Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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A mart rid- lt a- and KW 77 nall will ip a nan the end red. l be vith rtas- atif. ato- the let lead 1 be I not fry : +o-ts g rn a :h a fr 5 X. lvl THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. 31 JLD SETTLERS' DAY. On Wednesday morning, November twenty- fifth, a number of the old settlers of Kansas City were invited to the high school to enjoy the exercises of an Old Settlers, Dayv program. Misses Ca.llie Clark and Alice O9Niel rendered excellent solos and were warmly applauded. Father Dalton delivered the address of the day. His subject was, An Outline of Kansas City's History? He spoke in part as follo-ws: One of the greatest benefits derived from a highschool education is the development of-a loyal a.nd patriotic love of one s native country or city. I feel certain that the pupils of the Westport High School are interested in the his- tory of their own beautiful city. ' Kansas City had its beginning when, in seventeen hundred ninety-eight, some white men landed at the mouth of the Kaw River. There was but a handful of these men, and after a few years all traces of their visit had vanished. Several years later a small band of French- Canadians, en route to St. Joseph, stopped herc through mistake, and, after finding this a desir- able home, they determined they would first go on to St. Joseph to sell their goods and then return to their Erst landing-place. V Before they returned, however, J os. Robi- deau, with a company of five traders, settled here for the purpose of trading with the Indi- ans, two- tribes of whom had previously strayed here from Iowa. These traders organized into two companies, known as f'The Missouri Fur Company and the ffAmerican Fur Companyf' After spending a few years in trading, and after having conquered the Indians, they determined to go farther into their new home and make a plat of the surrounding country. This they did, and after a short time they returned with their families, having decided to make Kansas City their permanent home. A few more families landed from time to time, until, in. eighteen hundred twenty-eight, Westport Landing, as it was then called, lcoul'd boast a population of between forty and fifty families, scattered from the mouth of the Kaw. southward, for about ten or twelve miles. Rapid progress was made, and in forty-live the city was organized as such, and the first officials took their offices. The next fifteen years were without hindrances to the growth of the city, and all would have been well had not the Civil War occurred. But during that period the population decreased from thirty-five thou- sand to but three or four thousand people. The hopes of these few who remained were not crushed, however. Having once determined to make their city prosper, nothing could hin- der them. It was this determination on the part of those few honorable people that laid the future course of the entire city. Not discour- aged by trifles or even great disadvantages, they pressed onward in their effort for the better- ment of their city until, in the contest for the bridge, Kansas Cityis determined men won the cityps present position by quietly building the bridge and thus drawing commerce and trade to the city, which now grew rapidly in popula- tion and importance. . But Kansas City's history was not to .be one of unfailing prosperity, for in seventy-two the terrible plague of the grasshoppers devastated the country. For days and days the insects re- mained, and every day at noon more came in such quantities that they actually hid the sun. So great was the number of the pest that traf- fic had to be stopped. Trains could no longer run, all supplies were cut off and the entirelv barren country left by the gra.sshoppers so aug- mented the suffering that the following year a great panic ensued. There was nothing to eat. no money to be obtained, and the people only survived by the harvesting of bount.iful crops the following year. After the panic the country was again at rest. Railroads were now built, the grain busi- ness was introduced, and great plenty abounded everywhere. But this increased prosperity was only to add increased misery, for soon every- one's attention was turned to the buying of stocks. Notes, mortgages, interest-all were forgotten in the great greed for wealth, and 'in eighty-three the city suffered one of the great- est booms ever known in this country. Homes , Jilfg-I

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30 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD., 9g 92 Answers to Correspondents. A 9g Amanda-Mr. Bigney's pronunciation of 'tsquare root as Kskrootp' is authorized by no Eastern dictionary. Perhaps you have heard the statement made that all genius has certain privileges and immunities swhich nobody else can claim. H. 'L. G.-You can say, KThis machine is turned by a crankj, without insinuating that you are the crank, by attaching an electric motor to it. George S.-You .wish for perpetual youth. A' way which will probably be discovered in five hundred years. If you can only wait till then, you will become as gay and lithe as a Fresh- man and as happy as a pig in clover. Margaret D.-Owing to your inclination to wander into theories, philosophies, and isms,,' you ask some remedy by which yo-u may concen- trate your mind. I know of a device which is placed upon the top of the head, under the hair. Whenever the mind is led astray by an ism, the machine gives the head a little twitch. Send a self-addressed envelope for further infor- mation. 1-i T, A. O. B.-In answer to your inquiry, I would say that chiioniers can be kept in the school-room with perfect propriety, providing they are said to hold foot- and base-ball suits and an extra storage of examination papers. Yes, one corner may be kept for the teaghel-'S individual use. Be careful to keep that part under lock and key. Stella-Yes, it is perfectly proper to go rid- ing with a gentleman in the evening without a chapero-n, provided it is a Ugladsome, nighif' and there 's no amadsomep' dog to say bow-wowf' M. De. W.-Donit worry about that small mirro-r in your boudoirf7 The school will make a petition to Mr. Underwood to take up a collection to buy a new one for next year. Myrtle- D.-My recipe for roast Freshman follows.: First thump the victimps head for the same reaso-n you thump a watermelon. Send him to room seven with his lesson unprepared. Great chances must be taken whether he will be singed. If he is well browned, sprinkle with grated charcoal, powdered sulphur, and potas- sium nitrate, and ignite. Garnish with iixatif. J. Farmer-You ask how to kill potato- bugs. My system never fails. First catch the bug, then drop him in boiling water and let him stay for iive minutes. If he is not dead then, repeat the process. This method can be used on other kinds of bugs, whose skins are not too tough. Senior-Here is the recipe for a classic fry: Procure from Miss Wilder some Greek roots, add some of Gwsafs campaign, and fry on a discus. Eat this delicious co-ncoction with a trident. lo A449 v on ,PQ-left V441 'J Aged' xxx 8 RVN If 'X Vs Mi tree' t S ii? I X I V f ffl .X 4 1 1 , l lb . gp' l V.. . W V I ? . si' Q E I' V V, 5 I ' . v V I NN . I v , V .I -.1 - , Q V . . , - ', v . W u' U, xv 5-if'-' . W A 1 'J V' v' I NN' xv- I M I -QU -n ,ll Aly, V' :xx ly ,ll , x I ' I X l It . , V N N lx A ,I ' ny V , . l 'I U J In DH V. u 'Nix lx -if Ill .'.l X V I - I s n .. V , ' x' X' EDNIE UF THE UNLY URL5 HEEVER LDVED If V h i xl X. -I x . Muay ABeiLrmlABXE. rf

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32 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. were lost, everything was neglected, and this boom proved more disastrous than the plague of the grasshoppers. 4 After this Kansas City soon reached the position it has held so successfully for many years. Such is the history of our city. Full of adversity, it still shows the determination of its first settlers in doing the best in their power for the betterment ofjtheir own native city. 5 N attic Wicrlenmafim, 'Ola Q A VISITFRAOIVI DR. DRAPER. On Friday morning, October twenty-third, the pupils of Westport High, School were espe- cially favored by a very informal but profitable talk by Dr. A. S. Draper, ,president of the Uni- versity of' Illinois. Dr. Draper has a very pleas-- ant voice, a good command of language, and the faculty of knowing young people and young peofpleis way. Sitting before his audience, he talked in a. conversational manner, holding the attention of every student. No more impress- ive address has ever been heard in our school. Som-e of' his thoughts are here reproduced: The' public school is the place where the majority of Americais boys and girls receive their first lessons of right and justice, the place where they are all-brought up on the same foot- ing with no distinction of any kind 5 in fact, it has been accurately called the 'fcommon bond of unionj' where the poor rich are ,alike reared in the children and the same atmosphere, both having to work equally as hard to obtain their education. In Europe there your rank has much to ation in life, if you are a. this is not so, for do with your situ- noblemanis child, you will always be known as such, and if the child of Ia laborer, you cannot rise very high above that class in the estimation of the people, no matter what your aim and ambition in life may be. ' The fact is clearly brought out that because the poorer children have to gain their educatioiz as best they can, always by hard work, they rnav be, in the end, the best scholars, for they know, to accomplish the highest aim in life, they must struggle for it and be persevering in all they do, while the rich children often become lazy and indolent in school, simply from knowing that work is not a necessity to them. Speak- ing along this line, let me mention an example: General Sheridan, who himself told the students and cadets of West Point that he never expect- e.d to be what he was, but when he waslappointed second lieutenant, he did make up his mind to be the best second lieutenant there was 3 that he kept on being honored and receiving higher positions, and he soon reached the position of general of the United States Army and all on account of his perseverance in sticking to his purpose. Anothe-r apt example that of a man whose occupation was selling cookies, who had no chances or opportunities to advance, but one day he chanced upon a stone, which he learned was very valuable, he at once became interested in stones and made a collection which he sold for three hundred do-llars at the World's Fair. He used this profit for other collections, and aft.er some years of work of this kind he was engaged at Tiffany's in New York, where he is annually paid ai large sum for his good and honest judgment concerning precious stones of all kinds. In a similar way, J. F. Hulse rose to be one of the skilled geologists of the age. This idea is clear: that every boy and girl has a chance to achieve success, but they must have ambition, or they will amount to nothing. In this day and age the boy and the girl are on the same footing 3 they have the same oppor- tunities and advantages, this was not so fifty years ago, when the man was the superior and the woman was the mere housewife. I should like to impress upon your minds the important idea of having an a.im in life, of having some- thing in view which you are fitted to do and do well and then to work toward that a.im with all the enthusiasm and ea.rnestness you have. Since I have been talking, my mind has often turned to that beautiful picture of Priscilla hanging there on the wall. I feel a particular interest in the picture. on account of the artist, Mr. George Boughten. who was noted for his talent,