Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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THE GOLDEN ROD. ence to an unpractised observer ; and others that cannot be conven- iently described without the use of technical terms, and could hard- ly be identified without some knowledge of botany to guide. The genus presents a difficult study to the inexperienced bota- nist, the species being numerous and often variable; but it is a study that will well reward patient people.—[Frances Wilson,in Amer- can Garden. THE DISCOVERY OE AMERICA. Columbus thought the earth was round None else had that idea; But it has afterwards been found It really is a sphere. He therefore thought a shorter way Led to that wealthy land, And so he thought he’d go some day But ships were not at hand. It took a time to et a fleet For all men die! him hate, With many troubles he did meet: Traditions so relate. He first went to the king of Spain To tell him of his needs. He begged and begged but begged in vain, For him the king not heeds. He then made up his mind to go To England or to France. Since Ferninand had answered, “No,’’ He’d try two other lands. His friends told him to ask the queen, (Her name was Isabel:) And so he did: she was not mean. But helped him very well. The day did come, so he set sail To cross the sea so great, But many people thought he’d fail And left him to his fate. The fleet came farther from the shore, Still farther day and night; The crew were frightened more and more, Till they were full of fright. Now this was after they came to The “blue Canary Isles ” The crew knew not what they should do— To shore was many miles; But after sailing day by day The crew saw land once more; They anchored in a little bay Which none had seen before. They landed on an isle so green, And all went to the shore. Not one white man this isle had seen: ’T was named San Salvador. Columbus thought those were the lands That he had always meant. The people he called Indians, Whose homes were like a tent. He took possession of the land In his great rulers’ names, Queen Isabel and Ferdinand, The country Spain now claims. The men now thought it would be best To take a look around; So now the crew sailed towards the west, And two more isles were found. The continent they did not find At this time stated here, So they went home, left it behind. Until some later year. The crew sailed home through storm and sleet, But they came home all well: The men were welcomed with their fleet, For there was much to tell. He found the continent at last. But no more fame he gains, For jealousy increased so fast, He once came home in chains. They scorned the fame Columbus had. All tricks they knew they tried. So he had reason to be sad. And after all he died. —C. J. A., ’96. [This poem is a commendable produc- tion for a boy of thirteen years. Let us hear from ’93. '94. andj'95.—F. A. Tup- per.] WHITTIER. JOHN GREENLEAF WHIT- TIER, the poet, was born Dec. 17, 1807, in a lonely farmhouse three miles north of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Both his parents were Quakers, and his ancestors on both sides had belonged to the Society of Friends for many gen- erations. When a boy he wrote verses in- stead of sums on his slate at school. The only reading mate- rials of those days were the alma- nac, the weekly village newspaper, and perhaps a score of books and pamphlets. Young Whittier first got acquainted with the songs of Burns through a wandering Scotch- man, who after eating a lunch at the Quaker farmhouse, sung “Bon- ny Doon” and others of Burns songs. Not long afterward Whit- tier was gathering in hay on the farm, when a peddler stopped and took from his pack a copy of Burns, which was eagerly purchased by the poet. The first poem published by Whittier was in blank verse, and entitled “The Deity,” which was

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THE GOLDEN ROD. gentian, growing near, put the two in juxtaposition, and you will have a ravishing study in blue and gold. But the flower which I have most frequently observed blooming late in the season beside this dainty golden rod, is the white, sweet- scented orchid, Spirant Jies cernua. Perhaps every one may not know that there is a white solidago, which can hardly be called a gold- en rod. Its ray-flowers are usually cream colored, but often really white. This also is a wood plant, but likes a dry wood soil best, and may be found in copses and shaded places in company with the yellow (false) foxglove, wild indigo and the uncanny looking rattlesnake weed, Hieracium venosum—all plants of weird repute and curious properties. Our white solidago is not behind the rest in having the reputation of a healing virtue. It bears the name of being a balm for wounds ; the type of the genus, in fact, was dedicated to this benefi- cent use, and derives its name from solido—to make whole. How can any one, then, decry the gold- en rod as a worthless weed ? The white-flowered solidago, though not without attractions in the eyes of a true flower-lover, has nothing very showy or striking in its aspect. It is not a tall species, eighteen inches being, perhaps, its average height. The stem occa- sionally branches, but the usual form is a solitary stalk standing stiffly upright, bearing a few scat- tered grayish-green leaves, and terminated by a thick spike of bloom, suggesting a club rather than a rod. To the uninitiated eye it bears little likeness to the gold- en rods, but it is a true member of the enus, being in full Solid- ago bicolor. A handsome species, not so common as some others, is Solid- ago speciosa, which flowers in Sep- tember. This plant grows tall and stout, with a dark, polished stalk, and dark green, thick and glossy leaves. Its ample panicle of bloom is borne erect, much resem- bling a “pampas plume” in outline. It is thus distinguished at a glance from S. argutay S. Canadensis, and other species that bear their flowers in curved racemes or droop- ing panicles. On closer examina- tion it will be seen that each of the heads has five yellow rays (some- times one or two more), which are large and conspicuous for the genus—considerably larger than the more numerous rays of other species. These rays lend to S. speciosa that peculiarly brilliant golden hue which, combined with its dark, shining foliage, gives the plant a striking individuality, and makes it perhaps the most attrac- tive member of the genus. It is not rampant or weedy in its habit of growth, and would not be likely to make itself a nuisance if intro- duced in cultivated grounds, for which purpose it appears more suitable than some native plants that have been recently dissemina- ted. This and 5. cassia are the only golden rods that can be re- commended for cultivation. 5. odoraf the sweet golden rod, might find some favor for the fra- grance of its leaves, which have the odor of anise; but the flowers are not especially pretty, and the plant is of weak habit, often falling over on the ground. It grows along the borders of thickets, in dry soil, and seems to be rather rare. Other species more or less wide- ly distributed, and some of them too well known as troublesome weeds, are S. Canadensis, a coarse- growing plant with masses of deep yellow flowers, borne in graceful, one-sided racemes; 5. lanceolata, its tall stem thickly set with nar- row leaves and small heads of greenish yellow flowers, in dense, flat-topped corymbs; 5. tenuifolia, which resembles the last, but has leaves more crowded and more narrowly linear, and heads of flowers in smaller clusters. 5. sempervirensy a stout species grow- ing in salt marshes and among the rocks along the seashore, known by its thick, fleshy leaves and showy flowers ; 5. serotifia and its so-called gigantic variety, which have no particular marks of differ-

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THE GOLDEN ROD. printed in a newspaper called the Free Press. Encouraged by his success he sent other poems, all anonymous, to the editor. They attracted the attention of the edi- tor so strongly that he inquired of the postman who sent them, and decided to go and see Whittier. They became friends, and for a quarter of a century Whittier was associated with the editor in anti- slavery labors. When a boy Whittier worked at the trade of shoemaking, for it was the custom of those days to do a little cobbling, and during that time and afterward he attended several academies. In 1830 he was invited by the publishers of the New England Weekly Review to take the place of the editor, while the latter had gone to Ken- tucky to write a campaign life of Henry Clay. Some of his pleasing poems are “Barbara Frietchie,” “Snowbound,” “At Sundown,” “Maud Muller,” and “Mabel Martin.” In 1884 his 77th anniversary was celebrated, and later his 78th and 79th. When he became an octogenarian in 1887 he was still active, firm, erect, and full of cheerfulness. On his birth- day he received many beautiful presents. He died at Newbury- port, Sept. 5, 1892, at the age of 85. —Ada B. Thompson, ’94. SOME ANCIENT STEAM EN- GINES. Morland, in 1683, built steam engines for mines. Smeaton, in 1764, built a 72-inch cylinder engine. Watt’s patent for road engine was issued in 1784. Savery, 1698, built an engine to drive a mine pump. In 1759 Robinson suggested to Watt the road engine. In 1769 Cugnot, French, made an excellent road engine. Watt, 1781, built the first com- plete double-action engine. Comte d’Auxiron built steamboat on Loire in 1774. Watt, 1765, invented condenser separate from cylinder. Comte de Jouffroy built steam- boat on Saone in 1783. Potter, a boy, in 1783 made the valve gear automatic. A working steam engine was in- vented by Papin in 1681. Beighton, in 1718, substituted plug rods for cords to valves Giambattista, 1601, made a steam pump for mining use. Blasco de Geray built a steam- ship at Barcelona in 1543. Falck, 1769, proposed scheme for double-action engines. Watt’s expansion engine brought to perfection in 1778. Hornblower, 1781, solved the problem of double action. Watt, in 1778, solved the prob- lem of rotary motion engines. The Eolopile, a steam engine, invented B. C. 241 by Hero. Watt’s patents renewed by spe- cial act of Parliament in 1775. Marquis of Worcester, 1663, built an engine to run by steam. Jonathan Hulls, 1736, issued pro- posals for boats driven by steam. Smeaton, 1765, attached a sepa- rate condenser to his engines. Papin, 1699, built an engine to run a boat. Destroyed by boat- men. Newcomb, Dartmouth,built, 1712, the first self-acting steam engine. Watt’s first patents taken out, 1769; engines set up in factories. De Caus, 1616, published an ac- count of a machine to run by steam. Watt, 1768, first used oil and tal- low to keep piston from leaking. Thomas Payne, 1778, proposed scheme for steamboat in America. Tubular boilers first used in America in 1875. Inventor un- known. Marquis of Worcester construct- ed a spherical copper boiler in 1663. Pliny, A. D. 60, described a boat run by a “pot of hot water and wheels.” Roger Bacon invented a steam engine, 1282. Imprisoned for sor- cery. Hiero of Alexander, B. C. 260, described machines for utilizing steam power.