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Page 21 text:
“
uJIn ' Itrtnrw of % Hark anil (Soli HERE was great rivalry be¬ tween the four classes of Field’s College. The school being very large and the boys unusually lively, the feuds waxed hot and furious. The greatest diffi¬ culties arose over contests to see which class could place its colors on the highest pinnacle of.the school buildings. The dif¬ ficulties led to interesting adventures and it is one of these exploits I will endeavor to tell. Harry Wilbur was the president of the Senior class and both he and the class were proud of the fact. He was small in stature but exceedingly quick in both mind and body. It was his endeavor to have his class better than any other and he worked with might and main to accomplish it. It was now his ambition to place his colors, the black and gold above every other pennant in the school. But it yas also the desire of the three other class presidents that he shouldn t succeed, especially Scott, the pres¬ ident of the Juniors, who stood up lustily for the cardinal. One Saturday night in December in the boys club rooms, Wilbur arose and deliver¬ ed a message in the name of the Senior Class, challenging the other classes to place their color higher than that of the Seniors, and the deed would have to be done before the sun arose Monday morning. The Junior class gave a triumphant yell. Say, kids you’re easy!” cried one of the Juniors, “Why we’ve got a monkey here that could climb the north pole if there was one. Why don’t you ask something hard?” Wilbur laughed, but nevertheless he knew and they all knew, that Scott, the Junior, was the best jumper and climber in the school, and it would be no easy matter to beat him. But Wilbur was a close second and very much of a dare devil and as he was loyal tojiis class, he resolved then and there, that the cardinal should not wave above the “black and gold’ ' . He was not afraid of the Sophs or Freshies. They were easy, but Scott, well—he was a dandy. “Oh! I kncfw Scott’s a climber,” he said tp Sfc chum Lawrence, “but that’s not going to phase me. There will be some hot tus¬ sling before we’re through.” “But gee! Wilbur, I don’t see how you can beat Scott,” cried his friends. “The kid is bent on having his blooming cardinal placed above every other if he puts it on the Statue of Liberty. The only way I see of getting ahead of him is by chartering a balloon a id ty¬ ing our pennant to a star, but not for mine. I’m too light headed.” “Leave it to me, fellow Seniors, ours will be the highest Monday morning,” and Wil¬ bur went to bed with an earnest resolve to keep his word. Fate plays strange tricks. It was her fancy to have all four of the class presidents make their difficult attempt Sunday night, and furthermore, she had them all seeking the same spot. This high pinnacle was a very dangerous point on a tower over the Laboratory rooms. A weather vane in the shape of a rooster was on the very top. To reach this height one had to climb along slippery roofs and if a single jar made a foot slip it meant in¬ stant death or terrible injury to the adven¬ turer. Fate was kind enough to let Wilbur reach the building first. At nine o’clock Sunday evening he appeared cn the scene, a coil of heavy rope in one hand and a huge pennant in the other. He climbed through the win¬ dow on a lower floor and quickly hurried up to the attic on the third story. Here he climbed out on the roof and began his peril¬ ous ascent. Luckily all went well and he was soon at the base of the tower. The hardest was yet to come. Three times he threw the rope, but the third time it caught on a projection, so slowly he pulled himself up till he was on a level with the vane. Then with a triumphant crow he tied the pennant on the rooster’s tail and prepared to descend. His coat caught on a nail and he gave it a wrench. At once he felt the rope relax, and turning around he discovered with hor¬ ror that the slip knot had become unfasten¬ ed and was slowly but surely slipping off the projection. Poor Wilbur’s heart seem¬ ed to stand still. Every movement he made
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Page 22 text:
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P. H. S. ENTERPRISE ’08. only loosened the knot more. Glancing down on the lawn (it seemed miles below) he saw three dark forms emerge from dif¬ ferent directions and start toward the build¬ ing. “The other fellows!” he thought. ‘‘If 1 cry out they won’t hear me and besides I’m not going to show I’m afraid. Maybe I can reach that knot.” Slowly he crept toward the projection. But just as he reached it the rope slipped off and he grasped wildly at the frail piece of wood nearest him. With a crash it broke off and Wilbur fell down, down, screaming uselessly for help. But again Fate stepped in. As he fell his shoulder struck a large drain pipe which threw him onto one side and with a bang he fell on the roof just above the window from which he had climb¬ ed. His foot caught in the crevice between the roof and a large chimney close by and he sprawled head downward. For a few moments he was stunned. Then painfully moving his head he saw a stout wire bound loosely about the base of the chimney. If he could only reach that! But every movement only ioosened his foot more. Nevertheless he decided to risk it. Slowly he pulled himself up and finally with one desperate plunge he grasped the wire, crawled up and clung to the chimney so ex¬ hausted he could hardly breathe. In a few moments he heard the voices of his rivals and crawled behind the chimney, saying to himself: “I won’t let them see I’m hurt. They would call me a fool. But, jimminy! isn’t it great! The black and gold is ahead any¬ way, now.” Soon Scott’s head appeared t the win¬ dow, closely followed by the Freshie’s. They both attempted to go through the window at the same time but the Freshie was push- out of the way, and Scott scrambled througn and made for the tower followed by the other two who had fallen through the win¬ dow some way. Wilbur jumped out from his hiding place nearly scaring the others out of their wits, and yelled, “You’re too late; too late!” and forgetting his bruises, danced around the roof pointing at the banner floating on the night breeze. Scott turned on him with a flash, doubled up his fists and took a few steps toward him. “I’ll just bet some one of our fellows peached and told you I was to put our pen¬ nant there. That’s not fair, Wilbur!” “Oh, no! sonny! I just happened to choose this place, too. But you’ve .got to give in like a little man now, the victory is won. Come on, let’s got home. No? Well I tell you, you can’t put your old cardinal any higher. Go over there and look at that v climb. I advise you not to try it. It’s no easy job.” Scott hesitated, walked over and gazed up at the steep incline. Then he came back and said a little ungraciously, “Don’t see how you did it Wilbur. I didn’t know it was so steep. Well, you’ve beat us and you are a game kid. Come on let’s go home.” The story of W’lbur’s narrow escape leak¬ ed out in some wav and he was duly praised by his fellow students and lectured by the Professors, b 1|f . the ’09 black and gold pen¬ nant, floated over the school for many days. I. G.’09. ®n tin ' f. i. ». Here’s to the school on its lofty stand, That’s in for the just and the right, Here’s to the teachers, the best in the alnd And here’s to the purple and white. Here’s to its girls who are fair and sweet, Though studious nevertheless. Here’s to the girls who can’t be beat, The girls of the P. H. S. Here’s to the teachers, the best in the land Who are heroes every one, : Here’s to the boys for a bright career, When their work-in this schoel is done. —KITTY R. CONNOLLY 09. —IS—
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