Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

Page 17 text:

THE GOLDEN-ROD 15 Scrap Iron Robert Wilson witnessed a dark and stormy June night as he gazed out of one of his dormitory Windows, but his thoughts were not of the weather but of something—or rather, someone else. It is well at this point of the story that the reader should know a little of Robert Wilson. To begin with, this young man of twenty-one years was better known as Scrap Iron or Scrappy. lie had re- ceived this name and prized it because it signified his wonderful physique. His build was that of a well-trained athlete, strong-looking and well filled out. In harmony with his well-proportioned fig- ure, Scrappy was somewhat of a good looker. Scrappy’s home was in the east, but he was now attending the University of California. When Scrap Iron had left his home town high school, he had gained the distinction of being the fastest miler of the neighboring schools; but when he arrived at California University he found his ability as a runner gone. Somehow he had lost control of his winning stride, of his lightning start, and of his whirl- wind finish. Maybe it was because of the change in climate or because of the multitudes of people who watched him perform. Whatever it was, Scrappy didn’t know. His first three years at this college were disastrous, as far as his running was concerned. It was only because of his never-failing nerve and the shortage of milers that Scrap Iron was kept on the squad. However, he decided that, after the last meet of his third year at the University he would leave running for- ever. But as Scrappy was trotting to his locker room after having run his usual ragged race in that last meet, he came face to face with a chattering mob of young girls from a neighboring college. He was about to make a dash for the dressing room when he was confronted with this remark from one of the girls, “So that’s the sort of runners they make in the east.” Scrap' Iron turned in his tracks and the blood rushed to his face, but he said nothing and passed on. As he dressed, he muttered to himself, “I guess I won’t quit.” When Scrap Iron returned to the Uni- versity after his summer vacation, the first thing he did was to mark off a mile course. As the out-door track season did not open until the first of April, he had seven months in which to train him- self for that event. Every other night Scrappy pulled himself over that mile course, and throughout those seven months he trained hard and relentlessly. It was during those cold, crisp nights of December, January and February that lie learned to take the punishment that every good miler is forced to withstand. Although Scrap Iron was wise enough not to overdo himself, he began to feel the old-time lightning start, the winning stride, the whirlwind finish, and, most of all, the old-time confidence in his running ability. With the opening track meet on the nineteenth of April, he amazed the head coach and many of the students of the University by “nosing out” Lefty Dun- can, a miler of considerable fame, in a spirited race. Scrap Iron had staged a real “come-back.” To get back to the real story, the read- er left Scrappy in a thoughtful mood. First and foremost in his thoughts was the big meet of the season of California with Penn State, which was now only three days away. The second, but prob- ably the most brooded over of his thoughts, were those of a certain girl of his home town whom Scrappy knew very well. Who was this girl? It was Marion Meredith, Scrappy’s sweetheart, — the “flower of the east” he called her. Marion was a real sport and an exceptionally good-looking girl; even Scrappy admitted it. When he had visited her during his vacation, she had said to him on one of their many moonlight strolls, “Scrappy, when we were at high school together you would win whenever I wanted you to,—I wonder if you would win for your col-

Page 16 text:

14 THE GOLDEN-ROD EIN KOPFBRECHER VERTI KAL 1— Was man am Tage im klarcn Himmcl sicht. 2— Ein Xarr. 3— Einc untrcnnbarc ’orsilbe. 4— Weibliche Endung flier auslaendische Haupt- woerter. 5— Verbindungswort. 6— Nimmer. 7— Hocchst. 8— Unsterbliche Freundschaft. 9— Nicht ein. 10— Untrcnnbarc Vorsilbe. 11— Pracposition, die den Dativ oder Accusativ regiert. 12— Was man am Anfang cines Bricfcs schreibt. 13— Ein Baum. 1-1—Verbindungswort. 15— Fucrwort. 16— Ein Kocrpcrteil (Mehrzahl ohnc Umlaut) 17— Ein Tcil des Beines. 18— Ein Bccher. 19— Das Gcgentcil von jawohl. 20— Pracposition, die den Accusativ regiert. 21— Abkucrzung fuer Doktor. 22— Rinde. 23— Verbindungswort. 24— Das Imperfekt von scin. 25— Untrcnnbarc Vorsilbe. 26— Mcistcrhafte Arbeit (Anfangsbuchstabcn). HORIZONTAL 1— Was ein unartiger Knabc gem wirft. 2— Andernfalls. 3— Pracposition. die den Accusativ regiert. 4— Was die Dcutschcn gem trinken. 5— Das Elend. 6— Bcvor. 7— Xicht richtig (Anfangsbuchstabcn). 8— Die esrten zwei Buchstabcn im Wort, welches spaerisch bedeutet. 9— Italienische Industrie (Anfangsbuchstabcn). 10—Pracposition. die nur den Dativ regiert. 1—Ein bekannter Wasservogel. 12— Ein besitzanzeigendes Eigenschaftswort. 13— Unverfaelscht. 14— Abkuerzung fuer untcr andern”. 15— Fucrwort. 16— Abkuerzung fuer Herr’’. 17— Pracposition, die den Dativ oder Accusativ regiert. 18— Oeffnung zwischen den Lippen. 19— Xicht alt. 20— Fuerwort (Im Dativ). 21— Sachc. 22— Fine Intcrjektion. 23— Zum Schluss bringen. 24— Interrogatives Fuerwort. 25— Ein klcincs Stucck weissen Pappcndeckels. 26— Ein Tierchen, vor dem sich die Macdchen fuerchten. For solution sec R. Anderson, F. '26.

Page 18 text:

16 THE GOLDEN-ROD lege and for me at the University of California The day of the big meet had finally arrived, the day when Scrap Iron was to show his metal. At three o’clock the meet was well under way with Penn State sev- eral points behind. Scrappy was getting the final rubdown when a welcome cry came floating into the dressing room, ‘‘all runners out for the mile.” As he dashed to his place, he caught a glimpse of that same chattering group of girls he had encountered the previous year. Now was the chance to show them “what eastern runners were made of.” As the runners made ready for the start. Scrap Iron glanced at the three sturdy men of Penn State and picked out the veterans, Mark Moulton and “Flask” Smith, the two crack milers with whom he and his two teammates had to battle. The starter stepped behind the six runners. It was then that Scrappy thought of Marion Meredith and her parting words. “On your mark!—Get set!”—Bang!— At the crack of the revolver Scrap Iron jumped into the lead to the great sur- prise of all, especially of “Flask” Smith, who usually lead his opponents at the start. But the race was far from over. At the four-forty mark Scrappy still held the lead with the two stars of Penn State at his very heels. It was a few seconds later that the relentless Moulton wrenched the lead from Scrappy, determining to tire the man from California University. The pace that Moulton set was a killing one, but he could not shake the runner who had failed to give him any trouble the previous year. At the half-way mark Mark Moulton decided to slacken his pace which was killing him rather than his opponent. But, as the mighty Moul- ton cut down on his pace, Scrap Iron slipped into the lead and surged ahead. While the race was going on, it was evident that the crowd was anything but quiet. As Scrappy swung into the lead his feat was met with much applause; but Scrappy did not forget that Moulton and “Flask” Smith were worthy oppon- ents. At the three-quarter mark the Penn State “Flask” became completely upset over the outcome of the race and decided it was high time for him to take the lead. “Flask” surged past his team- mates and gave all that was left in him in an effort to overtake Scrap Iron; but this effort cost “Flask” Smith a place in the event and he dropped out crestfallen and thoroughly licked, leaving Scrappy, Moulton, and the three other runners, who were far behind, to battle it out. Scrap Iron had proved himself a hard taskmaster. Three hundred yards from the finish Scrappy made ready for his old-time fin- ish. He called upon the remainder of his giant supply of energy and, as he did so, he heard the hurried, faltering steps of Mark Moulton trying to cut the for- mer’s lead. Two hundred yards from the finish Mark Moulton made a plucky effort to catch Scrappy, but it was of no use; for, those cold nights of hard train- ing had taught the latter to withstand severe punishment, and now stood him in good stead. Shortly after, Scrap Iron broke the tape not knowing that the mighty Moulton had all but stumbled in a futile effort to overtake him. However, the plucky Penn State man pulled him- self together in time to defeat “Lonesome Al” Rich of California University at the finish. Scrap Iron, the man from “out of the east,” had defeated the mighty Moulton and “Flask” Smith. It is useless to say that Scrappy’s performance was cheered loud and long, but Scrappy’s thoughts were centered on a certain girl of his home town,—Marion Meredith. He had won for her and for his college. When he entered his dormitory par- lor an hour later, he all but walked into the girl he thought he had left in the cast. Evidently she .had journeyed to California and watched his performance. Again it is needless to say that for his hard day’s work Scrap Iron received a shower of -----, well, you can imagine the rest, and anyway, that’s another story. Herbert Card, Feb. ’26.