Paxton High School - Reflector Yearbook (Paxton, IL)

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and the streets were thronged with farmer wives. Among these I saw two smiling faces, that 1 recognized as Bertha Lynch and Gladys Whitman, making their way to Doris' shop to buy a new Easter bonnet. Everett had changed his instrument aga n, for the scenery was elevated. I read a sign in an apartment window which said, Order your sewing done early. A special reduction of graduation frocks. Near the window sat a little lady. It was Irene Adamson. I remember well what a seamstress Irene was. The scenery again shifted, and I saw a funny, little store, whose show window was full of tin cans containing various kinds of paint. My attention was especially attracted to a sign which read, Put more paint on your old buildings and less paint on your faces. At last I spied a name on the awning, Loren Mullinax. Proprietor. In a few minutes a Ford drove up to the curbing and two small women hastily stepped out as if their feet had gone to sleep beneath the pressure of an egg-basket. They were evidently in a hurry, for Ruby Lindgren and Alice Jones disappeared into the shop. Suddenly a large factory was presented before my eyes. A number of trucks were transporting loads of new brooms. 1 became excited, for I could almost guess what was coming, and sure enough it did come. There sat Howard Hill behind a large mahogany desk, in a most cleverly arranged office. I could hear the rapid ticking of a typewriter, and in a moment saw Helen Passwaters pegging away with great rapidity. Helen had just broken the world's speed record as a typist. I gave Everett a signal, and again the wave length was changed. This time I saw the old Court House, where two of my old schoolmates held responsible positions. Miss Lillian Helman was the new Deputy Sheriff and Mae Swanson acted as her private secretary. Frances Watts held the office of County Superintendent of Schools. With one more change of scenery, I saw Miss Opal Moudy, Instructor of Mathematics in the new High School Building. 1 his was the first year that school had been in session within its new doors. Professor Swenson told me that I would have to wait a minute, while he directed the current to the vicinity of Potomac, Illinois. Elizabeth Kemp appeared on the scene as head matron of the Children’s Home. Presently two successful scientific farmers whirled by in their large grain trucks on the hard road. They were Lowell Pearson and Bernard Kirk. Everett proceeded to change again, and 1 heard a familiar voice. Presently Dorothy Given appeared before my view. She had taken up the work of the late Miss Lucy Page Gaston, in an anti-cigarette campaign. After a pause of a few minutes, the professor had arranged so that I •night get a glimpse of the classmates that had taken their stand in Chicago. Dorcas Newman was the directing physician at the Wesleyan Hospital, with Miss Irene Bear as head dietitian. Olive Johnson was proprietress of a large beauty parlor. Philip Nordgren was occupying a front office in the Tribune building. Phil was successor to Sidney Smith. Dottie Penington was head of the voice department in the Northwestern University School of Music. The next minute I had the pleasure of seeing Pauline Holley's picture on a bill- PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT —

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RADIO NEWS Boston, Mass., February 18, 1940. It was while I was visiting my brother, who lived in a snmll Massachusetts college town, that my sister-in-law, a woman prominent in her local club centers. one day persuaded me to go to a luncheon with her. We were to hear the mo3t eminent professor of the college. The speaker had been announced when I heard a familiar Ahem-m — one of those original throat troubling noises caused from nervousness. I knew immediately, after looking at the face of the speaker, who he was. My eyes could not deceive me; it was Everett Swenson. I felt like stopping the speech immediately and giving him three rousing cheers. But I directed mv attention to a most interesting lecture. At length, again he gave that familiar Ahem-m” and sat down. 1 was given no chance to speak to him until after luncheon. Later, however, I rushed to him. He seemed glad to see me and asked me to wait for him. When Everett was free to go, he asked me out to his home for dinner. The house was very dreary and the room that he ushered me into had a very serious atmosphere. When at last I felt at ease to look around, it was through a door which stood ajar, a large work room. Everett, evidently noting my curiosity, asked me if I would care to go through his laboratory. Of course, I wanted to, and when we entered, I w?s all eyes and fingers, and asked questions like a small boy. At one end of the room was a large black bookcase that looked more like a cupboard than a bookcase. But 1 did not wish to appear too curious, so 1 sat down on a bench and started to talk to him. Naturally our conversation turned to our High School days. As 1 had not seen Everett since a year after we graduated. I was anxious to know what he had been doing and all he knew of our classmates during these seventeen years since our graduation. He told me that he could show me where everyone was and I thought he meant to tell me, so 1 treid to lead him on by conversation, but instead Tie told about one thing he had seen and then another, till 1 felt rather anxious about his mental capacity. He evidently noticed this, for laughing. he stepped to this huge black bookcase, inserted a key. pressed a spring, and the case parted to display the queerist looking radio set I had ever seen. After I had adjusted my head set. he asked if 1 was ready, and told me not to be disappointed if the apparatus did not work, but to hope for the best. After several adjustments as to wave length, I began to see sights that looked somewhat familiar, and was not surorised to see a familiar hat shop sign and a little dark-eyed lady with coal-black hair, very busy trimming and decorating her show window for the spring display. 1 recognized this little woman as Doris Bresee, who had inherited the shop from Madam Wilson. Then I noticed two familiar faces coming toward the shop —one a light-haired lady and the other a large dark-haired one. They both showed the care-worn faces of the school-room. I immediately heard the conversation. They were Marjorie lohnson and Anna Dale, telling Doris how happy they would be when they received their government pensions. This happened to be market day. -PAGE TWENTY-8EVEN-

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board outside of a large theatre. Pauline was starring in the movie, “No Man's Fool. In a moment Lucile Belton approached the theatre entrance, of which she was manager. Lucile was also manager at this time of several small theatres thioughout central Illinois. Another adjustment changed the scene to Minneapolis. Minnesota. The Gustavus Adolphus University had for its president. Spencer Anderson. Spen was always interested in the Swedish Lutheran Church at Paxton. The university at the time was having the pleasure of hearing a musical by Ruth Hoskinson and her husband, a noted tenor. Ruth played the accompaniments and occasionally favored her husband s audience with a classical piano solo. After Everett had made the necessary adjustments for a new location. I found that the picture was that of a millionaire s home in Oakland, California. Gertrude Swanson was the companion of its only occupant, a middle-aged lady. Marie Parsons had the honor of being the chef. 1 remember well those appetizing salads that Marie made when she was a girl. The next scenes were beginning to near home again. I saw Mae Pollock, the wife of a book agent, residing in St. Louis. Mo. Besides caring for her family of five children, Mae finds time to entertain her neighbors occasionally with a bit of “Jazz.” I saw another one of my classmates at Springfield. Illinois. Myrle Shinker, who was quite a busy worker of the Y. W. C. A. I was intensely interested in the remainder of my classmates. The scenery shifted down to Havana, Cuba. Here 1 saw a little jockey, Harold Goodwin, breaking all speed records in the Hot Tamole races with his famous steed. “Spark Plug. The next picture was that of Phyllis Nordgren, who was then touring Florida, doing lyceum work, specializing in impersonations. Everett now connected up with Trenton, New Jersey, from where I heard the returns of a big prize fight. At the same time I saw Raymond Aukland in action. He was first “planting a left and then a right fist on his unfortunate opponent's jaw. Hank had a very good record to show, having been challenged but once. With a sudden turn of the button, 1 heard wedding bells ringing in New York. Miss Sara Hyde Carmen had just taken unto herself her fifth husband. This time Everett told me he was sure he had a surprise for me, and the next instant 1 beheld the interior of the Garrick Theatre in New York. The musical comedy of the season, Country Life, was at its height, and in the midst of it all was Clarence Olson leading a bevy of beautiful chorus girls. As time was rapidly speeding, we again changed to Reuben Goldstein s Select School of Music. Within I saw Mary Carson and her Polish husband giving lessons to the very best of the pupils. The last news and perhaps the best was that Donald Kirk was leading a rebellion for the Irish Free State. After looking at the wonderful electrical pictures and hearing the interesting reports concerning the welfare of my classmen, we found that it was 6 P. M., and to our surprise, heard Everett's housekeeper announce dinner. I departed very late, as after dinner we viewed the prominent sights of the day I decided I was going to install the same kind of a radio as the one Everett possessed. PAGE TWENTY-NINE-