Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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inquiries, she has not yet learned their wliercabouts. Our notable collection of trophies won by former students for excellence in various lines of endeavor should serve as an in- spiration in the present and future to ath- letes, debaters, and all others who have the privilege of representing Wakefield High School in interscholastic competitions. VIOLA M. HOVEY, ' 28. DANIEL A Tale In Three Wags Wag The First Daniel, an extremely homely Airedale, was madly in love with Bella, the dainty, aristo- cratic little Pomeranian. Every day, he went to the park in order to see her as she took her daily walk %Arith Maurice, the stately grey- hound. Timidly he tried to speak to her, but, at the sight of homely Daniel, she had deli- cately drawn herself away and asked Maurice to please take her home as there were such horrible creatures trying to address her. Sadly Daniel turned away, wishing that he might do some noble deed in her presence. Wag The Second The next morning, on his way to the park, Daniel saw Bella and Maurice just crossing the street. A powerful car was bearing down on them at full speed. Daniel ' s blood froze. Was the beautiful Bella going to be killed? Without a thought for liis own safety, he ran out and pulled Bella back, just in time to save her life. Wag The Third Now he thought tliat he would surely be Bella ' s liero. Imagine his surprise wlien, with a disdainful shrug, she told Maurice to send away that ugly creature, who had rudely seized her coat and pulled her back. For the second time, Daniel turned sadly homeward, this time without thoughWof being a hero, but with the firm resolution tliat lie was tluougli with women. EILEEN FITZGERALD, ' 28. THE HORSE O horse, you are a wonderful thing! No buttons to push, no liorns to ring; No license buying every year, With plates to screw on front and rear; Your frame is good for many a mile; Your body never changes style; Your wants are few and easily met; You ' ve got something on the auto yet. ALICE McGRAIL, ' 30. THE ORIGIN OF THE INDIAN PIPE The Massapoag and the Baboosic Indians were at last holding a Peace Council on the shore of Lake Massapoag. This is the reason for the meeting: Mattaweesit, the only son of the Chief of the Bal)oosic tribe, had fallen deeply in love with Minnetonka, the only daughter of the Massapoag ' s chief, but Minnetonka had only a short time to live. Mattaweesit knew this; yet he wished to marry her and be happy with her, even if it were for only a few days. Every night the two lovers met under a tree which was half-way between the camp-grounds of the two tribes, and, as Mattaweesit saw Minnetonka fast fading away, his love for her grew even stronger. At last the fatal day came, and, as she lay on her death bod, her father and friends sor- rowfully comforting her, she expressed her desire to marry Mattaweesit. At first lier fatlier refused, but, knowing that his daughter could not live through the day, he granted lier wish and sent for the young warrior. Matta- weesit pleaded witli his fatlier, and the chief finally gave him his iiermission, for he knew that soon after the marriage the tie would break, and liis sou would be free to return to his own tril e. Til. t day tlie Baboosic and Massa wag In- diana formed a circle, and, as friends, watched the u arriage ceremony. Just as tlie youth and 1 he maiden were married, Minnetonka fell 11 to Mattaweesit ' s arms. At that instant, an ai -ow rent the air and pierced Matta- weesit s heart. Together they fell to the grouni . The two chiefs, in their sorrow, decided to joiir 11 L ' ir tribes, as their children had wished, and ii . ' e together. Thus the Peace Council Avas be ng held and, as the Chief of the Massa- jioags massed the Peace Pipe to the Cliief of tlie Ba joosics, some of the hot a ies fell from tlie pipe to the ground. Soon after, in the very spot where the ashes had fallen, a beautiful flower in the shape of 1111 Indian pipe blossomed. This flower, called tile Indian Pipe and soinetimes the Corpse Plant, is pure white. Even the tiny leaves which grow alternately along a single, smooth, and stiff white stem are of the same pure tint, signifying the faith of the two lovers, Minnetonka and Mattaweesit. ELIZABETH COULD, 2!). 16

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chairman of the Boston and Vicinity Group of School Librarians, held a meeting of that committee here at school. The members present were very favorably impressed with the beauty and convenience of our library. The Masque Club and Le Cercle Francais have held their meetings there regularly during the last year. This plan is a new one, and promises to become an established custom because of the size of the room and its adaptability for impromptu plays. The Art Department has had various exhibits of pictures and of the original work of students now at A akcfield High, also of graduates who are continuing their studies at art schools. All these thing.; go to show that our library most assuredly I, olds an imijortant place in our school life, and Avill continue to be a great source of help and inspiration to the students. SYLVIA NUTE, ' 27. SCHOOL TROPHIES Visitors to our library are sure to notice ikc silver cups on the shelves near the fire- place. I have often wondered how they came into the possession of the school, but it was only recently that I had sufficient initiative to satisfy my curiosity by perching on a chair and reading the inscriptions on Ihem. As probably few of the present pupils or the school know much more about these trophies than I did, it may be of interest to them to learn how the cups were acquired. The oldest one there was won April 7, 1892, by the Wakefield High School Athletic Asso- ciation in a tournament between Melrose and Wakefield. The names of those who repre- sented Wakefield in the meet are given on the cup as follows: E. K. Bowser, W. Coon, W. Copeland, S. Gowen, L. Gomng, W. Kele- her, W. Harper, A. A. Morton, C. H. Sweet- ser, and A. Wheeler. The seconti oldest cup was won on March 28, 1896. The occasion was the second annual indoor meet at Salem, to decide the cham- pionship of the Essex Interscholastic Athletic Association. Wakefield High came out ahead with thirty-five points. T lie next cups were won in 1903. One is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cup for Interscholastic Individual Drill . The other was for winning the championship of the Suburban Baseball League. This trophy has a distinctive appearance because the handles are bone instead of silver. The following year (1904) the school again won the baseball championship of the Suburban League. Later, in 1911, 1912, 1913, and again in 1919, the baseball teams won the cham- pionship of the Middlesex Baseball League, and we have cups for all these years. In 1905, the William Barron Eogers cup was won by Wakefield in the Champion Ice Polo Tournaments. The team members, whose names are recorded on the cup, were : George Maloney, James Maloney, John Griffiths, Raymond Nichols, George Sheehy, Nathan p]aton, and Mason Southworth. This cup is doubly interesting because on the back there is an engraving of boys playing ice polo. i debate was held between Wakefield High ScliDol and Everett High on March 6, 1908, and the Wakefield debaters carried off the tro hy.. Aga)in the names of the partici- pants appear on the cup, and they were Mar. ' us Beebe, ' 08, Clyde G. Morrill, P. G., Ha.i ' )]d G. Watkins, ' 08, and Joseph Low, ' 08, alternate. The athletes of the school were also pro- ficient in running, as is shown by the cup awarded in 191.5 to the victors in the Middle- sex Gross Country Run. Another cup for running is that offered by the Knights of Columbus for their annual cross country run at Worcester. The Wakefield boys evi- dently won three years in succession, as a school must have won three years in order to own this cup. Wakefield also won the cup at a cross country run in Belmont. Those parti- cipating were : Harvard 1921 freshmen, Providence Technical High, Wakefield High School, and St. Benedict ' s Preparatory School Athletic Association. The run was held November 10, 1917. This was the year that the Wakefield runners were coached by Eddit Farrell, who is now the varsity coach in track at Harvard University. The last cup in the collection was awarded to the winning high school relay team on Welcome Home Day at Woburn, June 17, 1919. The victorious Wakefield High runners were J. E. Batten, A. Burke, E. Draper, and J. G. Brown. I was baffled in my quest for information by two cups on the shelves which have no inscriptions of any sort. Also, the high school used to have a rifle team and its trophies were wooden shields with silver centers containing inscriptions. The shields are not in the school and, although the curi- osity of the writer has prompted her to make 15

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DEAN BRIGGS Le Baron Eussell Briggs, unobtrusive and Ijlain iu appearance, caring nothing for the pomp of academic life, does not seem to be the usual type of character portrayed in a biography. Yet, before he retired from ac- tive official service in 1925, he was called the greatest teacher in America, the living patron saint of American college men. There was little about his youth that fore- told his future fame. The earlier part of it was spent in Salem and Plymouth. Later, his father, who was a minister, moved to Cam- bridge so that his sons might attend Harvard. A great deal of his time was spent in read- ing, especially the works of Dickens. Yet, in spite of this bookish propensity, he was a nat- ural, curious boy who liked to explore and study the ships in the harbor — tastes which he kept during his whole life. He entered Harvard in 1871 and four years later was graduated fourth in his class, after taking the prescribed courses. Two profes- sors, George M. Lane, professor of Latin, and George H. Palmer, professor of Greek and philosophy, influenced him for higher educa- tion and a scholarly life. After being graduated he went abroad and studied in the University of Leipsic, but returned in 1878 to become a tutor of Greek. The courses in English were being developed, so he turned from teaching to graduate study and in 1882 received the degree of Master of Arts in English. The next year, lie began his courses in Eng- lish; first, as an assistant to Professor Hill in a sophomore class; later, when he was made a full professor in 1890, as the professor of English 5, a course which was made up of men who had already had some success in writing. It was in this course that the prac- tice of a daily theme was started. His criti- cism of these themes was pleasantly acrid: You make the straight crooked ; anybody can do that ; Although this theme is short, it might well have been shorter. Thus, in that course and in one of freshmen, he raised the standard of writing so that stu- dents no longer disgraced themselves in self- expression. More than this, his influence grew rather than diminished on men after leaving his presence. His contribution to literature is such that he has been called the shrewd genius who created creators. Li 1891, President Eliot named Mr. Briggs successor to Dean Smith. The appointment was greeted with vociferous approval by the students but without enthusiasm by the faculty. President Eliot gave as his reason for the appointment that students were go- ing to him for counsel, and I thought they might keep on going to him, even if he was Dcanl This soon proved to be the case be- cause of Dean Briggs ' policy of friendliness. The man who was down and out always found a helping friend in Dean Briggs; for no matter how pressed he was, he never let anyone feci that a matter was hurried. In cases of discipline he proved to be just as successful and for the same reasons. In being the counsellor of the college, he tried to raise the moral standards of the students so high that discipline Avould be unnecessary. His successor. Dean Hurlburt, said only in the hearts of men arc written the full records of his untiring patience, his boundless faith, and the sympathy that has made each man his brother. Dean Briggs is indeed justly famous for having raised the standards of men both in literature and character, so that all who know liim or know about him can only echo Presi- dent Eliot ' s words that he was patient, ten- der, discerning, candid, just, and cheering, be- cause convinced of the overwhelming predomi- nance of good in the world. ALMA SANDEBS, ' 28. WITH APOLOGIES TO MILTON Hence, loatlied Studying! Of Socrates and ancient pedants born — In some dark school forlorn, ' Mongst horrid tomes and tests and theses trying, Find out some uncouth cell. Where awful learning spreads his jealous wings. And the night-owl sings; There, ujider knotty beams and low-browed eaves. As musty as thy leaves. In dark, dust-covered attic ever dwell. But come, ye Goddesses fair and free. Play and Leisure, come to me! Haste, ye nymphs, and bring with ye. Jest and youthful Jollity; Sport, that wrinkled Care derides. And Laughter holding both his sides. With all the joys that ye can give. Play and Leisure with me live. ETHEL STODDARD, ' 27. 17