Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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THE W. II. S. DEI5ATEH pa(4p: 8p:vex tried the newspapers, but they liave au agfreeineiit ainoug- themselves not to advertise in anything but newspapers. At last we succeeded in getting; an ad- vertisement from a jewelry house, but the proprietor is a resident of Wakefield. After the advertisements and the reading matter have been sent to the printer, comes the long j d) of cor- recting ' proofs. Tliia reijuires a visit at the printing- office at least once a day for about three weeks. After the pai)er has been printed and bound, the managei-s must begin to make plans for the sale of the paper. They naturally rely uiK)n the school to back them in the enterprise, but again they are doomed to disappointment. In planning for the publication of the last Deuatek, we estimated that we couhl safely reckon on selling- copies to one liaif the student body. When all returns were in, we found that one hundred and fifty-two of a student )ody numbering four hundred and seventy-six l)upils, had bought coj)ies — twenty coj)ies going to the Freshman class, numbering- one huiulred and torty i)U- pils. Judging fi-om tlie criticisms that we hear favorable and otherwise, there is no lack of interest in the enter- prise. What is the matter then, and what shall we do about it ' i M. W. TiiuKsiiKi:. ny FIKST SCHOOL DAy IN LONG TROUSeRS With Ai-oi.ixjies to R. ] I. I). 1 STAIiTEI) for school one bright Maich morn- ing, feeling very big in n)y fiist i)air of long S trousers. I had at last i)ersuaded my father to let me put them on, though he still maintained that fifteen was too young I was walking along quietly, occupieil with ray thoughts, never di ' eaming that anyone was near, when I heard some one giggle, and on turning around I saw two girls whom [ had known for a great many years. They were laughing and giggling, seemingly very much amused at their conversation, though I was too far away to hear what they said. In spite of my embar- rassment I trieil to appear nonchalant and natural. I kicked the stones from my path, threw several into the air and caught them, broke up sticks and threw them far and wide, and jumjied a low fence; but the girls only laughed the more. When I arrived at Main street the upper classmen were just going to drill and I heard some remarks not very complimentary, such as Aren ' t the babies grow- ing up quick? ' Gee, some class to the ' freshie ' , which made me feel very small and insignificant. The freshmen boys greeted me more kindly ; several congratulated me. Hut the girls all laughed and one remarked, Doesn ' t he look cute ! J ut when her com- panion said ' Some cJass ' ' I couldn ' t stand it any longer, and I replied, ' Well, you know what you can do, if you don ' t like them. I regretted this at once, as it brought a laugh from the jjujiils in the corridor and someone said, Pretty touchy, isn ' t he ! I could feel my face grow red and I hurried to my seat, though I ilid not arrive there without accidents- I trip])ed over the feet of several boys and buini)ed into a girl, knocking a l)ook from her hand. When I returned it to her, she looked me over from my head to my licels and grinned. I was never so thankful before for the shelter of my desk cover, and I did not i)ut it down until the last bell rang. In class the teachers called me Mr. instead of Master, and that also made the boys laugh. I decided that I had been ridiculed enough for one day and would take the car home from school. I rode on the front platform with the motorman and succeeded in escaping the eyes of the i)asseiig-ers. I was just a few feet from home and was beginning to breathe freely again, when I heard S(»me one cough, and looked uji to meet the siuiling eyes of one of my schoohriates. IShe seemed to be stricken with a chok- ing fit, but her cough didn ' t sound natural. Feariug her ((uestions, I started for the house on a run, fol- lowed by the taunting remark, Fraid cat. I was thankful when at last the door closed behind nie. IJut I did not ha e peace even then, as my small brother greeted me with, ()h. Mama, see Bobby in his new trousers. He ' s a real grown-up man. Aw, shut up, I ' ve heard enough of that today, I said. That was tlie last straw, and I rusheil up the stairs to the seclu- sion of my room. L. C. S., ' 18. The High School always welcomes the Grand Army Veterans. Their presence at the Friday session before Memorial Day is an inspiration to nobler living- and higher thinking. They personify unselfishness. We sit at their feet in loving respect and honor.

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l (iK SIX TIIK W. II. S. DK BATEIJ Mills, ' also luauufaotured iu ' ' The Best Towu. Fur- thenuore, wlieu aiiyoue speaks of the shoe raanufactur- iufi ' ceulers of the world, everybody kuovvs that Lyun, Mass., and her suburbs are meant ; novv, another hit may be scored for Wakefisld, for it is one of the sub- urbs of Lynn (that is, speaking- in terms of shoe nianu- fat ' turinff). Then, too, the Henry F. Miller pianos, which are known throughout the civilized world, are the i)roducts of the skilled workmen who are em- ployed in the shops of the ' Henry F. Miller Piano Co., whose factories are at Wakefield. A department of the firm of ' Wright and Ditsou, the greatest man- ufacturing concern in the world which devotes its energies whdlly to the manufacture of athletic and sporting goods, is located here. We have also the works of the ' Smith and Anthony Co. For over fifty years this concern has been known the world over for the manufacture of high grade stoves and furnaces, and this firm takes second place to none in the making- of these products. The ' Jenkins-Phii)|)S Co. is a very progressive firm engaged in the manu- facture of reed and willow furniture. Without doubt, their goods will soon be as well-known in the vari- ous markets of the world as are the products of the lleywood Brothers and Wakefield Company. The Lead Lined Iron Pipe Company is another of the promising industries of this busy community ; their chief business lies in the manufacture of lead lined iron pipe. With such a variety of industries in a town with a population of only about 13,000, and witli these indus- tries employing such a high class of workmen, it is not strange that skilled mechanics seek, and find, a most acceptable haven of refuge iu the Best Town. With such labor and under such conditions, is it strange that the shops should run so smoothly, that the workingman should be so contented, happy, and peaceful, and that there should be no ill feeling be- tween employer and employee ? As for natural beauty — a person passing through this town will have his eyes attracted by a very pleasing- landscape. The center of the town rests on a i)lane three-quarters of a mile in width and three miles iu length. This plane is flanked on the east and west sides by hills, which are covered by trees with beauti- ful residences here and there. At either end of this plane lies a beautiful lake. The one towards the south, called Crystal Lake, is used by the town as a water supply. Lake Quannapowitt, or the upper lake as it is locally termed, was named after an Indian chief, whose tepee ' formerly rested on the shore of the lake. It is second only to the Charles River as a popular canoeing resort in Eastern Massachusetts. Since such advantages establish the reputation of a town, and, to a large extent the character of its towns- peoi)le, it is not strange that we take great pride in our town. IIakold Moncrikff. MANAGING A HIGH SCHOOL PAP6R T HE management of a high school paper is a difficult task, especially when money is tied up as it has been this year. The first thing the managers must do is to consult the ])rinter, give him some idea about the num- ber of pages to be priuteil, and find out how much time will be required for the printing. In small schools not representing great wealth, the cost of printing has to be met in part by advertise- ments. To obtain these advertisements is not so easy as one might think. For instance, at one store tiiat advertised in last year ' s Dehateh, we were told that the paper didn ' t bring in a single customer and that the money was thrown away. Other merchants in town confront us with the rules of the Merchants ' As- sociation, which bars them from advertising in any- thing but the newspapers. Soliciting ads in the city is still worse. We started out early one Saturday morning with the expec- tation of procuring at least one i)age of advertisements. The first place we visited was a large jewelry house, but we were told by the advertising manager that he couldn ' t possibly take on any more school pajjcrs as the firm was advertising in about a dozen different ones at the present time. After visiting three other jewelers with the same success, we decided to take the department stores. Two of the stores said they never advertised in anything but the newsi)apers, two were financially embarrassed, while a third could do nothing- then, but would consider the graduation numlier. The same day we called on three athletic houses; the first turned us down because our high school did not buy our athletic goods from them, and, argue as we might, we could not prevail upon them to give us an advertisement. At the next i)lace we went to, we found that the advertising manager was out sick, while the third did all of its advertising through an agent in New York, which meant that two weeks must elai)se before our ])roi)osition could be considered. We next

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taop: EI (i I it THE w. IT. s. dei}atp:h THE CO M VIEHCIAL OEPART VIENT H OW many people liave ever thonjulit of the ad- — vauta -e the Coininercial Departmeut affords W the pupils of the Waketiekl Hiy-h School? Perhai)8 if more cousideratiou was gfiven this course, there would be more interest sliowu in it. What does this department afford the averatje boy and girl who must leave school after their hijj-h school course? This is the only departmeut in the school in which the boys and girls are fitted to earn tlieir own living- after graduating-. It (jualities the student to take dictation witl) the average stenograi)her and gives him a moderate rate of speed in ty])e-writing-. C ' omi)lex book-keeping is also taught while letter-writing re- ceives careful and thorough attention. But with all these advantages there is still one very necessary thing lacking in this Iepartment. That is room space to accommodate all the classes. The com- mercial department in the Wakefield High School numbers eighty-two students. At certain times in one of the three rooms used for this department, there are fifty i)ui)ils some studying and some reciting at the same time ; wliile in the next room, separated by a partition which is merely a frame work, Iwenfy-four or twenty-five type writers are going at once. Other students are forced to study in a room wiiich should be used for drawing purposes only, and whicii has no desks or conveniences for liolding pajjcrs or books. li some of the good citizens of our town would come and visit our school and note the crowdeil conditions, I am sure that they would go away thorouglily con- vinced that the right time has come for our town to have a new high school. 31ari()n- Kennkdv, Com. ' 15. Her manners are beyond criticism. She does not chew gum, neither does she laugh or talk loudly in ]nib- lic places, or at the office. She regards i)unctuality as a necessity, and arrives at the office a little before time, rather than late, and IS not afraid to remaiii after hours, if there is any- thing to be done. Accuracy is a very important element in the making of an ideal stenographer. She i)ractises shorthand until she can read it cpiickly and accurately. H ' an em])lojer has to wait for liis stenographer to make out shorthand o itlines in a liurry letter, it oftentimes loses liim busi- ness. Accuracy aiail ability to read notes (juickly are necessary to the ideal stenographer. ' Anyone can write shorthand, but if he cannot read it, what is it worth? There is no profession in whicli there is so much neeil of good t nglish, as there is in stenograi)hy. If the employer lacks a good knowledge of English, and makes an error in dictating, the stenograjiher must correct it. But if the stenographer is the one tiiat is deficient in this respect, and the errors are not cor- rected, tlie em])loyer is likely to be ridiculed, and he will soon find it necessary to get a new assistant. The ideal office assistant is very careful about her spelling. Careless mistakes in siielling, such as p ' inciple for ' l)rincipal, know for no ' to for ' too , are ver.v annoying, and show very little thought on tiie part of the stenographer. The ideal stenogra])her regards honesty as the best l)olicy . She is always ready to admit an error, and while at the office considers only the interests of lier emi)l()yer. Siie is courteous and considerate at all times, as she is the representative of iier employer. A stenographer, having these cljaracteristics, is work- ing to success, and deser es to be called an ideal office assistant . i I. E. KicKKK, Commercial ' 15 THE ID6AL OFFICE ASSISTANT Our building is a hive of ind.ustry from morning till THERE are many necessary- (lualitications in the making of the ideal (flii ' e assistant, but ai - evening and, in the winter months, even into (he night. pearance is regarded as the most essential. With the forenoon sessions for upper classes and after- The ideal office assistant dresses neatly, and noon sessions for the freshmen, the elementary Evening attractively. i)ut not in the extreme of fashion, taking pai ' ticular notice of the little but iinijortant things, that help to make an attractive |)ei-sonal appearance, such as shtjcs i)olished, hair combed in a becoming manner, finger nails neatly manicured. At the office she shows the utmost care in keeping her desk and offic-e sur- roundings in order. School and School for .Millinery, the Boys ' Debating Society, the (iirls ' l)el)ating Society, the monthly meet- ing of the Wakelield I mi)ro enient .Vssociation. and the regular meeting of tlie (iirN ' (Jlee Club, there woidd seem to be little further use to which the building- eoulil be put. We wonder that the janitor can tind oppor- lunitx to keep the building in condition.