Prattsburgh Central High School - Franklinite Yearbook (Prattsburgh, NY)

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FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL I7 If he hadn't been sufficiently punished already then he surely got it later in the form of intensive kidding from his various friends and ac- quaintances. For each one passing the house for weeks after would walk up to the porch, run his linger along a pillar, and say-- It's good, mnv- ver. Following with such remarks as Ever paint much, Carroll? just a little paint for my pancakes, or Try looking inside next time Carroll? --Edilh C'iz1rvbo.r, '26. Themes HEMES! To what High School student are they not a token of toil and disconragement? Among English classes theme day is rarely distingished for its popularity. At night, fully equipped with everything but the all important factor, ideas, we sit and disconsolately chew one end of an already worn out eraser, facing the very perplexing question, What shall I write, and how begin? The essay must be handed in the following morning, but what can be produced in the few moments remaining before bed time, that will even partially satisfy the demands of a teacher, who doesn 't have to sit with a dictionary on one side of her and a book of synonyms on the other. One topic after another is chosen, but two sentences easily cover all our ideas upon the subject under discussion. It is said that genius burns brightest during the night watches, but as far as ordinary mortals are concerned, it seems that originality wanes as the moonlight climbs. At last in despair,we attempt to add a few more sentences to the most promising of our previous efforts. Desperately we try to ward off that feeling of drowsiness that envelops our minds and if we are at all success- ful, in the course of time, some sort of composition is evolved. But our trials are far from over, for the theme must now be copied, and that is indeed a discouraging process. Misspelled words, incoherent sentences, paragraphs poorly arranged, all greet our eyes. The absurdity and llatness of many of our remarks make us declare, as once did a now famous short story writer, that nothing is waste paper until we have written upon it. All things must sometimes come to an end, so after another hour of struggle, we wearily lay aside our implements of warfare, and prepare for hed. Our minds are serene in the consciousness of a disagreeable duty performed, though a trio of unprepared lessons awaits us in the morning. --Clzlhariuc Cbrnfll, '23. Vile all know Evelyn Hall, For the boys she was ready to fall. She fell hard for one But got rather stung So now says, shejust hates 'em all.

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I6 FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNVAI1 The Gallon Cans ARROLI, was ambitious, really ambitious, which is much to say for a modern boy. For Carroll was a modern of the moderns, and one of these fifteen year old men who think that they know everything. Everything worth knowing, that is. One spring day the following conversation took place between the boy and his father: Dad, I've got to have some money. Earn it, son. Do you want to try painting the porch? I don't know whether you can do it or not, but-- I'll do it. I can paint. Now did'nt I do a fine job on Fido's dog- house? Carroll was becoming interested. To be sure, he could always do anything he attempted. H VVell, I'll let you try it anyway. I'll have the paint sent down this afternoon, replied his father. Then he went on with his regular routine, kissing mother and little sister before he went to the office. His last words to mother were, All right, Grace, I'll send it down this afternoon. Mother! Carroll burst into the house, where his mother sat, calmly embroidering. I'm going to paint the porch this afternoon. W'here's that little brush? The brush is on the shelf in the shop. But son, I don't think you had better paint to-day. You know you have a bad cold. Aw mother! You'd make a sissy out of me if I'd let you. My colds' all right. With that Carroll went- out to the shop to get his brush. He found the bright gallon can on the porch and surveyed it with pride. But when he opened it, the liquid looked a dark golden brown, Why, why, dad wanted- this tan. Oh probably it will dry tan anyway. Vt'ith this thought Carroll assured himself that he was going to get along fine. He then began to apply it to the pillars of the porch. Hang this stuff! he suddenly ejaculated. Is paint usually as sticky as this? Carroll really began to need some advice, so he called up his father and was told to put in some turpentine. Immediately he poured a generous measure of turpentine into the can. The stuff was then worse than before. Pres- ently he turned to see his little sister rub her finger around the lid of the can, and then put it in her mouth. It happened that mother came out just then, to see how Carroll was getting on. Helen! what are you doing? she shrieked. Helen only replied, It's good, muvverf' Her mother rushed out to investigate. Maple sip, muvver. Carroll! his mother cried, Do you know that you have been using that maple syrup your father sent way to Vermont to get? Poor Carroll who had such a cold that he couldn't smell the syrup received one of the most severe scoldings that he had ever known to be given by his usually calm mother. But when dad came home, he thought that it was a great joke, and he also thought that Carroll had received enough punishment.

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I8 , FRANKLIN ACAIJFIMX HIGH SCHOOL ANNIIXI. Did Someone Say a Snake? S anyone travels through this world he has a great-many experiences. It seems to me that I have had an unusually large number of-exciting ones. Among them is my Snake Experience. Always, from the time I was old enough to walk, I have been very fond of the woods, fields, birds and wild life. A few years ago on a bright sunny spring day I started for an all day's hyke. I wandered through the woods and fields amusing myself by picking flowers and watching the birds. At about half past twelve I became tired of wandering and think- ing it about time for me to eat my lunch, I went through a small field until I came to a lovely shade tree. It was a beautiful maple tree in one corner of the field. It was not very tall but the branches were very sprawling and shaded a great space. The grass around it was mixed with pink clover blossoms which made it smell very sweet. It was under this tree that I ate my lunch. VVhen I had finished it seemed almost too comfortable to go on. The light breeze made the limbs of the tree sway back and forth and the continual noise of the tree made me very sleepy. After I had become so sleepy that I could no longer over- come it I stretched out and lay down. For some unknown reason I fell asleep. How long I slept I do not know but when I awoke, to my great surprise, I found a snake entwined around my leg. Being very much afraid of snakesl nearly went insane. I did not know what to do. The first thing that came to my mind was to get up and run home but before I moved I thought I ought not do that because if the snake should become angered by my running it would, without a doubt, bite me. The next thought that came to me was to scream, but then I realized that I could not make anyone hear because I was too far from a house. I could not have touched the snake if I had been compelled to remain there all night. I began to get more nervous. VVhile trying to decide what I should do I heard a noise behind me. Turning my head I saw a neighbor boy com- ing and I knew he was after the cows because he always went after them on horseback. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life as I was to see him. I beckoned to him and he immediately came whereil was. It did not take me long to tell him what I wanted of him. He was off his horse and in about a minute had his hand around the snake's neck. After he had choked the snake, I rose to my feet, hardly able to stand up and whirled slowly around while he held to the snake's neck. It did not take long to get the snake unwound and it was a great sigh of relief that I gave when it was at last off. I felt as if that snake had been a burden to me for years instead of a few minutes and in fact I dreamed all that night that I was unwinding snakes from various parts of my anatomy. The fact impressed me not at all that this snake was of a harmless variety, I consider that to be a triv- ial detail. --lffrlfza G1'llrllv, '24.