Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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vox COLLEGII 23 town. We had walked about eight miles when we saw a station — the sign at the end was Dumbell. We thought this rather a queer name for a town but as we neared the main street we no- ticed all the stores were named after some apparatus used in the gymnasium work. I began to think it was lucky we had had the wreck because Dumbell was not on my tour and I had not known it went in for the work so much. We stayed for the exhibition at night and I was greatly surprised when I saw the instructress. She was very tall and very, very stout. There was something familiar about her features and yet I could not think where I had seen her. After she had finished giv- ing directions she said For the love of Pete it ' s all over — I at at once recog- nized my old classmate, Jessie Brown ; I made my way forward to congratu- late and beg a talk with her. It seems that she had had many pro- posals and had finally married her first sweetheart who was a banker and was now manager of the Sterling bank in Dumbell. She invited me home with her for the night and when we arrived she intro- duced me to her housekeeper, whose name was Isabelle. Afterwards I found she was an old schoolmate of Jessie ' s and her last name was Ster- ling. We certainly had a great old talk together of the old days. Alicia Hambly A combination of O.L.C. corn, beef and cabbage and grape-nut pudding- sent me to bed one night with rather an uncertain feeling. The natural out- come of course is a dream and usually a very bad one. My memories of a dream that night are very vivid. I felt myself being car- ried along through space, rushing and swaying from side to side. Also being poked in the ribs by many sharp and spiky things. This was agony for a moment, but when my vision cleared I saw immediately the reason for all this disturbance of mine. 1 saw myself sur- rounded by a yelling and jostling crowd all rushing on towards a huge sign on which was printed in large letters Toronto Exhibition . Next I was in- side tlie gates still being impelled by the mad excited ei ' owd. On past the huge buildings on and on we rushed 1ill we cam- to another jam of people outside the Grand Stand. I had a feel- ing of wishing to withdraw but on hear- ing someone say that these was an es- pecially good programme on and ra- ther than use up all my energy in try- ing to get out I was pushed forward till 1 found myself inside the Grand Stand standing in the aisle, evidently doomed to stand throught the whole performance as the Grand Stand was packed right up to the roof. I saw a series of parades, dances, etc., when suddenly everybody became excited, programmes Avere fluttered and necks were stretched. I heard whis- pers about a beautiful girl who had evi- dently met fame. Ah ! — the l)and struck up and out lumbered four huge elephants, then out fluttered a slim whisp of a pink lady with fluffy hair and a brilliant, flashing smile. She danced around and cracked her whip for a few moments, lining up the four huge elephants. Si- lence then the music crashed in and the el ephants performed very diffi- cult and puzzling motions led by this charming pink lady. I felt puzzled and then light dawned and as I watched my mouth opened and my eyes pro- truded and I hurriedly poked my neigh- lior and asked for a programme which in my excitement I had failed to get. Yes, my thoughts were confirmed — an O.L.C. girl; Alecea Hamblie, Fam- ous French Elephant Trainer — former Star of the Vaughn Glaser Players . In other words Alicia Hambly of 0. L. C. 2Dutting elephants through push exercises before the Grand Stand of the Toronto Exhibition. And all this night-

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vox COLLEGII friend longer, but she was claimed by His Ilighness the Crown Prince, who escorted her to dinner, and as she float- ed down the room on his arm she look- ed back and smiled. Virginia Charles For many years 1 have been travel- ling and consequently have kept in toiieh more or less with niy old pals of O.L.C. Some of them 1 liave found do- ing strange things in strange places, such as Al. Lees, but stranger even than this is the life of one of the old Art students who graduated with me. I was riding through a market place in Chengtu, West China, when my rick- sha was suddenly halted and a sweet voice begged me to buy a beautiful painting of a little child. The voice was quite unfamiliar, but something in the dark, roving eye caught and held my attention, but it was she who recogniz- ed me first and then she made her.self known. 8he said that she was Virginia Charles, but had married a missionary, who, after a long struggle had convert- ed her and now she spent her days painting pictures of little children, which she sold at these packed market places, in aid of the Chinese Children ' s Hospital. She invited me to have din- ner with here. This was a most unique meal. AVe all sat around on the floor and ate rice with chop sticks and it was wonderful the speed they made with those chop sticks. A few hours later I bade them good-bye, and the last I saw of Virginia she was standing at the door of her cottage, waving good-bye. Lorna Rumball In my recent travels, while visiting in Los Angeles I was told that a mov- ing picture of Charlie Chaplin ' s entit- led Leave Me B was being produced and with him was his famous new as- sistant, Madame Gracie Hipperenthun- der, whom it was whispered was even better than the famous Charles. Being anxious to see a movie produc- ed I went to the Hollywood studio to see this famous woinan and man. Up- on my arrival 1 was surprised to see a woman l)eing hauled across the stage by a derrick, clutching in her arms vig- orously an infant child. When she landed on the other side she began to talk baby-talk to the child. I observed her closer as this was the famous come- dian and I beheld her to be a portly motherly woman, very tall, her he ' ght being about seven feet and with hair as dark as a raven ' s wing. To my aston- ishment I saw that it was my old Friend Lorna Rumball. I was then taken to her home in a Stutz roadster which 1 recognized as the one given to her by her friend Am- elita for a graduation gift. She had become a very domesticated woman by knitting between scenes. Upon talk- ing of her married life, she told me she was •ery happily married to a man 75 years of age, whose previous occupa- tion had been a derrick mechanic and had now elevated his position to that of a scene shifter. She told me she had had offers for dancing on the stage. While she was keenly interested in this she felt she had not made the best of her opportunities and regretted having ' skipped ' so many dancing classes and not going in more for athletics while at O.L.C. I asked her how she kept her health and happinef-:s and was astonish- ed to hear that she had formed a diet of bologna and onions as the main fruits of diet and as for exercise ' Em- erson ' always. Jessie Brown In the spring of 1935 I was on an in- spection tour of the gymnasium work in Alberta. About 4 o ' clock one morn- ing we were riidely awakened by the jarring noise of the application of the brakes — the rails having been washed out by the terrific storms — the train had nothing to guide the wheels. The head engineer told us it would be impossible to secure help before the next day at noon, so a party of us com- menced walking in search of a nearby

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24 VOX COLLEGII mare just because of a grape-nut inul- ding. Jean Lennox Aiid this, said tlie rubher-iiecK man as he flourished his big horn, This is where the famous Jean Len- nox first studied vocal. Necks imme- diately elongated that their owners niiglit view the massive building and tlie statue of the famous prima donna as the gyroplane sped past. This college is the famous 0. L. C. of which you have heard, no matter from what part of the world you came. The most famous of its graduating clas- ses was 1923. Miss Lennox, as she was before she started her series of sen- ational elopements and siibsequent di- vorces, graduated in M.E.L. She fully demonstrated her powers as her first husband testified on the witness stand. It is to him she owes her first success in opera. In the apartment house in which they lived also lived a vocal professor. He was so astounded by the volume and tone she produced when she called Henry! that he induced her to start Henry-ing as a business. Thus her start in opera. While singing at the Metropolitan in New York, she met and married Paruso. He died soon af- ter of concussion of the ear-drums ; a few years later she married a scene shifter, the widower of Lorna Rumball, of whom you may have heard. He was very ancient, so did not last long. About this time she published her famous .series of songs, Blessed Are the Married , Double Bliss , What Is Life W ithout Love , and most fam- ous of all My Hubby. Her fourth matrimonial venture proved her last. Her fame brought her to the notice of the Prince of Brazil, whom she married. Unfortunately, his passion for tom-tom music was so marked that she broke her neck trying to drown it out, and died. She is buried in the grounds she lov- ed so well, and the inscription on her tomb is And a song was on her Lps. Blow your trumpets, ye angels. Tlicy oiuittcd the ' Kest in Peace. ' Dorothy Sorby A long time ago. writes a famous Canadian historian ol: ihe 21st eentury, in the beautiful spot where now lie vhe ruins of the ancient town of Whitby, is a p.ctures([ue campus. The campus . r day revels in unrestrained wildness around the ruins of what once were vhe stately walls of Ontario Ladies ' College. One may yet see the subterranean swim- ming pool and the washing machines where was the laundry, both of whicli have gone down in history. Here it was that the most famous benefactress of her age, Miss Dorothea Sorby, dear- ly beloved by all who knew her, receiv- ed her education, graduating first u lionsehold Science and again in piano. She was deeply interested in sports for girls, and upon her final graduation provided special motor cars to convey the young ladies to and from the an- cient railway stations, liy a long, round- about and delightful drive. Miss Sor- l)y was fortunate one day in discover- ing a gold mine by finding how platin- um coidd be made from baked potato skins and the unused beans which were frequently wasted. Realizing that she owed this to the school, she bestowed many gifts and improvements upon it. The remains of the beautiful marble floor in what was then the lower hall, are still one of the marvels of this age. Upon leaving the college after bestow- ing numerous improvements which in- cluded moving stair-cases, gum slots, private mail boxes, and more, she came to Toronto. There she came in touch with the Humane Society, and Central Neighborhood Workers. Through hei ' work there she realized the need of a Home for Mad Dogs and another camp for the unruly children of poor famil- ies. So many dogs were restored to sanity, and so many children memor- ized the Bible that she received the Or- der of the Curly Haired Alligator from