Waukegan High School - Annual W Yearbook (Waukegan, IL)

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This discloses the oddest looking company I had yet seen. A long row of blindfolded young ladies, sprinkled here and there with young men by way of variety, were arrayed before type- writers. They were in a contest to decide the championship of the United States. Among the many inducements offered to the winner was the position as a court reporter of the United States Supreme Court. I took particular notice of a young lady whose fingers seemed fairly to fly over the keys. At the close of the required time she was fully two hundred words in the lead and the judge announced her as Mabel Lake, Gurnee, Ill. Cheers upon cheers rend the air, but not from the above an- nouncement. Before me stretches a base ball diamond. The object of the cheers is the first baseman who has just made a spectacular leap into the air after a ball, made a triple play and won the game. A girl sits in the grandstand and claps her lit- tle hands until her gloves are ruined, cxclaiming, I knew Cow would do soinetliingfl She occupies an important position as teacher of Science in a leading university and her name is Lucy Grady. A large steamship is just about to leave the wharf. A dele- gation from the XVomen's Foreign Aid Society are embracing one of th'eir number who is about to depart as a missionary to the Fiji Islands. I cannot see hcr face until th'e vessel is draw- ing out to sea, when as she waves her farewell to her friends I recognize Marie Carlson and wish her the best of luck in her un- dertaking. I next find myself in the spectators' gallery of the State Legislature. It is a memorable day and I am lucky to secure a seat. For the past year there has been a great women sudrage agitation headed by such renowned leaders as Iiida Gourley and Nellie Gowdy. Now, as an important suffrage bill is about to be brought up, these two leaders are here to plead their cause. One member of the house, a Mr. Deitmeyer, has dared to take a decided stand in the way of the bill's passage. Nellie Gowdy takes the fioor against the stubborn representative and a scene ensues similar to the one enacted by these very two in the VVau- kegan High School and on this same question. Then Lida takes the stand and when she gets through, Elmer Dietmeyer is no where to be seen and the bill goes through with a rush. Now I am on a palace car, speeding from New York to Chicago. Harry Nelson, the great railroad magnate, and his 19

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try dwelling, surrounded by numerous flower beds and so scrup- ulously neat as to proclaim without a doubt that it was the home of a spinster. I was admitted by an elderly lady and two little white kittens with blue ribbons around their necks. Various other members of the feline family welcomed me with soft purr- ing. The lady in charge informed me it was a Home for De- linquent Cats and claimed she was as much of a philanthropist as those engaged in more ostentatious enterprises. She said she was always disposed to be kind to animals and in the Wlaukegan High School-suddenly her identity flashed upon me. She was Lenore Bland, whose oration has aroused the sympathy of the whole High School toward the Indian and his wrongs. The kind hearted lady a.nd her feline friends disappear. Be- fore me sits a young lady at a canvas, sketching a landscape. Her dark eyes are riveted on th'e work before her and she takes no notice of my presence. As she pauses a minute I recognize Jennie Jackson, and I recall the time when she took an active part in painting the decoration which adorned the oiiice of the old High School and has been transferred to the new Township High School. Now I see an old man with a long white beard, sitting be- fore a small house in a country village. He is known as the oldest inhabitantf' a.nd is somewhat of a philosopher in his way. He is the village authority on every matter of speculation from a base ball game to a presidential election, and can find material for an argument on almost any topic brought up. I entered into conversation with him and he immediately went off to tell how we beat Hinsdale and almost got the state champion- ship, if we were not beaten th'e second game and if?- No one who attended High School with the class of 1906 could fail to recognize Oscar Ohlson, the only philosopher worthy of the name that the High School could ever boast of. Another change and I am in thle Parisian theatre, Paris. A famous American singer is touring Europe. She has sung be- fore all the crowned heads, delighted thousands of people and is now on a two months' engagement in Paris before leaving for home. As I listen to tl1e voice that has captivated all Europe I try to recall a faint suspicion lingering in my mind. Now I receive a program. Mme. Lydia Dahringer is what stares up at me from tl1e printed sheet as the surroundings fade into another scene. 18 '

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wife, have combined a honeymoon and business trip to the east and are now -on their way home. The car fills up and a few are left standing. Elsie Menter, traveling agent for the Zion City Lace Industries, is among the latter. Harry, with a deep bow suclf as he had never used since the night of the ttMagistrate, offers her his seat with a little more politeness than the occa- sion warrants, thinks his wife. Mary Lester is not a person to be triiied with and the glance she darts at Harry sends him into the smoker for a quiet smoke. The next scene reveals a suite of rooms occupied by a re- nowned hypnotist and soothsayer. Thinking perhaps she could lfelp me out in my search for members of 1ny scattered class, I enter and state the object of my visit. She takes a small mirror and by gazing intently at it for some minutes, hypnotizes herself and goes into a trance. Then she begins to relate her vision. HI see an immense cloud of dust growing larger and larger. From it emerges an automobile going like the wind. It is evi- dently a race for three or four others follow at various distances. In spite of the queer head dress and goggles which almost con- ceals the chaffeur, she appears to be a young girl not at all ex- cited, but controlling her great machine with perfect coolness. But can you ascertain her name? Can you see the number? '4Tl1e number is 23 and according to tl1e score card I have in my hand her name is Marie Shields. But the vision has vanished. f'Do you see anything of Thomas Merchant? XYhere is he all these years? Alf, Tommie is head of a large packing house in Chicago. He has met with a decided success in his profession, and has bought up most of the meat packing plants in and around Chi- cago. Following the lead of Mr. Graham he is writing a series of 4tLetters from a Self-Made Merchant to Students. Now can you see anything of Ethel Ward ? Ethel is a prominent member of the Audubon Society which has grown rapidly lately. Shie is now a delegate from Illi- nois to a convention at IVashington where an attempt will be made to interest the government in the protection of birds. An- other old classmate you might be interested in is Amelia Reil, who is now superintendent of schools and who has founded and endowed an Old Maids Home. 20