Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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Esq. July 1, 1868, when the town changed its name, the school became Wakefield High School. On April 3, 1871, P. H. Sweetser introduced an article into the warrant for town meeting by which the high school might be put into a larger building. A committee consisting of Cyrus Wakefield Lucius Beebe, Richard Britten, Oliver Per- kins and George Packard was appointed to consider. May 1, 1871, the committee re- ported in favor of the immediate erection of a high school building. The town voted to do this and appointed this same commit- tee to attend to its construction. The lot on the corner of Lafayette and Common streets, where the old Prentiss house stood, was selected. On this site was built the present very ample and elegant structure. This school was occupied by the Ad- vanced Grammar Grades and the High School until the fall of 1896 when the gram- mar grades were transferred to the Lin- coln School. The Advanced Grammar Grades used Room 10 and another recita- tion room on the first floor. The High School occupied the second floor and the Chemical Room, which was Room 11, on the ground floor. The heavy wooden shutters in that room were used to exclude the light during some experiments. The third floor was an exhibition hall and there also was the pressure tank of water system. The building as it was originally erected did not have the wing that now contains Rooms 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The part in which these are located was built in 1900. In the same year the commercial course was add- ed to the routine of studies. While this structure may have been very ample in 1872, it is certain that it is not so now, for the cramped conditions oblige the Freshmen to have a separate session in the afternoon. However, we hope that it will not be long before some pupil writes an account of the dedication of the new High School for the Debater. — Ruth Woodbury, ' 20. OUR EXCHANGES Tiger, South High School, Minne- apolis. Bison, McCook High School, McCook, Neb. Argus, Gardner H. S., Gardner, Mass. Sedan, Hampden Academy, Hampden, Me. Recorder, Winchester H. S., Winches- ter, Mass. Authentic, Stoneham H. S., Stoneham, Mass. Boston University Beacon, and Bos- tonia, Boston University, Boston, Mass. Tufts Weekly, Tufts College, Med- ford, Mass. Exchange Notes Tiger, South H. S., Minneapolis, Minne. Your school surely has done some commendable work for Uncle Sam. The Bison, McCook H. S., McCook, Neb. Your paper is among the best of our exchanges. You have our sincere admira- tion in publishing such an interesting school paper every week. The Argus, Gardner H. S., Gardner, Mass. Your literary department is very good. Your jokes are very clever and original. The Sedan, Hampden Academy, Hamp- den, Me. Your stories are very interest- ing. The personals with their sketches, add much to your paper. Recorder, Winchester H. S., Winches- ter, Mass. You may rightfully be proud of your honor roll. The Authentic, Stoneham, H. S., Stoneham, Mass. A few stories would add much to your number. You have an honor roll worthy of praise. — Katherine Kelly, ' 19. Exchange Editor. 18

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the actual conscription of 46,347 men out of 776,829 men drafted for service. These are reasons why people saw a total failure of the Selective Service Law, which was enacted by Congress on May 18, 1917. However, in the eighteen days interven- ing May 18 and June 5, a great adminis- trative machine was set up. The governors of states, mayors, and officials of the coun- ties were called upon to help. The system they set up comprised 4,000 registration boards with over 12,000 members, employ- ing registrars, and assistants to the num- ber of 125,000. In one day the entire male population, between the age limits, presented itself at enrollment booths with a registered result of nearly 10,000,000 names. Within forty- eight hours practically complete registra- tion returns had been assembled by tele- graph, in Washington. On July 20, by a great central lottery in Washington, the first national quota of 687,000 men was drawn. By September 1, the Selective Ser- vice System was ready to deliver to the cantonments, a total of 180,000 selected men. The total cost of the Selective Service System to the United States, was $5,211,- 965.38, a cost of $.54 per registrant. The cost of a man accepted averaged $4.93. The cost per man called was $1.69. The cost per man per quota due was $7.59. This lat- ter in Massachusetts was $6.02. There is nothing more to the credit of the United States than the thoroughness and efficiency which was shown in the great task for which it was totally unprepared. — Gardner Clemons, ' 19. A DREAM One night I was going home down Al- bion street, with a friend. We arrived at the comer of Albion and Railroad streets and stopped to say a few parting words. Just then we heard a lot of talking and listening a minute, we decided it came from the Corner Market Store. Then be- coming excited and leaping upon the steps, I opened the door and entered followed by my friend. We found to our amazement the whole store in an uproar. First, we tried to calm the combatants, but the attempt was useless; then we tried to find out how the argument began, and the only one who could give us any infor- mation was the fairy in fairy soap, and the story that she told is as follows: It seems there were two old hams hang- ing on the wall and they began to discuss who would be sold first, and they made so much noise that a couple of Cold Shoulders who decided to get fresh, told them to keep quiet Then the four began to argue and this resulted in waking up the hammer who was asleep in the tool chest; he was so mad he threw saivdust in the potatoes ' eyes and finished by knocking the heads off of the nails. The saw could not bear to see the hammer treat his friends this way, so he came down from the hook on the wall, and walked around angrily showing his teeth. He ran into the mule from Borax City, who became so excited that he kicked the umbrella and broke three of its ribs. We arrived just as the cheese, who was very strong, was carrying the umbrella out of the back door. Then the plane tried to smooth things down, and when he failed, the sandpaper tried the same thing, but also failed. Then we decided to call the police, who upon their arrival, asked help from the broom.,, the Gold Dust Twins and the Woman in the Old Dutch Cleanser and in about one hour they had everything cleaned up, and the store was ready for business. I suppose you are all wondering what became of the umbrella. It was sent to the hospital and had its ribs set, and later I had a letter saying it would be out the next good rainstorm. — Francis Maguire, ' 19. A SKETCH OF OUR SCHOOL Eaton ' s History of Reading, says, It is a source of credit to the town of South Reading that it was disposed to establish a high school so early in its municipal course The high school was started in this town in 1845 under the name of South Reading High School, and its first principal was James F. Blackington of Attleborough, Mass. This institution first met in the old South Reading Academy building which the town bought in 1847. The school house stood on Academy Hill where the Lincoln School is now. It may be of interest to note that this building is the present Grand Army hall. In 1860 a three-years ' course was arranged and the pupils were divided into three classes. In 1863 the first class, numbering twelve received their diplomas, which were provided by Cyrus Wakefield, 17

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ALUMMI MOTES ALUMNI NOTES— CLASS OF 1918 Josephine Anderson, N. E. Tel Tel. Co. Helena Austin, United Shoe Mfg. Co. Dorothy Baker, Mrs. Clarke ' s Shorthand School. Rollo Baker, Boston Maine Helen Barber, Boston Maine Blanche Batchelder, Ashton Valve Co., Cambridge. Ruth Bonney, Framingham Normal School. Charlotte Boody, Mt. Holyoke College. Joseph Brehaut, National Register Co., Boston. Bertha Brown, Salem Normal School. Ethelind Brown, Burdett Business School. William Brown, Clarke Leather Co. William Burke, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, Ind. Sarah Burwen, Bryant Stratton. Arline Carter, Bay State Office, Reading. Walter Clements, Libby, Irving Vose. Timothy Collins, Tufts College. Merrill Ootting, Heywood Bros, (office). Albert Crabiel, Carley Life Float Co. Frances Curtis, Oliver ' s Laundry (office). Clifton Davis, Home. Robert Dean, Jr., Boston University. Margaret Desmond, Boston Maine. Cyrus Dolbeare, Boston University. Raymond Drugan, Boston College. Pauline Eager, Home. Ethel Eaton, Boston Conservatory of Music. Benard Esner, Boston Maine. William Finneran, Consolidation Coal Co. Viola Friberg, Wakefield Trust Co. Gladys Gerrior, John Hancock Insurance Co. Jennie Gersinovitch, Cohen Weinstein. Helen Gould, Western Union, N. Y. Cora Guarnaccia, Salem Normal School. Gladys Hawkes, Aetna Insurance Co. Nellie Hayward, Blood Grocery Store, Lynn. Hildegarde Hendrickson, Boston Maine. Alice Heywood, First National Bank, Maiden Caswell Heustis, U. S. Marine, France Doris Hillsgrove, Mendum Richmond John Hurley, Boston College Mary Hurton, Textile Review Co. Carroll Jacobs, Bay State Office. Helen Jones, John Hancock Insurance Co. John Kalaher, Lever Bros. Lester Lewis, Mass. Institute Technology Charles Locash, Wentworth Institute. Olive Lunny, Factory Mutual Insurance Co. Gaston Loubris, Paper Box Co. Franz Lux, No report Etta Magee, Bay State Office, Reading. Howard Marshall, Boston Army Base. Stanley Marshall, Boston Maine. 19