South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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We soon set to work to organize a Class and Literary Society. After much delay the Society decided upon the name, “Zetagathean,” “striving for that which is good. Meetings were held every Friday, when fine programmes were rendered. Chocolate creams were the customary refreshments on these occasions. If you ever hear of the Elixir of Zetagathean life, you will know that it is the name applied to the contents of that toothsome bonbon— commonly called chocolate cream. Two meet ings of special interest were an evening spelling-school and a mock trial. We organized the Class and elected Mr. Fred Dustin as our President. We chose for Class Colors the delicate tints of “Pink and Cream” which you behold so prettily blended together, sybolizing our class as the “Pink of Perfection” and the “Cream of the Institution.” Our motto—“Volens et Potens”—demonstrates the predominant ability of our class—that of being “willing and able” to do our school work. Our Class Song, displaying the combined talent of the class enlivened many a dreary da}7. But our song which you will hear this evening was composed especially for this occasion by our poet. To keep up the prevailing custom of Class Yells, we accordingly adopted a soul-stirring, hair-erecting, heart-thrilling cry, originated (?) by three Senior boys, that when it swells forth from the throats of the members of the class, it is enough to awaken our Feejee Island ancestors from their graves. Early in the year the Class together with the Senior teachers, met at the studio to have our pictures taken. They were very good and if you wish to see how we then looked, you may behold, next year, our picture in the auditorium of the new S. S. H. S. As a mark of distinction in the outer world we decided upon the pin “ M. H. S. ’92” in monogram, which distinguishes us as belonging to the large number of scholars graduating from the Minneapolis High School this year. Our first Senior social was in the form of a reception given by the lx ys to the girls of the Class, at the home of Mr. Biley Smith. Miss Grace Miller next entertained the Class at her home; here a literary programme was rendered, followed by games and refreshments. Who of the Senior Class will ever forget the Senior sleigh ride? The boys, recalling the enjoyable time we had on our Junior sleighing party, made arrangements for another and Miss Della Kirtlaud extended an invitation to the sleighing party to stop at her home on the return. It may have been a little cold, but the anticipations of a hot oyster supper tended to keep us warm. This occasion was enjoyed by all. For particulars you are referred to the article entitled “II Chronicles, I Chapter” in the February number of the Adams High School Observer.” This paper is yet very young, having sprung into existence but last October, and yet it ranks with, and even surpasses many a High School paper of years’ standing. We take great pride in the paper and will always have an interest in its welfare. Great was our rejoicing when one morning, we came to school with the happy news that our beloved Principal had been appointed Superintendent of the Public Schools of Minneapolis. Had it not been that we were

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we went patiently to work: studied hard and knew nothing of social school life. One morning, however, the girls were all astir, something was going to happen, something out of the usual order,—our teacher said that we were to go down to the manual training room and visit the boys at work. Another morning, the teacher upon her arrival noticed that the clock was stopped. She sent for the Janitor; he came up but said that he did not know why that clock stopped, as it was the best time-keeper in the building. Later in the day the teacher found a mysterious looking note; upon reading it, she learned that the cause of the clock stopping was not a natural but an artificial one. As Sophomores, our greatest enjoyments were staying for experiments in Natural Philosophy and for working Algebra problems on the same afternoons on which the J uniors held their society meetings. The first high school piano found its way into our room this year; and to pay the rent of the piano the high school scholars gave the first annual entertainment, which was a great success. Juniors entering upon their third year of high school life never started out more determined to do hard, faithful work than we. The two divisions were now united and we became acquainted with each other. About a month passed before the subject of a literary society was discussed. We soon organized one called the “ Olympic ” and adopted a society pin with “O '92” engraven on a plain surface. This year the “ Weekly Olympian ” appeared. It was a strange looking newsy paper edited by the Junior boys. How we enjoyed gathering around the latest issue (there was but one copy, and that was written) and reading the sensational continued stories, written by the boys, each boy writing a chapter. During the year, at the invitations of the Junior Societies of the Central and North Side High Schools, we visited their meetings, and were pleased to find that their talent compared favorably with ours. The Junior sleigh ride was a pleasant event in the lull of social school life. A finer evening could not have been found. A large bus, drawn by four horses, bore to St. Paul thirty Junior boys and girls chaperoned by two teachers, who sat on the front seat with the driver. Some one hinted that one teacher was needed on the back seat. Our first Junior Social was at the home of Mr. Biley Smith. The evening was spent in a very pleasant manner with music, games and refreshments. We were next entertained at the home of Mr. Willie Michelet, a classmate now traveling in Europe. In May, Miss Isal el Dallage welcomed the Class to her home. A charming hostess we found her, and the evening one long to be remembered. For the final gathering of the Junior Class, we went on a picnic to Cedar Lake. This ended the pleasures of the Junior Class, and after a separation of three months we met again as Seniors. A Senior Class! that was the title we received our fourth year. How proud we were. School life never seemed so delightful as it then did.

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leaving school this year, we would have grieved instead of rejoiced. A Leap Year party at the home of Miss Saidee Phillips, was a pleasant departure from the ordinary social. Two weeks after this occurred the Junior Reception in the parlors of the Thirteenth Ave. M. E. Church. It was here that we learned that the Juniors could make themselves agreeable if they so willed. They proved to be charming entertainers. All the arrangements of the evening were successfully carried out. The refreshment tables daintily decorated with pink and cream were especially attractive. We thank the Class of 93 for one of the most delightful of high school pleasures. The Adams High School scholars gave the third annual entertainment the 6th of May. We worked hard to make this a success for we knew it would be the last one in which we could ever assist. This year, the Seniors aided by the other high school classes formed a scientific society. Upon application to the National Agassiz Association for a charter we received one and became Agassiz Society Chapter 714. The club is divided for the study of astronomy, electricity, geology and botany. One Friday afternoon in January, the Astronomy Class went to Northfield to view the stars through the large telescope in Carleton College Observatory. They inspected the moon and several large planets. The night was severely cold, as the boys can testify, who slept in a room at the hotel where the mercury had gone down so far that it was invisible,—rugs, carpet and overcoats served as comforters and by walking the floor at times they managed to pass the night quite comfortably (?) School life is the same as every day life in the fact that it has its sorrows as well as its joys;—the loss of a dear and highly esteemed teacher and a l eloved classmate has cast a deep shadow upon us, but our loss has strengthened the bonds of love and friendship in the Class. We have the distinction of being the first and only class to graduate from the Adams High School of Minneapolis. This scliool, that has been the scene of all our joys and sorrows, will always remain in our memory as our Alma Mater; ours and ours alone, for the Board of Education, anticipating our departure from this school and knowing that a High School could not be successfully carried on in this building without us, thought a new school would be the best tiling for the other classes, as then everything would be strange and new and they would, in a way, get over their dependence upon us. We take great pride in having as a member of the Class, the youngest scholar ever graduating in Minneapolis. This young graduate is finishing her high school life at the age when most scholars are just begining. Four years we have lived on the third floor of the Adams High School building; every day patiently wended our way up those long flights of stairs, with their quaint and curious windings; but, lo, at the top was fairy-land in the minds of some.—The dear old “A Room;’’ those windows with their wide window-seats, most delightful resting places for the girls to eat their lunches at recess; the walls, on whose surface was written the history of classes before us; the cracks in the ceiling which widened after every rain; the rain, dripping on the heads of the teacher and scholars, who sat beneath the skylights; the partition, between our room and the recitation room, made of boards some painted and some unpainted; the High School piano; the harvest festival banner; all are sights accustomed to so long we will never forget them. And fi we never see “A Room’ again we may well say, “farewell dear room, in spite of all thy faults we love thee still. In a week all will be over. We will have parted perhaps never to meet in this life again. But let us hope that in the world whither our dear classmate went but a few months since, there will be at some future time a union of the Class of 92.