Winamac High School - Totem Yearbook (Winamac, IN)

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THE TOTEM, i y Class 1 r0phBcr I t y ■ I ♦J •?• The writing of a class prophecy is by school tradition a recognized task for some poor Senior each year. Puerile, isn ' t it, when we look back on those days when the class of 1910 were spraining their brains and try- ing to finish among the first, and think of the great things our class prophet told for each of us? I can see them now— especially those who lagged at the beginning — see them toiling almost day and night to close up the gap and approach the goal with the class. Ah ! those good old days are far removed now, and nothing remains but the fond mem- oi ' ies of that senior year. As for myself, I have been pretty well occupied since receiving that fitting rewai ' d for all High School graduates. After teaching school for a year I began my college work at Indiana University, and after four years there I continued my school work in Brownsville, Texas ; so you see I was right on the ground for the big split in that state when it was decided to make two states out nf it and set one part aside, along with Louisiana and Arkansas, as a reservation for the negroes. My work since has been in the schools of the wliito section, New Texas, and as State Superintendent am doing my best to bring the schools up the stan- dard set by the old Hoosier state of my birth. During my first visit to the state I met an old instructor, Mr. Spencer, who owned territory in New Texas, and said that he intended to ' ' Terry ' ' there the rest of his days. I under- stand he has a unique plan of raising potatoes without eyes. His irrigation scheme is perfect. He has an ordi- nary street sprinkler mounted on the latest model of bi-plane air ship, so whenever he desires a shower he just fills his tank and glides out over the fields. During all these years I have kept in touch with my old classmates, and last year when I visited Indiana I ran across several of them. The first thing I did on my return was to stop off at I. U. and visit my old friend and teacher, Mr. Spauld- ing, now pi-esident of that college. That was indeed a treat and the hours we spent together will live in memory forever. Coming up from Logansport I stopped at Star City, which has grown Avonderfully since the days when we met the boys there in athletic games, to see my old friend Willard, who is president of the large school situated there, and has charge of the physics department.

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THE TOTEM We have courageously passed through these trifles and continually looked forward, with a smile on our faces, to this occasion of the com- mencement. These opportunities have have not always been given to the scholai . It has only been brought about through the expenditure of time and civilization. Let us for a moment glance at the world ' s advancement. Everyone who has given time and intelligence to the study of our country has been im- pressed with the rapid and exceed- ingly great changes caused by the work of civilized men. The inhab- itants of several centuries ago were savages living on marshy, jungle-cov- ered solitudes in small huts. On tl:e other hand the people of today have become civilized; they are happy, prosperous, and are living in an en- lightened condition. In a word, our churches, colleges, schools and homes indicate the state of our civilization, our hopes and ambitions, the same as the rude earthworks and clumsy implements left behind by the earlier inhabitants to tell the story of their intellectual and moral condition. Our own state of Indiana has founded the greatest public school system in the central west. Our en- vironment, then, is such that we, the pupils of today are better prepared for life work, whatever it may be, than the scholar of a century ago. Nevertheless, more and better results are expected from us . Yet we hope to measure up to your expectations and in so doing profit from them. Since we are able to regard the past as an advancement, is it not to our interest to still further the prog- ress of the world and to make even better citizens than we ourselves are? How, then, can this be done easier than by educating the young, on whose shoulders will presently rest the greater part of the responsibility, as it now rests on yours. Let us then continue to educate the boys and girls. As I have said before, we as young people are here tonight to thank you for your efforts. Now, asking your continued favor and similar greet- ings as in the school days now gone, we once more heartily welcome you to these exercises.

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THE TOTEM. As usual he was working on some new experiment, trying to rival New- ton and the rest of the preat physi- cists. After a long ehat with him I went through the normal department and was surprised to see Mabel Hare, in- structing the Literature classes. She chanced to be having a recitation in English Literature. This of course brought up old memories of our own struggles with poetry, and I inquired concerning Miss Patterson. I was in- formed that she was in Illinois, con- ducting a chicken farm much after the fashion of Chantecler, except that she was feedfmg her hens a great variety of dye stuffs, thus as- tounding the country with what she was pleased to call Rainbow poultry, since her hens laid the most beauti- fully colored eggs. Mabel had an- other visitor that afternoon whom I Avas pleased to meet. It was Ethel. But no — not the same Ethel of old. Perhaps it was because she had mar- ried Mr. Petifer in earnest that she has changed so much. After spend- ing the afternoon there I came on to Winamae. The very first person I saw was one of the old class — Fran- ces. She, too, was visiting her home town From her I learned that four of the girls — Eva, Anna, Nina and herself — had been out in South Da- kota teaching in High Schools there with marked success, and that Mary was the vocal music instructor in the Winamae High School. Also that several of the girls from our class had left he paths of single blessed- ness and were now trying to get battle axes back in vogue as weapons — since rolling pins were so dull and ineffective. Mabel Werner, Lelah Werner, Pearl Stout, Nellie Olds and Lenora Obright were at the head of this movement. The last I heard of Amy she was head operator in the new wire ' ss telephone system that has its Indiana central at Indianapolis. Well, Amy could certainly manage that job all right, for I remember how she used to ' get into electricity when Mr. Har- ker taught us the first principles of those things. During my visit in Winamae I chanced to step into the lai ' ge public library which had been built since my last visit, and imagine my sur- prise on being greeted by Rhena, who was the librarian and who was cer- tainly enjoying her task, since she always loved to be surrounded by her books. It is safe to sav I enjoyed my stay there very much. After a long visit about the state I returned to my work by way of Chicago, and during an evening there Avas charmed to hear one of the latest and what is considered by critics to be one of the best piano compositions of late years, composed by Prof. R. P. Harker and rendered by Miss Jessie Heise, the president of the class of 1910.