Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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1 8 The Target A Fair Exchange (As Told by My Grandmother.) In the spring of 1853 my father for various reasons conceived the idea that we were to cross the plains. Starting from near Chicago, Illinois, our company consisted of twenty people, men, women and children, the youngest being two years old. The train was made up of four wagons, with cattle, horses and mules. The Indians were unusually peace- ful that year and did not ask for much save the few clothes and such provisions as we could spare. Every- thing ' went smoothly until we reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There, late one Saturday, we passed through an Indian village and made our camp just beyond them. The next day being the Sabbath, we did not travel, but stayed in camp and, according to our custom, held Sunday services. During the services we noticed the Indians stand- ing curiously in the distance, and when, later, my father went to the spring, leaving me alone near our wagon, an Indian, apparently rising from nowhere just back of me, grabbed my long strands of very heavy reddish hair; and then, as I ran screaming away, disappeared as mysteriously as he had come. That night, as we sat around the campfire, others in the party told of seeing the Indians getting up their horses. Alarmed, we kept an all-night watch and, with the earliest light, began to break camp. But, just as we were about to leave, a warning rustle came through the woods — -the muffled sound of ponies ' feet on the thick-leaved carpet of the forest path — and our men with drawn guns awaited the attack. Slowly into view came a very unwarlike Indian squaw leading a horse ladened with furs and a Chief riding a horse, leading several others. Stopping near me, where I stood with my mother, the Chief said, Me buy leetle girl; me like sun- shine hair. What! said my father. Do you mean Johanna? pointing to me. The old Chief nodded. I give horses and fur for her, said he. Oh, I can ' t sell her; she ' s my good luck child, said my father. Thankfully we bought the Chief ' s furs and resumed our journey west- ward. EL-WOOD WOOLSEY. MARY AND THE INDIANS. Mary had gotten out of bed and had a spread in the pantry with a friend who was staying over night. They had stuffed themselves with pickles and were half-way through a mince pie when Mary heard her mother and father, who had been reading in the parlor, get up and start up the stairs to bed. Taking a farewell piece of pie, they dived up the stairs and into bed. When Mary ' s mother came into their room to open the windows, they were both sleeping innocently. But as soon as she had gone Mary whis- pered, I wish I hadn ' t eaten so much; I feel so achy. I, too, answered her friend; well, good night. As Mary lay in bed, she thought she heard footsteps on the gravel walk below. Suddenly the hideous head of an Indian popped up at the

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The Target Every loyal Willard student be- lieves firmly that his school is the best in everything. He isn ' t afraid to tell other people what he thinks, either. Boasting isn ' t winning games though, and the student who boasts and doesn ' t back his boast either on the field or in the bleachers is handi- capping the team by putting the heavy burden on their shoulders of upholding the fair name of the school without any apparent effort on the part of the student body to show its appreciation. Willard is starting a new era now; we are organizing our teams and playing our games. If you believe that Willard is the best, why don ' t you let the teams know it? It ' s your business, and we hope your pleasure, Willard students, to back up those who are representing you in ath- letics. Help them place WillarcFs name always on top. Never let it be said that the largest Interme- diate School in Berkeley has the smallest body of rooters on the bleachers. Let the mighty force of W-i-l-l-a-r-d! Rah! Rah! Rah! proclaim to all that Willard ' s honor on the field of sports is dear to you, as we know it is. AN EXPRESSION OF APPRE- CIATION. The citizens of Berkeley carried the school bond election on the 29th of March. They came to the rescue of their boys and girls by voting for the largest amount of school bonds, in proportion to the population of Berkeley, that any city in the United States has ever voted, $2,321,000. The loyal people of Berkeley have thus shown their desire and their de- termination to give their boys and girls an opportunity to better their physical condition, by providing more playgrounds and better equipment. By enlarging the school buildings they strive to give them every avail- able educational advantage, that they may grow into men and women more fit and more worthy to be called by the most honored of names, Ameri- cans. Berkeley can justly and proudly thank her citizens for placing her among the foremost educational ranks, and she may rest assured that no effort will be spared on the part of the school children to do their utmost to uphold the faith and trust that has been placed in them. KENNETH FERGUSON. A FOREST FIRE— ITS BEAUTIES AND TERRORS. Far in the distance a little smoke curls upward towards the sky. Pres- ently a flame is seen leaping from tree to tree. Now its course is di- rected upward on the tall tamaracks and pines. It travels for miles and miles leaving desolate waste behind it. Such is the way of the forest fire. At the first sign of fire, town bells are rung and crowds of men, women and children are seen fighting their way to the ticket office of the railroad station. Later a wagonload of black- faced fire-fighters come in, bringing news that the fire cannot be stopped. It is night. In the distance can be seen the flames leaping and bound- ing. Ah! midst the splendor of the scene huge flames shoot forth. One has struck pitch. The flame darts out over the river and crosses it. Red, yellow and blue flames are now trav- eling on to tall pines on the farther shore. Bands of fire-fighters rush to the scene, gradually getting the fire under control, and the nearby town is saved. WM. CLARK HARDING.

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The Target 19 window. Mary jumped from her bed as the Indian jumped through the window, and ran for the door! An- other Indian was just outside! Mary desperately dodged by him and flew down the stairway and outside into the garden. At every turn an In- dian seemed to spring out at her. On through the garden she ran, slipping through an Indian ' s arms. At last she reached the elm-bor- dered street. The moon shone spook- ily down. Mary had nearly reached a soldier walking along when an Indian sprang out from behind a tree, and before she could break away he gave a terrible cry and stabbed her in the back! What are you screaming for? asked her mother, bending over her. An Indian stabbed me! sobbed Mary, and I can still feel it! See! she said, turning over. What do you think was sticking into her? A pin! Next morning Mary promised her mother that she would never eat any- thing that her mother told her not to. She also promised to make her bed better and not to leave pins in it. HELEN HAINES. A GHOST STORY. Hezekiah Blake stretched his long legs before the stove and spat into the box of sawdust in the corner. A crowd of about ten were gathered around the tiny heater discussing various topics of the day. The corner store was deserted ex- cept for the hangers-on and Joshua Haymaker, the old storekeeper. Some of the men were sitting on cracker barrels, others lounged on the coun- ter, but the majority tilted back their chairs and placed their enormous feet upon the stove. Indeed, so crowded was that useful bit of iron that occasionally a gruff voice would say: Hey, there, Josh, give me a chance at that stove. Hezekiah had a long beard, no mustache, a huge Roman nose, small twinkling eyes, a scanty fringe of hair around his shining bald pate, and a long neck that resembled that of a stork. His thumbs were thrust into the armholes of his vest, his shirt boasted no collar, and his dirty over- alls were patched carelessly in many places. But despite his appearance, he was a jolly don ' t-care fellow, who took the world as it came. Say, boys, I never believed in ghosts till last night. As I was going home from the store who should I meet but grandfather ' s ghost. It ' s funny a man is not safe in this country. Well, I was going home as I said, and I had just passed the gooseberry bushes on Deacon Jones ' farm, when up popped a tall white ghost, with such beaming eyes, why my bones just naturally shook. I whispered, ' Who are you? ' ' I ' m your grandfather and I ' ve come to tell you that you are going to die the day you take your last breath. ' With a hollow groan that awful thing disappeared. Why, boys, I ' ve been quaking ever since. Hezekiah looked around the small store. A deep silence reigned, broken only by the ticking of the clock and the crackling of the fire. Why, last night was Halloween, said Joshua. ALICE ROSENBERRY. Mildred Bell: ' Nos ' should be ' nostra ' — I forgot my ' tra. ' Miss Smith: Very well, I shall join your ' tra ' to your ' nos. '