Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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28 SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR QUR earnest appeal for manuscript in last month’s issue, which we thought eloquent enough to have almost moved stone, has elicited no response from the students. The material we have received we have been obliged personally to solicit. Now. this state of affairs reflects no credit on the en- thusiasm for which Somerville High has always been noted. It is impossible to expect the editorial staff to fill twenty-eight pages with literary matter, besides doing all the work entailed in publishing the paper. The Radiator must be filled by the students, and the students, each and every one, should feel it their duty to contribute some article to the paper during the year. Now, our next issue will be the Christmas number, and Christmas is a subject which abounds in suggestions for the ama- teur writer. So do not wait to be urged further; write something—be it a story, an essay, or a poem —and submit it to the editor; for surely, as the im- mortal Shakespeare hath said :— If it were done when 'tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly.” E have the honoi this month to introduce to our readers, as a contributor, Miss Grace Tyler Pratt, of the Latin School faculty. In her article, entitled The Blue-Grass Country, Miss Pratt gives us a very interesting and picturesque view of that home of romance. Old Kentucky. We trust the Radiator will be further favored with articles by the same author. K K 'I'HE football season is on the wane, and soon bas- ket ball will step to the front in the realm of sports. It is too bad we have no organized team to represent the red and blue in this game. (We are referring to both the boys and the girls.) True it is that there are a few teams representing different clubs that have already achieved renown in basket ball; but what we want is a team composed of the best players of both schools. In fact, basket ball should be placed on the same level as cither baseball or football. To our mind, it is almost, if not quite, as interesting, and, moreover, it will serve to main- tain the interest of the student body in athletics dur- ing the long winter months. So, ye basket ball players, male and female, get together. Let this be your motto, United we stand, divided we fall.” r r JF Thanksgiving Day is as cold and stormy as is usually the case, Somerville’s colors will doubt- less be well represented by every one at Charles- river park. JT is a custom of many rcally-truly” magazines to publish at Christmas time an extra number.” or souvenir number. at an increase of price, usually double. The Radiator, feeling a desire to emu- late. intends, as far as possible, to do the same with its Christmas number. But the Radiator, being only an amateur publication, cannot do all that is possible to the honored professionals. The in- creased price will be omitted. As far as possible, to compensate for this omission, there will be an especially fine cover, to be chosen in competition. Make a note of that, artists, and compete. Any number of colors up to three will be allowed, and more if a design of unusual merit warrants it. Be- tween the covers there will be pages of unusually good matter. four extra ones, making, with the exception of the June issues, the largest Radiator ever published. Illustrations will be a particular feature. As before intimated, the price will not be advanced; of course, a much increased sale is ex- pected—even depended on. v . y E agree with Shakespeare, in his Thanksgiving allusion, when he says:— Fair is fowl and fowl is fair.” For all that, let us be Christians and show a little mercy, even to the turk.” tt tt n it 'J'HE management of the Radiator wishes the paper to represent the schools in every possible way. With this end in view, it has selected as the frontispiece for this issue a production of the art de- partment of the English School. Miss Wiswell’s interior of the Governor Wentworth house is espe- cially appropriate at this time, recalling, as it does, the old colonial days, associated with Thanksgiving. H K QUR hopes of the championship have been cruelly dashed to the ground by the unexpected vic- tory of English High. However, we will take the defeat philosophically; for our reputation for good, clean football remains untarnished, and that is one drop of comfort in our cup of sorrow. We have felt all along that this year we had the material for a full-fledged championship team. But the fates willed otherwise. We can say no more, tor our feelings overcome us. r , y E wish to thank John R. Nichols for his kind assistance in editing the Exchange column during the absence of Miss Berry.

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THE RADIATOR SOMERVILLE LATIN AND HIGH SCHOOLS WtCATOr. — VOL. XI. Somerville. Massachusetts, November, 1901. No. 2. The Radiator Is published by the Somerville Latin and EXCHANOE EDITOR. English High Schools on the third Thursday of every month ALICE BURT BERRY, during the school year, and only important news matter can L. 11. S., 1902. be received after the 10th of the month. Matter for insertion BUSINESS nANAOER. may be left with any of the editorial staff or mailed to the editor H. DELANO LORING, at the Latin High School. In contributing, write on one side E. H. 8.. 1902. of the paper only and sign full name (this is for reference only). ASSISTANT BUSINESS nANAOER. Communications should be addressed to the editor, business CHARLES E. NICHOLS, manager, or exchange editor, according to their nature. L. H. S.. 19(W. Manuscript must be accompanied by necessary postage to TREASURER. insure its return. F. KEELER RICE, Terms, 75 Cents per Year Single Copies, JO Cents STAFF ARTIST. PERCY H. UNDERHILL, SOMERVILLE JOURNAL PRINT K. II. 8.. 190 . EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. CLASS EDITORS. LAURENCE T. CAIN, LATIN SCHOOL. L. II. S.. 190 . HERBERT E. FLEISCHNER, 1902. EDWIN P. FITZGERALD, 1903. ASSOCIATE EDITOR. RICHARD D. BELL, 1904. FLORENCE L. BEMIS, ARTHUR T. SOULE, 1905. E. H. 8.. 190 . ENGLISH SCHOOL. — RALPH D. CLEVERLY, 1902. SPORTING EDITOR. JAMES A. McCOY. 1903. EDWARD S. FRENCH, GIRARD C. BEAN, 1904. L. H. S.. 1902. CLYDE SCOTT, 1905. THANKSGIVING! Ah, what a host of pleasant memories that word can conjure up to our minds! Exciting football games, merry parties, theatres, bounteous turkey dinners, and scores of other things not less enjoyable. But how many thoughts do we devote to the true spirit of the day? We have no desire to moralize, but do we ever stop to consider that this day has a far deeper import than mere pleasure? Enjoy yourselves, by all means, dear students, but sometime during the day give at least one thought to the true meaning of this celebration, and another to those noble men and women of old by whom it was founded. 1 E learn with the greatest pleasure of Henry K. Hadley’s latest triumph in the musical world, whereby for his symphony, The Four Seasons,” he was awarded the Paderewski and New England- Conservatory prizes, amounting to $‘J00. But, as Mr. Hadlev. Sr., remarked, the pecuniary part of the affair is nothing in comparison with the great musical honor. 'Hie young composer has many times in the past shown himself a true friend of the Somerville High Schools, so let the Radiator, in behalf of all the students, extend its heartiest con- gratulations to both Mr. Hadley, Jr., and Mr. Had- ley, Sr.

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 29 THE BLUE-GRASS COUNTRY. Ey Grace Tyler Pratt. O the observant traveler journeying southward, after crossing the Ohio river there is a change—a change which he perhaps does not notice at once, but which gradually grows upon him as he proceeds farther into Kentucky. 'I he flat level of Ohio gives place to gently- rolling land, with horses, and mules, and sheep wandering in the pastures; and nestled among the hills arc picturesque negro cabins, surrounded by sunflowers or covered with vines. The eager Northern bustle and disputatious competition have disappeared, and over all there is an air of conta- gious tranquillity and calm which is very grateful to the weary traveler. 'Hie signs of life intensify, rather than weaken, this feeling. The languid negro driving his phlegmatic mule, the lone horse- man riding, not as ii he were merely adapting a means to an end, but aimlessly, as for pleasure, the occasional sound of a cowbell among the hills, smoke lazily curling from a cabin around which negro children are sitting on the ground playing together or watching the train go by—all these things impress us with the fact that no one is in a hurry, that there is plenty of time to live easily and grow old gracefully. Yet, to get thoroughly into the atmosphere, one should dispense with railroads and journey on horseback. There is nothing pleasanter in fall or spring than riding through Kentucky on the fine stone pikes, at the sides of which negroes are seen lazily grinding up rocks to repair the ravages made by the swift-footed steeds. This occupation, by the way. is not held in much esteem by the more aristocratic negroes, and there is, I believe, but one means of livelihood which is considered more de- grading. As the traveler rides on, he sees much to interest him. The scenery is by no means of the grand and awful style, but is, on the other hand, cheerful, sunny, and peaceful, and has a certain capability for inspiring like qualities in the mind of the rider. Along the road one meets other riders, who always bow courteously. Oftentimes one secs a whole family riding out.—a young father, with one of his numerous progeny on his steed in front of him. and one behind, and on another horse beside him his young wife, with a sweet face peeping out from under a big sunbonnet. Then, there is the small bov going to mill with a bag of corn to sit on. or returning with his saddle softened by having been converted into meal. At frequent intervals along the pike are toll gates, with little houses close to the road, where oftentimes a pretty girl comes out to receive the toll, suggesting material for a romance as she takes the money from a gallant Kentucky rider, who seizes an opportunity for tarrying a minute by quibbling about the price. Occasionally one may meet families passing through Kentucky while moving from state to state. One evening, attracted by the gleam of a fire among the trees, I stopped to see what was there. Seated at a camp fire was an old woman toasting bread, while she held a child in her arms. Grouped about her were several men. a young woman, and little children, while near at hand was a capacious covered wagon, in which they traveled. They explained to me that they were moving from Tennessee to Indiana, that they had been on the road a number of days, and thought it would be some time before they reached Indiana. What more delightful way of traveling—stopping by the wav to rest at will, and when a storm arises, tarry- ing at a hospitable Kentucky farmhouse! Another feature of Kentucky travel is the stage which carries the mail from one town to another, as the railway connections are often defective; for the Kentuckian has too much pride in his fine pikes and blue-grass nourished steeds to feel dependent on steam or electricity. I recall a journey taken one sunny December day from Shelby ville, the countv seat of Shelby, and the scene of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” to Frankfort, twenty-two miles dis- tant. Our comfort and pleasure were greatly enhanced bv the stage driver, who was the typical representa- tive of his class.—a jovial, burly, kind-hearted Kentuckian of real English stock. He had a word and a joke for all he met along the road, and passed the compliments of the day as he stopj ed to receive commissions for spools of thread or mo- lasses. or took in eggs and butter, and, alas! most frequently of all, empty whiskey bottles to be filled at Frankfort. Occasionally his baggage was more exciting, as when he received a live turkey, which, in spite of being fastened on behind, kept our in- terest in him constantly active by his occasional savage pecks. This somewhat distracted our at- tention from the dusky young couple on the front scat, who had just been off to be married, and were smilingly conscious of their position. This con- sciousness was expressed by the young black girl, whenever the groom, in a somewhat sheepish way. performed any little attentive office, by her fre- quent lv iterated coy remark. I wished I was to home.” Whenever we came to a hamlet consisting of two or three houses, one of which generally served as a post-office, the driver would take out the well- worn mail bag. and after the rural government offi- cial had selected the few letters that belonged there, and put in a possible paper and postal card, he