Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

Page 10 text:

Greetlmgs From the First Graduate of Long Beach High School Los Angeles. Cal.. Nov. 2. l9l I. To the Editor of the Caerulea. l have been asked to contribute a short axticle lo the Pioneer numbtr of your paper. and as I think of your beautiful building and its equipment. it strikes me that a few words in regard tn the First home of Long Beach High School might be of interest; The lint clay I entered the school I found about twenty pupil: and one tcachcr quartered in the little room. then callccl the Chapel. on the south aid: of the old Tabernacle building. In place of the beautiful dealt: with which you are now furnished. we used cheap pine table: and common kitchen chairs. The only things in sight which would remind on: of a school-mom at all wete the blackheads on the walls. Such lalmratuly equipment as you now enjoy was beyond our londesl dreams in those days. Our reference books cunlisled of a mtagcr half dozen volumes on the teacher's table. If it is ponible fm- yma to close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself attending High School amid such surroundings as l have delcribed. I feel sure that on opcning them again and bcholcling your lovely new home. you will appreciate it just a tiny bit more than you did before. and you will feel thankful that you are Enjoying the ptivilegcs of today instead of those of sixteen year! ago. C. E. Shaul, Clan of '97.

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CERULEA year. said the spiIit. .tyour school has grown to this1. The Freshman :miled in a superior way and the spirit, somewhat nettled. took him bael: three blocks down Pine street. 'TWhat do you think of that? he saidt pointing proudly to a neat grey building on the east aide of the stlreel. The Freshman was a hit impressed. for he could see that high school students occupied the whole building. There seemed to be about sixty of them seated in thuae brown wooden chairs which he had seen only that morning in the Physics lecture room. and there were side rooms. too, furnished with kitchen chairs, for recitation. But he thought of the little. store: he had seen in that building only yester- day. He noticed how close it stood to the sidewalk. and with cold polite- ness he asked. Where are the athletic grounds? The Spirit suit! noth- ing but rushect him through the air at break-neck speed to the well remem- bered corner of Eighth and American. See, said the Spirit. the pret- tiest High School in Southern California. The Freshman saw and was convinced. The low building looked like a Spanish mission with its loggiaa and redrtiied roof. It stood in its own ample grounus. and northward. as far as the eye couid leach, were held: of growing barley. But an he gazed. the building changed. A second story pushed up the low roof: the bad: part of the building grew out. Then another edifice rose behind it and united with the hut. The barley fields to the North gave place to homes. The Spirit looked a littie sad and turned again Northward. As they came near the stately building: of the schooi's new home. the Freshman said. Will you tell me. who you are? and the voice replied. I am the Spirit of Long Beach High School and my name is Progress. I never sleep. The Freshman hung his head. Mia: Hamett. Nim-

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The Real Hem 0U see. none of the really great author men had time to write a eulogy on Dan O'Shears. he was 50 unknown. and such an atom of life in the great city: :0 because I loved him I must tell you how he lived-wbut mostly how he died. Dan was just fourteen years of delightful Irishness. eandy shock: of hair, Iunny. honest face. and eyexs that held in their blue cleamess a sweet Irish poetry fmeign to the slum boys of my experience. But Danny was up against it hard just then with his squalid tenement terrier: and ah! the mother who nagged, nagged. nasged the very soul out of Is 1:. Then the boy found solace in a great Ind-illusion. as all love ik- but he didn't know it. There was a cheap John theater down on the East Side and Dan went one night for the tint time in his life. He never missed a performance after that till he died. which wasn't so long. Cynthia 5t. Clayre. as leading lady. held away there in the usual melodramatic setting of glitter and glamour of diamonds. and rouge. and villains and heroes. But to Dan she was Heaven, Gad and all the angels personihecl. He worshiped her with wistful. adoration. All day he lived simply to play at night. and all night he dreamed how the have hero had saved her trembling form from the villain's clutchwjust in the nick of time. The mystery and sparkle and fascination of stage life enchanted Dan's simple. starved little heart, He forgot his wretched surroundings-lived in dreams. and walked in the clouds. His mother's scolding held no hurt now. He pilied her. for she had no Cynthia to love. and he didn't tell her that just around the corner existed a whole life so different and so much more beautiful than hers. He knew she wouldn't have understood; The only aim of his life now was to do something for the wonderful aetress-lady. Every night he waited in the cult! at the stage door as she :wished into her carriage. Oh! if only the horses wuuld Inn away so he cnuld rescue her. and then she would bend weeping over his maimed body. But the horses remained perfectly well behaved, and Dan began to be furi- uugly jealous of the leacting man. How dared he rescue Cynthia every night when Dan was longing to show his devotion? The poor fellow sold papers an hour longer every evening now to pay his way in the theater. He wondered where Cynthia lived. What a com- fort it would he just to walk up and down in front of her house. Mrs. O'Shears began to wonder why her son ate :0 little, anti why he was no silent and where he went every night. I don't think she knows. to this clay. Well, one night Danny sat as usual in his hot gallery seat. oblivious to the noise of his companions, and wrapped in expectation of the First act. Eleven