Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-23
CLASS PROPHECY


vainly did I seek the future;
1 could never get peep
Till within the cosy portals
OF THAI fortune tellcr-sleep'
one lone evening I was sitting,
Thinking. thinking what 10 WIt,e'
4 male mist came Ger me sleaEu7'
From my eyes it hid their slshu
Seemed that I was I'm our schOoiroom'
In was changed and altered So
And the time l used 10 go mere
Seemed like thirty years asO'
An old woman. bent and aged,
And who scarcely seemed awe
Said they'd planned a si""u
OF the class Of 20.
Said that on this very evening
There would gather in THIS room
Those of our most glorious cld' 5 .',,,L
Who had 'scaped the darkened IoihO'
The first TO darken UP the doorway
Was q smiling. ebony race -..,-,,o,
Yet lt showed through black corh MAJ mis-
An imitation of his race.
Ouicklv did 1 know his visage,
lit was Joeiof minstrel fame.
Ever since his Free Trade lecture
His own trade had been the same
Then came Hart. the dancing master
And a lover of fine arts:
He was also quite masher
And had broken many hearlS'
Next came Hazlett. All who know him
Say he's slightly out of MIND
For he's captain of an army
Army of the CoXey kind
Then came Otto. the great fighter;
He's a man well known 10 laune'
And his scientific boxing
Made Corbett's glory tame.
Then saw John Carter coming,
Walking as ne we'll knows how,
With his hair all filled with hayseed,
His hands hardened by the pioW.
Herb Montgomery was the next one.
lie wore stripes without the stars
And his trade was whipcord maNlns'
Learned behind the prison bars.
II. Devries. the next TO come i'm.
Squared his shoulders like q man;
He was once base ban player
And is still base bail ran
Then came Rob our champion jumper,
one whom l had often sought.
To beat one OF his own profession
caught.
The whole building shook and trembled,
And we thought We a. nave TO GO
N
The tall giant OF Barnum snow
With mincing steps and naughty way,
And manners very rude,
Came one who never worked a uay-
Frank Wheat, the little dude.
Two brothers then came walking in,
Sweeney W. and +.
They spoke first TO the President
And then they spoke 10 me.
Then learned that Walter
"A hand-organ did grind;
His brother Edgar also helped
And did the pennies lind.
Came a tall form through the doorway,
With his legs so long and thin
That recognized our lawyer,
Mr.. Russell, walking in
Then Alexander came. our painter,
He of whom twas often said
Though no good at painting pictures,
He could paint the whole town red.
J. NJ. Wilson came. our doctor
With his satchel on his back.
And his smiling face told plainly
He was nothing but quack.
Archie Wilson followed quickly,
He who once had borne our taGS'
Now his tin horn doth betray him
He's "a gatherer Of rags.
Then there came our fisher Collins.
He tells such enormous tales
Catches twenty little minnows
Swears they We're as large as whales.
Next came a man well known TO all,
Whom I was very glad TO meet;
Twas 5. +. GNen who is now
A hustling fakr of the street.
Then came Kasley, the inventor,
Who. as every one could see,
Had lost his very mind and reason
Trying 10 invent key
That would all things lock and open.
This Banker Quimby wished 70 own,
For he'd lost the cOmhinauont
To him only it was known
Caldwell W. next appearing.
Had his pockets full of scrap,
And the blue smoke curling upward
Hid stogie-maker's cap.
Next a Western man did enter.
With a pistol. knife and gun.
II was Wagner. the wild cowboy,
OF our class the only one.
Next a Senator did enter,
OF the Populistic ware.
And I recognized Earl Adams
by his flowing beard and hair.
Next came walking. slow and stately
Caldwell. c.. the mighty one,
Owner of the air line transfer;
With him came his little son.
Clyde North was the next 10 follow,
And his manner. stately grand,
Showed a mighty politician,
First and foremost of the land.
Philip Martin followed swiftly.
Quick of eye and sharp of ear.
He i'm Afric's darkest jungles
Never knew a sign of fear.
In came Bebout, walking slowly,
Just as portly as of old:
He must have money 10y the millions,
For he's worth his weight IN gold.
These We're all the boys then living,
but. while sitting 10y my side,
one 10y one tina others told me.
And I'll tell YOU how they died
Gilleland. our once proud poet
I'm his own machine shop caught
As his cries We're heard by no one
Very soon was crushed TO naught.
Tinker. once our favorite sergeant,
Working in a darksome hole.
Heard a fearful. awful racket,
And was crushed by tons of coal.
Waterhouse was brave fireman.
When things sort of turned about;
He was i'm a burning building
And the fire put Water out.
Jess Speidel, the fine old preacher,
Thought he heard a louder call
Went to preach 20 ignorant Zulus
And was eaten. bones and all.
Long l wondered Ger this dreaming.
Half believing IL was true.
Thought the world around should know it.
So I've told this dream 20 YOU.
G.. A. PRYOR.
THE MEAT ORDINANCE VOTE.