Paxton High School - Reflector Yearbook (Paxton, IL)

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THE PAXTON HIGH SCHOOL REFLECTOR 3 “Fig” didn’t know, really wasn't worth knowing. He had no ambition in particular except to have a good time, and that he had, without trying. He was thoroughly saturated with class and college spirit, and had been an important factor in many past esca- pades. “Petey” Oleson who was “Pig’s” comrade in arms and had been in the same scrapes, was of a more serious vein, and was very learned. When the important day finally ar- rived, and nothing had turned up. “Pig” became frantic. He suggested that they go out and burn up a barn to clear the atmosphere, but he was quieted by his more serious-minded companion. It was a very, very dark night, and to increase the darkness, the lights were out, much to the joy of the Sophomores. All of the upper class men sallied home to don their party clothes, while the Sophomores hunted around for a clue. When “Pig” and “Petey” were both on the verge of desperation, two girls passed them and they heard one of them, whom they recognized as Marguerite Wills, say:—“Well, I have to go over to Burnett’s for a while, and Hal can just wai‘.” Immediately it was decided by these two conspirators that Hal should have no opportunity to wait. “Pig” ran over to his aunt’s home, which wa3 near, and borrowed a big hat, a black dress and a cape. Then he started fo th in the role of a “Merry Widow”. He went to the Will’s home and c awled under the porch to wait for the Carrying Hal, while the rest of F’e crowd crowded into a hack farther down the street, to await develop- ments. A cab soon drove up. Without wait- ing for Hal to approach the house, ’’Pig sallied out, and was very ten- derly assisted into the cab by the un- suspecting cavalier. It was all “Pig” could do to keep from yelling aloud with joy. Hal began to talk, but “Pig” maintained a discreet silence. But in a minute, when they passed the hack, waiting farther down the street, he decided it was time to act. He grabbed the surprised Hal, who was too bewildered to make any re- sistance. The confederates surround- ed the cab and bundled the unlucky toastmaster and the joyful “Pig” into the hack. They took Hal out to the “Crow’s Nest,” a favorite retreat at the far end of the campus, and there they tossed him gently to the ground. Then, gathered around a roaring camp fire, they sang songs and made speech- es to the unhappy Hal, While, back in a banquet hall, around a brilliant banquet table, sat a hungry bunch of guests, sadly watching the door. When the bon-fire died down to glowing embers, the conspirators led Hal back to the Gym. He was ex- changed for enough food to satisfy “Pig” and his assistants. They then marched happily down the street, singing and eating; and glorious “Pig”, with his mouth full of chicken croquettes and pickles, ascended a barrel and made a speech to the rest of the yelling crowd. —Mack Wylie. For the Class in German. Translate into metrical English: — Da Adam hackt und Eva spann Wer war damals der Edelmann? An Interrupted Sentence. A judge, reprimanding a criminal, called him a scoundrel. The prisoner replied: “Sir, I am not as big a scoun- drel as your Honor—” here the culprit hesitated, but finally added—“takes me to me.” “Put your words closer together,” said the judge.

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THE TAX TON HIGH SCHOOL REFLECTOR 2 sizes too small and cultivates a lisp,— who is the pride of his mother and the scorn of-his younger brothers. Conceive, if possible, any one of the above three nonentities, (yet pro- ducts of civilization), embarked on •the high seas of business or profes- sional life. Picture the harrassed litigant seeking counsel, aid, or com- fort from a Willie Roy lawyer. Imag- ine the good fellow in the pulpit and the cut-up as your family physician. (May Heaven help us, for they won't.) Let -me repeat, be independent, be something, do something, do it meth- odically and continuously, and culfi- vate horse-sense. A SENIOR. HOW “PIG” SAVED THE DAY The atmosphere of Harding College was plainly in commotion. Students failed in their recitations openly and without regret. Teachers had ue- spaired of infusing interest or know- ledge into the heads of their pupils, and now smiled sadly and hopelessly upon their excitement. Even “ Old Pickle” had said with a grunt that his pupils would not prepare their lessons, and had consequently short- ened them, a very unusual proceed- ing. The social and intellectual spasm of the year in Harding College was approaching, and everyone was look- ing forward to it with interest. Com- mittees rushed around with vacant, absent expressions, and with an ap- pearance of much at stake and much to do, that would have done credit to a Wall S reet speculator. Upper classmen hardly ate, and when they did, they could not have told you what they had eaten. The unfortu- nates who had to furnish the intellec- u3l ability, walked around with their beads in the clouds, preparing elo- quent speeches that would make the “stunt” a memorable one. Youths stood around in little knots, talking of the affair, and endeavoring to find out whether or not somebody was going to appropriate some one else's girl. The girls lived in a flur- ried and expectant state, and the main topic of conversation every- where was the coming function. Preparations were being completed for the Junior-Senior banquet, and the various committees were working to make It more brilliant than ever be- fore. This was an affair much an'i- eipated. with joy by the students, wiih apprehension by the Faculty. It was traditional for the Sopho- mores to endervor u stop proceedings and to obtain a part of the decora- tions and menu, and many were the stories that had been handed down of past attempts and f'ilures. The Soph- mores had been holding secret meet- ings, and many plans had been pro- posed but rejected, one by one, as un- favorable, until the whole class was dejected, and as surly a bunch as it would be possible to find. They were particularly anxious to capture the toastmaster, Hal Hast- ings. In addition to his work as mas- ter of ceremonies, Hal was to accept the relic from the Seniors, an old, time worn manuscript which had been handed down from the Seniors to the Juniors for many years. Also It was bis privilege to lead the grand march in the dance which followed the ban- quet Pig” Jones and “Petey” Oleson agreed unanimously, then and there, that no failure would occur this year, and that they would secure the part of the menu which appealed particul- arly to “Pig.” “Pig” Jones was a happy-go-lucky, good-natured boy, with a jolly, freck- 1' 1 face and a pug nose, and wh.it

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4 THE PAXTO HIGH SCHOOZ. REFLECTOR AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM WILLIAM GLENN, '06. To the Editors of the Reflector: As the years pass and the time slips away, the Senior of four years ago in high school becomes the Senior in college. Then the said Senior wakes up to the fact that “you don’t know how much you have to knbw in order to know how little you know.” Instead of wanting that $50,000 job, with the easy pickings, that he had dreamed of in his high school Senior year, the college Senior is willing and almost anxious to get next to a job that will keep him out Of the cold and buy him three square meals at any old dump, and in addition to that'he will feel somewhat thankful that it ain’t no worse.” Now then, you High School Senior, ’fefcs up and 'admit that you ha e dreamed all along what an enviable position you are going to get when you step out of the class room for the last time, with your shejp-skin tight- ly grasped in one hand, ready to face the world and Startle the people by your brilliance and wisdom! Come now! confess, for we have all been in the same place and we know that the ideals of a'High School' Senior are lofty and mighty. But we can’t blame you for having your ideals: your character building and your suc- cess in life all depend on the ideals which you treasure. Progress is meas- ured in proportion to the ideals ac- complished and attained. After four years in high school it is a matter of no little consequence to step into a college and see all of your previous honors cast aside as mere ch’ff, and to start things all over again and begin life anew. But that is exactly what you have to do if you ever intend to go to college. At col- lege the cold-hearted Profs” care nothing for the fact tha yon were president of the literary society, that you were on the foot ball team, that you took the leading frart in Some . tragic play, that you wtehe the village cut-up when it came to playing socie'y on a straight tip at a three to one throw. No. the “Profs” care little what you did back in the country high school, and your fellow students care less. You go to college and you begin to drop. You drop from your former plane just as hard and just as rfast as did our friend and fellow- explorer Cook when he took a fdll1 out of the University of Copenhagen. Then your Sophomore year is enter- ed, and you are beginning to realize just the ’wee-est bit that there is a world full of trouble and work loom- ing up in the distance. Your Sopho- more year finished, yob feel that the beginning of the end is at hand. The next two years pass like a ship in the night”, and the uncontrollable feeling of a “lump in his throat that he can't swrallow past takes posse ’ sion of a man. What is the matter? Where is all the cdurage that he had in his high school days? Where is the knot of resolve and determination, where is the incentive for the big and mighty things that he once had, where is the spirit of defiance that used to be on tap at all times? Yes, where are those ideals that previously had taken possession of the man? They are gone! The College Senior is stand- ing in the desert, and the mirage Is passing slowly before him. On one side there is hunger and’ thirst—on the other there i£'work and • success . Bir the one is just as far away as the other. If Ife falters he is a Nlead one”, and the world has few sympa- thizers:; if he has tire right stuff in his make-up he Will push ahead, and the world cherishes the men with the will and the initiative that know not