Stoneham High School - Wildlife Yearbook (Stoneham, MA)

Page 12 text:

10 THE S. H. S. AUTHENTIC JUNE 1934 dreams. The attainment of this height finds us able to see more clearly the world that is at our feet. There are roaring cities, deep forests, turbu- lent streams, green valleys below us. Above are the clouds, white and luminous, which represent the figures of our imagination. We are, then, ready to start the World’s Work. Eagerly we await our part in it and with the help of Divine Grace, we will make histories of our own. Claire Wells. LAST WILL OF S. H. S. AUTHENTIC Be it remembered that I, the Authentic of Stone- ham, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being of sound mind and memory, but knowing the uncertainty of this life, do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all wills and codicils heretofore made by me. After the payment of my debts and funeral charg- es, I bequeath and devise as follows: To the Class of 1935 the privilege of carrying on my business for another year, on the condition that they surrender this right to the Class of 193G, the following year. Also to the Class of 1935, the Authentic box in the Library. Though not the source of much literary material, the gossip usually contained therein is sure to be of the spiciest calibre. In testimony thereof, I heretofore set my hand and declare this to be my last will this fifteenth day of June in the year one thousand nine hundred and thirty-four. The Authentic. The Authentic Staff desires, in this, our last issue, to thank all those who have helped so greatly to- wards making the Authentic a success. We wish to thank all those who contributed, all who spent such long hours typewriting, all the class editors, the faculty, Mr. Davis, who always gener- ously granted us the use of Room 15 for our meet- ings, and finally all those who supported us so well by buying our magazine. In receding to the background, we wish to thank Mr. Reed and Mr. Hoyt, our advisors, who have done their utmost to make the Authentic a success. We also wish to express our grateful thanks to Mr. Andrew S. Flagg, whose work has greatly improv- ed the appearance of the Authentic. Signed, The Authentic Staff of 1933-1934. THE PROPHECY OF THE CLASS OF 1934 Robert Callahan Dear friends and fellow-members of the Class of 1934: Must I confess that I come before you this even- ing not to present a sure thing but to perform an experiment? Must I confess that in spite of all my thought of the past few weeks, all my sleepless nights, and days of extreme concentration, I have been unable to put into definite and concrete form the pictures of the future which, as class prophet, I had hoped to give you tonight? Instead, I am obliged to rely upon the accuracy of a truly ingenious scientific instrument, the See- ahead-o-graph, to reveal the destinies of the mem- bers of the Class of 1934. We are deeply indebted to Colonel Stoopnagle and his partner, Bud, for it was the inventive genius of these two great scien- tists which made it possible for us to have the in- valuable assistance of the See-ahead-o-graph. Through the medium of this invention, amazing in its prognosticating powers, I assure you, I will at- tempt to present to you a vivid picture of the lives- to-be of the illustrious members of this, our most illustrious class. Before I pierce the veil of the future, however, may I impress upon you the solem- nity of the occasion and may I, in the words of Rob- ert Browning’s immortal Rabbi Ben Ezra, enjoin you to “Grow old along with me, The best is yet to be.” (Starts engine and peers into the See-ahead-o- graph.) It is the year 1960, and the first scene which the See-ahead-o-graph reveals is a large busi- ness center of a prosperous looking community. The vague outlines become more and more clear. I am now able to make out the large buildings and the signs overhead. The triangular arrangement of the business center appears familiar. Alas, can it be the Stoneham Square of the future? Why, yes, it must be. For there in the center of all the traffic, commanding autoists and pedestrians and guiding bewildered children through the maze of speeding autoists, is J. Herbert “Bigfeet” Blinn, commander-in-chief of Stoneham’s finest. Merely a military motion of his hand brings forth a squadron of six subordinate officers, who await the town car of the mayor. In the honor guard I can see Wins- ton Newman, Melvin Atherton and Donald Cutter, whose Scouting experience of their school days stands them in good stead now. Others in the group, if my vision may be trusted, are Hobart Howes, and Ralph Chapman. With loud screeching of brakes, the expensive sedan comes to an abrupt halt in the center of the Square, where Chief Blinn and his cohorts stand at attention. Business men leave

Page 11 text:

JUNE 1934 THE S. H. S. AUTHENTIC 9 Finally the year came to a close, finding us still higher in our ascent. The trees and confusing darkness of the forests were far below us. We could see the horizon revealing a dim line in the dis- tance. But we looked above, saw the ever present heights still before us and said, “We must go on.’’ Vacation over, we started our trek again, assum- ing the responsibilities of Juniors. Miss Spinney, Mr. Reed, and Miss Johnson were the home-room guides. Our class officers were: Douglas Connor, Presi- dent; Edward Breagy, Vice President; Claire Wells, Secretary, and Robert Callahan Treasurer. Mar- garet Barton was elected chairman of the social committee. Our first social of the season was, we were glad to state, a great success. Soon the fall athletic season was in full swing. Several of the girls excelled in field hockey. These were: Jane Strobel, Helen Clark, Ethel Riley and Eleanor Brown. The football season proved the proficiency of many of our class members who found places on the varsity team. The traditional Junion Prom was the big social event of the year. Herbert Bennett was the chair- man of the affair and he had as assistants an en- thusiastic committee. Armory Hall was attractively decorated in green and silver, the class colors, and we were able to say the Prom was a success. At the dance a magazine was issued by us entitled the “Junior Roll Call.” This was the first separate issue ever published, as before it had been a feature of the “Authentic.” The editor-in-chief of this issue was Donald Blan- chard. He capably completed the publication which was a help to our depleted treasury. The graduation of our upper classmen advanced our position according to tradition to serve them as marshals and ushers. The marshals were Jane Strobel and Donald Blanchard, while the ushers were headed by Mildred Shay and Herbert Bennett. After this we had an opportunity to pause and look about us. It was surprising how far we had come. We were standing upon a broad plateau. The ground beneath our feet was firm. Our vision had broadened until the views were unexcelled. But above us were those jagged cliffs of the last hours of our ascent. The pinnacle, cool, untouched, and beautiful, was our goal. Even though we felt secure in the completion of our Junior year, v e realized this security was not for complacent resting but as a footing for our last and most arduous climb. Three months later we reentered the high school proudly bearing the title of Seniors, and having that exalted feeling which we soon lost when we found that to keep our places we must prove worthy of them. Mr. Thibodeau, Mrs. Coy, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Hoyt were the teachers whose home-rooms we en- tered. Our next step was to elect class officers for this most important of all years. Donald Blanchard be- came President, Robert Callahan, Vice President; Claire Wells, Secretary; Peter Savelo, Treasurer, and Jane Strobel, the chairman of the social com- mittee. As the Senior Class publishes the “Authentic” the editors had to be chosen. Jane Strobel became editor-in-chief and Bernard Scully and Herbert Crandall her assistants. The fall football season was at first dishearten- ing in its results but later on those who had shown such promise in Sophomore and Junior years helped ed bring our team’s season to a close with creditable records. The girls’ field hockey schedule results were also an honor to the school. Elections were next held for the Senior Hop Com- mittee. Douglas Connor was elected chairman and his efforts, coupled with those of an ambitious com- mittee, went to make it a social success. In close succession after the Hop came the suc- cessful Mock Trial and the A. A. Circus. The latter was in every sense worthy of the en- deavors of the entire student body. Never before had the gym so swelled its walls to receive the ca- pacity audiences which thronged there, both after- noon and evening. The graduating class of ’33 inaugurated the idea of editing a Year Book. We decided to carry on the enterprise and elected Robert Callahan editor-in- chief of the year book for the class of 1934. Mr. Andrew Flagg was chosen faculty advisor for this publication. Drama was the next field into which we delved and under the direction of Mr. MacNeil presented Everybody’s Crazy,” a comedy in three acts. Those who took part in this were: Paul Davis, Bernard Scully, Colin Roberts, Jane Strobel, Helen Lister, Natalie Fiumara, Mildred Shay, Edward McCarthy, Kenneth Prescott, Iris Kelman, Ashton Clark, Viola LaPierre, Ethel Riley, Carl Weiss and Robert Ar- nold. The play was, to quote the director, “The best put on in years by any Senior Class.” The closing event of the year was the Senior Ban- quet. This was held May 28, at the Andover Coun- try Club. Edward Breagy was the toastmaster and all who attended claimed to have enjoyed our last assemblage. Now all is over, we are just beginning to grasp the fact that we have attained the realization of our

Page 13 text:

JUNE 1934 THE S. H. S. AUTHENTIC 11 their work, passersby stop in their tracks, all traffic is at a standstill, as the footman, whom I recognize as Horace Crandall, and the chauffeur, his twin brother, Herbert, step out to assist His Honor. A ruddy-faced, middle-aged man, attired in a silk hat and a morning coat, looking very dignified, alights from the car, puffing viciously on a choice perfecto. Who is it but Edward McCarthy, the people’s choice as mayor. The squadron salutes and escorts the Honorable Mr. McCarthy across the Square to the beautiful new City Hall, which has been built on the site of the old Dow Block. As he steps into the ele- vator he is greeted with a cheery “Good morning, your Honor,” from the elevator man, Albert Bruce, who, you will remember, always claimed that he would get up in the world. Douglas Connor and Robert Stinson, political henchmen to the mayor, sit peacefully in the mayor’s office, helping themselves to the mayoralty brand of cigars, and reading the mayor’s morning mail. Upon the arrival of Stone- ham’s first citizen, Stinson nonchalantly rises from the mayor’s easy chair and politely squats on the mahogany desk. He shows Mayor McCarthy an invitation to speak at the Annual Clam Bake and Spelling Bee of the Stoneham Women’s Republican Club of which Margaret A. Wallace is president and of which Lena Abair, Helen Clark, Katherine Elers, Dorothy LeBlanc and Vesta Coombs are prominent members. The offer is rejected by his honor, who preferring hamburgers to clams, says that he will accept the invitation to the Ward 7 Tammany Club’s Hamburg Festival. The well known ward leader and orator, Bernard “Big Mike” Scully, is chairman of the committee in charge of the Ham- burg Festival and is being assisted by City Treas- urer Edmund Blood, City Solicitor Ashton Clark, Congressman Robert Arnold, Alderman William Gibbons, and Representative Earle Gould. The mayor then reads a communication from Chase and Meehan, Inc., tobacco dealers, which is written as follows: Dear Mr. Mayor: Election Day is drawing near and you will need a new supply of cigars. Place your order with us and be sure of satisfaction. Our cigars are made to re- sist even the sharpest of teeth, and are guaranteed to last one hour, twenty-four minutes and six sec- onds. Children cry for them, adults walk seven- tenths of a mile for them, they’re so good. What this city needs is a mayor who smokes a good fif- teen cent cigar such as our Civic Pride” Brand. Yours for bigger and better smokes, John Chase. Robert Meehan. Another letter, bearing the postmark, Concord, Mass., is read. It is a message from Arthur Per- kins, publicity manager for Lieut. Austin Junkins, of the Stoneham-Melrose Air Dispatch, who has just completed a trans-country flight in the record time of ten hours. In his honor a Welcome Home Cele- bration will be staged by the city. A postscript states that Harold McDonough, a stowaway, was discovered in the rear cockpit after the arrival at Concord. It seems that Harold wanted to visit his old friend, Charles Leete, who is at the Reforma- tory, where he is giving his famous lecture course on “Why the Well Dressed Man Will Choose Yellow for His Summer Wardrobe.” During the time Charles is spending at the Reformatory, he is the personal guest of the Warden, George Grover. At this juncture, the mayor’s secretary, whom I recognized as Doris Bruce, enters the sanctum with the official appointment book. On this day the mayor is slated to be present at the noonday meet- ing of the Stoneham Lion Tamer’s Club, the presi- dent of which is Charles Rollins, a public spirited citizen and prominent member of the Class of ’34. Charlie is managing a small group of actors made up of the great grandchildren of the famous Sing- er’s Midgets. (He always did go in for little things in a big way.) The mayor also has an appointment with Attorney James Smith concerning a law suit brought against the city by Smith’s client, Ethel Noyes. Ethel claims in her suit for $10,000 that her health was impaired because of the noise made by a large tractor of the Harris Marshall Construction Company which was working on a municipal pro- ject near her home. Just as Mayor McCarthy is preparing to leave his office, a man comes in — oh, yes, I can see who it is now — it is Paul Davis and he seems to be selling something. No, he is a poet and wants to sell the mayor a few campaign slogans. Davis, so the See- ahead-o-graph reveals, has become famous for his introduction of the new game of rhymes, called, Dropping a Bomb in Moscow from the Irustsh Limited at Five-thirty of a Sunday Afternoon, Late in September.” As a sample, Davis offers this rhyme to the may- or: “Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey, Along came a spider, And sat down beside her, And said, ‘Please pass the salt’.” After this wild session, we leave the mayor’s of- fice and the next picture we see is that of the huge Stoneham Theatre owned and operated by Frank Morris. It is night and we can see emblazoned across the gaily lighted marque the words, “Now playing, George Magrath’s Scandals, starring Nata- lie Fiumara and Eddie Marsh, supported by a danc-