Stoneham High School - Wildlife Yearbook (Stoneham, MA)

Page 9 text:

THE S. H. 5. AUTHENTIC 5 to them, however, for when it is recalled to his memory, he declares it never happened. In February we began to make flowers for the graduation decorations of ’05. Many enjoyable parties were held at the different houses. A little work was always followed by refreshments and games. The control of the “Authkxtic” passed into our hands the last part of May. From a wreck we have built it up into a respectable paper. A good subscription list would relieve its managers from soliciting so many advertisements from our con- genial merchants. We were glad enough to get back to school after the summer vacation, but we found things changed. Our beloved teacher, Miss Buzzell, was not there to welcome us. We were assured that although she was not well, she would probably be with us by Thanksgiving. Later news came that she was too ill to come then and we were all very much grieved, for siie was one of our best loved teachers. She has not been able to return since, but our hearts are with her in her trouble. At last we were in those back seats in room 13. How tickled we were, to be sure, for we had always coveted those very seats. We began the study of Chemistry under Miss Turner. In class one day Miss Turner asked Dodie what made rain water soft. Dodie replied that it became soft from falling so far. One day a tre- mendous explosion startled us in the laboratory. A column of blue flame shot up the sink spout at the tables of Mi 1 . McLaughlin and Miss Davis Carbon disulphide had been poured down the sinks and in some way hot sulphur found its way there also. Naturally a loud but harmless explosion followed. ' The class held a very enjoyable Senior Party Jan. 2(5, in Red Men’s hall. It was a success soci- ally and financially. A Shirt Waist Party also was held June 8, at the same place. Both were enjoyed by all who attended. Rehearsals for the play, “Among the Breakers,” were begun in December. It was produced Feb. 23 and was in every way a success. It was again produced April 25 at the request of the Athletic association. June 11 we held our banquet at the American House. The evening was full of fun and frolic. Mr. Hoev made an excellent toastmaster. One feature of the evening was a toast to our absent friend, Miss Buzzell, to whom our hearts turn in sympathy. The Platonic friendship of Harold and Bertha has been the cause of much merriment to the rest of us. And now I think my task is finished. If there is as much development in die years to come as has taken place in the past, I predict that you will hear from some of us in the near future. Wm. B. Maims Class Prophecy the early part of the year 1933, le Acme Mercantile Company oved into their new and coin- odious building at the corner of r ashington and Winter Streets. In my boyhood days it was always my desire to enter into the mercantile business, and now, at the opening of this new building, I found myself in charge of one of its leading departments. Therefore it seemed advis- able for me to spend some time abroad visiting the chief commercial cities, that I might keep in touch with the newest and best ideas, and incident- ally fulfil a long cherished dream of a trip across the Atlantic. Having made every preparation for my depar- ture, I now stand on the deck of the steamer “Mystic” waving a fond good-bye to friends and associates. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder. Turning around I was surprised to find my old classmate, Alton Estes, captain of the ship. We had many happy visits in his cabin, and in reminiscent mood talked of school life and class- mates. I told him, on my western trips I had run across several of our schoolmates. While in Buf- falo I always call upon our old friend Harold Sher- man, now running one of the largest department stores in that city. Harold has built up an enor- mous business, giving double silver stamps with every purchase, and in the shoe department, where they sell the “Emerson” shoe, he gives “1C to 1.” It is Harold ' s greatest sorrow that he couldn’t pass for a “heathen Chinee” and be under the tuition of Miss Emerson, now a missionary in the flowery kingdom.

Page 8 text:

4 THE 5. H. 5. AUTHENTIC Freshman year with unusually good preparation. We began our freshman year under the very able instruction of Miss Trowbridge, a very wide awake and exacting teacher. Now Mr. McLaugh- lin came to school one morning without his les- sons, at least that is our private opinion, for just before an algebra recitation lie went soundly to sleep. The class was called but no Mr. McLaugh- lin went with it. What awakened him, and a surprised boy lie was, I leave to your imagination. As a freshman class we were of course sub- jected as usual to hazing. The sophomores, or rather that part known as the “Wire Gang, thinking one of our smaller boys altogether too fresh, captured him one recess and tried the egg cure on him, but sad to say, without doing him much permanent good. Poor Dodie seemed to get it from almost everyone, during his freshman year. Our first social at Mr. Padgett’s, on Chestnut street, will never be forgotten. The “Wire Gang” came down in force, bent on trouble. One of our young ladies, when almost within the door, was politely relieved of a nice large cake made especi- ally for the occasion. This cake was much appre- ciated by the heavy eaters in the “Wire Gang.” At the same time, one of our young men, anxious to defend the girls, shot an arrow gun out of a window. The Sophs vowed vengeance and unfor- tunately for poor Dan, later succeeded in getting it. We also held socials at Mr. Poor’s and at Miss Payson’s. At the latter place, Dan of the arrow gun, was seized by the irate Sophs and dumped into a nearby brook, much to the detriment of his clothes and temper. We broke the record for socials during this, our freshman year. The summer vacation passed quickly and we entered upon our sophomore year. We began the study of French under Miss Buzzed, and it imme- diately became one of our favorite studies. That excellent instructor had a way of making it extremely delightful to us. About this time there was a threatened division in our class, over the choice of the class colors and pin. The girls wanted one thing and the boys another. The matter was finally settled by a com- promise, the boys choosing the colors, Yale blue and white, and the girls the pin, the Fleur de lis. We were very glad to welcome Mr. Merryfield to our class at this time. He became one of our best members. We however, lost Padgett and Mr. Knapp, both good members, so the balance was on the debit side. We had taken our share of hazing during our freshman year, so we thought we would do a little on our own account. Accordingly, the night of the first freshman social, at Miss Hoffer’s, the gang went down to make trouble. Soon after we arrived, however, a large party of outsiders put in an appearance. Of course we were blamed for the fracas which took place, and the next morning the edict came forth, “No more hazing.” That settled hazing, as such, in the Stoneham High School. We were represented on the ’04 base ball team by Mr. McHale and Mr. Brown. In the great ball game with Wakefield that year, it was Brownie ' s hit which won the game. Perhaps there wasn’t something doing that night! At the beginning of our Junior year we were very sorry to learn of Miss Bingham’s resignation. She had been one of the best teachers we ever had. Miss Miner also resigned, Miss Turner and Miss Sherman coming to take their places. Mr. Sherman became a member of our class at this time, but we lost quite a number of boys, Mr Mann, Mr. Houston and Mr. Poor joined the ranks of the enemy, and graduated in the three years’ course with the class of ’05. We took up the study of geology. Mr. Emer- son made it an extremely interesting study. Many enjoyable trips were made to surrounding towns. The one to the Winchester sandbank is especially remembered because of its perilous but fascinating jumping off place. Astronomy in time took the place of geology, and we learned how to determine the latitude and longitude of a place, also the different constella- tions in the sky. While examining Jupiter s moons one night, Mr. William McHale’s head came within range of the telescope. Mr. Emerson who was looking through the telescope at the time exclaimed, “Willie, your head is in the way, and I can’t see a thing in it either.” In this fall term of our Junior year, Miss Vin- ton held a barn party. It has become famous in our minds. The other classes came up and lie- sieged us. Some windows were broken, croquet Dalis flew through the air. It was a miniature attack on Fort Sumpter over again. Well, they had their fun, but as the old adage says, “Those who dance must pay the fiddler,” and the besiegers had to fish down deep in their pockets to pay for their fun. Dodie, hearing a rumor that they had come after him in particular, was scared most to death. The girls surrounded him, went out the back way through an apple orchard, and escorted him to a safe distance from the fray, from whence he safely ran home. He doesn’t seem very grateful

Page 10 text:

6 THE 5. H. 5. AUTHENTIC Harold tells me Harry Brown is a successful mine owner in Yakataga, Alaska, and is classed as a multi-millionaire, and lias already sent the town of Stoneham $1,000,000 to be used in building new schoolhouses. Edward Hines, now a civil engineer, is also out in that part of the country, and is about to marry a native and settle there. Alton said he liked nothing better than to arrive in port the latter part of the week, take a run out to Stoneham and get a baked bean supper at the home of Louise Davis, who is running a boarding house, as she could have just what she wanted to eat, and if she wanted strawberry short- cake twenty-one times a week, she had it. The last time he took supper there he met Ernest Bell and his wife Hazel. Ernest has taken up the min- istry, and has a charge in the town of Irving, N. H Oh ! by the way, isn’t that the little town where our old classmate, Winifred Payson moved to? The name Irving somehow or other made me think of her. Yes, and Ernest tells me she has bought a little cottage and is living out an ideal life, with her cats and parrot; just such a life as I should imagine our shy and retiring Winnie would care for. While in Stoneham, Alton tells me, lie heard Bertha Yancey was expected home for the summer after a nine years’ absence in the South. She is a successful teacher of languages in the largest school for girls in the state of Alabama. Thus we spent many a pleasant evening recalling old times and acquaintances. After an uneventful, tint delightful voyage, we hear the welcome cry of “land in sight.” Bidding Oapt. Estes goodbye, I set foot in one of the most interesting cities of Scotland. For magnitude, the shipbuilding industry of Glasgow is unparalleled in the history of nations. Walking through George’s square I ran across an old friend, Willard Moulton, who was interested in the ship yards, being himself a designer. He had just received a commission to design a yacht for Mrs. Nicholas Butterworth, (formerly Glare Price). Clare intends to set sail for “Turkey” when her yacht is completed. Willard had his first experience with yachts in sailing his craft on Durgin ' s pond long years ago. Edinburgh, the pride of Scotland, was my next point of interest, and in walking down its famous Princes street, I met our old friend Roy Dike, a scholarly looking gentleman in a black frock coat and a tall silk hat. Roy is now professor of mathematics at Harvard, and, like myself, was touring England and Scotland, and together we visited Holvrood castle, and the various points of interest in that beautiful city. Roy asked me if I had heard from Raymond Fisk of late years. Why, yes, it was only last summer, while out in Soutli Dakota, that I visited the farm run by our old classmate. Raymond is the proprietor of one of the most magnificent farms it was ever my good fortune to see. Raymond got his first taste for farming hoeing potatoes to earn money for a college ice at Downs’ ice cream parlors. On boarding the train for the East, I was surprised to find our conductor to he an old class- mate, Fred McLaughlin. Fred makes a most genial conductor, and we passed many an hour swapping experiences. Fred’s experiences could fill an encyclopedia. I learned through Fred that Julia Donovan had joined the sisterhood of St. Francis at Baltimore, Maryland, and was known as Sister Alice; that Alice Patclieti had joined the “Salvation Army” and was slumming in Chicago, and much praise was given her for the good work she had done. I asked Fred if lie ever ran across Marah Bancroft. Fred says, “Why yes, she is now a Mrs. Johnny Jones, a dealer in Anti-fat, and Marah quite frequently travels from place to place with her husband. Anti-fat seems to have no effect on Johnny’s 800 pounds of avoirdupois. Perhaps Marah wouldn’t let him test the article, as she always had a fondness for stout people.” After bidding Roy goodbye I took the train for London. When a stranger enters London, even though lie has been accustomed to life in a large city, lie recognizes at once that here is something superior to anything he has ever known. Of all great cities, London is the greatest. In visiting Westminster I noticed a distinguished looking gentleman ap- proaching. On coming nearer I recognized our friend, William Mcflale, senator from Massachu- setts, now on a visit to Ambassador Alexander Dowie, Jr. After chatting half an hour, I was delighted to learn to what heights of fame our old classmate Eflie Briggs had attained. She was now playing at the St. James, London, in “Twelfth Night.” In our school days Ettie showed marked ability as “Mother Carey” in the play “Among the Breakers.” After a few side trips to notable places in England, I set sail from Liverpool on the steamer “Enterprise,” and after a five days’ trip of stormy weather, arrived in New York, glad to set foot on the land of stars and stripes once more.