Philadelphia Manual Training School - US Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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toward me, and I had the pleasure of beholding the fine aquiline features of Henry L. Curtis. But I might have been deceived, for his upper lip was now 67Zfi7'6'Zj! hid by a fine, chrome yellow No: I mustache. The little sprouts which first put forth we fellows can remember, and also the great care and training which they received. I heard a sentence or two ofwhat Henry was trying to say. It ran something like this : And, gentlemen, I hold that there should not be declared a dividend of 20 per cent. on Argus Stock, ah !-I mean, a-zz-Railroad Stock, but the Publishing -ah I-I mean-the-theah I-Railroad Companies, should declare not one whit over IO per cent. dividends, but that the editors-ah I-the oflicers-for their hard labor in maintaining the paper-oh! the-afczzlffaarl-wlieii times were hard-I say they should be the recipients of the' other IO per cent., which would naturally fall to the whole company. Through the medium of the flame I returned to this city and entered the Academy of Music. Its galleries and balconies were crowded to overflowing, its doors were jammed with people who seemed to be straining every nerve to hear. On the stage there stood a T looking fellow who bore a smile somewhat re- sembling Armstrong's Tuesday smile. But the fellow himself was Dick Scott. Dick looked somewhat older, but he had that same fine figure which always captured the eyes of the Normal School girls. I-Ie was trying to interest some of Philadelphia's people by his humorous lectures. The subject upon which he was now speaking was: Freaks, as illustrated by the Classes of '90 and '91. It seemed quite strange that Dick should have selected this business, for we all expected that he would turn out to be a renowned contemporary of Theodore Thomas, and be giving away such strains of marshal music that his name would never die. VVe were justified in expecting this when we remember what talent he exhibited when at schoolft Now the flame presented a new scene to me. It was the Manual Training School building, or rather buildings, for the it One day, in Professor Alclriclfs class-room, Dick was singng Sweet violets, sweeter than-Bing! Bang! Boom! another man killed. Aldrich heard it, turned around, inquired who was singing, and poor Dickie had to go clown to the front room.

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1 whiskers will be so thirsty that they will jump at the sight of water. Therefore, hold a tumbler of water before them, and as they spring out tie them in knots to prevent their sliding back. This is what these fellows had faithfully used for three years, and had at last acquired one-half inch growth on the scale of one- quarter to the foot. As this heartrending scene faded away the tire appeared to sink and sink. I thought it would go out, but the apparition gave it two or three vigorous blasts with the bellows, so that it burst forth in renewed vigor. Higher and higher the Harnes grew until they lit up the whole room. From this bright burst of flame I expected to see some- thing .very brilliant, and I was not disappointed. I seemed to be carried away, and found myselfjust entering the Senate Chamber at Wasliington. All the Senators appeared to be intensely in- terested, and on looking closer I discovered one standing up, hollering and sawing the air with all his might. I was not sur- prised to find that I knew the man who was thus dramatically addressing the I-louse. It was Waltei' Chiles. We fellows had always said that Chiles's brilliancy of head-light would surely carry him to Congress, and that his great parliamentary knowl- edge, which he always used as oil for his head-light, would be of great service to him some day. I-Ie seemed to be using all that ardor and vehemence which we all remember him to have exer- cised when he expressed his opinions on such subjects as XVhere the limit should be placed on the inborn love which We seniors held toward B. and C. As I saw him there thun- dering away, I bent forward and could barely catch these words, Therefore I claim that the tariff should be reduced on pie. This sentence expressed so much feeling and interest for the good ofthe nation that I was surprised that it should arise from Chiles. But upon after-thought I decided that it was prompted by selhsh motives. And here Mr. Chiles seemed to have finished, but as he was resuming his seat the embers gave a sudden crack, and I was immediately ushered into the I-Iouse of Representatives. Here, also, I found a man earnestly talking. Yes, said I to myself, yes, it must be he, and just then the speaker turned 110 V

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Board of Education had at last found out what We were made of They disbanded Our Sister Institution, and spent some of their efforts in the right direction. Ifound a few of the old professors about, notably among whom were Thomas, The Character, and Doc. Doctor seemed, with his age, to have gained more wind than ever, and I noticed a drowsy, tired look on the faces of the fellows as they came from recitations with him. As I wandered about I found that the Board Qbless their venerable fossilsj had fitted up a new laboratory for I-Iering, and in it the boys underwent the usual experiments of trying to find the resistance of plum-pudding tothe induction of currants. And then, too, the Board had found means to supply Aldrich with a more respectable stand than that old music-rack, upon which to demonstrate the principles in Perspective illustrated by the Screen. In the auditorium I found a meeting of the Natural History Society. The members had deposited themselves on the backs, arms, and even inverted chairs, 'rather than the proper place, and were in the heat of a discussion: I-Iow shall We raise ten dollars to pay off the debt still remaining due to the caterer for the feed at the book reception held in 1888? The Treasurer reported live cents in the treasury, from the collection of fines, and advised that Mr. -1 be expelled if he did not pay up arrears within two weeks. I therefore decided that the Society was as bad ofi financially, as it ever was. I noticed in the President a likeness to one of my old classmates, and found out that he was, as I expected, a descendant of Curtis. This fact accounts, somewhat, for the condition of the Society. I noticed a small room onfone of the upper floors, and, upon inquiring, found it to be' the ofhce of the P. D. Club. Here Anderson and Ayres gave lessons in Poker, Napoleon and Matching Pennies at the earnest request of the Faculty Qpar- ticularly Whitalqer and Rondy, who wished to learn from a scientific pointj. Andy lectured on the dihferent games, while Ayres was denionstrator, so I found out from inquiry, for I would not have entered the place for fear of corrupting my morals.