Piqua Central High School - Piquonian Yearbook (Piqua, OH)

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Jllumni UNQJtes UST as we, the youngest alumni of Piqua High, hope to progress in the future, the ones before us had the same purpose in mind. Some of the members of the classes of 1883, 1893, 1903 and 1913 have consent- ed to write articles on their personal views of progress either in their particular profession or in general. Mrs. Kirk Kerns QAdgie Bakerj, of the class of 1883, contributes the following article: PROGRESS This is a wonderful world in which to be living, beautiful and most interesting. ln the past forty years progress has been great. Better schools are found today in which one receives a broader education. Those subjects are taught which train not only for a vocation but also for the proper spending of leisure time. This is being done in the regular school curriculum as well as in the outside activities, which include household arts, manual training, various clubs and musical organizations. In the rural districts, centralized schools are replacing the one-room buildings. This affords a com- munity center which furnishes an opportunity for sociability and leadership. We have had the privilege of living in an age of great inventions and prosperity. The world at present seems to be at a standstill, but we must not give up, for the future holds great possibilities. Dr. Clark E. Hetherington, of class of 1893, goes back to the gay nineties to- start his conception of progress. ' PROGRESS ? Forty years ago there was a depression. We are back where we were in '93. i'The youth of '93 was not much disturbed by the financial conditions. We never had much money anyway. Nickels were larger than they are today. Nickels and dimes bought most of the small things that we wanted. And yet those were the gay nineties! We had just as much fun then, somewhat unsophisticated fun though it was. Our mischief was abundant but more or less harmless. Our tobacco was indulged in fervently but furtively. Alcohol was not unknown but indulgence frowned upon. Billiards and cards were more or less evil, if not forbidden games. A scholar from Oxford, England, was refused the privilege of addressing our high school after he was seen playing billiards at the hotel. Our athletics were simple and in modern eyes most unsophisticated---a little baseball, leap frog , one and over , black-man . Everybody joined in. Vfe had no coaches, no uniforms, no band, no interurban or even class rivalries, but we gloried in our individual rather than our col- lective prowess. Our studies were few and simple. They did not prepare us for jobs, but we got one somehow. We studied more or less earnestly and left the result to Providence. i'The family exchequer did not provide many books, so we spent weeks reading the voluminous book of the day. The lurid fiction of today we did not have, but our sleep was not disturbed by the horrendous figures of the murder mystery. We had our jokes, but puns that now bring applause and five grand a week over the radio were not tolerated. Forty years of progress? Well, draw your own conclusions. Mr. Leonard Hill of 1903 class writes: THIRTY YEARS OF PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE Ult has always been necessary for man to spend a large portion of his efforts in obtaining food. The time thus used has been lessened with each new improvement in agricultural practice. Probably a greater change has come about in this respect in the past thirty years than in any other equal period of time, at least in American agriculture. Of primary importance to economical food production is a fertile soil. Among the improved practices in this field, probably the use of commercial fertilizers has been the most outstanding. Large amounts of rock deposits of suitable analysis are now ground up and spread on the land, to the betterment of succeeding crops both as to quantity and quality. Within the last thirty years, two THE . . PIQUONIAN

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DECEMBER 12wDr. A. B. Carson gives a talk on osteopathy. 17-Final exams start-cards to come out Friday, February 20. 22- A Christmas Phantasy is presented by the Dramatic club before the student body. Returning alumni report their progress in colleges near and far. JANUARY 3-Alas! Christmas vacation is over. Seniors start the last lap of their high school education. Much progress is shown. ' 16-William Herbert Blough, assistant professor of education at Wittenberg, tells the seniors how to select a college. 19-Art class puppet show of Jack and the Bean Stock. All progressive schools have puppets. 25-Mr. Butcher from Heidelberg tells us Who Should Go to Collegefl 28'-We hear some progressive remarks from Dr. W. W. Trostle on Medicine as a Profession. 31-Hurrah! We see the Olympics without leaving Piqua when Mr. Bearmore presents a splendid movie and talk. FEBRUARY 3-Engravers, contract signed with the Fort Wayne Engraving Company. Our Annual progresses. 7-Glenn Morris tells us about sciences. Are any of us afraid of electricity? lt's shocking. 13-We welcome Miss English of the Y. W. C. A. for a profitable and inspiring talk. 17-Rev. J. W. Van Kirk represents world peace and exhibits his flag for the nations. Z3-Seniors select their announcements. MARCH 6YHonor society chooses another member. 6-Mr. C. L. Whitney, our city manager, tells us about progressive cities. 7-Progress is noted when first semester grade cards are handed out. 9-Junior Piquonian staff elected by the junior class. Z1-Mr.lCreager tells us about advertisements that people believe in, with dire resu ts. 24-Junior class play, Ult Won't Be Long Now, continues the school's progress. 27- The Value of Plush is explained by Miss Nellie McCabe. 27AQuill and Scroll election and induction. The boys should progress more in literary fields. 28-Our geographic knowledge progresses through an address by Mr. Elude on Siberia. 29-French club is organized. School activities grow in numbers. APRIL 10-Mr. Edward Spooner gives the history of furniture and its progress. 17-Dr. Art Smith, federal meat inspector, shows the progress made in our health protection. MAY 5-6-Cperetta, BonVoyage',, is presented by the senior class. How some seniors have developed their talents! 9-Class play reviewed by prospective cast. 9fSeniors take second tests and many find how little progress they have made. 26-junior-Senior reception is a wow and a big time is had by all. The juniors are certainly progressive entertainers. 28-Baccalaureate is bringing to a close the school life of some of the seniors. Z9-31-Class play. Well, well, some seniors do know how to act'--at least on the stage. JUNE lvffhe seniors have progressed since their freshman days and now reach their goal-f-graduation. Z-We attend the alumni reception and take our places in the progress of the world outside the school. THE . . . PIQUONIAN

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THE processes have been discovered to convert the unlimited supply of nitrogen of the air into suitable plant food to be applied to the soil and the resulting product is already being used in large quantities. ln the field of new and improved varieties of all classes of agricultural plants much has been accomplished. There is scarcely a kind of fruit, vegetable, or grain but what has been improved by either careful selection, scientifically controlled breeding, or introduction of new varieties. Thirty years ago alfalfa was but little used over the most of the U. S. Sweet clover was classed as a roadside weed. Now they are classed as of first importance as pasture and forage crops. In regard to corn within the past fifteen years a new method has been developed of producing corn, especially for seed. It is called hybrid corn and involves a rather long, intricate system of controlled breeding practices. lt is being tried out by a few farmers in Miami county for the first time this year and promises to show an increased yield. There is now available for the winter diet a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables of a variety and equality hardly dreamed of thirty years ago, thanks to the progress of the American farmer and better transportation facilities. The change in the chicken raising business has been quite revolutionary. Formerly an old hen was set on fifteen eggs, and afterwards hovered over the little chicks to keep them warm and dry, Often the most of their food was scratched out of somewhere by the old hen. Now most chicks are hatched by incubators holding a few thousand eggs. The young chicks are raised in a brooder holding from three to five hundred. They are kept warm by an automatically controlled stove and fed a ration complete as to all requirements even as to minerals and vitamins. This last class of substances, now considered so important in food for man or animal, had not been discovered or even suspected to exist thirty years ago. 'KGreat changes and improvements have been made in the farmers' machinery. The average farmer has increased the size of his machines, often working double the number of horses as in former times. The gasoline engine whether in the little pump engine, auto, or farm tractor has been a very efficient time saver. After all, possibly the greatest progress of the average farmer has been his attitude toward progress itself. The past thirty years and a little beyond have seen the formation and develop- ment of our agricultural experiment stations and colleges. Anyone actually engaged in the farming business knows that there are many problems both old and new yet to solve. With more of our young people getting higher education than formerly and new information being developed and disseminated continually, there is no doubt but progress in agriculture will continue as fast or even faster than in the pastf, Miss Esther Gillespie, representing the class of 1913, gives the progress she has encountered in the nursing profession during the last twenty years. NURSING-1913 to 1933 Although the nursing profession began in the prehistoric age when the mate of the cave man came running when he screamed in pain, the real history of the profession began with the work of Florence Nightingale during the Crimean war. The past twenty years with the World war and its demonstration of the value of Preventive Medicine gave another decisive impetus to nursing, which has changed and enlarged the scope of the profession far beyond the most fanciful dreams of Florence Nightingale. Quarantine procedures, toxin-antitoxin, typhoid vaccine, insulin, vitamines and calories are a part of the daily life of the seniors of 1933, but aseptic nursing in contagious diseases was introduced into America in 1910, the first diphtheria antitoxin was given in 1892, but it was not until the Schick Test in 1911 that the use of toxinantitoxin became widespread, insulin, the universal treatment for diabetes, is a comparatively recent discovery. In 1920-21 those of us who were listening to Dr. Mc Collum's lectures in his experiments on mice with the protective foods which contained Fat and Water Soluble A and B now called vitamines had some such comprehension, then, of his discoveries as you have of Einstein's theory. Of course, all these changing trends are reflected in the nursing profession, hospital administra- tion and private case nursing in the hospital and the home have continued but with many changes in treatment, technique, and types of cases. Along beside this oldest type of nursing has grown another type. Lillian D. Wald opened the first Visiting Nurses' Service, and Public Health Services have brought the knowledge of medical scientists into the lives of people in the cities, towns, hamlets, and country alike. - Following the lead of insurance companies, industries have conserved money and human energy by adding nursing services for their employees. Even our young aviation industry has included nursing services for its patrons. Mental nursing and hygiene even though not entirely new have been given a new conception by our modern trends of education. These years of 1913-1933 have seen the nursing profession spread from the care of the sick and ill to a care which begins at birth and continues throughout the life of the individual. PIQU.6NIAN