South Side High School - Optimist Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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THE OPTIMIST | night and the coming storm. Grit waited a few minutes then decided to follow his master. He got up. stretched contentedly and saunt- ered out. As soon as he reached the open he scented something that was familiar to him. It was the man- smell again hut this time the old one. He stopped and waited. Suddenly he heard sounds of a sc u flic coming from the cache. He hounded forward and reached there just in time to sec Tom get knocked over with the butt end of a revolver. Imme- diately his blood N iled within h i m. His old animal in- stinct rose in him. He turned upon his foe— his foe because he He turned upon hi foe was his master’s foe— and recognized the man who had taken away his father and mother. But strangely that did not anger him as much as the fact that this l eing had dared to harm his best friend. He saw red. He made a great bound for the throat of the man and reached it. The man desperately drove his long hunting knife into the wolf's l ack but Grit held on. He was living up to his name: Grit. The end came soon. This man who had harmed his friend and who had come to steal his friend’s food and furs would strike no more. Tom saw the whole thing. He was power- (Cont on Page 78) Fond Recollections of a Graduating Senior By William Abramson We entered here some years ago As Frcshics very green. This place was very large and new We just had to l c keen. Some time for work we always found, And Physics we did tame. When we were lA's very proud. The Freshies we did scorn. The school we thought belonged to us Kach day from morn to morn. As 2B’s we did find our faults, And studied in a rage. As Caesar and his Gallic wars Were covered page by page. We took an active part in sports When we were made 2A’s; Each game we learned with zest and zeal. We had our special plays. As jovial jolly juniors gay We loved to fool and joke; Eraser fights we often had, A glass or so we broke. Our jokes and fun were still retained As 3A’s we became. Alas! Now see the seniors go. Their chests thrown out in full. As 4B’s we did think ourselves Privileged with a pull. The lookcd-for time arrived at last When senior A’s were made. Can we forget the times we’ve had And pranks that we have played? O, South Side High, it is the time When we forever part. We leave thee with a smiling cheer. And with an aching heart. The times we’ve had we’ll ne’er forget Thy knowledge we’ll employ. At any time or place at all Thee, we'll praise with joy. Farewell, farewell, farewell to th:c Dear old South Side High. Cherished shall thy mcm'ries be And thou praised to the sky.

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Wl THE OPTIMIST fur ficw and blood ran. The pack sat in a cir- cle about the fighters and eagerly watched. Over and over the combatants rolled, now one on top, now the other, now apart, now a quick dart in, a tlash of fangs and rip of skin and a bound lack again. Grit let out all his pent up feelings in that fight. He towered over the other like a leviathan. It was all over in less time than it takes to tell it. Grit got a fatal hold upon the throat of his opponent and cut off the breath of life from his body. Then he was ready for the next but after that display they left him severely alone. This is why the lone wolf howled at the moon. He howled and howled until dawn and then lonesome a n 1 hungry h e started l»ack for civilization. Hut l eforc reaching the cabin he ran across a new scent. It was the scent of man but there was something different about it which made him curious to in- vestigate. Tom Norton, age thirty, came north to escape the evils of civilization. An inno- cent victim of circum- stances, he Ixrcamc an outcast of society, and made himself an out- cast of civilization. He came to God’s country liecause he loved it and he knew he would be free and away from the nar- row-minded influences of man. He built his cabin on the farthest boundary of civiliza- tion and began to trap and hunt to distract his mind rather than for pleasure or material gain. This morning he was absently inspecting his traps, thinking of the great wrong done him at home when he came face to face with an im- mense silvery wolf. His gun went to his shoul- der while Grit crouchtd ready to spring. For a moment they eyed each other and then Tom noticed the collar around the wolf's neck. It was a sign of civilization on a wild beast and the only thing that stopped Tom from shooting. Had it not been there my story would have been different. Here were two outcasts, two who had the same dislike for civilization. Why should they not be thrown together? Why should they not help each other by their companionship? How did the wolf know of the man’s likes and dis- likes?” you ask. That is not for me to say. That is a question which only the Watcher over such creatures can answer. I will but attempt to say that they were attracted to each other; that they did find companion- ship in each other and I can only tell you of how it ended. One evening some time later, in his cheery little cabin sat Tom in a large ami comfortable armchair and at his feet lay Grit perfectly con- tented because h i s second taste of man was so much more pleasing than the first. Tom had given him the first bit of real kindness that he had ever known and the heart of the great wolf went out to him. Tom got up and walked leisurely to the door. Grit fol- lowed him only with his eyes. Just to watch Tom was enough for him and Tom found in the wolf the one redeeming thing of the world. He opened the door and looked up at the ominous clouds hanging over the landscape. On the edge of the clearing could be seen the tall dark shapes of the trees standing out as black objects against a black setting. The food and other things were stored in a cache not far from the cabin. Tom walked over there to sec if everything was secure for the 12 Then there was a glorius battle . . . the pack sat and watched

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IKfl THE OPTIMI ST The Scrub By Joseph Harrison It was the beginning of the football season at Cliffsidc High School. All the boys had returned from their vacations, browned and hardy. In a few days practise would begin. They were all preparing for the coming season. While walking aliout the campus, all 1 could hear was the buz-buz of the football team. The veterans were contemplating higher honors, while the scrubs were in high hopes of making the varsity. Scrub, did I say? What a harsh belittling word for one who does so much! My attention had been attracted last season by a lad who was known as Randolph. Tho only a scrub, and small of stature, pale and lean, he seemed to possess a fighting spirit that was unconquer- able. It had been his first year out, and natur- ally new to the game he had received harsh treatment in the scrimmages. But lie never quit. He was coming out this season. Thursday I went down to watch the first prac- tise. Few vacancies had been left on the var- sity, so I recognized most of them, but many changes had appeared in the scrub line-up. There were new faces that would probably dis- appear after a few days of strenuous work. Randolph was in the scrub line-up, still as un- tiring as ever. The next day, as I went down to the field I noticed that the scrubs had greatly reduced in number. Only eighteen remained, Randolph among them. He was playing left end with ap- parently much difficulty. Time after time he had to bear the brunt of the varsity's attack, but he met it with his never say die spirit. I saw no more of Randolph until the week be- fore the Prescott game. Prescott was the tradi- tional enemy of Cliff side. A victory over Pres- cott was a sign of a successful season, therefore the team was being drilled strenuously. The Cliffsidc coach was working his team on a play attacking the left wing of the opponents' line. Play after play. Randolph had to stem the rush of the varsity backficld. What recuperative pow- ers lie possessed! If he faltered once the coach would growl, but when his work was of good order he received no praise. At the final work- out the coach was satisfied that there were no flaws in his offensive. His main threat, the at- tack on the left wing, had been perfected by con- stant drilling. His backficld had received their experience by buffeting Randolph around the gridiron. The scrub's unceasing efforts had per- fectly drilled the varsity how to attack the end. Confident, the team awaited the day of the game. One would have thought the gods were inter- ested in the game, for a more perfect day for football could not be desired. The cheer leaders were performing their antics, exacting deafening cheers from the throngs in the stand. Both teams came out to practise amidst roaring cheers. The captains met and selected their re- spective goals. The teams lined up. A shrill whistle announced the beginning of the game. Prescott’s punter got off a good one. I ut Cliffside's right-half returned it ten yards before he was downed. For the first period the trams marched back and forth, each feeling out the other. With the start of the second quarter, Prescott began to unmask a strong aerial at- tack, but Cliffsidc managed to hold its own, and the half ended with neither team scoring. The second half began with Prescott again forcing the issue. Cliffsidc was evidently tiring but was capable of holding Prescott School scoreless. The fourth period started with Cliffsidc hav- ing possession of the ball on its forty-yard line. Then came the surprise! Instead of just using a straight formation, the Cliffsidc backficld lined up for the attack on the left wing. The Prescott warriors, unprepared for this, were caught nap- ping. and Cliffsidc, marched down the field until it reached Prescott’s ten-yard line. Randolph was watching this performance from the bench. There was an ironic smile on his lips. He had made this march possible, but what reward did he get ? N’o one cheered for him, did they? But Randolph did not seek praise, for he knew in his own heart that he was just as im- portant as any of the eleven men in the game. Two more rushes and Cliffsidc would cross tbr goal-line and the game would l»e won, but who would l c happier than Randolph? He had done his share. No one will know it. but that docs not matter. The scrub never gets any credit, and why should he receive any? He never gets in a game! 14