The Bugler from Russell, Kansas • 31

for we could yet see light ahead if the High School was ever reached. During our first year in the Grammar Room Prof W. L. Bow-ersox was called upon to further develop our already highly intellectual minds and by his aid we soon forgot ours one great sorrow and finished the seventh grade with better grades and a purer conscience than any hall-studying could ever have produced. Toward the close of our seventh year our attention was first attracted to the deceased class of '07, whom although they were always near us had nev'er created excitement enough to cause us to notice them.

There were rumors afloat that an Eighth Grade Commencement was to take place at the close of the year. This was certainly something new and although we had doubts as to the ability of '07 to' carry it through we watched and waited. Truly we were good judges, for the year closed and vacation passed but nothing new developed, and when school opened in the fall of 1903 the class of '07 crept into their Freshman seats. with nothing but the memory of elaborate plans of their Eighth Grade Commencement. Profiting by their example we spent our last year in the Common Schools in earnest study and in skating' parties, in which our teacher, W.

II. Horn was a willing participant. '07 's failure had instilled a desire in us to test our class ability, and again an Eighth Grade Commencement was planned but the ending differed greatly from the first attempt and onthe 19th of May, 1904, the class of 1908 gave the only exercises of the kind ever given by the Russell Public Schools. In this manner we ended our Common School life. In September, 190, we entered R.

H. S. with Profs. W. L.

Bojversox and T. A. Edger- ton as instructors. I i Here our number was greatly enlarged by those coming from the country however only three could stand the strenuous life led by our class and remain with us tonight, one valedictorian, and tlfe others each having a part in '08 which could be filled by no one else, namely, Mable Iarsh, Lola Carter and Earle Smith. When! say that we were an exceptionally bright Freshman class perhaps it will recall what has been said by other classes of themselves, but in casually looking over the records contained in that little-office" up at school one can easily see how biased an opinion must have been given or else how far above those bygone bright classes '08 must l)e, for this is an unbiased account of our past life.

Greenness was an unknown quantity when connected with us and the upper classmen recognized the fact for never in all our career as Freshies were we forced to eliminate foreign substance, such as salt, from our desks, and this is one of the best indications that all customary Freshman verdure was lacking. Our Sophomore year proved as successful a one as our first year, under Profs. Danne-vik and Banks. During this year we came into close touch with '07, for they had been meeting difficulties of Algebra II, and had fallen easy victims" to those said problems, thus showing that something was lacking. To overcome this fault the dear teachers" decided another six month would do them no injury, and they were requested to again report for Algebra II.

And so when referring to '07 we know of whom we speak. Time passed all too quickly and before we realized it we were seated in the Junior seats and were fulfilling the duties laid upon us as such a class. It was here we first came in contact with the two teachers who have so faithfully administered to our needs these last two years, Profs. Spangler and Butts. Here our class was made happy by the addition of three names to our rolls, Sam Leger, George McKown and Gordon Smith.

This made the class number 17. We then held high hopes of being the largest class that ever left R. H. but as the school term approached we learned that we would no longer have Rollin Morrison as a class mate, and so when our last year commenced on September 2, 1907, the Senior class again numbered 16. We have tried to make our ending a fitting one for such a class as 190 has proved itself, to be.

We have worked faithfully at the tasks assigned us and nothing has proved too difficult for us to attempt. This year will long be remembered by us, for we have.