine room-some heat, believe mel At Moji, Japan, we got some coal and what is called a bum boat. Nobody can beat the Japs for cheapness. I am sorry I had not the time to get a set of china. They cost anything from 10X to two pounds there, but I had not a chance, as it was work all the time. I offered 25f to some of the fellows on the ship for a set, but they would not sell theirs-not for any money. But. maybe I will be in Japan again soon, and I will make sure that I get a set. We only stopped there for coal and bam- boos, and we sailed the same day. Three days from there we arrived at Vladivostock, one of the biggest railway centers of the U. S. S. R. The temperature there was four below zero. XVinches and everything froze. We went along- side after the soldiers had searched us and had given us our passes. Every one in Russia to- day has a. pass, and must produce it when asked, and so we had our passes as well, just slips of paper with our name and the name of the ship and an official stamp on it. If you lose it, you have to pay ten gold rubles or 2150! in our money. They have there what is called an international club, and all they talk about is a revolution that would benefit the working class in capitalist countries. It is a lot of bunkum, but I used to go there when there was The working class and no place else to go. every one else has to get his whack of black bread every four days, and doctors have been known to carry their black bread. They work five days and have a day off every sixth, but the work still goes on as they take it in turns. They get money, but it is no use to them as I have seen them throw it away, because the government controls everything, and everybody. They told us at the club that religion is free in Russia, but they only laugh at religion. The only religion they have is Com- munism. I could write a book about the U. S. S. R. The climate was awful, and if the bolsheviks of England went to Russia, they would never again preach Bolshevism. We have a stowa- way, and to get out of Russia he stopped down one of the ship 's holds for five days and' licked the ship 's side for water. He got frostbitten on the legs, and has not the use of them, and maybe never will. He risked being caught by the police, for they searched the ship, and if he had been caught he would have been shot. So you can guess what kind of a country Russia is. The Americans don 't seem to like Russia as I have read some of their comments in the Saturday Evening Post, and the Literary Digest, and they certainly can advertise a thing. VVe left Russia after being over a month there and went to Moranor in Japan again for so1ne coal, but we didn 't get a bum boat there, so I couldn't. get anything. I forgot to tell you that it took two ice-breakers to get us out of Vladivostok. The temperature was 16 below. Now we are nearly three weeks on the Pacific, and not near San Pedro yet. She only does nine knots at the best, and the weather has not been very good. Snowstorms, hailstorms, and heavy seas are present as I am writing this. It is blowing' a gale and we are about 1,700 miles from San Pedro where we will get oil and stores. I am looking forward to it as it is in California, and I want to give you my opinion of the States, but maybe we won't go alongside. VVe might go to Hamburg or to some port in England. The work here is hard and you work eight hours a day, all right, and the food is not too good, Board of Trade rations, but the money is three pounds a month, and that's a consola- tion especially when we get paid off. At pres- ent we are short. of flour, and are on sea bis- cuits. The potatoes got all frosted up along with the other vegetables, and you can't eat

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2 8 MANET ahead by inches and then the other, until about a hundred yards from the finish. Suddenly there was a loud snap followed by a great flapping. Instinctively I looked up at 1ny sails, but they were all intact. 'tThe tCynthia! the 'Cynthia'! shouted Bob. t'Her spinnakers carried away. I looked up, and sure enough, one of the spinnaker sheets had torn from its gasket and the spinnaker was flapping wildly int the wind. Ten seconds later we crossed the line victors. The silver cup was ours! SURPRISE By Barbara Munro. 8-8 This narrative was. in the opinion of the judges. the best entry made in the contest by pupils of the eighth grade. Reasons: tl! the pupil was wise i11 selecting an incident natural to his own environment, rather than one which was entirely foreign to his own experience or observation: 423 the action moves quickly: C37 the suspense is adequately maintained: tl! the surprise ending is convincing. For two months I had been saving all the money I could for the express purpose of buy- ing a. white fur coat to wear with my black velvet evening gown, but as yet I did not have the desired sum. I was rather discouraged until one night at exactly 8,35 my Aunt Kitty telephoned and asked to speak to mother. I listended intently to the conversation that fol- lowed: i'How are you, Kitty? asked Mother. Oh! I'm feeling fine. Lucy? VVhy she was here a few minutes ago. XVhy? Silence-all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind. Aunt Kitty never called unless for something important. Last time she had given me a pretty lace collar. Mother was speaking again, I listened: VVhat's that? Yes, it 's black. It will be a surprise. Lucy has wanted one for some time. Such a lovely combination! I just know Lucy will be proud of it! Did you say it was white?7' At this I literally bounded into the air. The conversation was so promising, I rushed into my room and. arrayed in my black velvet, walked up and down managing my train most successfully. Such marvelous thoughts! VVhat hopes! In the midst of my rehearsal I heard my mother exclaim: i'Did you say it has blue eyes? I stopped. Fear was breaking down my air castle. I could hear the receiver click back into place. Mother was coming to tell me 'iAunt Kitty just called. She is going to give you a white angora kitten. Isn't that ' 1 nice ! 'iflhf' I heard myself say. A STORM AT SEA By Merle Lowell, 9-1 The gallant ship sailed from the bay Out toward the angry sea. How dark and cheerless was- that day With trained men only three. A gale blew upg the waves tossed high, The ship rocked to and fro, A storm cloud burst up i11 the sky And deluged the deck below. The storm raged wildg the 111911 grew pale, The craft sank low'1' and low'1-5 There never was a iiercer gale As seen by men from Roure. THE JUNIOR CARNIVAL By Priscilla Bruce. 9-4 Listen. my children. while I relate A tale of sparkle and cheer. Of course you can guess just what it is- tlur carnival. the event of the year. The time was just after seven With fun in the assembly hall: The entertainment was most superb, A good time in store for all. Jimmie McLellan was surely a hit And Sparky just captured your heart: The pupils went crazy and squealed for more, But this was only tl1e start.. The chorus girls were next in lineg My. but they were charming. To think that North had fairies like these XVas really quite alarming. Their beautiful skirts of colors bright, Their beautiful rhythmical sway. It certainly took our football boys To dance that unusual way. Then a curtain was lowered And who should come forth but the star, For the fame of Feurtad0's dancing Has been known both near and far. I must not forget the singingg You k11ow it was quite a treat. These boys are certainly giftedg Their voices were wonderfully sweet. VVhen the show had come to an end. The pupils were ready to dance: You really hated to be stepped on so But everyone took that chance. As all good times must come to an end, Our carnival of course did toog It certainly was a grand affair. I think I'm right, don't you? SOLILOQUY BY A CAT By Elizabeth Ugilvie. 12-Z2 Oh. springtime is a mystic thing XVhereof a thousand poets sing. It is the most delightful time To rhapsodize in song and rhyme. To me it is the time of year IVhen first the little snakes appear. The poets tell of butterflies That flutt'ring o'er thecrocus rise. I grant that they are pretty things With fragile bubble-tinted wings. But. 0 to catch those bits of gauze XYithin my eager-reaching paws! And poets idolize spring floW'rs- My mistress prates of them for hours. She's talking now-so I retreat And find them really very sweet. But heavens! she will lose her head To find me in the tulip bed!

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30 IVIANET them. It's quite a different ship to the last one. I was put to trimming coal in the stoke hold. and I don't know what I would have done if the Arabs hadn't helped me. The heat down there was awful, but I soon got used to it and was able to fire as well as trim. VVe have only six Arab firemen, and I often go in to them for bread and things. I do all their English writ- ing for them, and put down their overtime and things like that, and when I do they would not let me out if I refused theiir cigarettes or cigars or duff as it's part of their religion. They won't eat pork or duck and they hate sweet stuffs, but are fond of curry, and wor- ship Allah, and fast, and wash their feet, face. and hands before and after they eat, and have mats on which they pray-lovely mats with big temples in the middle. They are a terribly religious race and it's been years and years since they left Arabia. We got a job cleaning out the tanks while' in Russia, and what a job! The oil had frozen and had to be steamed. This type of ship is terrible, and the old man and the steward make plenty of money by keeping the food from the crew. Imagine a skipper leaving port with hardly any flower and no porridgei The steaks are tough and the potatoes are frozen, and everything is on the bum. All we eat for din- nen is a plateful of soup, tea and sea biscuits. We expect to arrive at San Pedro tomorrow and we were going to San Francisco for some oil as we were running low, but we got orders to go to Pedro. We will be home in two months after leaving here. Well, I think it 's nearly time I finished. I hope you are keeping well, and write as soon as you get this letter. Best of luck to all. Your son, Henry Cummings. tHenry is a twin-brother of Robert Cum- mings of our eleventh grade.j SOME EVENTS IN MY DIARY By Richard Keene, 8-5 This diary deserves honorable mention because of the exeellency of its vocabulary and the simple direct- ness of its style. April 21st, 1933. Three of us went cycling down to South Braintree today. We started out for Devil's Rock in Holbrook going about thirteen miles out of our way making about a twenty-five mile trip altogether. The right way would have taken us only about twelve miles, so you can imagine that the twenty-five mile, one-way trip tired us and made us quite hungry. We then entered some woods there and enjoyed a refreshing lunch. The great fun we had taking pictures of each other with a tiny camera made up for the disappointment we had at not get- ting to the Rock.,' May 26th, 19313. This was the night of a Camperal put on by the Boy Scouts at Merrymount. VVe arrived there late one Friday afternoon. WVl16l1 we pitched our tents we f'ditched them all around in case of rain. VVe next cooked our dinners over an open fire which was great fun. That night after supper we all sat around a camp- fire Qthere were about eight hundred of usp, singing old songs, telling stories, and each patrol put on a little act of its own. At mid- night we 'fturned in. The certain patrol 1 was encamped with, however, which was away from the main outit on a hill, didn't get to sleep until nearly three A. M. and even then we probably wouldnft have done so only an official came up and promised to make us take a dip in the nearby bay for punishment iff' we didn 't quiet down. We had been trying to pull a fellow Scout 's tent down on top of him with- out very great success. The loud snickerings and bellowings during this manoeuvre was what drew the ofiicial's attention. Early next morning we were obliged to get up a hour ahead of time which means that we arose at 5 o 'clock so you can imagine how much sleep we got. On top of this we had to cook our break- fasts in a pouring rain which didn 't help the situation in the least. For this reason, I shall not soon forget the date May 26th, 1933. June 17th, 1933. This was the date President Roosevelt rode through Quincy on his way to Marion to board his yacht. We Scouts were elected to help hold up the ropes to keep the crowds back. Just before he got there it began. to pour and by the time the President did arrive, the crowd had dwindled considerably. I can 't recall what he said and I don 't believe anybody else took very much stock in his brief talk. We were all there just to glimpse this famous man. He impressed me as being very open-minded, one in whom much trust could be placed. He seemed to carry with him an invisible air of authority and security that was quite conta- gious. If his appearance justifies his actions, I think he will become a very famous man some day. As this is the first time I ever saw a President face to face, I shall remember the date, regardless of wet weather or other dis- comfitures. July 18th, 193. ' My diary for this day records that I was at Camp Burgess on Cape Cod near Sandwich with a Y. M. C, A. outfit. The boys in my cabin went to a lake five miles away from the camp. After our long hike in the hot July sun it was great to see the water of the lake shining through the green trees near where we were to camp for the night. It wasn't long before we were splashing around and enjoying it in great fun. The evening was finished off when we built a fireplace and cooked a. hot supper. Sleep, however, came late as the mosquitoes and sap drippings from the overhead pines kept us awake for quite a. while.