Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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THE TARGE T 10 GREETINGS. I could write of lovely winter. Or perhaps of coming spring; There is so much to choose from I could write on anything. But the sweet old words I’ve chosen, O so joyous and sincere, “To all a merry Christmas And a prosperous New Year.” BERNICE .lACKSON. o NATURE’S CALL. On my first hunting trip, I came through a small ravine into an open space. I had been enjoying the beauty of the scene and hardly look- ing for game. As I entered the clearing, there stood two of the most beautiful deer. A tiny fawn was with them. 1 could not shoot, for animals were too lovely to be killed for anyone’s pleasure. They turned and ran, but the fawn was separated from its parents and caught on a wire fence, tearing his side. I took him home where he be- came very tame. The little creature grew very fond of me and followed nearly every vhere I went. I taught him to drink milk .and he learned many tricks. He could jump into my lap and . curl up as a kitten sometimes does. Accidentally , I taught him .to like chocolate. I happened to haye some on my fing- ers when I petted him. He licked it off and liked it so well I often gave him some. If I put a bar of chocolate between my teeth he would very daintily and carefully take it from me. Nothing suited my fawn better than to get into a garden of melons. He loved to break them. He would gather himself up and spring, land- ing with his four feet on the center of a melon. One evening I saw a deer and heard the animal call. Mine heard also and started to go toward him. I whistled and he turned, then went on, often looking back at me. At last he stood and gazed at me for one long minute then swiftly ran toward the forest and we never saw him again. The call of nature was too strong. A SPIRITED DUEL. Among the hair-breadth escapes, experience by our American heroes at the time of the Revolution, there are many that are very interesting. One of these, worthy of note, en- dangered the life of one of our most prominent generals. This man had a faculty for always getting away with his life. During the year of 17.56, he was living on a lonely island in the Hudson, near Fort Edward. One night, when he was over at the fort he received a challenge to a duel, with a regular officer, which he accepted. As the challenged had the right to choose the weapons to be fought with, the general decided on kegs of dynamite. He stated that fuses of equal length should be at- tached to the kegs and be lighted simultaneously. The one who sat on his keg the longest should be considered the bravesr man. Finally the hour came, and the men took their places, each with a grim expression of determination on his face. For a moment, the officer watched the fatal flame flicker slow- ly toward his keg. As he looked, fright overcame him, and he took to his heels with all speed. The general coolly got up, strolled over to his opponent’s keg, and extinguished the flame. He then returned to his own and sat down, to all appearances, as unconcered as if he were on a king’s throne. When the fuse had burned as close as he thought safe, he calmly put it out. As the general and his antagonist opened the supposed dy- namite boxes, they viewed in utter amazement— two kegs of onions with the fuses attached. GEORGE GILCHRIST ■ o AN OUTING. Hurrah! We started with j)acks on backs, haversacks loaded with food, beans and what not, kitchen utensils hanging all over us, blankets cracking our backs, hope high in our breasts. We were at last headed for Diablo. Young and green we started out for experiences. We had them! We camped that night at Lafayette, . hungry as wolves, and considerably lightened our burden by eating a part of it; we made and ate flap- BEATRICE MILLER.

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THE TARGET 9 the wagon that carried the specie from the railroad to the irrigation project ten miles away. But Anitha Simpkins, village gossip, listened to the conversation of her neighbors while she peeled potatoes, and for the first time since her telephone had been installed she heard something of real importance. She lost no time in telephoning the county sheriff the facts. So, when the Wells Fargo team left the depot that afternoon a posse of armed men rode about one hundred yards behind it. As the treasure- laden vehicle entered a small canyon it was accosted by “Foxy” and his friends, who had just arrived from the city in a swift automobile. The driver could offer no resistance but while the highwayman were loading the money into their auto the sher- iff’s band swept down upon them. Escapes were prevented by puncturing the front tires of the automobile with revolver shots, and the ruffians were all captured, tried, and convicted to a term in the state’s prison. PHILIP CALKINS. AN INCIDENT ON THE BAY. Some three years ago I was cross- ing the San Francisco Bay on the ferry boat “Claremont.” It was about five o’clock on a foggy after- noon. We had just passed Goat Island, when a lumber steamer was seen about three-hundred yards offi, seemingly headed right for us, or rather our path. The two boats were, it seemed to the passengers, rapidly coining at right angles to- gether. We could almost locate the point where the two would clash. Close’’ and closer it came. Our ma- chinery had stopped now and we were drifting. Now they were one hundred feet apart and still making for that point. The machinery start- ed up again, the lumber steamer only fifty feet away and headed to- ward our bow. Everyone on the “Claremont” held his breath. On went the lumber boat and passed by the stern of the “Claremont” not fifteen feet away! The passengers looked as pale as death, but the ferry boat passed safely into the slip. PHYLLIS GRAHAM. A CHRISTMAS EVE PICTURE The snowflakes were falling on the earth. The air was filled with holiday mirth. The Christmas tree w’as all arrayed From floor to top with presents laid. And two wee stockings side by side. Bulging with toys to the mantel were tied. The fire on the hearth was flickering; low. Filling the room with a rosy glow. But fast asleep in the room over- head Lay two little babes tucked snug in bed. Dreaming of wondrous things they’d see On Christmas morn on the Christmas tree. RUTH GOMPERTZ o A WEST POINT STORY “Might I be informed, my dear sir, what course you would adopt if, at dead of night, you were attacked by a band of Sioux squaws?” It was Mr. Woods, an old cadet, speaking. Graham gulped down his anger and went on eating. Tonight the plebe was to stand his first sentry duty at West Point, and the old cadets were having a good time over it. “And, sir, have you your tree picked, if the Colonel’s cat charges you from Clinton Ditch?” said another voice. Then Mr. Jennings spoke, across the table,” “Now, sir, suppose I was to come to your sentry post, at dead of night, and as a superior officer, demand your gun, what would you do?” Graham’s eyes blazed. “You mean without the countersign? Without being an officer of the guard?” “Exactly, sir,” — simply as an old cadet to a plebe.” The answer came in a low tone but everyone heard it. “I’d let you have it, sir, butt foremost, between, the eyes.” ARTHUR PARSONS

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THE TARGET 11 McKinley city officials. Upper row, left to right: Lucile Sleeper, John Moore. Second row, left to right; John Smith, Eleanor Tingman, Wilber Booth, Gertrude Holland, Lucille Barrett, Earle Lowell. Lower row, left to right: William Boone, Helen Trevor, Margaret Spald- ing, Philip Ramsdell, Constance Lutgen, Fannie McHenry, SherriU Conner. jacks which fortunately did not kill us. Our next camping place was on Diablo, where we registered and the roof over our heads was the star- studded sky. During our sojourn there, I captured a small rattle-snake and my partner a horned toad, great to our delight. When we descended into the valley below on our way home, we had the most fun of our trip. We camped on the Pine Canyon Creek that night. While gathering wood we noticed a huge sucker swimming about in the creek. We dammed it up above and below his pool, in order to catch him. Not having any fishing tackle, we tied a knife on a stick to spear him. Then the fun began! We shed our trousers, shoes and socks and waded in. The fish flew around, and we after him. After chasing him under a rock we finally speared him through the tail, then capture was easy. Had we caught a whale, we could not have been hap- pier. In this manner we caught four or five of different sizes. After we had returned to camp, puffing and blowing with victory; where we laid our suckers on the ground in order to make a fire to cook theni, suddenly we heard a tramping thi’ough the bushes. Wild with fear, we ' thought the game warden was after its. We hastily threw leaves ' over ' oiir fish, when who should appear itf sight but two kids. We breathed ihoTe freel.v! The boys asked us ' if Ve ' had seen any fish, and bf cbiirse ' fp ' llowing up our little fright we said,“No ' ! ' ’ The boys moving forward to ' leave the camp, one of them feteppbd squarely on the concealed suckers. ' The fish being slippery, he went fast he did not see what thteit’ him. ' Quick as a wink, I sat on the tish. After the boys departed, we decided that we were not fish hungry. ' The rest of our jaunt was rather uneventful, and we arrived home after tramping some eighty miles, foot-sore, with