South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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t C ) CL TSS POETTJ. LASSMATES, gathered here to-night, Teachers, friends, our hearts so near. Accept the greeting of the poet. She greets you in that name so dear, That name we always love to hear, The name of those to honors new, The name of the class of '92. To those of you who may not know Of this our class, its virtues too, The poet tells }Tou, we can show The -best to cipher and construe; The best to laugh, the best to shout; The best to work, the l est to play; The best to think a puzzle out. The best that sees the light of day. We have our Burke, our Bacon, Loche, We have our Kingsley, and our Hume, Mozart and Lind, all in our stock. In truth, of each, one may assume, Of those the world doth largely rate We point you in our class to one Who is to him a worthy mate; Whom neither great nor wise will shun. We’re not a class to cut a dash; We’re not a class to break a law, And make our friends look on in awe, And fear results from actions rash: But we’re a class of strength and might. We work along with greatest joy To aid a fallen cause that’s right, And vice and evil to destroy. We’ve met our text books day by day As though we loved their deeps to sound; We’ve learned of Ethiope and Malay, Of tides, and clouds, and circles round, Of bones and muscles, tissues, nerves; We’ve studied diction, figures, style; History, too, its purpose serves; At unknown quantities we smile. In Latin, we can masters show Of Virgil or of Cicero. In German, one point we know well

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world, this country is bound together by the iron bands of five transcontinental railroads that reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific and whose branches stretch out like the arms of the octopod and gather in the tralhc; added to this we have in the Great Lakes, navigable rivers and canals— most desirable inland waterways. The life and prosperity of a free Republic depends quite as much on the education of the people as upon resources and commerce. A Republic can not endure if its masses are in ignorance. If the masses in any nation aee educated a despotism cannot endure. The American Republic has not yet reached that degree of perfection in which the masses are so equally well able to hold office that we could safely elect our officers by lot as did the Athenians in the age of Pericles. We still have the ignorant voter among us, but what is there to prevent us from attaining even a greater proficiency than they, when there is placed, by our public school system within the grasp of everyone, lie he rich or poor, an opportunity and the encouragement to obtain any degree of education and fit himself for any office to which his ambition may prompt him. And in the near future we may expect that the rights of suffrage shall be based upon educational qualifications; men shall hold office because they are fitted for it and not because they chance to be of the popular party. In conclusion: natural resources, commerce, an educational system and liberty, are necessary to a republic. Our country produces enough to maintain itself and has an abundant overflow; it has commercial intercourse with all the great nations of the world, its public school system is almost perfected and we are a free people—free from any system of caste, free from the demands of royalty, free from religious oppression. Our government is, in most respects a marvel of political skill. I see only one condition upon which our question depends; toinsurethe deration of our Republic requires, on the partof every citizen “eternal vigilance” this isthe “price of liberty.” Bert Roberts. -e-- c

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Ask where’s the verb? and we can tell. We’ve conned geometry with zeal ’Til prisms joined in one mad retd With quadrilaterals and cones. The while we scarce suppressed our groans. We’ve read of Shakespeare, Milton, Gray, Compared their writings, style and rank. But more than all we’ve learned the way To change unkindly Fortune’s blank To marks that cheer our weary way; We’ve learned to lend a helping hand To others as they onward go Step by step, a toiling band, To greater heights from plains below. Our labor has been hard ’tis true; But what is gained of worth without The throbbing heart, e’en aching too? Forgotten now our care and doubt, Forgot the burdens that we bore. Those heavy tasks set day by day Have brought us nearei to the shore Illumed by Truth’s immortal ray. The sun for us now seems to rise, We’re as the earth in early spring, When winter birds upon the wing Meet Robin Redbreast now the king. We almost hear that chirp so clear That merry note of hope and cheer As nodding that small head so wise Away to yonder wood he flies. Bright paths of light stretch out for all, No clouds appear whence rain can fall. Joy sits as if to be our queen And hints of pleasures yet unseen; And only smiles, no word will speak; But will let each meaning seek. The time is near, 0 friends so true, When we no longer as of yore, Shall in one path our work pursue. The bells of life ring out their peals, To tell us that our paths diverge. Both hope and fear, each young heart feels As from our school life we emerge. What deeds may life from us expect? But as we wonder what they are A note of guidance we detect. “ Let Duty lx? thy polar star. ” Ah, Bells of life, peal on! peal on! Thou hast for each a ioyous song, Which we will by no discord jar, Thou canst thy peals through life prolong.