Reading Memorial High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Reading, MA)

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THE PIONEER. 7 IE BOY STOOD ON THE BURNING DECK. The boy stood on the burning deck Whence all but him had fled; The waters round were seething wild, The wind raged overhead. The last boat had left the side, The boy shrieked loud and wild, His father heard him and replied, “Jump in and swim, my child.” The boy jumped on the bulwarks And then his foot did slip, He sank beneath the roaring waves And with him took the ship. ORIGINAL SONNET. Little grains of wisdom, Little drops of wit; These make up our paper. What do yon think of it? R. H. S. R. S. At the suggestion of Principal Whittemore, the Reading High School Rhetorical Society was organized Sept. 1891. The object of the organi¬ zation is to promote the interests of the students in declamation, composition, and debate ; also to afford instruction and practice in the use of Parliamentary Rules. The present officers of the Society are Frank Wight, President; N. H. Hawes, Vice-President; Jas. Ivillam, Secretary Lind Treasurer; Miss Blanche Copeland, Ralph ftlleason and Herbert Hill, Executive Committee ; ft. E. Marshall, Miss Lillian Wolcott, INIiss Blanche Copeland, Music Committee, ft The Executive Committee acts in conjunction ft ith the Principal in arranging rhetorical work ll ' he programmes rendered are very acceptable and though there have been but two debates, a considerable fluency is already manifested in the discussion of questions brought before the Society. The duty of the Music Committee is to secure the co-operation of pupils interested in musical matters, and to secure their services for the entertainment of the Society. A number of the pupils have united to form a chorus and assist greatly in making the programmes interesting. Miss Marion Prentiss has been appointed as accompanist of the chorus. The Society has been eminently successful ; we believe it has a la ge field of usefulness. R. H. S. A high school was first established in the town of Reading in 1856. Its first principal was Henry A. Littell, who filled this position until 1858. His successor was Mr. Philip C. Porter. Mr. R. I . Clarke came next and taught during the summer and fall terms of 1860, Mr. L. B. Pillsbury being employed to teach during the winter term. Mr. Pillsbury remained in charge until the close of the spring term of 1864, and it was under his supervision that the first class graduated in 1863. Mr. George L. Baxter taught for two terms and was succeeded by Mr. Charles R. Brown, who remained one year. Mr. George W. Adams was employed in December. 1865, and after teaching three weeks, resigned. His successor was Mr. Edward II. Peabody, who remained till the close of the spring term in 1868. It was while Mr. Peabody had charge of the school that it was removed to the building now occupied by it. It had been taught first in the ‘‘Union Hall Building,” whichpvas hired for the purpose, and for a while in “ Cottage Hall.” In 1867 a school house was erected for the use of the high and grammar schools, on the very spot occupied by a school house a hundred years before. The cost of the building was about $12,000. The house was dedicated Dec. 9, 1867, with appropriate ceremonies. Mr. Cyrus Cole followed Mr. Peabody. The membership of the school has steadily increased until there are now enrolled about ninety pupils. At present there are three distinct courses of study, as shown elsewhere in the paper, and the work is so arranged as to fit pupils for college. Mrs. Brickrow (after the annual moving) — “The family who last lived in this house left it in a perfectly horrible condition.” Mr. Brickrow — “The agent told me it had stood empty ever since we lived in it before.” Magistrate (to complainant)—“Your dog was poisoned on the north side, you say?” Complainant—“Why, your honor, I think he was poisoned all over .”—Chicago Inter-Ocean.

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4 TJIE PIONEER. in the oven. Such giddy girls as they have now- days I never saw !’ ‘ Don’t throw all the dishes on the floor,’ was her parting remark as I was leaving her to take care of herself. ‘ That is where we keep them,’ I replied as I sla mmed the door behind me. I felt a little provoked, so when Aunt Martha appeared in the kitchen I tried to return some of the compliments I had received. ‘Do you know how to make bread?’ I asked innocently, because if you do not 1 will send down to the bakery and get some. Now there is only one saucier question in the English lan¬ guage that I could have asked her, and that is, ‘Do you know the Ten Commandments?’ I received a very piercing look from her black eyes as she informed me ‘ that children should be seen and not heard.’ As I am nearly eighteen I didn’t particularly relish that remark. With scenes like these the morning passed away, and at dinner time I set the table as usual, but Aunt Martha, with the air of a martyr who was being burned at stake, pulled the table cloth on straight, set the sugar bowl, cream pitcher and spoon stand in a straight line aud exactly so far apart. Then she changed all the dishes so that each plate or knife or fork was at the right angle until each piece of crockery looked as if it had been fastened down with glue. The afternoon was quite uneventful, I have been knitting after the custom of the ancients. Supper was a repetition of dinner. But the crowning act of the day was that just before I came up stairs in the evening she read very impressively two little verses and then gave them to me to learn. They may have been taken from Shakespeare or Milton, but 1 think they sound rather more like Burns. They were as follows : “Come when you’re culled, Do as you’re bid, Shut the door after you, And you’ll never be chid. “Speak when you’re spoken to, Hold up your head, Turn out your toes, And go smiling to bed.” don’t know, but it is nine o’clock and I must go ‘ smiling to bed.’ Yours truly, Carol Martin.” I had just finished reading this when I was summoned to dinner; then, as it cleared off very pleasantly in the afternoon we had the expected picnic, but I think I enjoyed the morning the most. iiow I am going to bear these two weeks I IN MEMORIAM-1891. Sweet Gear, you come with a song and a smile, Line a thought that is yet untold; But strings will tremble and echo awhile That were swept by the hands of the old. We know how yotir newness and tender charm Like a red, red rose may unfold; But oh, for the scent of those petals warm Which drifted away with the old! You will bring true hearts to our door, sweet Year. So think not that ours are cold; But there is no friend like the old, sweet Year, There is no friend like the old! Virginia Woodward Cloud. MY EXPERIENCE IN ARIZONA. Like many other young men, when I became of age, I was seized with a violent attack of “ Western fever.” I must leave home and journey through the great West, to return, as I thought, a wealthy man. What business I was to enter I knew not. I had a vague idea that the “Almighty Dollar” was to be found as plentiful as boulders are in the New Hampshire pastures. Mv friends urged me to go, thinking that, with my usual obstinacy, I would act in opposi¬ tion to their pretended wishes and remain at home. Contrary to their expectations, my resolve to depart was not shaken in the least. On the tenth day of August, 1881, a party of us started for Arizona, where we expected to obtain employment of some kind. No thoughts of possible dangers entered our minds, for we were young, and the fires of hope and ambition burned brightly within us. We reached St. Louis without any serious mis¬ haps, and continued on our way with great rejoicing. The next stopping place of importance was

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THE PIONEER S MATHEMATICAL CORNER. Scimus ut Producimus. It is intended by those in charge to devote a small space each month to mathematical work. It is requested that neighboring schools send us problems for solution, and solutions to problems published in our paper, and that scholars in our own school having any very difficult problems hand them to the editor in charge of this depart¬ ment for publication. Address all communications to GEO. H. CLOUGH, P. O. Box 588. SCHOOL STATISTICS. Show that the bisectors of the angles contained by the opposite sides, produced of an inscribed quadrilateral, intersect at right angles. A fox is pursued bv a greyhound and is 60 of her own leaps before him. The fox takes three leaps in the time that the greyhound takes two; but the greyhound goes as far in three leaps as the fox does in seven. In how many leaps will the greyhound overtake the fox ? 20 ' of Cl, measured at standard temperature and pressure, increased to 20.5,, owing to a fall in the barometer? I low many millimeters did the barometer fall? Having given the extremities of a line, and no other part of it being accessible, to measure the line. Prove that the square of half the sum of any two unequal numbers is less than half the sum of their squares. Watchful Mother (entering library suddenly) —“Good heavens! Maud, wh-what are you doing? Go to your room instantly.” Fail- Daughter (sobbing)—“ I wa-was doing just what papa told me to.” W. M. (aghast) — “What?” F. D.—“Ye-ycs. He said it was high time I was sitting down on that impudent Mr. Jiggs, and that is ju—just what I was doing.”— Ex, Principal.— F. E. Whittemore. Assistants.— O. A. Prescott, C. E. Bern! Clara Whittemore. Music Teacher.— A. E. Bradford. Military Instructor.— P. J. Flanders. Number of pupils, 85. Post Graduates, 5. Seniors, 14. Juniors, 6. Sophomores, 31. Freshmen, 29. Number of boys, 33. “ “ girls, 52. “ on Roll of Honor for January, 52. School Committee.— G. L. Parker, W. S. Parker, C. M. Barrows, H. G. Wadlin, E. F. Parker, H. G. Kittredge. COURSE OF STUDY. English Course. FIRST YEAR. First Term.— Algebra, 3 ; Arithmetic, 2 ; Eng¬ lish Composition and Grammar, 5 ; Physiology, 5; (book-keeping, optional). Second Term.— Algebra, 3; Arithmetic, 2; English Composition and Grammar, 5 ; English History, 5; (book-keeping, optional). Third Term.—Algebra, 5 ; Rhetoric and Amerj ican Authors, 5 ; English History, 5. SECOND YEAR. First Term.— Geometry, 5; Rhetoric and American Authors 5 ; Physics, 5. Second Term.— Geometry, 5 ; Rhetoric and English Authors, 5 ; Physics, 5. Third Term.— Geometry, 5; Rhetoric and English Authors, 5 ; Physics, 5 ; THIRD YEAR. First Term.— Ancient History, 5 ; Chemistry, 5 ; Astronomy, 5. Second Term.— Mediaeval History, 5 ; Chem¬ istry, 5 ; Astronomy, 5. Third Term.— Modern History, 5; Botany, 5 ; Physical Geography, 5.