Vandergrift High School - Spectator Yearbook (Vandergrift, PA)

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ARMY LIFE IN V. H. S. H. C. of L. Owing to the number of members who wanted to join our army, it was im -possible to appoint a General as everybody wanted that particular office. Prof. Kurtz was finally appointed General and the teachers were to act as captinettes till the army could decide on officers. Our first battle was on the Marne (Study Hall) where the enemy first sent over a couple of carloads of grenades (erasers, chalk, pencils.etc.). As soon as the General appeared on the scene of battle with a Captainette to take charge of our company, the enemy immediately withdrew their force. The next battle was in the Argo-nne Forest (Lecture Room and the Lab.) We started the battle by going over the top and sent the enemy back to tlieir trenches. (Lab Tables) CapL Shearer defended his army by sending over poisonous gas (Bawling pupils out for disorder). Private Beck was taken prisoner and sent to the General’s Headquarters (Prof. Kurtz’s office) for trying to crawl through the lines to gain military information (Skipping Peroids). Private Olinger thought he was a dead one but he just woke up. Ii was only a dream. After weeks of hard fighting was decided to discontinue the army as the Private thought they were superior to their officers. TED HENRY—’21. 1900 Mother to son—Johhny, here is a quarter. Go to the store and get me some sugar. Johhny— Oh, Mother, can’t I get some candy? I heard Mr. Smith tell Mrs. Erown the other day that sugar v as .three cents a pound. See three times five is fifteen, and fifteen from twenty-five is ten. 1910 Mrs. Jones— Talking to the grocer on the phone. How much is sugar. Mr. Smith? Grocer— Eight cents, madam. Mrs. Jones— Eight cents, my goodness, why I rember when I paid three cents for it! Well no use grumbling, for that won't bring down the prices. 1 am sending Johnny down with a quarter, so give him three pounds of sugar, and also give him a piece of candy for the cent remaning. Good-bye. Grocer— Good-bye. These women talk if we could help it. 1920 Mrs. Willard— To Mrs. James over the back fence. What do you think-I sent John to the store to-day with a quarter to buy a couple pounds of sugar, and he came home and said.“Why Mother, I could only get one pound of sugar, as you gave a quarter, and sugar is twenty-two cents a pound”?

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THE SPECTATOR % “Say that surely is a mystery how that valentine disappeared, ain’t it? asked Paul of Dale when they were out of Miss Arnold's hearing. “You know. I’m kind of glad Martha didn't gel it but I certainly would like to know where it went.” Miss Arnold, busy at the other end oi the room had come upon the post-box and was holding it aloft. “Here boys, you might take this out to the coal shed and chop it into kindling.' she called. “It will only be a bother as it is. At the ( first stroke of the hatchet the lid ofrthe box was broken and a bit of blue paper protruded. Quickly pulling it out Dale held it up for Paul to see. “Gee! That’s the lost valentine,” said he. “It must have been caught in the box when Johnny shook it out.” “Well, I, for one, am glad Martha didn’t get it. Did you see how pleased she was with the other valentines she got?” “Yes, it would have been a mean trick to spoil her pleasure by making fun of her being a cripple. Gee, I feel cheap.” “Me, too,” said Paul as he gathered the armful of kindling wood to carry into the school. GRACE JOHXSTO.X, ’21. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW, OUR HOUSEHOLD POET. Longfellow, the poet of the people is the most widely known and loved of all the American authors. He is called “the household poet” and while still living, was honored by having his birthday celebrated. Longfellow’s reputation rested upon the fact that whoever is known and read by children has a secure place in the hearts of fathers and mothers. He first interested us in his legend of the radians. “Hiawatha,” as American people like Indian stories. His next good work Evangeline” Won our hearts on account of its portrayal of womanhood. Longfellow was not an original poet, but one who glorified the common life which men live, by showing its beauty and truth. His works are of great and beautiful simplicity enabling even children to understand them. The Village Blacksmith,” “The Old Clock on the Stairs” and The Children’s Hour” are favorites. A second good quality of Longfellow is his sympathy, which makes him wise in the ways of the human heart. He understands it’s joys, it’s sorrows, it’s sentiments, and it’s satisfaction in a tale or poem that ends in harmony with the nature of man. He keeps close to common experience, being content with the place he holds in the hearts of his fellow-men. Another great quality is suggested by the statement that he is “the poet of the commonplace.” From the material of common life he produced poetry. This alone would give him a place in our hearts, for.,, who would not like to hear poetry about his own home? Summing this all up, we honor him, therefore, as “our household poet,” and of all the gifts which fortune brought him cherish these two: that the children celebrate his birthday and that his bust stands in the Poet’s Corner of Wesminster Abbey. The one shows his hold on the human hearts and the other shows his secure fame among all English speaking people. --------oo-------- Miss Richey—“Ralph, what is the dative form of donum?” Ralph Wiggins—“D’on’ know.” Miss Richey— Correct.” A Hint. He—“What would you do if I threw a kiss to you?” She—“I would think you were lazy.” Merle Allshouse, says he don’t see or know how the Sam Hill “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” was written by Harriett Beecher’s toe. —o-— Ted—“Did your watch stop when you dropped it?” Merle— Sure, you didn’t think it would go on through, did you?”

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21 THE SPECTATOR Mrs. James— Really, is it that much? I got two pounds day before yesterday at twenty cents a pound. I suppose they will keep raising the prices till it will be out of everyone’s reach. 1 think it is terrible, but it don't do any use to talk. My goodness, I smell my cake burning! HELEN MILL1REN, 22. -------oo------- THE DOVE O’ PEACE. The Dove of Peace was pictured and described to us, as a pure white-bird. Away back in November, 1918 we thou edit we saw it, a white speck in the sky . coming towarb us. But it seems to have fallen among flocks of bandit birds, led by a new species of bird ralled League of Nations.” This new bird seems to be having great fun. teasing our little dove. In fact teasing it so much that we are now afraid that the Pea e Messenger will go back to '.here it came from and then we will have another hard time coaxing it out aeain The Pooster of France and the American Fagle also seem to do a little teasing. Put they were taught how by the large ‘‘League of Nations” bird. It seems that this new bird has done its work well. We wonder who its trainer was? Then just as the “l eague of Nations ’ settled down a little and the dove was starting westward again a large Red-bird rose out of Russia and fought with our dove all the way to America where he tried to kill it, bnt did not succeed and the reason was. the American Eagle stepped in and helped the Peace Dove and finally succeeded in getting rid of the Red-bird. But you may still see Red-bird, feathers scattered over our country. But in the end let us hope our little “Dove o’ Peace will come through all these dangers, unscarred and will make its home in the United States of America. HAROLD, SCHULER, ’23. -------oo------- THE PATRIOTIC SOCIETY OF HOOVERSVILLE. On October 31, 1917, the citizens of HooversviUe organized the “Hoo-versville Patriots.” They met in the ‘ Town Hall every Saturday evening and discussed the War” and elected new officers for the next week. E ery Satuiday afternoon they had a patriotic parade in which every one in HooversviUe took part (almost 50 persons.) They paraded up and down Main Street (the only street there) led by the “Band (two drums and a fife ) “Fat Bums volunteered in the air service (pumping up tires,) and Miss I earl Buttons and Miss May Sink vol-imtee e:l in the Red Cross (shoving ] emils and hammering typwriters.) Miss Hazel Nuts gave two dollars tor the Red Cross, and Mr. O. U. Crab rave the use of his horse, to haul the Red Cross literature from the station. JOHN ADAMS, '24. ■-------oo-------- ICE (CAUSE AND EFFECT.) Of course we all know that the cause of ice is frozen water,—that’s easy, if only the effect was as easy—it would be a happy world to-day. At least the pupils of V. PI. S. would be happier. Ice—it's just as nice and slippery as it sounds. Only by wiggling, squirming and crawling—-of course I n ean by the feet-—can one be a good valber. although one must take a tumble now and then. Ice is very effective. It is the ruin of many people's nerves. The eye that used to meet you with a defiant look has now a fearful, haunting light. Why? ask you. Why the ice, and woe to the tall one if he should take a tumble. Beware! Fate is peeping around every corner. Don’t laugh as long as you are standing on ice. EVELYN SWANSON. •------—oo----- —— A PLEA. The domestic Science Department of our High School is one of the most important branches for the girls. The interest shown and the work done by them so far has been splendid. We want to see it grow to meet the demands of our girls. In order to do this we need more equipment, and of course, this takes money; but, if $3,000 can be spent for equipping the