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

Page 13 text:

THE PORCUPINE 11 before we kick it,” was the comment of the captain of the Westfield track team. “Well, gee whizz! If I had to bea little dude like that This remark was interrupted by a soft chuckle from Max Carlson, who was held responsible for most of the practical ” jokes played in the academy. “You fellows come up to my room to-night and we'll plan a little harmless revenge,” he said, laughing. The next morning St. Johns woke to find the following legend painted upon the wall of the tennis court: “ St. Johns’ won't play 3ecause they say The Westfield brutes Will win the day. But they won’t play with country Jakes, Whose hands are used to grasping rankes.. Well, sissy boys, just take your knittin’, Or set and tat, for that is fittin. But fellers who have got some sense Don’t care to stay inside a fence. Your legs would make good shinny sticks, Your heads are balls of gas. But we can give you extry licks, Altho’ we get no chance, alas!” That afternoon cards appeared all over the Westfield premises bearing caricatures of members of the Westfield track team, each boy carrying a rake, hoe or pitchfork, while underneath was a mock advertisement, such as “Any one in search of an experienced farm hand, apply at Westfieid Academy.” “Expert broncho busters at Westfield,” etc. On that evening a messenger came from the dean of St. Johns to the head master at Westfield, saying that he feared mischief was afoot. He hoped there would be no unpleas- antness between the schools, and so he would suggest that the master keep a rather close watch upon the boys, as he was doing at St. Johns.

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10 THE PORCUPINE On promise of leniency he confessed K ok “But how about the bottle?” I asked my compasior “What was in it?” “Oh,” he replied with a broad smile, “Water, pure water.’ The Barricaders St. Johns, a rather ‘exclusive boys’ school, was situated his guilt. K kK just outside the thriving New England town of L———. It was built in the fashion of an old English place, with ivy- mantled towers, set in the midst of smooth, green lawns, dotted with huge and gnarled old oak trees. The tennis court was inclosed by a high stone wall, the face of which was in full view of the main dormitories. A near neighbor was Westfield Academy, a comparatively new, but flourishing institution. The building stood facing a wide driveway. It was built around three sides of a court, and on the fourth side the court opened into the driveway by two heavy iron doors. Westfield was composed chiefly of town boys, and boys from the neighboring counties. “Country Jakes” they were styled by the aristocratic St. Johns. Each school had its own uniform and military drill, and a strong rivalry existed between them, especially in athletics, where Westfield was usually victorious. It went against the St. Johns boys to be defeated in anything, and when their enemy carried away the cup of the semi-annual field day, the St. Johns boys soothed their wounded pride by proclaiming that the Westfield boys didn’t understand tactics, they played with brute force, and the only thing they knew how to handle was a pitchfork. They further consoled themselves by the refusal of their team to meet Westfield in a game of foot- ball. “Well, they’re the limit. The dear little milksops. I wonder if they expect us to wrap a blanket around the ball gy 1 4

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THE PORCUPINE The boys were duly watched, and one evening they were sure, from certain signs, that something was about to hap pen. The headmaster called a meeting and it was decided that they should all go to their rooms, put out the. lights and keep watch. If any of the boys went out they would follow them and prevent any mischief. At about ten o’clock their patience was rewarded by see- ing a solitary fgure leave the building and walk quietly down the driveway, dodging into the shadows at every chattce. They as quietly followed, and after a long and chilly walk arrived by a devious route at St. Johns. It was too late. The boys had been there before them, and the one they had followed was merely a decoy, who now mysteriously disappeared. Above the imposing en trance to the main building, above the chiseled “St. Johns,” was a gaudy red “W.” [t was useless to do anything then, so the masters re- turned cold and sold. But the worst was to come. The iron gates into the court were closed fast. One after another the 1asters tried to force them open, but to no avail. Suddenly it dawned upon them. They had been barri- caded. This was the revenge of the boys for the close watch at had been kept upon them. After breaking into the work room they managed to get a mg ladder, and placed it against the gate.. Then one of vem climbed down inside, and after a long intervals suc- ceeded in pulling away the chairs, benches and other furni- ture placed against the door. At about twelve, a group of weary, nearly frozen masters sought their rooms, while their wicked wards dreamed peacefully of the pleasant surprise awaiting St. Johns in the morning. Strange to say there was never any attempt made to catch and punish the barricaders, and to this day the masters are wondering how the boys discovered their plans.