Woonsocket High School - Quiver Yearbook (Woonsocket, RI)

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THE QUIVER 7 In winter, the great winds, sweeping up the valley, grip the tree. Iwisting the writhing limbs into grotesque shapes. Sometimes a great bough is snapped off with a noise like that of a pistol shot. The old Irec cannot survive many more winters, but thanks to the stranger’s thoughtfulness, it has fulfilled its mission in the world. HELEN J. THAYER, ’18. A STATE CREED BY THE PUPILS OF ENGLISH 1 B. We are proud of Rhode Island, of the beauty of her scenery: her hay and her ocean shore; her wooded hills and winding rivers; and her glacial deposits, second in interest to those of no other state. We are proud of our forefathers, who fought and bled for their Country, their principles, and for us. We are proud of Roger Williams ;ml of he belief in religious freedom, for which he stood. We are proud that our state was the first to declare itself free from Great Britain’s tryanny. We revere the memory of Rhode Island’s heroes, of Gen. Greene, Gen. Burnside, Commodore Perry, and of all who 1 ave responded when our nation called. Wre honor the Grand Army of the Republic. We pledge ourselves to do our best to retain for our commonwealth the high standards of our forefathers. We are proud that our state has been first in so many things: in building the first cotton mill; in establishing the first Sunday School; in giving state pensions to its teachers; and in having the first open-air school. We remember with pride that a Rhode Island skipper was the first man to carry the Stars and Stripes around the world. W: b:lieve in Rhode Island, in her government and in her laws. We believe in Rhode Island’s flag and honor and revere it. We believe that Rhode Island is progressive and wish to see her at the front in every worthy cause. We believe in the importance to the world of Rhode Island s industries, especially in the great variety of goods manufactured along the banks of the Blackstone River, which, in proportion to its size, supports more mills than any other river in this country. We believe in Rhode Island’s schools and in the steadfastness of her boys and girls, her future citizens. We pledge our allegiance to our state, which, from the beginning, has been a refuge for those who were persecuted in their home lands. We pledge ourselves to obey her laws, to uphold her honor, and to do our best to become good and useful citizens.

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G THE QUIVER THE SYCAMORE i The old homestead was bathed in the mellow glow of the afternoon sun. The day had been warm, and there were few signs of life. One could imagine that within it was cool, but outside the heat was still oppressive. Presently there came the sound of hoof beats. A horseman was approaching. Soon lie had entered the driveway leading to the house. Both horse and rider showed signs of extreme fatigue. In front of the homestead, the man checked his horse and dismounted, while a servant came hurrying out to see what was desired. The answer was brief. “I want water for myself and my horse.” Conducting the stranger to a well near by, the servant bade him drink. The thirst of man and beast was soon quenched by the clear, cool water. As he was about to remount, the stranger suddenly turned and said, “My whip! Ah, now I remember. I dropped it far back.” ‘“Here is just the thing for a whip,” quickly replied the servant. Already he had taken a sharp knife from his pocket, and was about to cut a slender sapling, which grew near the well. “Stop!” commanded the stranger. “That sapling will grow into a wonderful tree. Leave it untouched. It was meant to become more than a horseman’s whip.” Saying this, much to the astonishment of the servant, the man leaped upon his horse and disappeared in a cloud of dust. This happened many, many years ago. The prophecy of the strange horseman has come true. The sapling is now a wonderful sycamore tree, massive in proportions, towering high above other trees, stretching its great, tapering branches to the sky. For over a hundred jears it has stood firmly in its place near the well at the side of our house. Every spring without fail, it sends out bright green shoots, and welcomes the home-coming birds. Woodpeckers, robins, bluebirds, blackbirds, orioles, and many others, all visit its branches. In the summer, many a person has been thankful for the cool, refreshing shade of the sycamore tree. There comes a transformation in the fall. With few exceptions the withered leaves cling to the boughs. The tree is hung with little brown balls, that swing and dangle in the breeze. Great strips of bark peel off, leaving queerly shaped, light blotches. The sycamore presents a peculiar appearance, for each branch resembles a gigantic snake that has just shed its skin.

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8 the quiver o THE RED CROSS In the summer of 1859, the Austrian army was defeated by th? combined forces of France and Sardinia in a great battle at Solferino in northern Italy. For days after the bloody struggle, thirty-five thou sand men lay dead and disabled on the field of battle without adequate care or aid. The battlefield was visited by Henry Dunant, a wealth) man from Switzerland. He was so greatly moved by ail the suffering around him that he no.t only gave his own services in aiding the few surgeons who were on the field, but also, when he had returned to his home, kept the vision of it ever before him. He lectured and sent out circulars urging people to unite and form a worldwide society for the care of wounded soldiers on the battlefield. A conference was held at Geneva, where eleven nations pledged active aid and support, and agreed that all its members, helpers, and hospitals should be free from molestation on the field of battle. In order to protect the workers of the society, a badge was adopted: a red cross on a white background. This design, which resembles the Swiss flag, was chosen out of courtesy to Mr. Dunant. It was not until 1882 that the United States, through the efforts of Clara Barton, joined the other nations in this work for humanity. The ked Cross Association of America was formed, however, not only to care for wounded soldiers, but also to relieve the sufferers in any great calamity, such as famine, flood, or pestilence. Within a month after the establishment of the Red Cross, a forest (ire broke out in Michigan, devastating the homes there. This was the first emergency in which the Red Cross was called upon for aid, and eighty thousand dollars was sent in answer to the call. After this, the Red Cross helped during floods along the Ohio, dreadful cyclones in the West, and a great drought in Texas. In May, 1889, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was flooded by the breaking of a dam. Clara Barton went to the scene of disaster and did all in her power to alleviate the suffering and w'ant of the people. In 1893, a great hurricane occurred in the Sea Islands off the coast of Carolina where the people are poor and ignorant negroes; and the Red Cross, with Miss Barton again leading the movement, went to aid those miserable people. For nine months they were directed by the Red Cross, until peace and order were restored. To this day, many of t!i.e children who are born there are named “Red Cross’’ and “Clara Barton.” The American Association of the Red Cross was reorganized in 1893 as the American National Red Cross, but not until twelve years