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

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FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 19 UNCLE JOSH AND AUNT NANCY INVEST IN A RADIO By MELVA WARREN, '25 T was a cold winter's night. The fire in the fireplace burned brisk- ly as Uncle Josh removed his rubber boots and placed them be- side the andirons as had been his custom for the last thirty years. Suddenly he straightened and spoke to his sister who was knitting steadily, Nancy, did I get any mail today? Yes, Josiah, you did. Nothin' very important though. Just a cir'clar about radios. I don't know what they wanted to send you one of them things for, Well, replied Josiah, I was hoping I'd get something to read. Where is that cir'clar, Nancy ? The advertisement was reluctantly delivered into the hands of the owner. Uncle Josh perused the paper diligently for several minutes and then gazed into the fire. Nancy glanced at her brother, reading his thoughts from his facial expression. Josiah Hezekiah Doolittle. thundered Nancy, don't you go get- tin, no new fangled notions into your head about a radio. Your father lived to a ripe old age without any opery selections and I guess you can, too. Josiah's face -resembled that of a cat that had been caught stealing cream. but he was determined in his purpose. It was in vain for some time that he pleaded for a radio, as his op- ponent was iirm in her decision. Finally, when he argued that they couldn't afford to be behind the times, Nancy gave her consent. Not to be up to the minute, in her opinion, was the last straw. After evenings of debate on which to buy, Uncle Josh went to the village and invested in a radio which was duly installed. The first night after the radio became a member of the Doolittle household, was cold and clear, an ideal night for good music. Aunt Nancy, being a curious creature, thought she'd attempt to manipulate the radio before Uncle Josh returned. When he entered the house he was confronted by a very irate woman. Well, now, Nancy, what's the matter? he drawled. Matter enough, retorted his sister, The spring on that radio is broke already. Broke? replied Josiah incredulously Yes, came the reply, those things what the book says are dials turn so easy like. I tell you the spring is broke on all of them. Uncle Josh spent the next fifteen minutes patiently explaining to her that the dials weren't supposd to be stationary. Later they heard bed- time stories and weather reports. Well, I'd like to know why we'd like to hear bedtime stories. I gues we're not in our second childhood yet. As for the weather, I can tell that as well as anyone, commented Aunt Nancy. The next night being unusually warm, there was a great deal of static when Uncle Josh attempted to tune in. Oh, Oh, cried Aunt

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FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL OUR GANG By HELEN COMSTOCK, '27 is for all of us, so studious all day. But what a lot of fun we have, when Prof goes away. is for the bell, Prof rings with such care, It means, if we are not in study hall, we must soon be there. is for Constance, the bad old girl, At her teachers, saucy words, she often does hurl. is for Dick and Donald, two little boys, Dick is the one that Florence enjoys. is 'or English, which we all need, A First we have Grammar and then we read. is for the French I Class, which we think is so nice, If Paul were not in' it, it would lose all its spice. is for Green, that is what the Freshmen seem. To make a hit in Hi h School is their fondest dream. is for Miss Harris, so kind to us all, But oh how strict in her study hall! is for Idioms, taught lcy Miss Harris, We couldn't say them very well, because they came from Pa is for John, so noisy and loud, Of that En lish pupil, Miss Bedwin is proud. is for locker keys, which we must use Prof says if we don't, our possessions we'll lose. is for Lockers, built in the wall, Used by everyone, and enjoyed by all. is for Melva, a Senior so bright Editor of the Post and of her class, the shining light. is for Noon, the time we go home, At one fifteen back to school we must roam. is for Orren, so quiet and shy, He doesn't dare look up when a girl passes by. is for the Post on which we've all worked. We've all done our duty. no one has shirked. is for Questions, asked by the teachers. To ask us no more we always beseech her. is for the rules we obey with such care. They really are tiresome, but I suppose they are fair. is for Summer, in June the graduation, And after that the long-looked for vacation. is for Time, Tone, and Tune, the old piano lacks all these. Frances, you do your level best, but play it slower, please. is for Uoroar, when school is let out All the teachers and pupils begin to sing and shout. is for Vrooman, who leads in the singing While the whole chapel with discord is ringing. is for Weiners we used at the roast, Of how many we ate we are not going to boast. is for Exercises, Mr. Brindisl g ves with a vinq, There are lots of them, about ten for each limb. is for Yeast, that some of the girls eat, To make them rise so high, that they can't be beat. is for Zero we sometimes get on a test, We'd get more than that if we did our level best. ril

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20 FRANKLIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL Nancy excitedly, Thats China. I was just sure we'd get a furrin coun- try some day. Each night Aunt Nancy and Uncle josh retired precisely at eight o'clock so their radio programme was a continuous round of bedtime stories and weather reports. They stood their disappointment for a month, but one day when Aunt Nancy returned from a Ladies' Aid meeting, she discovered that the radio had vanished. Josiah was tardy in offering an explanation but Nancy never men- tioned the subject. Finally he said, Nancy, I sold that radio to Farmer Conrad today. I hope you didnlt care. Josiah Hezekiah Doolittle. she exclaimed, that's the first sensible thing you've done in thirty yearS. I've been thinking as long as George XVashington and Abe Lincoln never had a radio, I guess we can get along without one, too. Anyhow, our old phonygraph'll do me for a spell yet. THE SEARCH FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH By VALENTINE PRATT, '28 NCE upon a time a general in the Grecian army, became ill, on ac- count of overwork. He called his sons to the bedside and asked them if they would do all in their power to help him to get well. They replied that they would do everything possible to help him al- though only the youngest son was sincere in his promise. Then he ask- ed the eldest son to set out to find the Fountain of Youth which was sup- posed to be somewhere in Turkey or in the ocean near it. He gave the son some money to pay his expenses and he was to bring him back a flask of water from the Fountain so that he might regain his health and vouth. . So the eldest son started out and traveled a long way. Finally he came to an island where he saw an old witch sitting on a rock. He asked her if she knew where the Fountain of Youth was. She replied that she did not, but that some of the sea animals nnight know. So saying she clapped her hands three times and all the animals of the sea Swain up to the island. She asked them if they knew where the Fountain of Youth was located. They all replied that they did l1Ot except one old grandfather porpoise. He said that he knew where it was and if the young man would get on his back he would take him to it. However the son did not want to endanger his life by riding on the back of a por- poise so he turned back and went to Constantinople, where he stayed awhile, spending the money which his father had given him. Meanwhile the father became worried because his son had not come back. So he sent the second son on the same errand that he had sent the first. He also told him to look for his brother. So the second son set out and came to the island and turned back just as the tirst had done.