Stoneham High School - Wildlife Yearbook (Stoneham, MA)

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THE AUTHENTIC. PUBLISHED BY THE CLASS OF 1906, STONEHAM HIGH SCHOOL. VOL. XXL STONEHAVI, MASS , JUNE, 1905. NO. J. ROGER’S RANGERS. FlliSr HONOU. D uring the Frencli and Iiuliaii wars the corps of Raiiifers, under the coniinand of Major Rol)ert Rogers, rendered iiivaliiable aid to tlie Britisli and Provincial armies. They were the most formidable body of men ever employed in partisan warfare in this country Their services w’ere performed in the vicinity of Lakes Georife and Champlain, amid wild lonely forests and al- most inaccessible mountains, in which Indians always lurked Tlieir duty was to ascertain the force and position of tlie enemy, to capture prison- ers, to sack and burn houses and l)arns, and seize cattle, to discover places of ambush, to precede and clear the way for the regular army, and lastly, to lijiht the Indian accordinj ; to his own method of warfare. Braddock’s defeat plainly showed that there was need of a body of men, able to tijiht tlie Indian on his own { round, and in his own manner, and thorouiihly acquainted witli the wilderness between the frontier settlements of New Eiiiiland and Can- ada For this purpose the Britisli reirnlar ‘was of no value, whatever, and the ordinary provincial of not much more Therefore the Ran,i er was a necessity. He was a man of hardy, endurinu: constitution, inui ' cd to hardships and i)rivations, capable of making lonsi, tiresome marches summer or winter, day or nijiht, subsistin r on a scanty supply of food, and requiring no shelter but the forest after alomr, wearisome march. • Robert Ro«;ers was the commander of the Rantfers, and although much was to be desired in his character, he was beyond reproach as a com- mander in partisan warfare His power of endur- ance, resoluteness, coolness, readiness of resource in extremities, dariny:, and utter fearlessness, made his services invaluable to his country, and his name, a name of terror to his French and Indian foes. He was born in 1727 at Londonderry, New Hampshire, then a frontier settlement surrounded by forests. He received a limited education as regards book-learninj;. but sained a wider and more practical knowleds ' c on his father’s farm, and in exploring and hunting in the neighboring wilderness between the French and English settle- ments. He was passionately fond of forest life, and spent his time tracing streams to their sources, finding out the carrying places between them, and unconsciously fitting himself for his future work, by acquiring a thorough knowledge of that terri- tory in which he was later to show his sterling qualities. Rogers first took part in the French and Indian wars in September, 17r 5, when as Captain of a company of Rangers, he proceeded against Crown Point, under the command of General William Johnson. Later he was appointed Major of the whole corps of Rangers. In September, 17.711, Rogers with a band of Rangers was sent to destroy the Indian village of St. Francis. These Indians had been a terror for the century past to the inhabitants of the New England frontier settlements, burning their houses and barns, killing men, women and children and carrying away others into a horrible captivity .Amherst had resolved to wipe out this nest of hornets, and had intrusted this duty to the invinc- ible Rogers Two days after Rogers had set out on this expedition, he was informed by an Indian that a force of four hundred French and Indians had found his boats hidden in the forest, and that half that force was pursuing him He immediately determined upon the bold plan of outmarching his pursuers, and reaching St. Fi ' ancis before them, returning by way of the Connecticut. For nine hal’d, weary days he and his Rangers resolutely toiled through thickets and swamps, having no thought but to attain their journey’s end and ac- complish their purpose. On the evening of the ninth day Rogers climbed a tree and saw the village three miles distant The next morning he attacked it, unaware of his approach and killed most of the warriors, and sacked and burned the village. ' I’his done, he hastened away, as a body of French and Indians were in close pursuit His supplies gave out before he reached the Connecticut River, and when he arrived at the place where some were to have been sent, part of the Rangers gave up to desiiair to find no provisions awaiting them.

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CLASS OF 1905 STONEHAM HIGH SCHOOL

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2 THE AUTHENTIC. Rogers after a ditlicult journey clown the river, sueceetled in reaeliing Cliarlestown or Number Four, from wliich place he sent a supply of provis- ions to his men, some of wliom iiad died of starva- tion and exliaustion Such was one of tlie expeditions wliich Rogers and his Rangers were called upon to undertake, nor did they ever hesitate to execute their com- mands. They served tlirougliout tlie war. . t its close, R ogers went to England wliere lie spent the rest of his life. Had lie not lieeii suspected of lieiiig hostile to tlie American cause, he miglit liave rendered valuable services to his country in tlie . merican Revolution, as did many of the Rangers, so ably titted for that duty by tlieir early training. M.vicy S ricvKxs. COLLEGE SETTLEMENT WORK. laUST HOXOlt. T he Settlement idea, that of living and working in the very midst of tlie poor and unfortunate classes, was tirst conceived by educated Eng- lish clergymen, who went to live among and lielp tlie poor of London in the latter part of the nine- teenth century. Tliree especially were connected witli this work, tlie Rev. .lolin Richard Green, liis- torian of the English people. Rev S A Barnett and Edward Denison, a wealthy Oxford student, who hired a lodging amid tlie poor jieople and worked among tliem, lecturing on tlie suliject of religion, and bettering tlieir conditions in every way lie could, even carrying tlie needs and wants to Farlianient. Tlie idea of a College Settlement in this country was lirst discussed by Smith College students in 1887, and tlie result of tlieir discussions and plans was the founding of the lirst College Settlement here in 1889, the New York Settlement. Ten years later there were nearly one hundred in ditfereiit parts of the country. Tlie object of the College Settlement is to extend democracy socially, that the poor and ignorant foreigners in our large cities, working under hard conditions and enjoying little happiness, may he united in one common bond of fellowship and sympathy ; to share their joys and sorrows by liv- ing in close touch witli them ; to educate them ; teach them how to live; in short, to better their conditions in every possible way Tlie College Settlements . ssociation, supported by many of our women’s colleges, has charge of three settlements, tlie New A ork Settlement, tlie St. Mary St Settlement in Philadelphia and the Denison House in Boston on Tyler St. The Denison House was started in 1892. The community then consisted of many . merican and Irisli families, but most of them have since moved away and their jilaces have been taken by Syrians, Greeks and Italians. .Some are well educated in their native land and come liere to seek lietter educational O])portunities, but are compelled to live and work with the lower classes by reason of their poverty. The great majority, however, are igno- rant and tit for unskilled labor only. Tliey surely can see little of the bright and liappy side of . nierican life. Tlieir homes are bare, unattractive and cheerless and tlieir surroundings are the same. Is it, tlien, to be wondered at that their children care little for their homes, and use the streets as their common playground? They cannot enter Denison house, with the ever ready welcome of the residents, with its fresh and simple muslin curtains, neat hardwood floors, casts and reproductions of masterpieces hung about on the walls, plants and flowers here and there, without wishing their own homes to be as beautiful and artistic, yet simple and homelike as this. The residents are always willing to entertain and help them, and as their needs are mainly educa- tional, many classes in ditl ' erent subjects are held. From eight hundred to one thousand have lessons there every week They are taught cooking, serv- ing and carpentry, besides other useful subjects; and many of the older ones, who do not have the advantages of a public school dui’ing the day, are taught English. Numerous clubs are also formed in connection with the house. In summer, many who otherwise would have to be conlined in hot and dingy tenement houses are enabled to go to the countrj’, seashore, or woods, and there, for a week or ten days, to enjoy the freedom and happiness of such a life. Another very important feature in eonnection with the Denison House is the vacation School. Last year there were classes in nature study, cook- ing, serving, carpentry and primary and kindergar- ten gi’ades. Nature study was divided into three parts, class room, field and garden work. Excur- sions into the country to illustrate what they had learned in class were a great help and delight to them, and they became so interested that tiiey were eager to work before and after school hours. This settlement in Boston is only one of many that accomplish such a noble and useful work in a