Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-10

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listed along with the others of the class Of 1887.
| have told the story of my School Days in Early
| Omaha" before and while it is, to certain extent,
| personal it seems interesting enough to bear at
thirty-year vista, showing the beginnings of many
| present school activities. | take the story as l
wrote it after was out twenty-five years:
In view Of the fact that had gone through all
the grades right in the same school building, ad-
mission to the high school meant"for me merely
going up, or rather coming down to the second
floor, only part of which at that time was required
for high school purposes. Ny class was the larg-
est in number that had ever been promoted out
OF the eighth grade in Omaha. At that time
$685. the enrolment of the entire high school,
with its course covering four years, was less than
140, or to be precise exactly l39.
The main assembly room, which was on the
southeast side of the building, suced to hold all
Of US during study hours, the preference in seat
classes. There was quite high raised platform
recessed into the wall on the west side facing the
seats between which the asles ran east and west.
commodious coat room on the north opened
also into the main hall. While on the west were
small recitation room, long narrow space con-
tanning a few tables and chairs and some zoologi-
cal specimens preserved in alcohol, and another
small room which served as an Office for the prin-
cipal, frequently ornamented with boys and girls
waiting to be called on the carpet or to offer ex-
cuSeS. J. ne seniors, 10 Wnom we HeSnleS lOokeu
up with intense awe, were permitted by special
dispensation to study in the narrow space referred
to, rather to pretend to study while in reality
holding social session. There were two or three
recitation rooms, large and small, on the same
floor, available for the high school.
Year by year the number of high school pupils
steadily and rapidly increased Ncrowding out the
grade rooms one after another, until the high
school had the whole second floor and then an
nexed the third, and finally took the whole build
ing. The total enrolment, as said when went
into the high school was l3o. In 1887, when |
graduated, four years later, it had mounted to 372
The graduates of the same year that had entered
the high school consisted Of seven girls, the class
OF 1884 counted up ten members. the class OF 1885
twenty members, the class of 1886 eighteen men,
bers, and my class of 1887 numbered thirty
Student life during our high school days was
varied and vigorous. The school was not yet so
large as to succumb to the temptation to Clique"
although there were, OF course, groups that found
mutual pleasure in congenial diversions. The di
visions were more largely along class lines, due
to longer acquaintance and more intimate contact,
but at the same time there were cross-cuts drawn
in altogether different directions. Even in my
first year was permitted to associate with some
Of the seniors and to participate in their social at
fairs, perhaps because of my youthfuness. had
gone into the high school in knee pants-in fact,
did not acquire my first full length trousers until
my third year-and my chief competitor in |
diminutiveness was a classmate named Harry |
Bonner, who was little Older, little larger and
wore long pants In the grades all the children |
had been called by their first names, and the sup
posed metamorphosis worked by entrance into the |
high school was to be addressed as "Mr. Smith" |
or "Miss Jones'" I was denied this privilege as
il 1t did not belong to me until one day arose in
my might with an indignant protest to one of the
teachers, after which the Objectionable !
discrimination was abated.
In those early school days we observed the |
various holidays in the usual way. For Arbor
day, for example, the school board furnished sap
ling trees which members of the graduating class
were permitted to set out the south side of the
campus to grow into tall, living monuments to
the prowess of the students and furnish senti-
mental ties that would bind them forever to the
old school, In my turn I put out one Of these
Of the trees survived or ever lived any length of
time, it is not recorded. We had our Christmas
and class plays | remember one
tried out in German, and on one occasion the boys
put on minstrel show with real burnt cork that
wouldn't come off for long time thereafter.
In the early years when the whole school was
assembled in the large audience room every morn
ing, the day was started with brief musical or
literary number. One of the students would play
piece on the piano, or recite short poem and
nent on this program was supposed to be recog-
lition OF merit though seldom welcomed as such.
The commencement Of 1887 was, it goes with
out saying, great gala event. There were thirty
of us to receive our diplomas so many that for
The first time it became necessary to select spokes-
men for the class for places on the program in
stead of giving every one part Three boys
managed to get through the competition with
lass records and commencement orations that
would pass MUSTER the girls supplying the rest Of
he entertainment 1t is interesting to note the
lfter careers Of the rising generation reflected in
he subjects. Wallace Broatch, who later went to
Yale, and then to West Point and into the army,
alked about "The American Army" Augustus
Oetwiler, who studied at Johns Hopkins and went
Pennsylvania to become a practcing physician,
leved deep into ''The Genus Homo" while l,
eizing upon the news value of Henry M. STAN
ey's penetration of Darkest Africa and General
Ireeleys Arctic exploits, took for my subject,
Recent Explorations"
The girls essays on that commencement pro-
yram are also worth mentioning Iowa Ball dis
,ussed Charles and Mary Lamb as Brother and
sister" Carrie E, Howell gave "A Study Of Ralph
Waldo Emerson" Mary Ludngton told the story
IN "Our Black Familiars Mid-Winter Revery"
Mabel Balcombe's THE Italian Influence on Eng
ish Poetry" and Emily Dorn's "The History Of
Shemstry as Told by the Elemental Genii"
here were reeitatons by Vena Wells and Nellie
3auserman, and piano selections by Nellie Meyer,
Anna McCague and Carrie House. The diplomas
we're presented by J. J. Points, then president of
he Board of Education.
The graduating exercises took place at Boyds
,pera house-that is, the old Boyd then compare
lively new--which held forth at the corner of Fif-
eenth and Farnam. Our principal, Professor
-ewis presided as master of ceremonies. There
we're two or three little flower girls, and no ban
laving been placed on floral offerings the stage ,
vas piled high with profusion of bouquets show
red upon the several participants. When took
ny seat after the climax of my peroration pro.