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

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it the e first t were in the ,ses of ted to allow, . half alves, grape caring These or ar- about : will. as and :h we is the in for cold. aches piled, ir for have 6 the down a big r eX- J dry them L, but three t, the orn. ation shall -nine Lched stick. lched 5 the pped away s re- reat- THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. 21 aunt, whose ninety years had carried her across the continent from old Virginia. Then someone called me to come outside and hear the coyotes howl. Such a mournful sound I had never heard in my life-a kind of a bark, then a weird, minor howl, long drawn out. The dogs bristled and barked, and we heard it no more. Do-do they ever come near the house ? I asked. Well, now. they do carry off a man or two once in a while but not so very often,', answered my big cousin in a serious voice, but with averted eyes twinkling. I was glad it was only once in a while, for when bed-time came I recollected that here the windows were removed during the rainless summer months, leaving only the screens in place. All the nights are brac- ingly cool, and it would be the most wretched victim of insomnia who could not sleep well there. On the morning of our departure, Cly- dena and I went horse-back riding. The agility with which she could open gates without dismounting amazed me, who was afraid to dismount for fear of having a long walk home. I am sure that we do not half appreciate our trees in this part of the country. When one has ridden for two hours in the glaring sunlight, the reason for the tanned appearance of California is perfectly apparent. The length of time one has dwelt in California can be esti- mated by the depth of leathern color of the skin. A large, grayish-blue, wading bird flapped away, as we rode along the top of the high embankment beside the wide ir- rigation ditch. It seemed as much sur- prised to see us as we were to see it. To the little girl on the bay horse it was merely commonplace, but she listened at- tentively to the description of an ordinary snow-storm. She had never seen snow, eX- cept as a white cap on a distant mountain peak nor have many who are much older than she. When we returned, we found that Wen- dell, a young giant at eighteen, had come back from hunting with a friend that morning. A white owl, doves, and one of those crane-like, bluish birds constituted the capture. Small game is plentiful, though I am unable to understand what it feeds on. That afternoon we motored twenty-five miles to Fresno for the train. As a fitting end to our unusual visit, we saw two Hin- dus, white-turbaned and in native costume, talking unconcernedly on the station plat- form. Katrina Baldwin, '16. Ebe Enrico 'Egg NCE in the little town of Rocksbury there lived a man who went by the name of Elijah Green. He was in the egg and poultry busi- ness. Now of course, living in the heart of the town, he was a prominent citizen, exceedingly prominent. He was an elder of his church and on Sundays would ap- pear with a black silk hat on his bald head, and wearing his swallow-tail coat. Oh! in- deed, Elijah was a prominent citizen! But the time that my story really' be- gins was at 6 o'clock in the morning when all Elijah's chickens began to arouse the town-folk with their cackling. Elijah appeared in a blue gingham shirt with a red tie around his celluloid collar. He took his key from underneath the ge- ranium pot on his front window-sill with an air of importance and unlocked his shop door.

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H,,,,,- V.: i Ai: 1-QQ.,-g,,.-A-,..aq.1.-7l:-5-1-gg:-'r ... f-:-1.4-s .....,...--.- ,, g, Y.. , 20 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. Well, he continued, the soil here is the same loose, sandy kind, and very rich. All it needs is irrigation, and that's com- ing soon. Our annual rainfall is about ten inches. In the meanwhile we raise stock. Little Clydena took me out to view her rabbits and puppy and the bright-eyed little chipmunk that let us come very near before he dodged down into his hole. At the end of the garden was a broad pond that mirrored the cool green trees sur- rounding it, and dignified gray geese float- ing over its surface-a refreshing spot in the midst of a general parched aridness. Called back to the house, we found that Walter, the stalwart six-foot cousin of twenty, was ready to go to town for ice, and wanted us to go along. The road in this direction semed a little more accus- tomed to travel than the others. On the way he talked of the state agricultural school at San Luis Obispo, which he at- tended in the winter. Here I might advise a course in Spanish as indispensable for all prospective California tourists. Also, while in the benevolent mood of advice-giv- ing, let me suggest to persons of commer- cial instinct that they take up the ice- business in that hot, dry place where it is sold at twice as high a price as here, and melts much faster. On the way back, flocks of striking-looking black and white birds flew acros the fields. With good- natured condescension at my ignorance, Walter informed me that they were mag- pies. Later, when the ice-cream had been made and eaten, the trip to the fruit ranch was undertaken. The ambitious mercury had been climbing till one could well be- lieve the stories that it sometimes reached a hundred and thirty in the shade, but I suppose it was not actually above a hun- dred and twenty that day. When sun- kissed California is mentioned, don't for- get that there is a sun-burnt part, too. In passing peach and apricot orchards, where the trees were heavily loaded with large, round fruit, one noticed that the leaves were crisply curled as with the first autumn frostsg but heat and drought were the causes. Not even weeds grew in the light-colored, sandy soil about the bases of the trees. Flat on the ground or tilted to receive the sun's rays, were shallow, wooden trays about a foot and a half square, on which the fruit, split in halves, was drying. I Across the road, one might see grape vines parching in the sun, yet bearing large bunches of delicious grapes. These vines were not supported on fences or ar- bors as they are here, but scrambled about over the ground at their own sweet will. This is the best region for both grapes and peaches. When we reached the orchard which we had come to see, its owner showed us the artesian well that furnished irrigation for his land. The water was gratefully cold. Passing the orchard, where fine peaches lay upon the ground as they had dropped, he told us that it was a very bad year for fruit-growers. At this our eyes must have enlarged about three diameters, for the branches were everywhere weighted down with the large blushing globes. You see, he said, there's such a big crop everywhere that the supply far eX- ceeds the demand. It hardly pays to dry them either. In good years we sell them to the canneries at seven dollars a ton, but this year we're glad to sell them at three dollars a ton for hog-feed-and at that, the hogs would be better fed on Missouri corn. Lest I shouldlose the little reputation for veracity I may have remaining, I shall forbear mentioning the grapes, but-nine of those peaches laid side by side reached the length of a full-grown yard-stick. In the cool of the evening we reached home again, after narrowly missing the scores of startled j ack-rabbits that hopped across the road and went bounding away over the fields. Family history was re- peated in detail by the sweet, gentle great- aunt, acros Then and l Su in m minc brist more I hous Y two ansv but ' I 1 for ' here rain screi inglj wre1 slee1 O. den: agili witl afra long half the hou' nes: of 1 excl of l pea' and dee' . , . ........g..i..,....i,1-g.1a..+.,, ..1...... .x,,5u,Au,,,,:,:Hl1. MN--NGN .-ITLDW

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22 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. This building was furnished with one show case, in which, arranged in a very peculiar design, were chicken feathers for hat-trimming-black, white, yellow, brown -with certain prices attached to each. Around the white-washed walls were stuck advertisements some of which dated back as far as ten years. One distinctly pre- sented iitself to the eye of the customer: SALE ON SHIRTS June 31, 1903. ROSSEN'S DRY GOODS STORE Biggest and Best Line of Goods in the West. And also a soiled piece of card-board on which was painted in red letters: EGGS 14 CENTS A DOZEN hung in a conspicuous place. Well, on this bright morning, Elijah's first customer was an old woman. She was dressed in a red cotton dress and had a white wool shawl over her head. Good mornin', Ellijah, I been workin' this morning. I dug all my pertaters al- ready. Crop's bad this year. I don't know what this world's coming to. There hain't a drop of water in the ground. But, Eli- jah, what I come here this morning for, was to git some eggs. My daughter, J une, is going to give a party and I got to git a cake made for her. Oh! these young ones! Why, Elijah your daughter's growed so fast 'at I hard- ly know her and my Junie sheis jist bound she's going to put her hair on her head this fall but I ain,t going to let her. No Siree! But Elijah you fix me them eggs and I'll pay you with those pertaters I dug this morning. .After this garrulous customer had left, many others came and made more or less queer bargains. One man loaned him the use of his horse and wagon, in payment for two dozen of Elijah's best. However some paid in ready money. About noon, a little girl with golden hair and blue eyes skipped into the store. She had on a white dress with a blue gingham apron. On her arm hung a pail to carry her eggs. The old man's eyes brightened at the sight of her for she was the pet of the town. Wal, Elizabeth, did you come ter see old Elijah, honey? Why ain't you in school? Why, Uncle Elijah, to day's a holiday, don't you remember? We're going to have an entertainment at the school-house to- night and all the big children are helpin' decorate. I want nine of your biggest eggs, Eli- jah, and can I go out and see Fanny? CFanny was her pet hen.J Run along, Goldlocks, and I'll pick out yer eggs. When she was ready to leave, he gave her the little bucket with the nine eggs, and one extra for good measure. On the way home, Elizabeth walked very carefully so that she wouldn't break her eggs. And all the while she wondered if her mother could possibly need that extra egg. No! oh, Elizabeth knew she wouldn't so finally after trying vainly to overcome her desire for that pretty little white thing, she set down her pail and picking out the biggest one she could find stood fingering it, wondering. Suddenly a funny idea came into her little head. She would bury that egg and then sometime when she wanted to play house she would know where she would find it. Then she could make a fire and have a good time. So finding a little stick she overturned some of the earth near her play house and Dut her precious egg down in the hole. Then covering it again, she took her pail and went home. 3 DEC rl: X :Zz It h ful sp' had b citizei in his Wei I will succes quain' risen dozen risen Rockl horro They break partie ties r Onr cake make womz Bu' bury Eliza most more Bu folk c digni play-. thusi a goo She seemi pulle4 in dof and i 3792111 . . . . .. .. , .. . . . . -,......,,.....,.,.....ua.- ..t,.a.,,..., e MMig:-L.-I+,,,,1Q,,,g,,,,...1.a.-.,.,A,.-:,,,,-,J:,,:,,7,,1,g,.3g ,g,,:,,,,,,,,,,...,........, v.,,,,,f.,g.r...:-zen... xx.. ,.-F -- V . -