Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

Page 25 text:

THE TARGET 23 fog. The people had to tie their clothes around their legs and arms, put nets over their heads and then get bitten. The livery stables had to give up business. The best hotel had to close in the middle of the season. Every body that could, left town. The value of property dropped twenty-five per cent. This year the hotel has kept open all season and it was hard to get a room, the cheapest being two dollars and one-half a night. There have been no more than five mosquitoes seen in San Mateo. The value of land has been above normal, but the inspectors and oilers had a hard time accomplishing the desired results. They were often wading up to their knees in mud and water out in the marsh where the mosquitoes bred, which was none too pleasant. One mosquito lays about five hundred eggs, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. CHARLES WOODWORTH. o THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO. The man was himself in all ways, tall, — a marvel of physical strength. He rode a small gray bronco which did not seem overbalanced with weight although he yas covereu with foam. The man was dressed in western fashion with his large hat and silver buckles which sparkled in the sun- light. He carried no arms except a revolver which hung loosely at his belt. On a nearer view it could be seen that he was haggard and worn out from travel and that his hat was shattered and his clothes ragged. As he swept by, there was an air of freedom about him, and he seemed to be on some message of importance, for he neither looked to left or right, but kept the same rate until he came to the governor’s house at the end of the street. He had been sent from the Alamo to secure help from the government but in vain for the Alamo was cap- tured and all its brave defenders killed before aid could be sent to them. .JOHN SMITH. A MISREPRESENTATION Not long ago I passed a litle brown house which was entirely secluded from any other of its kind. I had often noticed this rude little dwell- ing and I was quite interested in its occupant who seemed to be the sole inhabitant of the abode. As often as I visited the spot, this little person was sitting before the door, busily preparing vegetables for her dinner. On this occasion, however, she did not make her appearance. A tiny girl stood on the path, crying bitter- ly. Hastened to the spot, and put- ting my arms about her, said, “Dear child, why do you weep?” “Why surely such a nice little girl as you could have done nothing to make you so miserable. Come tell me your troubles and perhaps they can be helped.” “Oh, if you only, knew what I have done,” she cried, “I know you would be sorry too.” Turning her tear-stained face to mine, she confessed, “Really I meant noharm to Miss Betty, nor did I in- tend to hurt her feelings, but mother sent me some carrots for her supper, and as she was sitting befoe the door, I asked her to please move and let me put the carrots in the house. Then she began to cry, and 1 saw the tears running down her face. Won’t you come with me and try to make her happy?” In reaching the house, I looked in and saw the object of her solici- tude, a pretty black rabbit, sitting in the corner nibbling a carrot. When the wee maiden saw the content- ment of her pet, she was happy, realizing that she had been mistaken about Miss Betty’s shedding tears, and her face was transformed, look- ing as though it had been kissed by a sunbeam. MYRTA SMITH. o A MESSAGE. Christmas may come but once a year. But our best wishes are always near, — Health and wealth and happiness too We hope Santa Claus will bring to you. o- IRENE TUSCH.

Page 24 text:

22 THE TARGET PIANO CLUB. Upper row, left to right: Minnie Chan, Esther Greeley, Kenneth Emslie, Helen Bolton, Bettina Collom, Phyllis Graham. Second row, left to right: Margaret Giesler, Lillian Lelend, Muriel Ditzler, Ruth Sorrick, Alina Smrith, Claire Kennedy, Claire Lenfesty, Helen Lightner, Leslie Liddell. Third row, left to right: Dorothy Dyer, Madeline Sanderson, Fannie McHenry, Lucille Barrett, Mildred Harkey, Irene Paret, Flowrence Fowden, Lower row, left to right: Gertrude Seaver, Laura Bolton, Tirill Dubrow, Margery McCullough, Jean Scotford, Blanche Eastland, Sylvia Leland, Camille Haines, Pauline Elder. WHAT DO MOSQUITOES MEAN? 1 will try to let you understand what the mosquito really mens. As we know, it is a small, two-winged insect with a sharp sort of bill with which “she” inflicts that bite which is so well known. The males do not bite. The bite is bad enough but the effects that sometimes follow are worse. The reason that the Panama Canal, under the French, and many big ex- ploring expeditions failed, was be- cause of that insignificant creature. It has been discovered and proven that the mosquito is the only means of carrying malaria and yellow fevers. The United States could not have succeeded in completing the Panama Canal if that had not been found out and the place made sanitary. San Mateo County has spent fif- teen thousand dollars in the last year to exterminate them. They do not wait for the mosquitoes to hatch and then “swat” them but go after them in the larva or wiggler stage. Men are paid two dollars a day to inspect for wigglers, and then people must oil with crude-oil to prevent them from getting air. This kills them. The natural question to follow is, “Why should they spend all that money for the mosquito while it does not carry malaria or yellow fever there?” We will take the year before anything was done a- bout the mosquitoes, — three years ago. For three days in the middle of the season. which lasted three months, a person could not see any better than through a very heavy

Page 26 text:

24 THE TARGET THE LAST WILL AND TESTA- MENT OF THE HIGH NINTH CLASS Having raised our eyes from the dust and hearkened to the call of higher things, , we are about to leave the dwelling of our childhood and fare forth into the great unknown. It is with sorrow and misgiving that we take this step, for we fully realize that this, the home of our infantile joys, deprived of our guiding hand and losing the. firmest rock amid its foundation of sand, is in grave danger of a fall such as was dealt to mighty Rome when she was deprived of her Caesars and her Horatius, but the trumpet summons of Ambition is not to be disregarded. Therefore we, the members of the December Class of 1914, wishing to avert the im- pending doom as much as possible, do, in pity, bestow upon the infants who are to attempt the superhuman task of upholding the dignity of the school which we have performed so well, the following of our rarest posessions, which may, perhaps, in some degree, enable their tiny minds to slightly grasp the import of the work before them. Margaret Spaulding consents to forego her desire for Alma Smith’s part in the class play and, strange to state, she is willing to leave her reputation as a big fish in McKinley’s Pond to Louise Park and to try her luck as one of the multitude in the great ocean of wisdom which lies beyond. Frances Morris yields her amazing frankness for revealing all she doesn’t know about Latin, to Mary Walkup as “Ted”, sad as it seems in one so young, has the habit of trying to bluff Mr. Cobert. Dorothy Todd hands down her box of white kid gloves exclusively for school wear, and her marvelous vo- cabulary of jaw-breakers” to Olga Hansen. Walter Monsey Maas gives by will his supply of pinches and punches to Bob Thompson for he expects to be a dignified little soldier when strid- ing through the halls of Berkeley High. Alice Searby takes a long, linger- ing look at her latest supply of snails as she leaves them to Joseph- ine Payne, but not without the hope that they will serve to increase her avoirdupois, for Alice’s expectations in that respect were not fully real- ized. Donald Johnson leaves his rosebud blushes to Moses Rey, and his mathematical knowJedge, perfected under the tuition of Lillius, to Marv Thompson. Those short trousers go to any one who needs them. Sherrill Conner wills his privilege of noon-time promenades with a cer- tain fair maid in room one, and the violets bestow ' ed upon him, to Hale Parker. Elvira Erikson leaves her “French Roll” and “Devil Curls” to Fern Follies Hicks. Helen Trevor leaves her w ' hite stockings and long-sought-for posi tion on the honor roll to Blanche Tomaire. Carl Geiser leaves his mumbling, bouncing and flouncing properties, together with his knowiedge of Ger- man to Parker Allen. His position as official fly-swatter of the High Ninth Class he resigns to the ad- vantage of Henry Lingle. Ernestine Porter readily wills her latest accomplishment, the ability to utter heartrending, ear-splitting, throat-cracking cries of distress most spontaneously, to Charlotte Thaxter and her ability to wmite and recite book reviews with first sections in mind, to Bill Foss. . Rufus Johnson, our roaring lion, estates upon Richard Erving his bump of pugnacity as he fears little Dick is too timid and retiring. His antagonistic looks of certain uncer- tainty, so frequently noticed in alge- bra class, are thrust in for good measure. Arthur Rice, familiarly known as Dotty Dimple, wills his auburn locks of that “dissembling” color and his nickname which he so fondly cher- ishes, to George Eldredge. Melvin Stamper beneficently be- stows his deep bass voice, of w ' hich Miss Christy is so proud, upon Ruth Stewart for use in sixth period Eng- lish. Ruth will doubtless render her thanks and present to him her Wamba costume for High School wear. Rochelle Blair with a sigh of re- lief, leaves his Beau Brummel choker