West Salem High School - Neshonoc Yearbook (West Salem, WI)

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JUNIORS WILLIAM GEHRKING RUDOLPH OTTERSON LESLIE JOHNSON TRACY JOHNSON CARL BECHTOLD CHAS. COBURN MILDRED VICK TRACY SHANE FAY ALDRICH ARTHUR HERMAN LILLIAN MAU IVANELL FORI) ELSIE MILLER FLORENCE BEST HAZEL BROWN VERA STORANDT

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JUNIOR CLASS POEM In Autumn when the school bell's peal Does oe’r our pretty valley steal. Each one within his heart does feel An instinct worthy and purpose sublime; And a higher motive inspires him to climb Towards the the goal On entering the assembly room We thot we had surely met our doom; As they greeted us with slams galore We wished we could sink down thru the floor, For in that year of 1910 We were but green, green Freshies then, But at our lessons we went with a will Our eyes were bending eargely still Toward the goal. When Autumn did again appear We were then in our Sophomore year, And Collmann’s voice and visage grim At first made us afraid of him, But under the teachers’ watchful eye We managed to pass with standings high, Our motive still fixed upon the sky And the goal. Now we are in our Junior year With few more months to study here. So let each one with might and main Seek his best to knowledge gain Till we at last in the glorious train Reach the goal. 13

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HISTORY OF CLASS OF 1913 On September 20, 1909, a great wave of barbarians, twenty-six in number, invaded the realm of the West Salem High School. They were called Freshmen, in other words, Greenbacks or Numbskulls. Of their former life very little is known, but if tradition may be relied upon they were collected from the various tribes within and about La Crosse County. The period immediately following the invasion may well be termed the Dark Age for very few evidences of culture and civilization were present. Soon, however, a great change was apparent, being influenced by different environment. Before these savages had no system of government but now they inet together and chose a chief who should direct them in their undertakings. This worthy was no other than Cyrus the Great, whose ancestor was a medicine man. They adopted the delicate colors of pink and white as their emblem in order to satisfy the tastes of the weaker sex. During their first year's sojourn in these regions many events took place. They began to mingle with the other tribes and to have common meeting places, one of which was a spacious hall over an old stable, where the social functions and athletic tournaments were held. There the young warriors learned to swing the huge war clubs and the fairer sex to dance the light fantastic toe. But a terrible pestilence ravaged its members and by the fall of 1910 only twenty out of the twenty-six remained and now they became known by their friends as Sophomores. They began to win the confidence of the older tribes and were admitted into their various undertakings and soon formed the backbone of their numbers. The characteristics of the Dark Age passed away and culture and refinement made their appearance. Again their ranks met with serious decrease through many causes, the most notable of which was the desertion by one, Ferd Nye, who jo ned the noble band of Amazons on September 4,1912, This left the total number of fifteen which was again increased to sixteen by the coming of a distinguished personage, Miss Ivanell Ford, from a distant clan. Not being yet satisfied with the title of this notorious tribe it was again changed, this time to the name of Juniors. They are now a highly cultured people, thanks to the influence of the West Salem High School. T. J. and T. S,