Page 48 - 1933

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ing our roommates and choosing beds, bureaus, and sides in the closet, we
journeyed downstairs, past the awful study hall as quickly as possible, to the
boys’ parlor, where such great men as juniors and seniors lolled around im­
periously, awaiting the supper gong. Some of us were bold enough to shrink
out of the corners to take a look around the classrooms. My! such stuff as
Cicero, Vergil, Ancient History, English Drama, Geometry, Trigonometry!
After looking in different bookcases where such books were quietly awaiting
the imminent opening of their covers, even less like earing supper did we feel
than before! Somehow we gor through the meal, however, and after supper an
entertainment very evidently designed to put at ease all new fellows was heartily
enjoyed by all of us.
The next morning, after a rather fitful night’s repose, school began in
earnest. Here we were first introduced ro Mr. Henderson as a speaker, and this
benign gentleman did his best to explain the system of bells, periods, class­
rooms, textbooks, teachers’ names, bulletin boards, and directions. ' Jit,” you
tried your best, and we were sure no one else could have spoken so clearly or
so explicitly or so reiteratingly; however, one or two of us little fellows did
manage to sit in at a Vergil class for two minutes or so before we found that
we were taking first-year Latin, and before Coach’s eye had detected us inter­
lopers in the back of the room! All things come to an end eventually, though,
and after a while we began to find out what courses we were taking and
with whom.
To teach us the rudiments of the Latin language was the almost hopeless job
of chalk-slinging "Two Gun” Pat. This seemingly mild-mannered man was
reputed to have been a cowboy, prize-fighter, and minister in the course of his
long career, and he certainly could hit the nigger in the eye with those little
white missiles when someone’s mind wandered from the intricacies of the third
declension. This man Patterson was said to be a "bear” on the Lourth Lorm
corridor, and were we glad that Hank Shaw was the one who tucked us in bed
each night! This latter individual was a famed harmonica player, or ar least he
thought he was, but I believe he forewent his practice in the math room,
although not many places else. But Mr. Shaw was a merry old soul and did get
us through the last of our arithmetic and give us a start in the pursuit of the
"x’s” and Mr. A’s pigs and Mr. B’s sidewalk.
Lrench was eased into our tender skulls twice a week by Mr. Hood. The
report was that our dear Lrench teacher used to baffle the Third Lorm corridor
boys talking after lights by removing one of his shoes and running up and down
the corridor so that by the sound of his one foot no one could ever tell at whose
keyhole he was at the moment about to put his inquisitive ear. Still this
phenomenon could not be the cause of all the stomping on the eminent upper

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