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September “25, 1921^.
HIGH LIFE
Page Turee
CAPTURED
Dear ma,
Here I is back agin in Greensberry Hi
Scule. I sho do mis that ole mule of
ourn but they is some folks in this scule
that puts me in mind of the mule.
And say ma you know they got a new
principle here this year his name is Ed
ward, I cant find out his last name.
Ma you know T told you before that
we had some fine barns here, well they
is building a nice new stable for us now.
They’s a real good lookin lady in the
liberry and already its done more biz-
ness than in the last 2 yeres. And it’s
awful funny bout how many folks is
taken spanitch.
Weer a readin in iatin about Puramus
and Thesbe. It seems that these to folks
wuz in love but they parents didn’t like
it so they couldn’t get married. But
never mind I will tell you the rest when
I get it red.
They’s a teecher hear named Onct but
he’s so little you have to look twict to
find him.
Ma you remember “Sis” what I wrote
you about. Well he’s still here tryin to
show fokes what side of a equilatteral
a]:)ple is the roundest.
A heap of boys is goin around hear
limpin and I axes whats the madter and
they says they’s been playin football.
So I goes to see how it is done. But ma
tliey won’t no game that day they just
had a big fight bout who was gonna have
the bail.
You remember all tbern notes I told
you about last yere, wmll I found one
stuck up in a dest today. It sed Dere
Bobby—en then they wuz a lot er soup
like ITank gives Mandy when he talks to
her and then it wuz signed M. J. B., I
can’t imagin who that is.
Yours salubriously,
HIRAM.
P.S.—I am writin this on a typriter like
all your letters is gonna bee.
Ben Kendrick Reviews ‘‘The
Prodigious Hickey” in a
Columbia Magazine.
In this busy world of getting schedules
“just so” and lunch periods just wdien
mother wants them, and all the many
other things ranging from securing a seat
nearest one’s “pal” to making sure one
has the right math teacher, some did not
miss one of last year’s fellow-students.
But Ben Kendrick has just returned, ten
days late, from New York, where he has
spent the summer in recreation and in
study at Horace Mann’s school of Co
lumbia university.
Tliis department of Columbia univer
sity edits a publication under the very
appropriate name of The Demonstrator.
In it is found the master talents of the
most literary members of the student
body. In the August number Ben Ken
drick’s name ist, found among the con
tributors. As a means of congratulating
Ben, High Life is copying his book re
view, “The Prodigious Hickey,” by Owen
Johnson, from the last issue of The Dem
onstrator:
“THE PRODIGIOUS HICKEY”
“The Prodigious Hickey” is a book of
short stories with Hickey Hicks the main
character. The events occur at Lawrence-
ville, a preparatory school for boys. One
of the most interesting stories is “The
Great Pancake Record.”
Little Johnnie Smeed, weighing only
102 pounds, arrives at Lawrenceville. He
is promptly “broken in” and is rechris
tened “Hungry” because of his most
amazing and practically insatiable appe
tite.
I.iawrenGcville has several different dor
mitories which compete against each oth
er in various athletics. The dormitory
to which “Hungry” was sent considered
him a total loss because of his meagre
weight. So all through the fall, when
football is the major sport, he carried
the spare parts of the various players’
uniforms.
At Lawrenceville were many places of
refreshment. Two of the most import
ant were Al’s Jigger Shop, and Conover’s,
where the hungry boys were fed pan
cakes. Both places had their traditions.
Ten double jiggers was a record at Al’s,
while at Conover’s 29 pancakes was the
record established by “Guzzler” Will
iams, years ago. However, Conover had
sworn to the statement that if any boy
should consume more than 32 pancakes
at one sitting he (Conover) would cook
pancakes all day for the Lawrenceville
boys.
After football was over Hiclcey Hicks
recognized the possibilities of “Hungry.”
So with “Doc” MacNoodler as an aid,
Hickey and “Hungry” went down to
Al’s. They quickly reached an agree
ment. If “Hungry” eats the ten double
jiggers “Doc” and Ilickey can have all
they want. If “Hungry” fails, A1 gets
“Hungry’s” watch. Then “Hungry” ate
the ten with apparent ease.
After they had taken A1 into their
confidence, they proceeded to starve
“Hungry.” After two days a guard was
necessary. On the third day he went to
Conover’s for the big test. They brought
their dormitory with them, so that if
“Hungry” should break the record it
would get the first pancakes.
By twos and threes his score crept up
until he passed the “Guzzler’s” record.
The excitement was intense. The captain
of the football team talked to him as
he talked to the team the night before
the big game. More and more, his score
kept growing. Einally, after the 49th
pancake he stopped.
Five minutes later, boys came out
shouting, “Free pancakes at Conover’s!
‘Hungry’ Smeed has broken tbe record!”
Many of the other stories are fully as
thrilling as this. Although they have no
great literary value, they give a clear
insight into life at a boys’ boarding-
school, besides providing several hours
of wholesome entertainment.
‘TREES”
On August 1, 1918, the Literary Di
gest added a gold star to its service flag
for Joyce Kilmer, who on that day made
the supreme sacrifice for his country’s
cause. For nine years he was connected
with the Literary Digest company, first
as a member of the editorial staff of the
Standard Dictionary, and then as edi
tor of the poetry department, which he
conducted with singlar distinction up to
the day he left for France. The world
is the poorer for the loss of a very gal
lant gentleman and a poet who never
wrote a line that was not pure, sweet
and clean.
Among his many well-known poems we
find “Trees,” the title-poem of his sec
ond book of verse. It runs:
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree thad may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her -hair;
Upon whose bosom snow was lain;
Who intimately lives with rain;
Poems are made by fools like m.e,
But only God can make a tree.
The editor of this article was reminded
of this worthy poet and this beautiful
poem by a new possession of the high
school citizens. During the summer the
school board purchased the Bain prop
erty adjoining the old high school site
on the south. On this newly purchased
lot is one of the grandest old oaks in
North Carolina. Foresters tell us that
it is several hundred years of age, and
is one of the few original growths of the
Old North State. We might let our
imagination wander into romantic fan
cies or heroic stories that would date
back to the good old colonial days be
fore the Civil War.
But it is enough to know we own it
and that we will preserve it, and will
always take pride in our staunch and
mighty possession. It is in the front
yard where every passerby may admire
its beauty and enjoy the far-reaching
shade that it throws to great distances
with its long spreading branches. It must
have been a tree like this that inspired
“Trees.”
Flowers are the sweetest things God
ever made and forgot to put a soul into.
—Beecher.
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Happiness is the experience we feel
when we are too busy to be miserable.—
Anon.
ELECTION OF SENIOR OFFICERS
On September 18, at chapel period,
the second senior class meeting was held
in room 103 for the purpose of electing
officers for the class of ’25. The meeting
wms called to order by the senior presi
dent, Garnett Gregory. The chairman of
the nominating committee, Elizabeth
Stone, then read the list of nominees for
each office, and the names wmre enthusi
astically voted on.
The following officers were elected:
Vice-president, Vernell Hackney; secre
tary, Frances Moore; treasurer, Lacy
Wyrick; High Life reporter, Betty Har
rison; cheer leader, Virginia McClam-
rock.
The president then appointed a senior
song committee of two: Helen Forbis
and Bernice Henley. A ring committee,
of which Vernell Hackney was named
chairman, was also appointed by the
president.
Greensboro Hi-Y Club No. 1 held its
first business meeting of the year last
Thursday night, at the “Y,” the meet
ing presided over by Fred Burroughs,
who gave an interesting talk. Three
members were voted into the club, as fol-
lowxs: Charlie Burgess, Lottis Johnson
and Willard Watson. The following of
ficers were elected: John Ford, treasurer,
and Lacy Wyrick, secretary.
As there was no other business, tbe
meeting adjourned with an urgent re
quest that each member be present at all
meetings.
Hi-Y No. 2 held its weekly meeting
on Thursday night, 7 o’clock, at the Y.
M. C. A., with Vernell Hackney presid
ing. The club leader, Mr. C. W. Phil
lips, made a helpful talk on ideals for
the coming year, and among other things
suggested that the boys have charge of
the program the first meeting of each
month.
A committee composed of Arthur De-
vant, John Betts, and Roy Smith was ap
pointed to arrange the i^rogram for the
October 2nd meeting.
The fact that Greensboro High School
girls are glad to be back was shown
when the sioirit of friendliness dominated
their first meeting September 11.
New girls of the high school were wel
comed by Virginia McClamrock. Then a
few hints about the year’s work were
given tliem by Miss Dry, the girls’ ath
letic director, who added to her speech
a peppy song:
I want to go to Burlington,
A-ha, and, a little bit more;
I want to go to Winston-Salem,
A-ha, and a little bit more;
But since I’ve been to Greensboro Hi,
Well, I don’t want no m.ore.
Why?
’Cause I got ail that’s coming to me,
A-ha, and a little bit, ,
Ha, and a little bit,
Ha, and a little bit more.
The dean. Miss Killingsworth, then
presented some of the girls’ problems.
She suggested as an ideal a friendly atti
tude to each other in the high school.
She added to her statements by selections
from, “I Call You My Friend Because—,”
by Orison Swett Marden. Some of the
things she stressed were: “I call you
my friend because—
“You make the most of my good quali
ties and ignore my bad ones.
“You do not value me for what I have,
but for what I am; whether I succeed or
fail, whether I make or lose, you are
going to stand by me.
“I feel strengthened, reinforced, but
tressed, every time I come in contact
with you; you leave me a little more
worthy of your faith in me.”
One year ago the seniors were wonder
ing what would happen when they be
came seniors. Now that they are seniors
they are still wondering.
People who feel what they say can
make one feel a lot more that they don’t
say.—Elliot.
John Charles McNeha
Carolina Son
By Charlotte van Noppen
John Charles McNeill, one of North
Carolina’s most gifted sons, was born on
July 26, 1887, at Spring Hill. There
“the land lies low and the fields present
vistas of corn and cotton and grass with
woods of cjq)ress and pine and gum in
the background. Tbe houses are the
headquarters of well kept farms and the
vine and fig tree flourish near by.
Throughout the settlement winds the
Lumber river, always wine-colored be
cause of the cypress roots, steady and
deep and swift or slow, according to the
season; a darksome stream where the
red throat, the pickeral, and the large
mouth bass find homes all to their lik
ing save for the fisher boy who over
takes them with bob or bait. To spend
a sunset hour beneath the cypress gloom
hard by; to catch the note of far-cir
cling fields in the stilly hour; to respond
to the color of land and heaven and hori
zon and somber quiet all around—is to
realize that this is the poet’s clime—and
the poet in a poet’s clime was born.”
John Charles spent his youth on the
farm. His chief task was tending the
cows but he knew the plow and the hoe,
though he lost many a furrow trying to
read and plow at the same time.
He entered the Spring Hill School and
from there went to the Whiteville Acad
emy. Later he entered Wake Forest
College from which institution he grad
uated at the head of his class in 1898.
His poetic talent began to express itself
even before he left the college walls; and
many of his poems appeared in the col
lege magazine where they attracted at
tention.
After leaving college Mr. McNeill was
offered a place on the staff of the Char
lotte Observer with the privilege to write
whatever he wished. He accepted the
position and made it a medium for writ
ing more verse. In 1905 he was acknowl
edged a real poet and awarded the Pat
terson Cup, which was presented to him
by President Theodore Roosevelt.
John Charles McNeill died at his home
near Riverton, N. C., on October 17,
1907. “Not even his own fellow citi
zens as yet, to say nothing af the world
at large, have begun to appreciate the
man at his true value. Perhaps he must
always be dearer to southern hearts than
to others; the others may not fully under
stand our partiality, not understanding
how close an exponent of southern life
he was.
Mr. McNeill’s poems are very close to
nature. They deal with the every day
occurrences and humor, with tenderness
of feeling, with the earth, the season
and with man and beast and home.
Appropriate at this season is his poem,
“September”:
I have not been among the woods.
Nor seen the milk-weeds burst their
hoods,
The downy thistle-seeds take wing
Nor the squirrel at his garnering.
And yet I know that, up to God,
The mute month holds her goldenrod,
That clump and copse, o’errun with vines,
I’winkle with clustered muscadines.
And in deserted churchyard places
Dwarf apples smile at sunburnt faces.
I know, how, ere her green is shed.
The dogwood pranks herself with red;
How the pale dawn, chilled through and
through.
Comes drenched and draggled with her
dew;
How all day long the sunlight seems
As if it lit a land of dreams,
Till evening, with her mist and cloud.
Begins to weave her royal shroud.
If yet, as in old Homer’s land,
God walks with mortals, hand in hand,
Somewhere today, in this sweet weather,
Thinkest thou not they walk together?
The only true education is that which
enables a man to do what he knows he
ought to do, at the time he ought to do
it, regardless of the consequences.—Hux
ley,
FACULTY ORGANIZATION
In order to facilitate the work of the
administration of the High School, Mr.
liCe H. Edwards appointed the follow
ing committees to organize and promote
the various fields of extra-curricular ac
tivities:
Chapel—Miss Killingsworth.
Social—Miss Killingsworth, chairman;
Miss Dry, Mrs. Comer, Mr. Johnston,
Miss Kelly, Miss Grogan, Miss Dally.
Debating—Mrs. Phillips, chairman;
Miss Tillett, Miss Blackmon, Miss Wheel
er, Miss Glenn, Mr. Bullock, Mr. Far
thing.
Dramatic — Mr. Wunsch, chairman;
Miss Wine, Miss Mercer, Miss Gillis, Miss
Caldwell, Miss Hunter, Miss Wheeler.
Scholarship—Miss Tillett, chairman;
Mr. Farthing, Miss Mitchell.
Poster—Miss Martin, chairman; Miss
Anderson, Miss Coleman.
Student Council—Miss Grogan, chair
man; Miss Walker, Miss Coleman, Miss
Anderson.
Publicity—Miss Coleman, chairman ;
Mr. Wunsch, Miss Davidson.
Commercial Club—Mr. Pultz, chair
man; Miss Greene, Miss Scott, Miss Mor
gan.
Girls Athletics—Director, Miss Dry;
Assistant, Miss Moore, (a) Hiking: Miss
Rankin, Miss Mitchell. (b) Training:
Miss Glenn, Mrs. Phillips, Miss Bullard,
(c) Tennis: Miss Dally, Miss Walker,
Miss Causey. (d) Volley Ball: Miss
Mercer, Miss Pickard.
Declamation—Mr. Aycock, Miss Gro
gan.
High IJfe — Faculty Manager, Miss
Coleman; Mr. Wunsch, Miss Wheeler,
Miss Kelly, Miss Gillis.
Annual — Miss Beckwith, chairman;
Mr. Wunsch, Miss I>esley.
Boys Athletics—Tennis: Mr. Aycock,
Mr. Hudson, Mr. Bennett. Baseball:
Jobnson, head coach; Strickland, assist
ant; Hudson and Bennett, freshman;
Farthing, soph; Comer, junior; Aycock,
senior. Track: Strickland. Spring foot
ball: Johnson, Strickland.
Library—Miss Bush, Miss Smith.
Cafeteria—Mrs. Comer, Mrs. Reaves.
Senior Supply Room—Miss Coleman.
SUPT. ARCHER WILL SPEND
NINE MONTHS IN NEW YORK
(Continued from Page One)
Mr. Baachman at that time that he would
be glad to avail himself of the opportun
ity if the Greensboro school board saw
fit to grant him a leave of absence. De
cision was made by the board that the
opportunity given Mr. Archer to study
modern school methods would be of tre
mendous value to the city and the leave
of absence was granted.
While the term lasts for nine months,
it is understood that Mr. Archer will
return to Greensboro January 1 if, in
the opinion of the school board, it is
necessary for him to do so. Otherwise,
he will spend nine months in New York.
Conditions in local schools are excel
lent, members of the board stated, and
it is thought that now is an excellent time
for Mr. Archer to avail himself of the
opportunity for study. There is a pos
sibility that at some time within the near
future all schools in Gilmer and More-
head townships may be brought under
the direction of the city school board
(mill schools are now handled by the
county board) and this will cause more
discussion of vocational and manual
training. Witli the study of methods in
vocational and manual training available
to Mr. Archer at Columbia, members of
the school board think that his value to
the city can be greatly increased by his
spending nine months in New York.
THE TORCH LIGHT SOCIETY
INITIATES NEW MEMBERS
AT DELIGHTFUL BANQUET
(Continued from Page One)
Each year the senior class elects the
members for the coming year. Last
spring the following members were elect
ed to bear the torch light of scholarship
for the High School: Elizabeth Smith,
Helen Forbis, Marion Walters, Elizabeth
Stone, Byron Sharp, Charles Amole,
Mary Thurman, Lois Dorsett, Garnett
Gregory, and Betty Harrison.