Richard Montgomery High School - Rocket Yearbook (Rockville, MD)

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ill Physical Education, Rockville had won the recent state championships in both tiddle-de-winks and munibly-peg. Fisher said Mason stressed good posture at all times. Ruth Hoskinson was now instructing the girls' football and wrestling teams. I next learned that “Peg” Lohr and Margaret Dronenburg were now organizing a drive for the organization of the Citizenship Society in every American school and that Joe Peace, who bad become a fanatic on that subject, was assisting them greatly. 1 remarked that I bad heard of a Paris clothing company under the name of Himelright and had wondered if it might have any connection with our old pal “Woody” Himelright. Fisher said that “Woody” was president of the company which dealt in “Latest Parisienne creations for the feminine form.” Woody’s Rockville branch was doing a tremendous business with patronage from Melvina Henderson. Hinda Fraley, Betty Moulden and other debutantes. Lee Fisher. Hilda Starkey, Harriett Lewis and Gertrude Fox were engaged as models for filestore. When I inquired if Otis Beall had followed bis school day inclination for the dairy industry, 1 was informed that he was now the owner of one of the largest dairy corporations in the country and that Oda McGaha, following his longing for the West, was now a cowboy on one of Otis' big ranches. In the course of the next half-hour I learned a great deal. Shirley Prescott had turned a cold heart to all worldly interests and although she was now a tortoise-shelled-spectacled secretary she bad settled down into the career of an old maid, much to the disappointment of her many ardent admirers. The radio profession had gained two excellent performers in the form of “Crooning Joe” Steinburg and Emily Markland, who accompanied Steinburg on the piano. It had been reported that since Joe had started on bis career of groaning, all the institutions for insanity had noted a fifty percent increase in occupation. Joe Webster Price, newlv-eleeted chief of the H vattstown Fire Department, bad established a wonderful record, for on his way to a fire he had struck twelve pedestrians (killed eight, crippled four), four lamp poles, seven automobiles and eleven push carts, and after quenching the fire it was discovered that two pieces of furniture were uninjured, one wall had not been broken and the water had not drenched the parlor sofa. Joe bad narrowly escaped being one of the unfortunates in the path of Joe Webster’s “Flying Ford.” Fisher, who was enjoying this overture of our classmates as much as I. now drew forth a picture from his pocket, and offering it to me inquired if I recognized the figure I saw on it. 1 said 1 understood the costume of the person to be that of a minister but that I could not quite recognize the face, although it seemed familiar. Fisher snickered and then to my utter amazement told me that the quiet figure I beheld was none other than “Jim” Floyd who had donned the ecclesiastical robes and was now on a missionary expedition in the Hobo Islands. 1 received another shock when I was told that Ruth Lampton was his devoted follower. As Joe was quite tired from this long narration we stopped our discussion long enough to swallow our dinner pills and then when we had allowed our meal to digest, we once more continued our talk on the cool veranda. I so I

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Class Prophecy XH afternoon after I had doffed my judicial robes and was quaffing a mint- julep on inv spacious piazza, I looked down the driveway and saw a forlorn figure approaching. I could hardly believe this was the year 1950, for this sight brought back the days of the old 1932 depression. As the person drew nearer, however. I was carried back even more to those dear old 1932 days, for upon close observance. I perceived this individual to lie none other than my old classmate, Joe Fisher. As I had not seen Rockville since my graduation days and had heard little or nothing of the destinies of my classmates, I cordially welcomed Fisher and after he had quenched his thirst and we had exchanged courtesies I began “pump- Although Joe’s hair had commenced to grey slightly, his old humor was still with him and In immediately began enlightening me about my former classmates. Velma Barr, lie stated, was now the proprietor of the largest and best beauty parlor in Clarksburg and that Mary Penn, Edith Stiles, and Ethel Connelly were her able assistants. Joe stated that Rockville, due mostly to the large businesses created by our ambitious class, had become a thriving metropolis. Majorie Chapman, as president of the 296th National Bank of Rockville, was running in close competition with Melvin Fink, president of the 297th. Walter Snapp and Walter Magruder were doing a thriving business in used cars with “Doc” Welsh as their chief mechanic in installing bum carburetors, worn-out spark plugs and the like in the cars. When 1 inquired of my old pal John Clagett, Fisher laughed in his old way and said Linwood Thompson had opened up a cafeteria and that due to their ability in culinary lines which they had in Home Economics at R. H. S„ Clagett and “Steamboat” Rack were now the most efficient chefs in the place. Ramona Pauley and “Kitty’’ Howes and Adene Maffctt were engaged as waitresses in this institution. Since he had mentioned “Mona Pauley, one must at once think of Natalie Hicks, and Fisher told me that she and “Blaekie Steam were leading a quiet and happy married life. 1 asked Joe if any of our classmates were now teaching at R. II. S. and lie told me that nearly the entire faculty was composed of them. Charles Ward had long since replaced Mr. Whiteford in the worthy instruction of Mathematics and now conducted classes with a stern hand. I learned that half the entire population of Rockville was speaking French due to the superb instruction of Audrey Guy. When I inquired as to athletics, I was told that due to Marshall Mason’s theoretical tutoring ing’’ him. I 45 I

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I told Joe that I had heard that Mutt” Price was making a hit in Hollywood and asked if he knew anything about it. Fisher replied that “Mutt” was the latest “sheik” in the cinema community and that he had just received a large contract to star in Mickey Mouse films. I also learned that the two Norris sisters were now starring in the movies under the title of the “Hold Dust Twins.” As we sat in the darkness of the early evening the moon slowly arose from behind the distant hills and as it slowly traversed the starlit sky we sat engrossed in the fond remembrances of our school days and in this time I learned of the destinies of the remainder of my classmates. Lucy Knight, pursuing her school day literary talents, was now writing tense narratives for dime novels. Since it is not considered becoming for a judge of my standing to visit the follies, I was greatly surprised to learn that Amelia and Mary Farmer were now chorus girls in Gene Gooding’s vanities. Jack Jones, now a big cheese in the Noiseless Mouse Trap industry, was having the production of his affairs strenuously opposed by Grace Murray, Edith Koiner, Ruth Pratt and Ella Bennett, who had established homes for blind mice throughout the country. The above mentioned ladies’ main objection to Mr. Jones’ wares was that their noiseless operation «1 id not give the mice a fair chance. Charles Merry, who had risen to the rank of Commandant in the Marines, had invented a non-explosive gunpowder which would make warfare safe, hut when war went out of fashion due to this creation and Mr. Merry saw the hearts of the militarists of many countries broken because they were deprived of their favorite pastime, he grew so despondent over the outcome of his handiwork that he shut himself up to make an invention which would revolutionize warfare. Dorothy King, school day secretary of the Sportsmanship Brotherhood, was now endeavoring to establish a chapter of that organization in the Zulu cannibal village while accompanying Theresa Coleman on a gorilla hunt in Africa. Our air-minded schoolmate, Bill Reading, had recently met with a slight accident when his curls accidentally became entangled with a rotating propeller, hut 1 was glad to learn that he was rapidly recovering under the watchful care of Virginia Barnsley and Julia Offutt, two distinguished nurses in the hospital where Bill was being treated. (I had never thought Bill would try to curl his hair in such a manner!) I was greatly surprised when Fisher informed me that one of the teams competing in the present typing marathon was made up of none other than Helen Lowe and Josephine Keys, who were pounding the keys at such a terrific rate that asbestos ribbon and fireproof paper had been resorted to, to prevent combustion and the machines were constantly sprayed with water to keep them from melting. I 27 i