The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-18
WILD EXCITEMENT.
Fire Department Attended High
School Seniors onfagration.

6CnOOl seniors CQnu8gEaG1Ous
A sober-minded citizen on his way
home out West Eighth avenue last
night about 10 O'Clock found all kinds
of mischief loose at the High school
building. At the corner of Harrison
street he found himself surrounded by
a crowd of High school pupils Being
waylaid in this fashion was not I'M
pleasant, but it was a puzzle for some
time to know what it was all about
Half an hour earlier the same sober
minded citizen had heard the city fire
engines go changing about the city in
wild fashion as if hunting for fire
which could not be located. This was
the fact, but there was no thought of
connecting the two incidents when he
was Waylaid by the steering committee
of one of the High school classes
When he had been firmly led to one
side he was told that the seniors We're
celebrating their release from school
life by burning the curriculum" That
sounded horrible, and suggested can
nibals, but the sober-minded citizen
knew a thing or two about schools, and
was in the hands of the Juniors, and
he knew at once that there would be
two sides to this story.
THE Seniors are through with their
school today, you know" the spolzes-
man was saying, and they went down
to the corner of Ninth and Madison to
burn the curriculum" Again this can
nibalistic utterance fell on the ears Of
the sober-minded citizen, but he did not
shudder 1t was not so horrible after
all They had a dummy. you under
stand the voice went on, to represent
the five studies: mathematics, science.
literature, language and elocution."
The sober-minded citizen understood.
He remembered being a sophomore at
college once and the high jinlSs that his
class had burning Calculus
al "a vnTr
their hay with the coaloil on it, and the
curriculum a policeman came along
and turned in a fire alarm. The fire
department got mixed in its n owes and
didn't get there right away but they
came down to the corner and"
Then came an interruption in the
narration. The Seniors found out that
the Juniors had victim to one side,
and they were for descending upon the
victim and making the victim under
stand that the Juniors were perverters
of facts and there was no truth in them.
But the Seniors were rather short on
boys, and they could not very we'll
make fighting charge. They were
not to be daunted by that Half a dozen
Senior girls formed a Grecian phalanx
and stormed the Juniors position sue
cessfully.
.sOh, Mr.. sober-Minded Citizen. you
know me, don't you? We go to the
same Sunday school, don't you remem-
Der" There was a hand offered to
shake, and the sober-minded citizen
shook it Being dazed by the whirl of
events Mr.. Sober-n inded Citizen held
the hand longer than the law allows.
but in the excitement of the moment
this bold badness was overlooked.
Sober minded Citizen did know the
owner of the hand and the voice, and ne
agreed to listen
1--WE Seniors burned the curriculum"
said the voice. And then we came up
to the High school here. where we had a
bier" The sOber-minded citizen started
visibly with a shock of surprise.
You had a beer?" he asked, in the
tone of a Prohibitionist-
Yes. and corpse
*COrks," echoed the dazed citizen. He
was hearing and behaving very badly
"Oh. you horrid man." said the voice.
"A bier and a corpse"
ooh. T beg your pardon. Proceed"
I'VE had a bier and a. corpse she
set right at last, and we had a funeral
grafton and buried the ashes That's
all. Oh yes. Don't forget. The Juniors
called the fire department out to our
burning. 1t was the Juniors. 1t was
no policeman. Don't forget. Remem-
Der we go to the same Sunday school"
She was gone.
The sober minded citizen was State
Journal reporter. He understands. The
class spirit in the High school has been
seething. and fun was rampant last
night. The only sore spots remaining
IRE on the firennen who We're called out
dose of wild goose chase because the
alarms were mixed. and they went over
on the other side of the city to Fourth
and Tyler