The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-06-15

Oe0VO WsO W.T. W.
Paper read by Mr.. Harley Ball, at
the graduation exercises last evening
Friends. this evening shall try to
bring before you the history of the class
of 1905.
History-what is our history Let
me assure you that this class is the most
novel of graduating classes and holds a
record few can rival. Our fortunes and
misfortunes have been numerous and
varied, and now we have the pleasure OF
introducing ourselves to you.
We began our journey up the hill OF
education in 1893, receiving now and
then many bumps of knowledge. The
road has been rocky and in many places
somewhat steep. But four of our num-
Der have the honor of starting up the
path OF the Paw Paw high school and
now from the highest pinnacle OF the high
school education, can look down through
the years to their beginning in her pri-
mary department. Leo Mather, Bessie
Heckert, Ruth Stevenson and myself
have withstood the shot and shell OF all
the text books placed before us in this
school and the cyclones and hurricanes
of Professors Wilson and O'Leary's ad-
ministrations
The primary was safely passed under
Miss Louis Wilson and Miss Bailey's
guidance. Now the rocks of the second
primary gave evidence of interfering
with our march, but Miss Cooper was
equal TO the occasion and what could
not find room in our rather thick heads
was switched into our dancing legs. 1t
was during this year that another joined
our ranks, young lady known to her
friends and schoolmates as Edith Grimes.
Our school life now began to take on a
businesslike though happy expression,
for in the second and third grades we
were soon able to add, substract and
multiply. besides read and write. But
we could not linger there for in the first
intermediate was more education to be
sought and conquered; besides Miss
Cooley liked to read us exciting stories
of life on the plains and life in Texas.
With our departure from the second pri.
mary we also babe adieu to Mr.. Wilson
and entered upon the regime Of Mr..
O'Leary.
But even Miss Cooley with her easy
way Of making us learn our lessons and
interesting reading could not keep us
with her, for the fourth grade finished,
we must needs make our daily trip up
stairs to the class room of the next
grade. My, but weren't we big! The
high school students went clear upstairs
and now we could GO up part way. But
with this new glory our trouble began.
The class was so large that it had to be
divided and part remain downstairs.
This was too much of a take. down for
Jolly Mathers and myself, so by dint of
hard arguing, and persuasion from our
parents, Mr.. O'LeaIy consented to let Us
go upstairs with that part of the class.
There we were greeted by Miss Hunt
and can say for her that she treated US
fair and square, though for ourselves
couldn't say so much, for sometimes we
were rather headstrong and wanted to
run the teacher.
Here we were joined by Beatrice Tay-
Tor from the Keller district. Lynn Rey-
nolds also Joined us. Lynn says be at
tended the Lee and Barnum schools, hut
saying nothing against them he believes
that the Paw Paw school is THE school.
After May party that spring, given US
by Miss Hunt we decided to again jour
ney on to the next grade and try our
skill still further. Eva Marshall from a
district school in Porter township then
joined u.s..
Another year rolled by and we were
ready to enter the seventh grade. More
trouble must here take place for the
class was again too large to be accomo-
dated in the grammar department. A
division Of the class was necessary. Dur
ing the first part Of that school year we
were taught by Leonard RICHTER, as
Robert Webb the regular teacher was at
work on the lakes and was unable to be-
gin his instruction to us till the latter
part of October. Miss Gertrude Buck
also occupied the seat of instruction and
discipline for short time during the
earlier part of that school year.
The following March, Hazel North
from the Cross district, Waverly, joined
us. Our class was then a jolly crowd
who not only looked for fun out of
school but in school as well, and I'm
afraid caused our teachers considerable
trouble. | remember one time when we
we're reading that one pr our class called
suburbs, sir bulbs and while trying to
recite geography that same persons
voice ran the scale with variations.
Another September found US all in the
graduating class Of the grammar room.
This time there was to be no division of
the class for a wonder. Robert Webb
had left us to study dentistry The fall