Western High School - Occident Yearbook (Bay City, MI)

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hearty Hello, Dad from his son. After some time Bob said, VVell, Dad, what do you think of my new motorcycle? Isn't she a bird, or didn't you notice her as you came in? Naw. answered his father, didn't pay any attention to it. Well, come on out and have a good look at her, was the reply, and they both left the house to examine the machine. What do you call it? Uncle Josh asked after some time. VVhy, nothing. She don't need a name, you know, Dad. She's not like a, horse that you have to call by a particular name before she'll move. A grunt from Dad was the only reply. Want to learn to run her, Dad? asked Bob after a short silence. Not on yer life, young feller. I think a little more of my old bones than you do your'n. Don't yer ever think I'd be ketched a ridin' that thing. It's an invention of the devil himself, thatfs what it be, and the old man turned and walked away, much to the amusement of his son. Guess Dad don't approve, he said to himself, as he started off toward the Brown home, but I bet Nancy will. She's a good sport, but it's a wonder she hasn't a lot of this nonsense in that pretty head of hers, living so long with so many old fogiesf' And Nancy did approve for Bob again started to keep the Brown's front porch warm. Two weeks passed by. Every day the new vice was to be seen racing down the road to return again in the course of a half hour, and stop at the Brown's gate. One morning as Bob was cleaning his machine his father came out to where he was at work and said, Say, Bob, how many chickens have you killed since yer been home? SVhy I don't know, was the reply. VVhat made you ask? 'iOh, I jest wanted ter know. After a few moments of silence he again spoke: Say, Bob, how long did it take yer ter learn ter run t.hat there business. Oh, two or three days, I guess. Nvant to learn to run her, Dad? Oh, I was only wonderin' if I could keep my ba'ance on the thing. Don't be- lieve I could, and he thoughtfully surveyed the machine. Come on, Dad, and learn to run her, answered Bob, a broad grin on his face. It won't cost you anything, you know. And Dad did learn to run it. Two weeks later as the usual crowd of loungers gathered on the porch of the general store a motorcycle came racing down the road amid a cloud of dust at 'a rate to imperil the lives of any creature in its path. Wal it do heat all the excitin' things that be a happenin' in this here town. Who'd ever a thought a month ago that Joshua Smith would change from a good law-abidin' citizen to a reckless old fool, spendin' all his time a galavantin' round the country on a motorcycle, killing off all the chickens an' dogs in the country, exclaimed Ebenezer Stone, as Uncle Josh disappeared amid a cloud of dust and a tangle of linen coat tails. KATHERINE LOURIM. .., .....0.l,.i in :till-Igavlf aah illllr I'm the best pal I ever had, I like to be with me, I like to sit and tell myself Things confidentially. I often sit and ask me, If I shouldn't or I should, And find that my advice to me Is always pretty good. I talk with me and talk with me, And show me right and wrong: I never know how well myself And me could get along. I never tried to cheat myself, I'm truthful as can be, No matter what may come and go, I'm on the square with me. I've made a study of myself, Compared me with the lot: And I've finally concluded I'm the best friend that I've got. Just get together with yourself, And trust yourself with you, And you'll' be surprised how Well yourself VVill like you if you do. 71

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l I linrlr llnalt llrfnrmn . AL. druwled old Joshua Smith, as young Jack VVatt rushed by him lx ' in his roadster, It do beat all what this here village be comin' to. It t ' v wtf uster be a perfectly respectable place not long ago, but since that .N it ,' Sm there young W'a.tt feller came home from college with ali' his high M. 3:3 flown notions and that there contraption of his, raisin' up the dust and Wt k,g9' killin' off all the chickens in the neighborhood, it ain't at tit place fer a respectable man ter live in. and as he finished he turned from his survey of the distant cloud of dust to the group of men who were gathered here in their favorite meeting p'uce, the general store and postofhce, kept by Ebenezer Stone, l think there'd ought to be a law agin them there tellers down in town makin' them there horseless wagons thet ain't good fer nothin' but eatin' good gasoline, killin' chickens and dogs and scarin' everybody outer their wits. Yes, sir, I don't think they orter 'low such things, said Ebenezer. putting away on his old corncob pipe, ns if his very life depended upon it. VVal, if here uin't that young feller comin' back afreadyj' said one of the group, as a cloud of dust appeared at the foot of the hill. Guess there won't be many chickens er dogs either left along the road. ' Wal, I tell yer one thing, said Joshua Smith, as he rose to go, if that there young feller ever runs over a chicken er at dog of mine, I'll have the law on him by gosh, he needn't think he can run this here place even if he is Squire VVatt's son. Hero comes that young Brown gal, exclaimed one of the loungers, as a young girl came down the street. Hey, Josh, he continued, when's Bob comin' home? He sure uster keep Brown's front porch hot agoln' up there sparkin' thet gal. NVal, I kin tell yer, replied Uncle Josh, if thet young son of mine comes home with any of these high-Hown notions and horse'ess businesses like Jack Watt, it'1l go gosh darn hard with him, you kin bet yer boots on it, too. And Uncle Josh turned to the proprietor and said, Any mail fer us, Ebenezer? If there is give it ter me and l'll be otT er Elvira'll be down after me. Hey! YVhat's this? A letter from Bob, by gosh. Vkionder what the young rascal's got ter say fer himself. AS he tore the lctter open a voice culled from behind him: Hello, Uncle Josh, how are you and Aunt Elvira this hot weather? Oh! is this from Bob? I've got one, too, but I hnven't read it yet, and as Uncle Josh only replied with a grunt, the girl, Nancy Brown, eagerly tore open her letter. She had not read far when she ex- claimed, Oh, Uncle Josh, Bob's coming home WVednesda.y-why, that's today-and what do you know about this, he says, 'VVell, Nancy. what do you know about it: I'vc got a peach of a motorcycle. It's an Indian and it goes like blazes. I hear Ja':k's home and has a new machine, so of course he's the talk of the town. but I hope it won't make anyi' now what do you think of that, Uncle Josh? Bob's got a new motorcycle, so .lack won't be the only one in town whose got something besides an old horse and a spring buggy to go riding in. I think we're becoming quite modern, don't you, Uncle? Uncle Josh looked in wonder at Nancy. What, what did he say he had? A new what has he got? A new motorcyc!e, answered Nancy. And what might a new motorcycle be? asked Uncle Josh, pronouncing each syllable with the utmost care. Why, Uncle Josh, she answered, don't you know what a motorcycle is? It's something like a bicycle only it runs without your 'having to pump it. VVell, of all things, exclaimed Uncle Josh, 'ifirst one of them gosh darned wagons runnin' without a horse comes ter town, and then that young scamp of mine's agoin' ter bring home a bicycle that runs without pumpini I always told Elvira an edjication never'd do that boy- any good and his goin' ter the city 'ud never turn out well. Wal, I giss what's did can't be undid and if it's got ter be it's no use tryin' ter git outer it. But fer all I kin see. young gal, this here town's goin' ter rack an' ruin with these new-fangled contraptions runnin' wild 'bout the p'ace. But I don't see what me an' the old woman ever did ter be punished like this. Jest ter think of its bein' our son Bob abringin' this here new vice inter the place amakin' all the young folks discontented. VVal, I giss I'll be trnvellin' on er Elvira'li think l'm dead, but jest wait till that fel'er gits home an' I'lt tend ter him, continued Uncle Josh, forgetting that Bob was no longer a boy but a man, and taller and larger than himself. YVhen Uncle Josh reached the street all was confusion and excitement. The loungers from the store had gathered at the corner and the simple village people were out in the street, gazing toward the end of the' street where the home of Uncle Josh and Aunt Elvira was situated. Uncle Josh wondered what was the cause of all the commotion, but he soon learned. There in the yard before his house was the cause, and Uncle Josh hast- ened on toward home to investigate. YVhen he entered the living-room he was greeted wiht a firm handshake and a. 70 il J i 1 I - 1

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Elie Beriainn nf Mrs. lmratrrn high 0 6 RS. WESTERN HIGH had lived in West Bay City many years before KN, it became a part of Bay City. Her husband had died during the Spanish war, leaving her with a family of over one hundred and fifty children. Although many of these have left her, she has adopted enough more to make up a total of nearly three hundred. There are about a dozen of these who are older than the rest and who are their mother's chief advisers and look after their young brothers and sis- ters. They are called the faculty by most people. Mr. E. H. School, an old gentleman, lived on the opposite side of the Saginaw river years before Mrs. High came to Bay City. He was a proud and domineering fellow, but was never looking for any extra trouble. His wife died about a year ago leaving him with a larger family than Mrs. High had, up to this time. He had also a group, or faculty, to whom he went for advice. They' were well acquainted and friendly with Mrs. High's faculty. i Mr. School's faculty had advised him several times to marry as he needed someone to help him control his children. He thenlwent to Mr. Board O' Education for advice. Now, Eastern, he said. Calllng his client by his surname, I'll tell you what. You know my daughter, VVestern, has been a Widow for nearly eighteen years. She should have been married long ago. Vvhy not marry her? That's what I've been thinking of, but my children will never get along with her's. My boys never go to the W'est Side but wha.t they come back all battered up, said the old man. his brow wrinkling. However, said Mr. Board O'iEduca- tion, I think that we will be able to overcome this difllculty, and I think that when the two families are united there will be peace. You can build a new and modern home on our vacant property, corner Fourth and'Grant., large enough for all. I will go to see her at once. and without waiting for an answer Mr. Board O' Edu- cation donned his silk hat and leaving his client alone. left for the West Side. He took only a short while to tell his plan to his daughter, who listened in- tently and said nothing. She was disgusted and angry with her father and when he got through she began: VVhat do you think I am? Marry that old fogy? No, never! I could never marry a man I did not love. and my love was buried a long time ago. What kind of a step-,mother do you think I'd make to a bunch of boys who would come over in the dead of the night while I was asleep and smear my face with paint because they were celebrating a victory over my sons? How do you suppose my boys will be able to live with them ? she asked, her eyes fairly blazing with anger. I don't think that they will fight after they know each other and your chil- dren will be much better oft' in anew and modern liome instead of this old, rickety shack, that will probably be condemned by the tate inspector on his next visit here. Then what will you do ? Mrs. High hid her face in her hands and said nothing. VVhat could she say? VVhat could she do? She knew that her building would be condemned and there was none in the city kind enough to give her any money with which to build a new home, and she had none herself. Then she said. O, father. give me at least a week to decide. This is alto- gether too sudden. Her father consented, being softened by these words, but he was still determined. A whole week passed before Mr. O' Education came to see his daughter. He had made full plans with Mr. E. H. School, having seen that venerable gentle- man every day, even on Sunday. X He made his appearance at the front door bright and early in the morning. The faculty were in the room with their mother. Theyi had practically turned her head from the not-marrying side to the marrying, for the betterment of their brothers and sisters. They did all the talking for their mother and closed the deal that was to make Mrs. High the Wife of Mr. E. H. School, and the wedding was to take place as soon as the new home was finished. You really mean it? asked Mr. Board O' Education of his daughter, wishing to be fully assured. 1 Yes, answered his daughter, a. tear running idown each cheek. Last week, Mrs. High, still in a sorrowful mood, met the minister of her church who discussed the subject with her, saying that her father and the backer of Eastern High School' did not hurry and build the new home, she would be dead be- fore they got it and her children would be left. without any protection. i DEWEY MEYERS, '17. T , f ,dxf '72