Streator Township High School - Hardscrabble Yearbook (Streator, IL)

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TO MR. W. D. WALDRIP, our principal and friend, as an expression of appreciation of his wise and willing guidance tlmru our high sclmool career, we, the Class o '20 respectfully dedicate tlmis Second Volume of l lardscralaloleH

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7 ,XX Y I . ,. V FN - . E ' V K, V S S 3 ,ff . S Streator Township High School Streator, Illinois TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES George W. Graham, President Chas. Elliott Thomas M. Hoarty

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HARDSCRABBLE S. T. H. S. REFLECTIONS OF AN OLD-TIMER I have been asked to write the refiections of an old-timer. Why have I, who can have no such reflections, been asked to write on such a subject? Why not refer to 0. B. Ryon or Harry Lukins, both of whom have been around these parts since that time when the mind of man or woman runneth not to the contrary, and either of whom can write a Hardscrabble Anthology that would take the Spoon River edition out of the list of best sellers? Surely it cannot be pos- sible that I am already classed among the old-timers! I can prove it by any member of the class of 1903 that that most illustrious class graduated very recently. Can it be a fact that sixteen classes have graduated, and that one more class is about to graduate, since that Commencement Day when we of '03 started out to show this old world how things should be run? And what word of encouragement and inspiration can be said to the members of the Class of 1920, as they are about to leave the old, familiar haunts, and start out toward new and strange and more strenuous things? - A few days ago I spent an hour in the assembly room of the High School. Only Miss White was there to speak of the time when we of '03 proudly entered the new building fconstructed with the idea that it was large enough for every purpose for all time to come-but now so badly over-crowdedj. And I wandered down to the gymnasium, and thought of the early days in the new building when, after a strenuous game of indoor baseball or basketball, we would wait for the dust to settle down on the, rough, dirt floor. Then I thought of the basketball teams and baseball teams and football teams that, uncoached and untrained, would journey forth to take the measure of Ottawa, Pontiac, and La Salle for to be measuredj, and wondered how long those teams would have lasted against that wonderful aggregation of athletes that brought back to Streator so many scalps during the last athletic season. And yet, without that coaching and training, John Grogan and Mike Walker went out from our High School and became stars in the fastest company. I have before me a copy of Hardscrabble, 1919, a publication of which any college might be proud-and think of The Review, which we of 1903 first published. Our monthly publica- tion was not so pretentious QI well remember the trouble we had to pay the expenses of that small publicationj, but it was ours, and I have no doubt but that we worked as hard to get it out, and enjoyed it as much when it was issued, as do the members of the class of 1920 enjoy their big annual. There have been many changes on the campus and in the buildings. The world has moved on-and the S. H. S. has moved with it. Another generation is busy with its books, and with its parties, and with all of the activities in which we were engaged only a few short years ago- all in preparation for the things of the future. And it is proper that it should be so. We may, with reference to the donation of our High School building by Col. Ralph Plumb, quote his own words, spoken with reference to the gift of the Streator Public Library by Andrew Carnegie: This building stands here today as a monument to his loyalty, . . . as a pledge that mental famine shall never prevail in our city, and that, with the continued co-operation of our citizens, no Streator boy or girl, shall ever lack for the bread of life---which is knowledge. May we all appreciate the privileges we have enjoyed! We alumni of the Streator Township High School are glad that you of the Class of 1920 and other classes are having all of the advantages of that institution, and are looking forward to the pleasure of welcoming you into the ever-growing band of alumni. It may be that we fold-timers and othersj have allowed our individual interests and affairs so to occupy our thoughts and time as to cause us to lose that really close connection with the High School which we should retain, but we are as much interested in the institution as ever, and the time may come, perhaps in the very near future, when we of the S. H. S., whether of '93, '03, '13, or '23, will have the opportunity to put our shoulders to the wheel and put over the project of the new new build- ing, and thus enable the Streator Township High School to maintain the place itihas always occupied in the very front rank of High Schools in the State. THURLOW G. ESSINGTON, '03, Page Six