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

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PAGE FOUR T HE PIONEER “PEGGY AND THE PIRATE’’ A very charming operetta, “Peggy and the Pirate,” was given in Shep- ardson Hall on Friday, April 20th by the High School Glee Club. The musical numbers were accompanied by the High School Orchestra. The principals in the cast wer ' e : Hope Williamson as Peggy Mayfield, a very romantic young person; Viola Martin, Winnie Woodland, Peggy’s chum; Malcolm Weeks, Bill Manning, a polite pirate; Richard Chesley, Don Sterling, a quiet young fellow; Phyllis Gray, Jane Fisher, the hostess; John Beaton, Mr. Mayfield, Peggy’s father; Lucille Ware, Mrs. Mayfield, Peggy’s mother; Gilbert Soule, McGinnis, a clever crook; Francis Merritt, Gassa- way, who thinks what McGinnis thinks ; and William Willson, Bingo, the col¬ ored porter. Solo dances were effectively per¬ formed by Hazel Hach. Ten girls of the chorus also did ensemble dances which were well received. Miss Thompson from Beverly coached the dances. In the first act the girls of the chorus wore sport or summer dresses, as the scene was at the beach club. In the second act the boys wore pirate costumes, and the girls were dressed as gypsies. Much credit is due Mr. Sussmann and Mr. Woods for the work they have done to make the operetta a success. Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Flower have given much asssitance in the matter of costumes. The ten girl ushers and the door men dressed like pirates. The operetta was certainly a credit¬ able achievement and a large audience enjoyed it. Acknowledgement is made for at¬ tractive, ticket-selling posters for “Peggy and the Pirate” to D. Melendy, D. Babine, A. Glaesar, B. Merrill, Robert Spavin and Grace Black. Personally I think I should win the gold medal for having the greatest number of admirable ancestors. No matter where I may be, I am always able to produce one or more to fit the occasion. For instance, last Wednes¬ day evening while dining with the Honorable Mrs. de Van Veryrich, the conversation turned to our forefathers. “Of course,” sighed Mrs. de Van Very- rich, “You are a descendant of some sturdy soul who first came to our

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THE PIONEER PAGE THREE PIONEERS Oh, yes! Pioneers! They were people like Daniel Boone and the “forty- niners” who explored and settled the wilderness, but there aren’t any now. Pioneers according to Webster are those who go ahead to prepare the way and overcome obstacles. Today in every branch of science there are pioneers. Living conditions are being experimented with, researches made, and pioneers are forging the way. In aviation, men are experimenting in different directions. Safe travel by air is coming, thanks to the pioneers, the Wright brothers, and Curtis. Long sustained flight is being developed by Atlantic hops. Lindbergh showed it could be done, but there have been enough attempts since then to show that it is only begun and not yet de¬ veloped. Seven men have lost their lives trying to do what the “Bremen” has almost missed doing. In another direction pioneers are working, the heliocopter or vertical flight machine has great possibilities but only through the efforts of the pioneers can it become possible. The first of this year Captain Gray who has made many altitude records in balloons, broke the world’s record for the last time. In his endeavor to explore the region above the clouds he was overcome with exhaustion and died ' before he could open another oxygen tank. His new world’s record which promises to remain that for a long while is between 43,000 and 44,000 feet. He was one of the few men who had ever gone up eight miles into the air In science, pioneering progresses rapidly but cannot be said to be much but pioneering yet. Little is known of electricity except how to control it in certain cases. Work upon the cathode ray may open the way for exploration: of the mysterious world around the nucleus of the atom. German scien¬ tists have gone into the Alps to record voltages from electrical storms. Last year having measured voltages of 2,600,000 volts, they hope to measure up to 10 million this year. With such voltages, the highest yet handled by man, they hope to break up the atom. That tremendous energy will be set loose they acknowledge, but that it can be set to useful work they cannot say. Surely pioneers are only those who are in advance of the rest, but only by their efforts can the rest be benefited. T. J. ’29. HONOR LIST—READING HIGH SCHOOL Third Quarter, 1928 Maximum Honors Esther Malonson, Ethel Pratt; Edith Woods, Gladys Dyer, Vincent Whitney. Honors Ralph Burhoe, Eleanor Crafts, Sara Harnden, Edith Lindquist, Thelma Mc- Clintock, Isabel Parker, Boyd Parker, Ruth Wilkinson, Dorothy Berle, Esther Downs, Edward Herrick, Elizabeth Allard, William Burpee, Elizabeth Jef¬ frey, Kenneth Larrabee, Gertrude Mc- Auley, Ernestine Merritt, Olive Spear. Commendation Dorothy Barnes, Frank Heselton, Alice Hodson, Frank Howard, Alfred Kimball, Margaret Lindsay, Arthur Moyer, Berenice Parker, Francis Bangs, Walter Benjamin, Mary Car¬ ney, William Carter, Grace Curtiss,. Theron Johnson, Barbara Knight,. Ambrose Knowlton, Woodward Lewis, Phyllis Starke, Katherine Tolman, Eve¬ lyn Benjamin, Ruth Burdett, Lillian-. Chamberlain, Jeanette Cheyne, Edith Cohen, Helen Colley, Truesdell Fife, Marguerite Frost, Mary Murphy, Gloria Wilcox.

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THE PIONEER shining shores on the ‘Mayflower?’” “Of course,” I acquiesed. “Why, my dear Mrs. de Van Veryrich, the red blood of the sturdy Miles Standish runs through my veins. Not only that, but I am also a direct descendant of Noah Webster, Queen Isabella, and Calvin Coolidge.” After this remark I was the hero of the evening, the sweet young de¬ butantes and their parents fluttering around me, like flies around a drop of molasses. At another time I was paying a visit to Monsieur Henri Wemours, the Count of Touraine. One evening at dinner, while conversing with the Duke deTrouivoir (which I was able to do very fluently, having taken a corre¬ spondence course entitled, “How to Speak French in Two Months by Mere Reading”), I was asked from what family tree I had sprung. When I replied that I was descended from the great Charlemagne himself, the Duke immediately grasped me by the hand, exclaiming at the same time, ‘En effet!” Then we two are really brothers under the skin.” Thus another ancestor brought me another evening of triumph ! Only once have I been in an un¬ comfortable position as a result of my little speeches. At the time I was a guest of the well-known English poli¬ tician, Lloyd George. As usual I managed to turn the conversation to my favorite subject. “Yes,” I said, “I am a direct descendant of the King of Siberia.” PAGE FIVE “But my dear chap,” broke in a voice, “Siberia never had a king.” “Oh-er, er,” I stumbled. However my hesitation was brief for a bright thought struck me. “Of course,” I con¬ tinued. “You merely misunderstood me. To have made it clearer I suppose I should have said that I was a de¬ scendant of the Czar of all the Russias. Siberia being a part of the Russian domains, I merely used a part for the whole. “Oh, yes!” responded my fellow guest, “a part for the whole. The whole for a part.” “Metonymy,” I returned blandly, “mentonymy.” But my troubles were not over. A fellow by my side suddenly spoke in a doubtful voice. “I say,” he said, “I thought all the family of the late Czar were executed.” At this point I went over and whispered confidentially in his ear a secret which he promised not to dis¬ close. “My dear sir,” I murmured, “I managed to make my escape from the country. I merely disguised myself as an American and the Communists thought I was.” My position was saved. Thus, although if the truth were known, my real ancestor is Patrick Muredock Mulligan, I have climbed, through my ancestors to the pinnacle of success. You, too, may attain your ambition by merely sending ten cents for the facinating booklet, “How An¬ cestors are useful.” V. H. W. ’30. WHY BROTHER BEAR HAS A SHORT TAIL Well, to start with, it happened long, long ago when the only motor vehicles were bicycles and wheelbarrows, and automobiles and Mack trucks. In our big, thriving city of 1000 people we did a wonderful attempt at business with the outside world. We had a very agreeable community spirit, did we. One day, as Brother Bear was sitting on his front doorstep, his wife came to the door and said, “Rufus, dear! Would you mind going down to Wana- maker’s general store and getting me a couple bolts of mercerized cotton?” “No, my dear, I wouldn’t mind.” So Rufus started off, and was just closing the front gate when she called again. “And Rufus, get a five pound bag of prunes, too.” “Yes, my dear.” Rufus got downtown and with his arms full, was proceeding across Sixty- Seventh st., when he saw approaching