Williams High School - Messalonskee Ripple Yearbook (Oakland, ME)

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EDITORIALS FACING REALITY The time has come for the senior class to face the world with reality. To each graduating class, in the middle of their last year this feeling inevitably comes. This feeling, when it comes, is actually a shock. The thought comes that in a few months you are to be turned loose in the school, but, certain in- world. Some may go on to never-the-less, there is a dependence these people will enjoy: they will be apart from their families. Others may go away and work, this would be the hardest lot. Some may remain at home, but the thought remains that their second- ary education has terminated. The world, it seems, has been troubled for a long time. Not too long ago boys of seventeen were being drafted. Now we have the same type of situation. Although to date no age has been decided, quite soon after graduation some boys enter service. Then a few more will go, until a year from now, in all probability, the entire male section of our graduating class will be serving our country. Some may be drafted but most have a definite idea as to what service they would join. In order to serve in anything but the Army, one must enlist, for those who are drafted are usually sent into the infantry. Around us we hear pro and con argu- ments about drafting eighteen-year-old boys. Some claim eighteen-year-old boys make better soldiers and drafting at eigh- teen breaks up less homes. Others claim a move such as that would be militaristic. Whatever is decided, we will have to obey. The whole program will be compulsory but the American youth will go along willingly. The American spirit will prevail, must pre- vail. If the world is to have peace which heretofore has been an impossibility, the youth of America will be a prime factor in making that peace. HOWARD CHARLES '51 PREVENT FOREST FIRES We must all try to prevent forest fires and to keep our country as green as possi- ble. None of us want our country black- ened by raging Hres that are difficult to control. Remember that fires destroy our forests which play an important part in our ec- onomic lives. We use lumber for buildings, furniture, and other articles. We use wood pulp for paper that we use every day. In the spring, many people make all or part of their living by tapping maple trees for the sap and then, in turn, boiling the sap down to make syrup and sugar to sell. Forests prevent many rivers and streams from overflowing. In the spring, the water rises due to melting snow. Trees along the banks draw up large amounts of the water, so that it doesn't overflow the banks. Trees that shed their leaves in the fall help us very much. The dead leaves, along with dead branches, decay and form a sub- stance called humus. Humus mixes with the soil and acts as a sponge which absorbs much more water than can soil alone. Hum- us, then, prevents Hoods and droughts, for when the water is plentiful the humus ab- sorbs the water and gives it off slowly as it is needed by the earth. Underground fires destroy the humus. Underground fires often damage roots, too. We depend upon the roots to hold the soil in place and prevent erosions. Fires also destroy wild life. Animals and birds hate fire. They run from the fires, but many cannot escape and perish. They cannot live where land has been burned over for a period of time, because there is no food for them to eat, no shelter to protect them, or comfortable places for them to build their homes. Another point to consider is how the fires aHect people directly. Many people live in camps and homes that are located in wooded

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4 THE MESSALONSKEE RIPPLE RIPPLE BOARD FIRST ROXV 411-ft to riullijz Mzxrviai !1:1l1Ii4'. l'l:1ir4- lim-roix. lflorvm-0 llossiunol. liflhqi W1-ntwortli. Jr-all N is Intl Nl 1 II X 111111 Nr l lttl rr fimn 1.. I I . ur'ss1- 4 M 11' I Q nmnsn-nr Vfiso . 1. .. . . . , SECOND ROW: Hail Soutlxalrfl tl-hliiorm, l.zuu's-l llivkford. Holm-rt Hit-kl'm'4I. Donnhl Muirs, Ros:-lmu Clark. .i1s:1 Walton, Mary Inlw, Uwe-n l1'm-mlr-rson. l.orr:1in4- Iiuwm-, Iiuymoml Stiuvforil, Ih-iw-rly Bzlldiu, Mal- T xl Stovvns. Editor-in-Chief . . Assistant Editor . . . Business Manager Assistants , ..... . Literary Editor .. Assistant ...... Joke Editor .. Assistant . . . Art Editor Assistant .... Music Editor ....... Girls, Sports Editor Boys' Sports Editor Alumni Editor Exchange Editor . Senior Editor ..i. Junior Editor ..... Sophomore Editor Freshman Editor . RIPPLE BOARD GAIL SOUTHARD ..... OWEN FENDERSON FLORENCE ROSSIGNOL MARY LUCE CLAIRE LACROIX RAYMOND STINEFORD MAE STEVENS . .. RUTH MORISSETTE . . . . BEVERLY BALDIC BRUCE WENTWORTH .. . . . NORMA BALDIC .. . . DONALD MAIRS . . . . . DOLORES JOLER . . . LAUREL BICKFORD ..... JEAN SIMONS . . . . LORRAINE ROWE .. . ROBERT BICKFORD ROSELMA CLARK .. . MARCIA BALDIC .... LINDA WALTON

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6 THE MESSALONSKEE RIPPLE areas. Fires often force them to leave their homes. Firemen become injured or killed trying to control the forest fires. You can prevent most forest fires by us- ing common sense and by being careful. Never throw a lighted cigarette or a match from an automobile. Ditches often contain d1'y leaves which will catch fire. If they should, you might be responsible for de- stroying several acres of forest land. Use the ash trays in the car. That is what they are for. Build your campfires on dirt or stones with all the leaves and pine needles raked away. Have your fire small enough to con- trol and never leave it unless there is some- one else there to watch it. Make sure that every spark of life is gone out before you leave the spot. Pour water on your fire before you leave. Obey all rules dealing with burning leaves, brush, and dead grass in your com- munity. The proper authorities know more about the dangerous conditions for fire than most of us. Let them be the judge for us. Do as they say. Forests Rangers are stationed at their lookouts, but they do not see the fire until it has started and often it is too late to prevent all destruction. You must help by not being careless and by not starting the fires. Lightning causes a few fires each year. These are not preventable, of course. Let lightning be the only cause of fires in your community. Do your part to prevent all forest fires. Don't you be responsible for a fire that may cause loss of lives, shut downs in industrial plants, floods, soil erosions, harm to thc favorable conditions for hunting and the tourist business, or lower the general wel- fare of your community. Please realize the importance of fire pre- vention and do your part for the sake of all living things. ROSIE PACKARD '52 NOTE: This essay received First Prize in a recent essay contest on Fire Prevention sponsored in the local schools by the Oak- land Fire Department.