Petaluma High School - Trojans Yearbook (Petaluma, CA)

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CLASS HISTORY. The class of ’99 is the first class to take the regular four year’s course in the Peta¬ luma High School. Beside this we have the honor of being Mr. Thomas’ class, as we entered when he took charge of the school. We sometimes call ourselves the blue-eyed class, as we all possess that lucky feature. Four years ago our class started with a membership of thirty. Many have wand¬ ered away from the protecting care of Alma Mater until we stand here a class of eight. Let us for a moment follow those who have left us. Elizabeth Lynch, Lillie Murphy,Blanche Taylor and Ella Little are at home. Frederick N. Bruckerman and Loretta Mehegan are in San Jose. Jessie McNabb-Ayers, at the end of the first year decided it was better keeping house, and resides in Reno, Nevada. On account of ill health Mae Melehan left in the second year and will be one of the new seniors. Mamie Rafael resides in Sebastopol. Rose Butler is in a telephone office in San Francisco. Margaret L. Ross moved with her parents at the beginning of this term to Nevada City. Lennette Norton’s health gave out and she deserted us in the second year. Haden Stone is at home. Roy Harvey is on his father’s farm near Stony Point. Ralph Perkins is in town. Ray Woodward left us in the second year and is now at Cooper’s Medical Col¬ lege. George N. Brush is in San Francisco in the employ of Deckelman Bros. Frank E. Squires was with us for three years but has begun life in a better home. Mabel Matzenbach forsook the class dur¬ ing the Junior year to take a special course. Everybody knows and likes our black-eyed “Matzie.” Laura Palmer and Birdie Mooney, the inseparables, are going to spend another year in the High School and will be mem¬ bers of the next graduating class. Levi Patty was so very ambitious that he undertook more studies than were in the course and so could not take the full amount of work in the Senior year and therefore will graduate in 1900. Think of Levi among those would-be Senior girls ! Eppie Hoadley-Comstock was with us during our Junior year and in her brief stay made many friends. On March 30, 1899, ’mid rice and old shoes and the good wishes of her classmates she left for the south and now lives near Penngrove. And now to those who graduate tonight —and we sav (without conceit) that what we lack in quantity we make up in quality. Elmer M. Brown is a golden haired, wide awake youth, admired by teachers and pupils. He was very industrious and never seemed happier than when proving some hard geometry problem to the class. Elmer is an active member in the anti- Wednesday night German class. He doesn’t shine in the athletic field but he often rose (rows) on the creek, for he is the captain or first mate of a tiny boat called the Idler, and many a bright after¬ noon and moonlight night has he taken his friends down the creek. It would not be hard to sum up Elmer’s bad deeds, as he never did anything worse than to engage in a friendly chat. Ethel F ' . Harford, the baby of our class, with her sweet voice and winning ways counts her friends by the score and easily makes her way into the heart of every one she meets. Ethel is a good scholar and the languages are her special delight. She has beautiful auburn tresses upon which a

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As we are about to graduate and leave the dear old P. H. S., in thinking over the happy days spent there, comes the thought that there is one lacking in our number tonight. One whom the hand of Death took from our midst in the year of his graduation. On February 7, 1899, Frank E. Squires passed away after many months of sickness at his home west of Petaluma. For three years he stood among the highest in the class of ’99, and was a favorite with his teachers and class¬ mates. It was his ambition to become a physician and no doubt he would have succeeded, for his prospects were the brightest one could wish. His home was out of town but, de¬ termined to have an education, he rode in to school in pleasant and in stormy weather, through sand and mud. He was a great lover of books and read extensively in connection with his school work and his intended profession. Wishing to learn as much as he could while he was in school, he took extra studies and did well in them. He took no part in athletics, although he was always interested in all that the boys did. A loving son and brother, a kind friend and schoolmate, it is hard to see why he should have been called when his career was just opening before him. To those who visited him dur¬ ing his sickness he seemed at times to realize his critical con¬ dition, and no doubt in the quiet and stillness of the sick room his thoughts were often turned to the life beyond and we know that he has found it better further on. “Leaves have their time to fall, and flowers to wither at the north wind’s breath, But thou, thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death.

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coronet might rest with perfect ease, and as president of our class she presides over us with great dignity. She was a member of the famous Wednesday night German class and learned to talk quite fluently in (?) German. She is often seen with the tiller ropes in her hand guiding the Idler down the creek. Ethel blushes so prettily and it is Werner’s delight to tease her un¬ til she wishes him many miles away. By request we refrain from mentioning her favorite color. She is very modest and never indulges in anything worse than a quiet lesson in star gazing. John Worth Peoples is a very dignified young man and makes up for what the rest of us lack. He is quite a musician, and it is a great pleasure to hear him when he favors us with a solo in his mellow bass voice. In his younger days he was quite susceptible to blushes, as he was somewhat bashful, but he has entirely out¬ grown that and it is hard telling which he enjoys most—the piano or the society of the girls. John possesses one thing which is greatly admired by boys and girls alike, and that is his surrey and quite frequently have we enjoyed a ride on the country roads. He is the athlete of the class and lias the honor of being president of the athletic team. John is rather quiet but could write more notes in one period than Miss Ball could possibly keep her eyes on, and to as many girls. Next comes our golden haired Mattie Wilson. Often has it been said among the girls that they would give anything for hair like Mat’s. Dancing is her forte and at all our hops Mat reigns supreme. She was often in despair because she could not wiggle her ears as Levi does. She generally managed to have consider¬ able fun in school but as she was usually rather quiet about it she never caused the teachers much trouble. Mat was never very strong and really ought not to have come to school the last year, but she was determined to graduate with her class and so kept steadily on. Physics was a dream to her and only a shock of electricity could wake her up. Mat has the cunningest dimples and we all know how “The rank and file would walk a mile To win from her just one sweet smile.” If we are to judge the future by the past H. Werner Dietz will some day be a great scientist. He is Mr. MacNeil’s right hand and it is a mystery how the labora¬ tory will continue without him. He is very studious and excels in everything. As he couldn’t get enough German in school he took private lessons on Wednes¬ day nights. Werner will leave the school haunted by the fact that he has not paid ! his debts, for Ethel charges him fifty cents for every note she passes for him, and really the sum total is something terrible. He has been our leader in all our under¬ takings and with his cheerful ways man¬ aged to keep up our spirits even the dull¬ est days. He greatly enjoyed a joke, especially if it were at .some one’s else expense. One of his most cherished possessions is a small looking glass which he is quite frequently caught admiring(?) With all his studiousness Werner often found time to talk to the girls to the great discomfiture of Miss Sanderson. Frances Clair Gale, the talker, the singer, the tease, the bluffer; the jolliest words fail to characterize him. It has long been his aim to attend the University and we expect before long to hear of his com¬ peting for the “Carnot medal.” He de¬ lights in showing a book containing locks of hair which he has secretly taken from the girls during his giddy Freshman year. One scarcely ever gets the best of Frank, but we remember when he was fairly caught while indulging in “soft nonsense.” With all his work Frank has taken time to act as assistant telephone operator and we have often seen him on his way to the office with his Virgil under his arm; we wonder if he received his inspiration from there or from Jones’ ice cream parlors when he had the Trojans drinking ice