Troy High School - Dardanian Yearbook (Troy, NY)

Page 12 text:

could play baseball, Tim Roddy and I-larry Kava- naugh, Those of us who were fortunate enough to secure tickets attended the class day and commence- ment exercises of l902 and had a vision of the warm day when we ourselves would attract so much atten- tion. After receiving reports of our first final exams we left school in ,no such sorrowful spirits as the de- parting seniors claimed to be. We returned in September, l90Z to greet our 160 or so half-brothers and sisters, who, although they en- tered half a year later than we did, were destined to catch up with us by the third year. Some of us had heard rumors that it was possible to graduate in three years, so we tried to take all the subjects possible, but the Hgentleman with the card and pencil was on the trail and advised us to stay four years. Martin Murray, Warren Norris and Tim Roddy helped out on the football field. Those of us who looked forward to a college course were informed that Latin was re- quired. Some of us were wise, some of us were foolish, some took Latin, some took something easier. Those who took Latin were told by Mr. Gardner that it was just as impossible to learn Latin by looking on and watching someone else work, as it was to learn to skate by sitting on the benches. Miss Riggs' Ro- man history class attracted some attention. It was a cosmopolitan collection, having members from each of the four classes, and we Freshmen were of as much account as the Seniors. One day Miss Riggs asked the question, To what caste do the teachers of India belong? Phillips, who was the most original his- torian of the bunch, yelled out, To the out-castsf, Inside of l0'- seconds Philips belonged to the out casts. Through connection with one of Miss Riggs, debates, three of our members were honored by election to membership in the Websterian Literary and De- bating Society in freshman year. The spring of l903, our freshman year, was a banner year in Athletics, and l906 was well represented by Tim Roddy, Warren Norris and Warren Stowe on the baseball team, and by Arthur Wheeler, Martin Murray and Warren Norris on the track team. Freshmen are expected to appear modest. We knew our place, so the deeds of our first year do not take up much space. Sophomore Year HAT the class of l906 was destined to be the most progressive, aggressive and digres- sive class in the history of the school, began to show itself as soon as we graduated from the first Hoor. After watching with much pleasure for about a month the antics of the freshmen, our attention was directed toward educational pursuits. One of the Hrst announcements that seemed to strike harmoniously upon our ears, was thatthere was to be a singing class and that candidates would have to sing for positions. This was a great deal like ua baseball try out, and most of the fellows tried for first base. ln due course of time we assembled for rehearsals. At first we sang at the close of school, then before school and in fact, the class was such a howling success that before long it sang itself to sleep and no one has ever had the nerve to arouse it. During the latter part of our freshman year Mr. Gardner had called our attention to the Latin phrase, .s..n..a-.g..g.....g g g

Page 11 text:

CLASS HISTORY, GHT-SIX EBSTER says History is a true story, in distinction from a romancef' So it will be necessary in this account of the deeds of the class of 1906, to omit all the romances. Along in the latter part of the year I90I news reached the Troy High School that the first installment of the class of l906 would land there some time after the mid-year exams. Ac- cordingly on the mild winter morning, Monday, Feb- ruary 3, l902, with the temperature 26 degrees above zero, one could see boys in knee pants and girls in short dresses and braids down their backs, wandering from all parts of the city in the direction of the High School building. When we assembled to hear the same address of welcome which every entering class has heard for at least ten years, We found that we numbered over l75, and had the distinction of being the largest freshman class in the history of the school, a record that to this day has never been broken. The upper classmen were decidedly averse to being troubled with freshmen in the middle of the year and. they wreaked their vengeance upon the easiest people they could find, the freshest of freshmen. They could not agree on a name for us. Some called us Sub-freshmen and some Kindergartners. The HT. H. S. said our dress was as novel as our youthful appearance, and credited us with all sorts of Freshman YCZII' childish pranks, such as bringing to 'class room a train of cars, a bear that talked and a rag doll. Accord- ing to reports We brought pages from illustrated story books and hung them around the room, but we never had the pleasure of viewing these works of art. Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wisef' As innocent children we lived in our apartments on the iirst Hoor, utterly ignorant of the comment we were causing. From the day Diggery was made one of the detectives of Mr. Kennedy's vigilance committee he became ambitious and decided to run for Presi- dent of the class, when the time was ripe. Koerner, who early showed signs of an experimental mind, cansed consternation to reign among the girls and im- mediately made good with the Physiology teachers by bringing to class the skeleton of a rat mounted on cardboard, each bone and tooth numbered. Prof. Lundy one day asked Devine what teeth came after the incisors. Devine quickly replied the biceps and wondered Why the class laughed. lVlr. Lundy has given forth a number of sensational statements during our four and a half years. One of his early announce- ments was Man is the only animal that walks on his hind legs. After about a month of such novel ex- periences we enjoyed the pleasing sensation of our first quarterly exams, but the sensations were varied a week or two later when we carried home our report cards. After the exams, the baseball and track sea- sons came on and we were gratified to see that the upperclassmen found a couple of Hkindergartnersn who I O O O 0 O l O O O O C I l'C l O l l .'C O 0 0

Page 13 text:

'gCaesar, we about to die, salute theef, We did not realize what this meant until we returned in our sopho- more year to hear that he was to teach a Caesar class. Alas, for our poor fellows who were stuck at the auction sales. Their horses could not stand the pace and they fell by the wayside. But most of those who kept their saddles for the first quarter, finished the year with well trained ponies. One day, Mr. Edwards tried to make Bailey dismount, but after a long lecture Bailey said it was too hard a road to walk and re- tained his honorable office of pioneer cavalryman. To our great joy it was decided to continue Physical Geography, but we were the last class to experience its pleasures. The Physical Geography class is a mighty interesting place, for there everyone has a chance to show his originality and whenever there is any doubt about the physical possibilities of the earth one can propouncl such questions, as What time does the moon go in on the morning when it is full?', or How do we know that the North Star is where it is? Some of the fellows found that they had been mistaking an electric light in Cohoes for the North Star. Seven of our fellows made good on the football team. They were Clifton, Koerner, Devine, Byrne, Fobes, Burke and l-libbard. This was the first year we were repre- sented on the Editorial Board of the HT. H. Sf' Blanche Quinn being accorded the honor of writing us up. From our earliest youth there had been a great desire to do something. The smoldering embers of the burning passion finally burst forth into flames on the afternoon of October 6th of our Sophomore year. We decided to adopt an official class cap with numer- als. The Seniors fthe class of '04J were noted for their lack of initiative and naturally when they learned that the sophomores were going to do something which '04 had never thought of, they became choked with rage. We decided upon the style, collected the money for the hats andwere just about to order them when Mr. Walrath suggested that we make the proposal to all the classes. We were soon to learn the truth of the old saying, He who hesitates is lost. If we had left the other classes to shift for themselves we would have had our hats. 'But we sent delegates to a com- mittee of Seniors and Juniors and, of course, they couldn't see things our way. They wanted to follow the example of upperclassmen of the Rensselaer Poly- technic Institute and Union University and suggested that we, SOPHOMORES, wear colored buttons on our caps. We refused and only in deference to Mr. Walrathis requests to avoid class friction, did we give up the idea of numeral caps. The feeling aroused by this disappointment caused the organization of a num- ber of societies in our class. 1904 was a leap year and as the girls' societies all took advantage of it, the boys enjoyed many dances for the small sum of the car fare. One of the events that broke in upon the monotony of the winter months was the U. C. S. sleigh-train-and-trolley ride. About fifty fellows decided to break up the proposed ride, with the result that the girls who went had many thrilling experiences to relate the next morning. De Groot still has the glove he grabbed, and his hat was restored to him unhurt. Ryan is still thinking about the umbrella handle he broke over someone's head. Such experiences Were not numerous, however, and a great many good times were enjoyed, the O. spreads and the T. A. S. parties being worthy of note.