West High School - Westerner Yearbook (Denver, CO)

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The Class of1911 OFFICERS President ........ Curtis Drake, Wilbur Dinsmore Vice-President ..... George Saunders, William Stringham Secretary ........ Lucille Jaeger, Irene Bryden Treasurer . . . Thad Sears, That Sears Colors: Emerald and Gold Motto: Nulla Vestigia Retrorsum Higtoryg of the Class of 1911 One day in the autumn of 1907 an alumnus, living in a foreign country, re- visited the land of perpetual sunshine and happened to come into the West Side High School. He looked for a long time on the mass of students, then remarked to a Sophomore near by, How small and green the Freshmen are this year? They do not look green to us any longer, replied the Sophomore, f'be- cause they are so remarkably intelligent. On the first day of school not one brought his lunch and they all seemed to know that dumb-bells cannot talk. It was our class. From the first we astonished the faculty by our ever in- creasing thirst for knowledge. We devoured everything, from German hieroglyphics to why we have Marathon races. Some of us met the monster called tTest of Prep- aration' and spent every seventh hour we had in entertaining him. Quadratics held no terrors for us. Our English teachers developed in us a strong desire to read everything available, Ivanhoe and the Lady of the Lake being our favorites. At the end of nine and one-half months we decided that the faculty and seniors needed a rest, so we dismissed school and let them seek repose where they desired. The next September found us back again, refreshed and, in some mysterious manner, all of our greenness had entirely disappeared. We were possessed with a strong desire to go forth and conquer the whole world, but Mr. Motherwell per- suaded us that if we conquered Gaul we would win enough glory. Battled in this, we went to King Arthur's court to seek fame there with the knights of old. It was their tales of chivalry that inspired us with the idea of hoisting our banner aloft, bearing the mystic symbols '11, on the telephone wires and thereby attaining a great- er height than was ever before reached. Gur hard-working geometry teachers at- tempted to tell us that if two figures looked alike they were similar. As Juniors we were recognized by the world outside by winning prizes in many contests. Leslie Skerry easily convinced the judges that he was the best orator, Ethel Palmerton is the possessor of a set of Shakespeare, Marie Garrison re- ceived a prize from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Ethel Palmerton was awarded the W. C. T. U. prize. That is a good deal for one school, remarked someone, but what else could one expect, the class of 1911 is still theref' We took things more quietly that year and with Cicero as spokesman politely told Cataline he was not wanted in the senate. We convinced ourselves, after a month of experiments of the verity of the kinetic theory of molecular molecules. The intricacies of how to ring a door bell were expounded to us. We learned why Cephalopod's were not mammals and read the touching love story of the Amoeba and the lnfusoria. As Juniors we were particularly anxious to learn how the heart 18

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beats and the effect of candy on the complexion. Rumor whispered about that cer- tain students wished all Frenchmen at the bottom of the deep, blue sea with their verbs. We did not care to win laurels in athletics because it is such empty labor. Our ambition was to dive down into the deep sea of learning for pearls of knowledge. But, alas! all good things must come to an end, so our Junior year was finished. The summer was drawing to a close. Dust covered everything in the build- ing and all was the silence of the deserted, not even the gurgle of the drinking fountain could be heard, when suddenly a sound like a sigh came from the corner where the statue of Minerva stood. Apollo changed his position and inquired why she was so sorrowful. f'Will they never come back? lt's been such a long 7? time, she murmured. Who will never come back? queried Flying Mercury. f'The pride of my marble heart, the class of 1011't said Minerva. l, too, long to see their smiling faces and hear their happy voices, sighed Apollo. But they did not have long to wait for soon we came back bringing with us sunshine and happiness. That year was the most glorious of all. Wonderful things were accomplished in the other three years, but they were as nothing compared to the great deeds done in that, our last one. For were we not mighty seniors with the whole school at our feet? Again, by our wonderful ability and superior knowl- edge we captured every prize in sight. Marie Garrison received the Prize Debate Medal, Gertrude Joseph won the Mary louise White Contest and the Sons of the American Revolution awarded prizes to Lillian Green and Ethel Palmerton. We undertook to teach our instructors the ideal manner in which to dispense knowledge and the way to instill into the minds of the students the precious and rare quality of integrity. We were charmed with l.'Allegro and ll Penseroso, thrilled with Burke and waxed eloquent in oral composition. While some of us were deftly handling combustibles in the laboratory, others were learning how to make a dollar buy a piano. With Aeneas as our leader we founded Rome on the shores of l.atium. We knew why Columbus discovered America, we could name the government of- ficials, from city auditor to president of our glorious republic, and we knew why it is better to dream when one is asleep than awake. We could visit Germany, France or Spain and converse with the natives on the possibility of rain on the morrow. We thoroughly believed in the old maxim, Work while you work and play while you play. So as far as the social world is concerned we were triumphs. Our parties could not be surpassed and as for dances, no titting words can express their excellence. The literary societies never were so fine, and, we fear, never will be again. The Senior Shakespeare Club is the only one of its kind known. Then as a fitting climax to the glorious era which marks the golden age of the history of West Denver, comes graduation. Thus we have spent our high school life. Beginning as a little green sprout in the springtime, watered from the foun- tains of intellectual minds and nourished by the soil of learning until we have become a full sized plant and then blossoming out with bright colored flowers and spreading our fragrance around about by kind deeds and loving thoughts. The faculty is overcome with grief that our stay with them is soon to end, poor Minerva weeps marble tears to think she cannot go with us, and Flying Mercury shaken with sorrow has nearly lost his equilibrium. We too are sad because it becomes 19