Chester High School
The
Cestrian,1934
Chester County, South Carolina
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Class of
1933-34 |
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The hands of the clock on the wall moved slowly around to the midnight hour. Dr. Patterson and I stood in the center of a dimly lighted laboratory amidst countless complicated machines that the Doc had invented. I had agreed to let him try his latest invention out on me, but when he began to make preparations that were not only fantastic but horrible, I was tempted to run. "This invention will revolutionize all civilization," said Dr. Patterson, as if interpreting my thoughts. "It will project you mind ten years into the future and allow you to prepare yourself in advance for your future vocation." "Well, I'm ready if you are," I said
reluctantly. As I stretched out on the table, I began to feel drowsy and tired. I tried to move but couldn't. I was completely paralyzed. I heard a whining noise and realized I was being projected ten years into the future. When I regained consciousness, I was lying on a lounge in the lobby of a prosperous looking hotel. I arose unsteadily, walked over to the desk and looked at a calendar. It read Jan. 1, 1944. "Whew!" I gasped, "and I thought Doc was lying." Just then a vaguely familiar voice came to my ears. I turned to see a very tall bell boy striding toward me with a broad grin on his face. Without much trouble I recognized Charlie Porter. "How do you like my hotel," was his greeting. "If this is your hotel why are you wearing that uniform?" I asked. "Oh! you see I am the house detective as well as half owner of the hotel. This uniform is part of my disguise. Jesse Oates owns the other half and is business manager and clerk. In fact, we have several Chester High graduates in our employ. William Weir is chef and Bill Stroud is head waiter. Sam Lee conducts our hotel orchestra while Philip and Esther Adelsheimer do the vocals. Tom McClure ran the elevator for awhile, but you know the motor couldn't stand such a load very long, so we shifted him to the kitchen to help Weir." "That's good news," I said feelingly. "How about the rest of our classmates? Do you know where any of them are?" "I've kept track of the whole bunch," he replied. "It's my evening off. Suppose we take in a show. Then I'll tell you the whole story." "O.K." I agreed. "Let's go." Outside the hotel we hailed a taxi. Things had been happening so fast that I was not at all surprised when we found that the driver was Joe Aiken. Joe drove us down the street toward the theatre and succeeded in causing a traffic jam that blocked the street for miles. a tough looking cop rushed up and started to bawl us out. He turned out to be s. W. Hopper, who not recognizing us, gave Joe a ticket to appear in court the next morning. After we settle down comfortably in the theatre, I asked Charlie to go ahead with his discussion. "Well, to start off with," he began, "Bob Guy, Clarke Miller, and Ed Morrison are professors up at Columbia university. Harry McGowan is president of that institution. Frank Campbell is county coroner, and I hear he is going to run for District Attorney next election. Bill Nunnery is Superintendent of the State Board of Education and Rev. Bill MacLauchlin is a member of that body." "Boy, Chester High certainly turned out a swell bunch in '34," I interrupted, "but go on. Charlie was so absorbed in a little book of notes that he scarcely heard me. "I've kept these notes for years," he said. "Here's what I wanted to know. Margaret Land is running a night club over on the other side of town. Bill Andrews, C. C. Brown, and Phelps Brooks are some of her dancing entertainers. Rebecca Simrill is hostess. "Three of our pals left of Mrs in their rocket ship about six months ago and haven't heard from since. They are Lamar Kelsey and Tom Gregory. May God rest their souls. "Ed Abell and Marion Hall are both married and settled down on their plantations near Lowrys. James Boyd and William Hunter have formed a very successful partnership. Jim is a medical doctor, all of whose patients finally end up in the hands of Hunter who is undertaker. Louise Bigham is Doctor Boyd's secretary while William and J. G. Grant are Hunter's able assistants. "One of the biggest business firms in the South is owned and operated by Jean Brown and Margaret Stroud. They have a staff of employees who are strictly female and most of whom are Chester High graduates. A few of them are Mary Lee Robinson, Katherine Refo, Nell Seegers, Ada Grant, Juanita Fennell, Louise Wilkes, Alene Whitehead, and Mary Evelyn Duncan. "Elizabeth McDonald, Virginia O'Donnell, and Maude Darby are touring Europe with the Leslie Cox's 'Greater Circus,' Leslie is married to one of the trio, but I don't know which. Charlie Perry, who is also with the circus, has won world wide fame as a clown. "Catherine Irwin and Anne Leitner are well known Attorneys-at-Law. They have in their employ Margaret Blackwell, Gladys Conrad, Christine Estes, and Edith Lee, who are very valuable as stenographers. "James Walton and Margaret Banks are married and are conducting an art school that is nationally known, while Dorothy Smith coaches the first girls' football team in the same city, and strange to say Dorothy is almost rivaling Coach Spearman's great record at Chester Hi with her team. "Steele Caldwell is a soldier of fortune. The last time I heard from him was when he was a leading figure in the late South American revolution. "Louise Johnson, Mary Wylie, and Sarah Grant have important government positions, while literary critics proclaim Margaret Burnsides as the greatest historian of all times. "Louise Thomas and Annie Bankhead are famous pianists. They are now appearing in the Grand Opera in London. Annie Davies Guy is also an opera star, made famous by her marvelous soprano voice. John S. Collins is running a medicine show featuring his newly discovered hair grower, with Martin Ramsay as his demonstrator. "Mary Janet Alexander is conducting a series of radio talks under the title 'Voice of Experience.' She has three secretaries whose sole job is to read her fan mail. They are Lucile Clark, Ruby Flynn, and Lunnette Cornwell. Ruth Smith writes the script for these talks. Tom Brice is the best painless dentist in town, and J. T. Connor is the best veterinarian." Just as my long-winded companion quit talking the curtain fell on a theatrical production that neither Charlie nor I had paid the slightest attention to. A very bald-headed man now appeared before the curtain, and after telling the audience that he hoped they liked the play and would come back again, he bade them good-night. "That's Jamieson Byars," whispered Charlie. "Let's go down and speak to him." As we started down the aisle the whole theatre began to shake. "Another earthquake," groaned my companion. Under the constant shaking I began to feel drowsy and tired--suddenly I opened my eyes and found myself sitting on the floor in Physics class. Dr. Patterson was standing over me and shaking me vigorously while my classmates howled with glee. As you all can see by now, it was only a dream. Albert Campbell We, THE members of the Senior Class of nineteen hundred and thirty-four, realizing that the time allotted to our state of being as class on this earthly body is becoming each day less and less, do hereby make our last will and testament, hoping that these benevolent bestowals will be of unending benefit upon those members of the under classmen who are so fortunate as to be mentioned in this said document. I, Steele Caldwell, do bequeath my firm foundation to Bobby Abell. I, Frank Campbell, do leave to Dude Cassells my privilege of standing on Mr. Spearman's desk. I,Billy Andrews, bequeath upon McHugh Boulware my extra avoidupois. I, Clarke Miller, hereby will my financial abilities to William Miller. I, Bill MacLauchlin, bestow my never-lacking smile upon the gloomiest junior in school. We, Charlie Porter, Jamieson Byars, and J. G. Grant, leave to Buck Abell, Herbert Patrick, and George Gage our lengthy statures. I, Phillip Adelsheimer, bequeath my canary-like voice to Harvey Brown. We, S. W. Hopper and William Grant, do leave to Edgar Fennell and B. J. Cornwell our way with the "femmes." I, Tom McClure, do will my attractive figure to Paul Stroud. We, Jesse Oates and Ed Abell, bestow upon Julian Hollis and Hiram Brawley our excess pep and vigor. We, Leslie Cox and William Stroud, bequeath our historical knowledge to J. G. Franklin and Billy Atwell. We, Robert Guy and Harry McGowan, will our aptness for geometry to Clarence McGowan. We, James Boyd and Joe Aiken, bequeath our agricultural knowledge to William Love and Ralph Atkinson. I, Martin Ramsay, leave to Charles Grant my beautiful curls which I have tended from my childhood. I, Bill Nunnery, will to Robert Walker my great interest in women and my decided opinions about them. I, Tom Gregory, bequeath upon Blair Knox my attentiveness to the feminine part of the faculty. I, Albert Campbell, bestow my prophetic ability to Harry Williams. I, John S. Collins, do leave to J. A. Simpson and James Lindsay my mechanical genius. I, Edwin Morrison, will to Bobby Abell my ability to hold class offices. We, Tom Brice and Sam Lee, bestow our serene attitude toward life to Cornwell Coogler and David Crosby. I, Lamar Kelsey, bequeath to Peter Wilson my reason for coming to this school and trust it will be kept a secret. 'We, Charles Perry and James Walton, Will our great store of potential abilities to Tom Hunter and Hennies Warmouth. I, Catherine Irwin, leave my untarnished record to Margaret Wise. I, Katherine Refo, bestow my surplus flesh to Frances Williams, hoping she will attain a normal size in the next three years. We, Lucile Clark and Edith Lee, bequeath our ability to look down on the common herd to Polly Hamilton and Mary Douglas. We, Esther Adelshiemer and Louise Bigham, will our preference for each other to Margaret James. We, Ruby Flynn and Juanita Fennell, bestow our pictures upon Harvey Roberts and Clyde McCall. We, Mary Evelyn Duncan and Jean Brown, bequeath our lady-like ways to Marguerite Kelsey and Alice Colvin. We, Nell Seegers and Aileen Whitehead, leave our chemistry notes to Mildred Perkins and hope she can make use of them. We, Louise Thomas and Ruth Smith, will to Lillian Bush and Charlie Edminston our lipstick, used as it may be. I, Ada Grant, leave my seat on the bus to whoever gets there first. I, Virginia O'Donnell leave to Nellie Grant my pride-deserving waves which I have so thoughtfully tended. I, Lunette Cornwell, bequeath my autumnal-tinted hair to Virginia Spence. We, Margaret Stroud and Louise Wilkes, bestow upon Jennie Hamiter and Mabel McAlily our serene but effervescent geniality. We, J. T. Connor and Marion Hall, leave our wit, half to James Bicket and half to Hayne Wilkes, hoping this will be sufficient for both. I, William Weir, bestow my position as cheer leader upon Robert Walker. I, Margaret Blackwell, do bequeath upon Elizabeth Spense my position as cafeteria clerk, hoping that she can get as much out of it as I have. We, Margaret Burnsides and Anne Leitner, leave to Margie Alford and Mae Crook our ability to be able to answer the questions after everyone else has missed them. I, Mary Janet Alexander, will to Helen Page my decided preference for blondes, hoping that she will make as much time as I have, (but not with the same one!). We, Maude Darby, Sara Grant, Annie Bankhead, and Annie Davis Guy, do bequeath our permanent waves upon any so fortunate as to have time to get them. I, Gladys Conrad, leave all my school books to Mary Alice Marshall, hoping that she will take advantage of them and become as great intellectually as I have. We, Maude Darby, Sara Grant, Annie Bankhead, and Annie Davis Guy, do bequeath our permanent waves upon any so fortunate as to have time to get them. I, Margaret Land, do bequeath to Elma Bagley my artistic powers and other natural gifts, hoping that she may make the most of them. We, Dorothy Smith and Mary Lee Robinson, do bestow upon "Lib" Conley, Helen Moore and Gladys Burnsides our studious abilities. We, Rebecca Simrill and "Lib" McDonald, will our ability for enticing the stronger sex to Sara Frances Crosby and Sara Glenn. We, Louise Johnson and Mary Wylie, do will all our A's to Evelyn Wood and Isla Mae Aiken, hoping they may serve them well. Signed, sealed and witnessed this tenth day of January, nineteen hundred and thirty-four. Phelps Brooks, In 1923 many small children of Chester started their career in school. Some went to College Street School, some to Dora Jones, others to Foote Street, Baldwin Mill, and Eureka. We began struggling through the grammar grades. Many of our classmates moved away and some even quit school, but new students joined us and we proceeded to the seventh grade, or Junior High School. Here the students from the several grammar grades joined forces and became one large friendly class. We made the acquaintance of all our fellow students who had joined us from the county schools, and toeether mastered the block system and adjusted ourselves to high-school life in general. We were soon at home in the high school and began to take an active part in its operation. Many clubs were organized to create interest and to enlighten students on various subjects. We managed to pass Latin and Algebra and proceeded to the sophomore class. In the fall of 1931, a band, under the direction of Mr. Jenkins, and an orchestra, under the direction of Miss Betty Eileen Hutchins, were organized. These organizations added much to our pep at football games and to our programs given in the high-school building. The Glee Club, also under the direction of Miss Hutchins, increased our appreciation of classical music and introduced a cultural note to our activities. We were proud to be a part of the high school and help advance its standard. We wished to keep the high school's colors always flying. In our junior year a new conduct system was introduced and the discipline improved. As juniors we spent much of our time looking forward to and planning the annual junior-senior banquet. Shortly after the junior-senior banquet, we began to realize that our joyful junior days would soon be over and our season of seniority was fast approaching. We are now seniors. Our dignity, I assure you, is felt throughout the high school. A Junior College has been added to the high school this year and in order to do this, it was necessary to make a change in our block system. We feel that we have helped make this new system as well as the Junior College a success. This habit of co-operation, I hope, has been engraved into our character and will do much toward making useful and successful citizens of the Chester High School class of '34. There are only twenty-two of us who have received all of our grammar and high school education at Chester. The following are these students: Esther Adelsheimer, Philip Adelsheimer, Mary Janet Alexander, Billy Andrews, Louise Bigham, Steele Caldwell, Lucile Clark, John S. Collins, Leslie Cox, Mary Evelyn Duncan, Tom Gregory, Catherine Irwin, Margaret Land, Annie Leitner, Clarke Miller, Edwin Morrison, Bill Nunnery, Virginia O'Donnell, Kathryn Refo, Mary Lee Robinson, Ruth Smith, James Walton, Mary Wylie. So runs the history of this class. We came in with the "flow" of '30 and go out with the "ebb" of '34 to whatever fame or fortune--we commit to Heaven. Mary Wylie Players band together for first football practice . . Schools opens . . Pupils get a taste of the five-hour periods . . Junior College is installed . . The library makes its way book by book to the study hall . . With many croaks and squeals Glee Club practice begins . . Chester defeats Union . . About half the town make the trip to Charleston to see our team wipe up Charleston . . Cestrian staff is organized . . Red Cyclones turn ducks and defeat Orangeburg in a downpour of rain . . Chester defeats Rock Hill . . Football season ends without Chester's goal line being crossed . . Exams come and go . . Students enjoy Thanksgiving Holidays . . Senior Class pictures are taken. Lamar Kelsey breaks the camera and causes much delay . . Juniors play Seniors . . Miss Blair blushes demurely under the mistletoe over the door of the Chemistry room . . Rotary Club gives the team a banquet, and the Block "C" sweaters are presented . . Good ole Christmas Holidays arrive . . Red Cyclones tie the All-stars on New Year's day . . January 2nd, 1934, finds everybody back on the job . . Liquid air demonstration in chapel, strange to say, nobody eats the egg fried on ice . . P.C. Glee Club entertains most royally on a Friday night . . Everybody - that is with the exception of the day-dreamers and loafers - settles down to study for the next five months, the seniors with pleasant anticipations of what is to come and all the under classmen with the fond hopes of making their grade. Can You Imagine Phelps Brooks not blushing? "Lib" McDonald not making eyes? William MacLauchlin not teasing the girls? Catherine Irwin not making A plus? Jamieson Byars talking so no one can hear him? Margaret Land without a "bad eye"? Charlie Porter being called "shorty"? Jessie Oates being quiet in Chemistry class? Mary Janet Alexander not giggling at something? S. W. Hopper not "shooting some little girl a line"? Mr. Spearman not interested in football? Miss Bigham not making gestures? Julian Hollis not trying to be funny? Bill Andrews paying attention in class? Miss Hutchins not interested in drug stores? Mr. Patterson spending a week-end in Chester instead of Columbia? Mary Wylie missing a question? All the seniors making A+?? |
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