Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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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

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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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30 SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR would bring back the bag, not much increased or diminished in weight, to remain with us till we ar- rived at the next United States station. Our stage driver entered fully into the spirit of his position, and had something of interest to tell us about nearly every house we passed. “That is a Methodist church there, he said, pointing to a small edifice set a little back from the main road. They had a mighty lively time in there Wednesday night. Bob Cogswell shot Rar- lington’s wife while they were having a meeting. At our exclamation of surprise lie went on: Yes. he rushed into the church when she was at a meeting, carrying his pistol just like this. (Our driver now took a loaded pistol out of his pocket and illustrated.) This is a mighty lawless place through here; though they always treat me right well. ' Our suggestion that the lawlessness might have some connection with the bottles of whiskey which he dealt out so freely did not receive so enthusiastic a response as many of our remarks. Before we reached Frankfort the twilight came upon us. and we feared that we should not be able to get a view of the place till the next day. But suddenly, without any preparatory signs, the city lay at our feet, plainly visible in the illumination of its many twinkling lights. We were on a hill, and clustered at its base beneath us, the Kentucky river gently flowing through its midst, lay Frank- fort, with its shady streets and comfortable old houses, and all around it, wooded hills. There is much that is interesting to see in Frank- fort. sacred with associations, and into whose his- torv are woven the lives of some of our country’s most brilliant sons. But it would take much time to describe the picturesque old town, so 1 only men- tion such historic old mansions as the Crittenden house, which has in its palmy days entertained many men of national reputation; the governor’s mansion, inhabited by all the governors from the time of Governor Sheiby; the oldest house in town, in which the first sermon in Frankfort was preached, and in which Aaron Burr made his head- quarters and planned his conspiracy. I must also pass over Burr’s trial, when the Frankfort court- house was filled to overflowing to hear Burr’s coun- sel. Henry Clay, and his opponent. Attorncv-Gen- eral Joseph Hamilton Daviess, and I must not stop to tell of the great ball given at the old tavern to celebrate Burr’s acquittal. Rut I cannot leave Frankfort without speaking of the cemetery, which is on one of the overhanging hills. Aside from its beautiful situation, which commands a view of the town, the river, and the hills beyond, it is interesting because of those who lie buried there. The monument of Daniel Boone, the Kentucky pioneer, is here. There arc many former governors buried in this cemetery: also Colonel Richard M. Tohnson, vice-president, whose monument has a medallion representing him as kill- ing the Indian chief Tecumseh. In the middle of the yard there is a large monument to the memory of the soldiers who fell in Mexico. There is also a fine Confederate monument erected by the efforts of the women of Frankfort, on which a Confederate soldier is represented as standing on guaid. There are many Confederate soldiers buried here, and Union soldiers, as well. In the spring two different Memorial davs are observed, one for decorating the graves of those who fell on the Northern side, and one for those who fell on the Southern. For though thirty years have passed, when feel- ing is aroused to such a piten as it was in Kentucky before the war. it takes a long time for the traces of it whollv to disappear. The state never seceded, but the feeling was so intense that families were divided, one son often going into the Confederate armv and one into the Federal: as. for example, the Claw Crittenden, and Monroe families, who gave soldiers to both sides. As a general thing, people there feel that it is best to ignore old differences, yet occasionally some of the smothered feeling bursts forth. One even- ing I was present at the speech of an ex-Confcd- crate colonel from Louisville, who began his oration by waving the Confederate flag and saying. ‘We were right then and we are right now,” which re- mark was greeted with great applause. The negro, however, cherisncs no bitterness for the past. Circumstances have no power to subdue his happy nature. Directly opposite where we lived there was a little stone jail, which was gener- ally full of negroes imprisoned for petty offenses. But they were happy even in confinement, and spent most of their time singing. Summer even- ings. when the windows were open, we could hear them singing their sweet old melodies. Sometimes a mulatto girl would come and sit under their win- dows and play the accordion, accompanying their rich, melodious voices. We were sorry when the authorities passed an ordinance forbidding singing in jail. In various ways the emotional nature of the negro finds play. I well remember a negro revival meeting which we attended. The speaker, a man of considerable oratorical power, had his audience wrought up to a high pitch of emotional excitement. In the course of his fiery eloquence a heavy thunder shower arose, and when, in the midst of his appeals to the wrath of heaven, terrific lightning flashed through the church and bursts of thunder shook the building, the effect was impressive, and it seemed as if he had called down the storm as an aid to his oratory’. There are. indeed, many features in Kentucky life that are full of interest. Not less so than the negro is the Kentucky mountaineer, who has been so attractively depicted by John Fox. who has lived in the mountains so that he might write truthfully of the life there. James Lane Allen, too. with sym- pathetic touch and beautiful language, has told us many stories of the Blue Grass state. But there is still much to be told ; for Kentucky, with her proud history, her natural scenery, her varied kinds of life and people, is rich with suggestions for the histo- rian. the novelist, and the poet.