Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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THE HISTORY OF CLASS OF 1902 In January of the year 1898 the chimes of the High School bell resounded upon the quiet air. Toward the building flocked the pupils; their books under their arms, and their faces bright and happy. Some walked boldy along and entered the building with a confident air. Other timid ones stood looking about them, and one might have known by their actions that they were just entering upon the duties of a High School course. The next bell rang call- ing them to their seats and the great closed. A class of thirty bright, happy thoughtless boys end girls, who liked fun and were deter- mined to have all they could. crossed the thres- hold of the g-eat study hall. Before six months had passed—nay three— a great many found it was not all fun and had dropped out. The conduct of the higher student towards doors the Freshmen was amusing; the seniors looked upon them with an air of superiority, little real- izing that in order be a senior, one must first be a freshman; the sophomores we-e a lit- tle more considerate; while the juniors took them by the hand and helped them over the rough places they themselves had just passed. When the class in biology was called, they (ll swarmed to the laboratory, and, before the year was up, found themselves deep in the anatomy of all kinds of animals, such as the Aemoeba, Hydras, fishworms and sharks. Some prefe-ring the study of plant life, took up bot- any instead of biology. During study hours the class flocked to the reading tables, where they leerned the history of the ancient, medieaval and modern people. The intervals of fifteen and twenty minutes in which all studies were laid aside, were occu- pied in different amusements. Some of the girls walked, their heads bent close in school- girl chatter, while othe-s took their first danc ing lessons in the basement. The bx »yvs amused themselves by playing baseball or football. in a game of | one of the class had his arm broken. Phe bakery wagon always happened to pass just Immediately it was surrounded by boys and girls, nickels in hand w aiting to be served. Upo mM receiving his doughnuts each lucky boy, followed by 2, crowd, left the wagon contented. Presently several boys could be seen holding a doughnut in one hand and play ing ball with the other. The girl. with a of cookies, walked away down the street companied by her friend, each refres self with a cake. Entering upon the at recess. hae ac- 1ing her- English course under the instruction of Miss O'Meara, the class took up the study of Scott’s novels, Homer’s Iliad, and the classic Myths. Thus ‘passed the first year of the course. The second yea- passed in about the same manner as the first had passed. Having com- pleted He work in ine , they were promoted PORCUPINE 5 to the class in physiology, where they came in contact with the frog and the cat. While at work, suddenly a great commotion could be heard at the farther end of the laboratory. A little mouse, seeing the array of cats lying dead and believing the way was secure, had ventured to cross the room. The boys gave chase to the little animal, but the shrieks of the girls, who, upon seeing it climbed up to the top of their stools, were more terrified than either cats or and the little creature quickly scampered back to its hiding place. Anothe branch of study was taken up this year—the study of languages. Some entered upon the German course, others upon the French, but none attempted the Latin. The E nglish this year was composed of a study r of boys, Irving’s “Alhambra,” and the poems “From Milton to Tennyson.” : The greatest event of the year was the distri- bution of the term cards. The students waited with anxious looks and beating hearts to re- ceive them and to know what their fate would be. Then what a confusion there was among the students! Some were running here and there with angry looks on their faces, hunting different teachers; others with happy faces talking with groups of schoolmates; while a few contented ones, with their books under their a-ms, started homeward. During the next year, athletics claimed a large share of attention, for the field day th year, made much greate-. Then physics was taken up, the laboratories swarmed with students who struggled with heat until the shivers ran down their backs, and with sound until they were almost deaf. One hour in the week was looked forward to with great interest by most of the students. Chi hou- when Congress was held, and the preparations at had been made the pre- hopes of victory this year vious 1iS was the and in which many of the higher students took part. It was instituted on a plan similar to that of the United States Congress, being com- eae of a House of Representatives, made ip of the general body of the students appor- ata to the states, and 2. senate composed of several members from the different classes Any member was allowed to introduced a bill. The clerk and assistant clerk having been elect- ed, took their places at the desk and made a record of the days’ p-oceedings. Each bill wes read and discussed in its order. Each speaker was allowed to have ten minutes in which to eak, using the time in divisions or speaking the full ten minutes at once. Then, by a ma- jority of the House, he would be given an ex- tra two minutes in jap to conclude his speech. The bill for the exclusion of the Chi- from Washington, Oregon end Califor- nia, introduced by a younger member of Con- gress, was discussed with great inte-est and finally passed by an overwhelming majority. On the tariff question, the class president, Louis Frei, made i se a strong speech in its favor.

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4 THE PORCUPINE. to the grandest spectacle ever viewed by hu- man eyes. Among the trees was built a winter palace of ice. Under the spell of beauty I stood amazed. Upheld by large pilasters of ice, the roof, glist- ening like so many diamonds, was hung with myriads of icicles of varying shapes and sizes. Windows and doors, made of sheets of ice, were studded with christalized drops, like precious stones in their brilliancy. Beauties of balconies and of courtyards were not lack- ing. I stood entranced before this vision of splendor, like Aladdin of old in the jeweled ceve. Surely this must be the hiding place of those little spirits, the elves! Cautiously approach- ing lest my presence would be considered an intrusion by those diminitive spirits, my fears were instantly dispelled by a greeting from the tiny portes, by whom I was conducted into the presence of the king. Far at the end of a spacious hall, lighted with the rays of the aurora borealis, wes stationed the throne. Around it in a semi-circle stood forty little pages awaiting the orders of their king. Clad in his robe s of royal purple and wearing a crown of rere beauty, sat the tiny, snowy-haired king. Here awaited those in- quisitive mortals wishing to solve the mysteries of the future, among whom I was one. Having graciously received me, his royal highness, who had anticipated all of my de- sires, summoned a page to lead me into 2, cham- ber, where innumerable icicles, both large and small, gleamed pendant f-om the ceiling. Smil- ing with pleasure, this little elf led me to the farthest corner, where hung fourteen icicles brighter than the rest. Within these, he in- formed me, were sculptured the futures of the Xmas class of 1902, the less brilliant pendants holding the fast dissolving futures of the past g-aduates of the Santa Rosa High School. Looking upward. I discovered in one a small picture. After careful scrutiny, I recognized the visage of our president. But, alas! his face had lost its youthful look; his brow was dark with frowns; his hair wes scarce and gray. This familiar face I beheld in the office of a boys’ school, meeting out with cane our coun- sel, the daily deserts of a waywa-d student. Suddenly his cane ceases its downward strokes; his face is wreathed in smiles; his thoughts have traveled back to his boyhood when he himself had been delivered from punishment for some mischievous prank. Another icy pendant presents a scene of splendor; a gorgeous setting of a stage on which Nanny, as a famous actress, portrays the noble Portia, encircled by the many wo-- shippers at the shrine of the sunny-haired heiress of Belmont. Within another crystal sper, our poetess stands in a village school patiently drilling the little ones about her upon a storied page. A soft. sweet tinkling attracts me to an- other, where -ippling drops have frozen into clear, pure notes of melody. These our class historien were catching to bestow upon her music pupils. Will I see in old Deutchland, by the side of his pretty Gretchen. Here, with his g-:and- children around him, he sits and relates to them, how, in a distant land, in the ancient games of base and football he made all the home-runs and touchdowns for the S. R- H. S. A bright little icicle incloses a’ household scene whee demure little Nell is patiently toil- ing midst her domestic ceres, as bashful and quiet as she was in her childhood days. The sudden sound of cracking ice drew my attention to another icicle. Here, on a plat- form, clearly and decisively expounding in stentorian tones, her views on the question of woman's suffrage, stood Lulu. But the cracking of ice had as a protest not this icicle. It had come down from the one beside it, where face, encircled with auburn cu-ls, frowns over the maps and plans of a mining engineer. It is our Jesse. In the next icy receptacle is a little grocery store where Fred Wooley weighs out a penny- weight of tea or five cents worth of sugar. A picture is snow-clad Switzerland. A bright spring morning on which, in company with 1 gey and happy party of pleasure seeke-s, tel en slowly winds her way up the snowy Alps, frequently stopping to hear the echo of their merry voices from the deep canyon below. Hearing deep voices in debate, I passed on to the next icicle. In this I saw a court of jus- tice, over which the Hon. Robert Valdes pre- sided. In the es of the lawyers around him, could be traced the deep anxiety awaiting the decision of the jury. Two icicles yet -emained but set epart from the rest. Six months ago, Elizabeth Simons and Daca Perry decided to leave us; neverthe- less these prophetic molders of our fate had remembered them among the class of Decem- ber, 1902. el ony The former I see in a Stanford classroom, proudly showing how much she had learned in our High School. The latter is settled down in a cozy home. She sits gezing at the depa-ted vision of a re- nowned M. D. A cupid’s bow and arrows tell the cause of the vanishing vision. High above my head still hangs another spar. It is the last. I reach my hands to clasp it. One moment more—the elfin palace is gone! I stand at the window watching the snow flekes fall. 0 te “I wonder how Venus de Milo came to lose her arms?” “Broke ‘em off, probably, trying to button her shirt-waist up the back.”—Ex. os “Tf the devil we-e to have his tail cut off, what would he do?” “He would go to a saloon where they retai? evil spirits.” —Ex. :

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6 THE PORCUPINE During the fourth year 2 portion of the stu- dents took up the Latin couse, while others took French. By hard work and taking extra hours, two of the number graduated with the June class, thereby leaving only twelve to complete the course at Christmas. + ADDRESS TO THE GRADUATES (By Principal E. M. Cox) Graduation from school, whether it be from High School or from a higher institution, brings to the graduate a very much deeper con- sideration of the seious things of life than is customery with him at other times. At such times there is the breaking of the routine which has governed his actions and thoughts for many years, and the necessity for choosing an occupation or a new line of action is forced up- on him. You members of this class, no doubt, are pondering over and weighing the signifi- cance of many things thet have heretofore caused you no thought or anxiety. Even thoughts as to what you are “to do” or “to be”’ in this life have possibly been very vague and uncertain. Now questions of this nature hold pre-eminence in you: minds and not only you, but your friends, acquaintances and the nation ege concerned in these things. It has been apparent to many of us that such considerations have not been wholly lacking to you while students. Most of you have been more serious about your school wo-:k than is usually the case. Long before this we have observed that the problems of life have come to you, and that what you are “being” and “doing” have entered into your conscious- ness. Your friends and the community are con- cerned in this, else they would not have offered you these opportunities. They believe that by giving you education you will ‘be’ and “do” what is best for the community and the nation. They believe that by leerning f-om the exper- iences of humanity you will be better trained to act rightly in the future. This school and all other public schools are evidence that the people believe that education is essential to the life of the nation. These opportunities are given generously that they may beget helpful- ness and generosity in you. The world is not concerned as to what you are, or the prominence of your friends, or the “set” to which you belong. It is especially true that young people attach too great prominence to these things. Every generation shows, however, that, while in youth one person will not condescend to notice another, in but a de- cade or two he is begging for favors from the one he once so delighted to snub. It is not necessary to go to othe: generations or other communities and schools for our illustrations. There are boys and girls in our midst with a loftiness of cheracter, purity of intention, love of right, and ambition in life, who, because of their homliness of manners, humble birth, or simplicity of clothing are being lorded ove by the so-called “sets,” who, because of what they are and will be, will in a few years be dispens- ing favors to those who feel that it is a conde- scension to even be in their presence. It is a matter to be gratified over to be a member of a “set” or “club” when the requirements for membership are based upon cha-acter and abil- ity. This is the wholesome world standard. It has no provision regarding the quality of clothing, polish of manners, or accident of birth. The conditions which many boys and girls establish for edmission to their ‘“‘sets” would exclude the youthful Franklin, Lincoln, Clay, Webster, Jackson, Whittier, Longfel- low, and many move of the promient men and women of our country. Their plain clothing, bashfulness and awkwardness of manner would have barred them notwithstending the staunch integrity, honesty and loftiness that characterized them in youth as well as in man- hood and womanhood. An honest mind and a sympathetic heart will do the world more good, win you more comfort and happiness, and bind to you a greater host of friends than can any amount of polished manners, accumulation of riches,or prominence of friends. They will supply you with the gen- uine politeness which will surpass all the polish that can be given to the manners of one who is selfish and deceitful, and who attempts to es- sert his own superiority. They will give you a wealth of character greater than riches and they will bind to you friends of like characte- who will be a continual source of comfort and happiness. If the work you have done here hes given you truer standards of life, greater ability to accomplish, and a desire to advance, we shall feel that your time has been well spent and that you will be an honor to this institution whose name you are now to beer. The work of you- class has been characterized by earnestness and traightfordwardness. Those of you who have influenced and directed the affairs of the class in this line will manage future events with which you are connected in the seme manner. Thus you will have evidence of your appre- ciation of the favors you have received and confi-m us in the beliefs we have as to your future character and influence. : As you are presented with your diploma to- day, your class will go forth with the stamp of our approvel. We would have you depart with a determination to judge every theory and doc trine honestly ; to base your opinion of all per- sons upon characte: rather than outward ap- pearances and conditions; and to be fair and courteous to ell. - ° e° Ma:riage Announcements—Benj. Corbin married Wednesday evening, December i7, 1902. (More to follow). Deaths—Many suicides on account of above. — —sF