Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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as We had for the chutes, by holding tightly to each other, and we shot through the darkness. I still insist that we were going at least 60 miles an hour, but Daddy assures me that it was only 20 miles an hour at the most. Anyway, all I thought of as the wind rushed past me was Hwhat would happen if I fell off. Luckily no one did. On our way out, we rode along beside the wooden tubes which carry the liquid salt to the bottom of the mountain where it is made into salt as we know it. The tubes were made hundreds of years ago when Wood was the only material that could be used to conduct the salt. The salt is apt to stick to the sides of the tubes and therefore fresh water must be run through them frequently. They serve their purpose, however, and help bring the neighboring peasants their salt. Now that I am back in America and Europe is in such a state of turmoil, I am glad that I was able to see the salt mine at I-lallein, Austria. BARBARA SLADE, 1940 The Best People Three boys stood on the steps of the library building at Miami University. They interrupted their conversation as a tall, blond, young man, with some books under his arm, passed. '4Hey, Edward, shouted one, ucoming to the barn dance tonight? 56 No, thank you, answered Edward, I have some work to do. And he passed on without further comment. Why does he want to work on Saturday night?', asked another. 4'Well, all I have to say is, that he had better come down off his high horse, said the third. '6I..ord Hamilton is going to pay his respects to the King no doubt. A young girl who had watched this scene from the doorway came down the steps. uYou boys shouldn't make fun of Edwardf, she said, 'che just isn,t very well acquainted around heref' 4'But Anne, he has had plenty of time to get acquainted in two months. He just considers himself too high and mighty. I knowf' she agreed, abut he will change, I am suref' And then and there, she decided to get to know Edward better. Edward Hamilton had recently come to America. I-Iis father was a W afonp, 193 Q I 60 I

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having the time of his life splashing ,Ianny and me. Our guide rambled on, telling us the story of the mine. It was 3000 years old and had, through the centuries, furnished salt for miles and miles around. The mine was about 1500 feet under the mountain, and was so large that it took you fourteen days to go through it completely. In a few minutes we came to our first Chute. It was like a slide only it was 250 feet long and you could barely see a tiny speck of light to convince you that there was a bottom to it. We all held on to each other and whizz-we were down. It was just like a roller coaster. It took your breath away and gave you that sinking feeling in your stomach. I simply loved it. I could see why the miners liked the mine. Think of being able to get that exliilerated-feeling anytime you wanted to. We turned the corner then, and arrived at a scene which also took our breath away, but this time it was because of its beauty. We saw an under- ground lake lighted by red and white lights, reflected in the darkest water imaginable. An illuminated barge was waiting to take us on our way. We sang in order to hear our echoes and we dipped our fingers into the liquid salt as we made our fairy journey. A gentle bump and our boat- ride was over. As soon as we were on our feet again the guide turned to us with a grin on his face and announced that we were going to cross the border from Austria to Germany. Think of crossing a border without having to show your passport and getting a new kind of money. It was quite an event, but little did I dream that in a few months there would be no border to cross. At that time, 1937, there was an agreement between Austria and Germany concerning the mine. Austria was allowed to own and operate the salt mine which was only partly on Austrian soil, and Germany was allowed to own all of the lumber on top of the mountain. That way they would both receive what they wanted. From the border we went to the underground rooms. They contained many old miner's implements and some very large salt crystals. In one of them there was a plaque commemorating the time Franz Josef, a former emperor of Austria, had come to visit the mine. According to our guide the temperature of these rooms never varied a degree throughout the year. After about ten minutes, our hilarious sliding and running through corri- dors came to an end. We discovered the little car that was to take us out. It was a simple board fastened on to some wheels. We prepared ourselves Widow., 193 9 l65l

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lawyer who had been called to the Middle West on an important case. Edward had been planning to enter one of the large English universities, and had not wanted to come to the States. His father, however, had in- sisted. He maintained that it would add to Edwardls education to have a year of college life in America. From the very first, Edward did not like America, especially the boys and girls at the university. He con- sidered them loud and over-friendly. When he showed no signs of accept- ing any offers of friendship, they soon left him strictly alone. As his great uncle had a title and an estate in his home country, Edward felt himself superior to these boys who came from all types of families, and he did not felt. Thus he was fast becoming unpopular among his classmates. There was one exception to this-a vivacious, brown-haired, young lady. She was a cheer leader for the football team and assistant Editor of the annual. Every- body knew and liked her. Anne Lewis was her name and she was a typ- ical American girl. As Edward showed some ability for writing, he had been put on the lit- erary staff of the Annual. It was at a board meeting that Anne first talked to him and discovered some of his dislike for America. Anne was a born reformer and she now decided to take the job of reforming Edward and giving him an appreciation of America. Edward had decided to go doggedly through his first year at Miami and then present himself to his father with the information that he was definitely going back to England. He had spent much of his spare time thinking up arguments to give his father. But something changed all thatg he fell in love. She was the assistant Editor of the Annual and Edward was sure the most perfect person he had ever seen. Anne was, he thought, an ex- ceptional American. Anne, hearing the other boys joke about Edwardls famous ancestors decided to look into her own family history. While searching in the attic one afternoon, she found something with which she was sure she could con- vince Edward of Americais merits. Whereupon, the next day, she made a bet with Edward that she could prove that her family was just as good as his. To please her Edward took the bet, although he considered himself an easy winner. He wrote to his uncle in England who sent him a copy of the Hamilton family tree which went back to William the Conqueror. Anne read all of EdWard's information, which told of courtiers, brave warriors, and some titled statesmen. Then she handed him a small, worn Wiliam, 193 9 167 fl