Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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32 A Visit to the Royal MZ.71l THIRD PRIZE LET us all take a trip to The Royal Mint, situated in the beautiful city of Ottawa, the capital of our fair Dominion. On account of the great treasure contained within these gates it will be necessary for each of us to secure a pass. We see a police- man standing outside and several guards inside, one of these unlocks the great gate, permitting us to enter the yard, and relocks the gate after us. The guard leads the way across the yard to a door which he opens and allows us to enter a large room similar to a rotunda. In the centre of this room is placed a desk upon which is a large register in which each of us will put his name and address before proceeding onward. The guard opens another very heavy door and beckons us to enter another room, after which he securely locks the door after us. Here we notice a number of workmen employed in melting nickel from large blocks, till it runs like water. It runs into moulds and when cool enough is put through rollers which flatten it out into strips about two and a half inches wide. These strips are then put through stamping machines which punch holes in them the same size as our nickels. The parts which are punched are put into another machine which puts a rim around each edge. These nickels are then put through a number of machines till, at last, after being stamped, we see a Perfect Canadian Nickel, new and shining, weighed, counted and sent to the Government vaults to be stored until required by our banks. The system of weighing gold is very accurate. They do not weigh this money in large open rooms on account of the change in weight of the air. For this reason it is weighed in a small room, not more than eight feel square, made of glass. GRMA LACHEUR, H H. Arts THE EcHoEs English Schools THIRD PRIZE I ONCE spent three months in an English council school and found it very interesting. The school I attended was Walker-Gate School, situated on Walker-Gate Road, Newcastle-on Tyne, not far from a railway depot. This railway brought many other students to the school. The school is a long, two-storey structure. The first floor contains all the rooms for the boys. and the top floor those for the girls. As there is no communication between the two floors it is essential to have two assembly halls. As I was never on the top floor I know nothing about it. All my knowledge of English schools was learned from the bottom floor. The assembly hall contains no seats, which means that while not standing one must sit on the floor. The seats of the students are all double, giving them plenty of opportunities to talk. The teacher is seated on a high stool so that she may look over the whole class. The grounds around this building are very small, with a stone floor. They are enclosed with large iron spikes, the only entrance or exit being the huge iron gate which is locked when school is in session. The studies are similar to ours. Examinations are held every month, and are conducted by the principal, whom they call the 'tmasterf' On all examinations the maximum is fifty. After passing through the last class in a council school one is ready for a secondary school. All books in the council schools, with the exception of one, are provided free, although no fees are paid. These schools differ greatly from ours. Our teachers teach us to write on a slant, but there one is taught to write a perpendicular hand. Our 1' is written r. The seating plan is different also. Our classes are called junior II., Senior II., etc., while theirs are called standards, and range from one to seven. I. BOLAM, IB Commercial

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THE Ecnoas 31 A R51 THE setting for this reverie is that part of the historic Bay of Quinte at Picton, Ontario. NVhitechapel is one of the first Methodist Churches in Canada-built in the year l809f and stands today in its quaint church- yard on the wind-swept hill overlook- 'erff ing the beautiful bay. It was around this little church that much of the life of the staunch United Empire Loyal- ists centred, and the graves of many, including those of my own grand- parents, still nestle in its sacred old burying ground. The wind, where sway the rain-drenched lilacs now, Is that the wind from out the bay's far gleam? Or alien gale that stirs a squall and whines To mock away my dream? Has Maytime loosed the slumbering cascade yet, Until it surges with a boisterous rush? Or is it last springs melodies that haunt My soul's sad hush? I hear forefathers raise their lusty hymns, VVithin NVhitechapel where they sang of oldg - I see their grax es deep hid beneath tall grass - O hearts so nobly bold! Still holds the steep shoreline its turbid cove Where black snakes poke their heads, then slip below? Do dormant clams and shells begem the beach As just a year ago? At sundown floats the bay upon its breast A ship with low sails anchored 'gainst the tide? Do eerie screeches sound and far resound Adown the other side? Oh! Give me two strong wings that like the gull I might sweep o'er the bay and up the hillg For what was dear and sweet all yesteryear Is dearest, sweetest still. JEAN WARREN PLATT, IV B Acad.

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THE Ecnoas 33 Poetics SECOND PRIZE, SENIOR MIDDLE SCHOOL You'd suppose that the ways of writing a poem Would constitute rather a sizeable tome l,There are, in reality, only three, Among you and Shakespeare and Byron and mel. If your poet write with a vacant mind His rhyme comes first, and his thoughts behind. His poems are models of rhythmic patter It's the jingle counts, and not the matter. lf he feels an emotion he longs to express And chooses to rhyme his way to success, Seeking evasive words that lurk In dictionaries, or thoughts - that's Work. But once in an age, this divine innovation - A poet imbued with sublime inspiration Y Snares flying thoughts, like Winging birds, To make them immortal in singing' words. A Il ALAN BROXVN, IYA Academic Taxkf Parody on Masefields Cargoes Dusky, splendid negroes, toiling at a pyramid, Hauling blocks of limestone up the steep sand plane, VVith aching back-bones, Seared by the snake-Whip, Fainting from the heat upon their raw ribs' pain. Daring pioneers that venture out from Old France, Clearing off the forests, seeding virgin land, lVith sharp new axes. Wooden spades, Hintlocks, Crude tools, rough homes carpentered by hand. Sweating, ragged farm boy, drudging 'long a fence lin , I Sizzling in the sun's heat, longing for the shade, Dragging cloddish work boots, Soft hands blistered, Digging dirty burdocks with a dull, bent spade. ALAN BROWN, IV A Academic e ll