THOMPSON^ IkSLAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 1. Printed at The Farm And Irades School, Boston, Mass.
May, 1908
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass.. as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894.
Cbe School's Ulater System
The water used by the School for various
purposes comes from the high service of the
Metropolitan Water Works. The main pipe,
which is six inches in diameter, comes under the
water of the bay from Dorchester by way of
Squantum. This pipe like all the large ones is
of cast iron. At the south end of the Island, in
the main pipe, is a water gate which can be
closed for repairs to be made. On a hill over
which the pipe passes is an air plug which can
be used if the pipe gets air bound.
From the water gate the pipe runs to the
hydrant by the house where it is continued by a
four inch pipe which goes just inside the build-
ing. From this four inch pipe, a two inch pipe
connects with two tanks in the attic. A fire
hose is connected with these two inch pipes
on each floor.
These tanks are rectangular in shape and
are copper lined. One holds one hundred thirty-
five gallons and the other holds seven hundred
thirty-six gallons. These tanks are so ar-
ranged that either one or both may be used.
This is very convenient, especially when repairs
are necessary. Pipes lead from these tanks to
the dining room, wash room, laundry, and other
places where cold water is used. The water to
be heated goes to two heaters from the tanks,
one in the laundry, and one in the kitchen.
The water used for drinking in the house,
at the gardens, industrial building, farm house,
barn and wharf, comes direct from the main pipe.
Below the back road is a water gate where a
pipe branches off to the barn and wharf. This
is a very important pipe as it supplies water for
the barn hydrant, animals, the steamer, and for
the boats.
Besides the system of running water we
have five large cisterns which hold rain water.
There are also two wells, each of which is sup-
plied with a pump, the one at the house being
eighty feet deep. This part of our water system
is not used however.
The hydrant near the house, and the one
near the barn, are both protected by small houses
in winter to prevent their freezing.
Frederick C. Webb.
eastcr
Easter comes the first Sunday after the
first full moon in Spring. This year, Mr. and
Mrs. Bradley were away and did not get back
until a week before Easter, and that left us only
a week to prepare for the concert. The choir
rehearsed the songs, and the fellows studied
their recitations so they were all learned by
Saturday night.
On Sunday afternoon, as we entered the
chapel, we noticed the pretty decorations in the
front of the room. They consisted of Easter
lilies, daffodils, geraniums, pinks, roses, tulips,
and a white lilac tree, besides many other plants.
All of these were artistically arranged.
The service commenced wi1h a song by
the choir, followed with a prayer by our minis-
ter, and then a recitation. An interesting fea-
ture was an exercise by nine small boys. First,
one boy marched out with the flag of France and
said something in praise of it. Then another
came out with the flag of Spain, and then one
by one, representatives of other countries ap-
peared until all but one had spoken. He
marched in with a large white banner bearing
the words "Jesus is Risen," in gilt. He said
that all these countries were very great in
power but that they all bowed down to the
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
power represented by his banner, and he called
upon them to salute his flag. This they did,
acknowledging him greater than the rest.
After the service, Mr. Bradley said that
each fellow was to be given one of the geranium
plants as soon as the weather was suitable to
put them out of doors. He also gave credit to
those that took part in the concert for doing so
well in a week's time. We then each received
a pink and this ended the pleasant afternoon's
concert. Herbert M. Nelson.
Kitcbeit mcrk
To do the work in the kitchen there are
three fellows and the baker in the morning, and
four others in the afternoon. Two fellows get
up at five o'clock each morning to help prepare
the breakfast and wash the milk pails. At six
the two other fellows come in and help them.
In the morning one boy besides his other work,
has to prepare all the potatoes that we use.
Another has to look after the fires. The other
fellow helps in any way he can. The baker
works all the morning. When he mixes bread
another fellow helps him. Besides baking the
wheat bread, he bakes the ginger bread, corn
bread, and cookies which are baked in the large
brick oven. The work in the afternoon is done by
the other four boys. They work from twelve
o'clock until the work is done, and they work
after supper also washing the dishes used in pre-
paring supper.
Frederick W. Marshall.
Cbc Presidents
Probably most people never stop to think
how old the presidents were when elected, and
their age at death. James Garfield was the
youngest when he died, and John Adams, the
second president, lived to be the oldest, ninety-
one years. Garfield was fifty. George Wash-
ington was sixty-seven, although he is generally
thought to have been older. Two presidents
were fifty-six, two sixty-seven and two sixty-eight.
The average age of the presidents when they
died was seventy years and a fraction over.
The ages of some run like this, 7 1 , 72, 73, 74, 77,
78, 80, 81. The next oldest was Andrew John-
son, the seventeenth president, who was eighty-
nine years old. Three presidents were 5 1 when
elected, and five were 57. One president,
James Garfield, died the same year he was
elected. Five presidents died in office, three
having been assassinated. There have been 25
presidents.
The following are the names of our presi-
dents with their ages when elected, and when they
died: Elected Died
George Washington 57 67
John Adams 61 91
Thomas Jefferson 57 83
James Madison 57 85
James Monroe 58 73
John Quincy Adams 57 8 1
Andrew Jackson 61 78
Martin Van Buren 54 80
William H. Harrison 67 68
John Tyler 5 1 72
James Polk 49 54
Zackary Taylor 64 66
Millard Filmore 50 74
Franklin Pierce 48 65
James Buchanan 65 77
Abraham Lincoln 51 56
Andrew Johnson 57 67
Ulysses Grant 46 63
Rutherford Hayes 54 71
James Garfield 49 50
Chester Arthur 5 1 56
Grover Cleveland 47 —
Benjamin Harrison 55 68
Grover Cleveland 55 —
William McKinley 53 57
Theodore Roosevelt 43 —
Average age 70.
Herbert F. M. Watson.
Birds
There are many different kinds of birds on
the Island. Some of the birds build their nests
near the house. I know where there are six
sparrows' nests and three of robins. We see
the robins, brown thrashers, thrushes, sparrows,
chickadees, meadow larks, and many other dif-
ferent kinds of birds.
Spencer S. Profit.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Our new Cead and Rule Cutter
Recently we received a new lead and rule
cutter in the printing office. It is a great deal
better than the one we formerly used. It will
cut from one up to one hundred picas. It has
two knives attached, one for cutting leads, and
the other for cutting rules. There are front and
back gauges which can be set for the desired
length. The front gauge can be set to cut any
length from one pica to fifty. The back gauge
can be set from five to one hundred picas. On
the cutter there is a graduated scale, marked
off by half and even picas, by which the gauge
is set. This machine is operated by a handle
which works similar to a pump handle. This is
a very interesting machine.
Earle C. Marshall.
Cutting Sod
One day, another boy and I were sent to
cut sods on the right-hand side of the farm
house path going towards the barn. We cut
strips about three feet and one-half long and one
foot wide. We cut the sods and then loosened
them with the forks we had.
Edward H. Deane.
Sloyd Course
Sixteen boys go to sloyd in the morning
from seven o'clock until eight forty-five. When
a fellow first gets into sloyd he is given a hook
to hang his coat and hat upon, and a bench is
assigned to him at which he is to work. Then
he is set to work drawing his first three models
which are the wedge, planting pin, and plant sup-
port. After these are drawn he fills out a lum-
ber order blank. If it is approved by the In-
structor, he selects his wood and makes his first
model. The same plan is carried out all through
sloyd until he comes to the boat. The sloyd
models consist of a wedge, planting pin, plant
support, flower-pot stand, coat hanger, cylinder,
file handle, hammer handle, butter paddle, paper-
knife, picture frame, towel roller, bread board,
pen-tray, nail box, cake spoon, mallet, diploma
frame, sugar scoop, book support, sundial, dumb-
bell, boat, and tool chest.
Louis M. Reinhard.
B Cecture
Two years ago Mr. Myron J. Cochran gave
an illustrated lecture on the making of maple
sugar. This year, April twenty-second, he gave
another stereopticon lecture covering points of in-
terest in Massachusetts, and several Vermont
scenes were also shown. He started the lecture
with views of Concord and Lexington, showing
us the points of interest along the route the Brit-
ish marched from Boston to Concord. As a pic-
ture came on the screen, he told the chief
points of interest about it. Some of the pic-
tures shown were the tavern near where the
battle of Lexington was fought; also a monu-
ment in memory of Captain Parker who said:
"Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean
to have war, let it begin here." There were
pictures of the houses of famous men and
churches, and the "Minute Man" of Concord.
Thomas Carnes.
CDe Ball Game
One Saturday afternoon our first nine played
the Boston Latin second team. The game was
very exciting, too. At the first the visitors were
ahead, but in the last of the ninth inning we tied
the score so we had to have another inning,
ending with the score fourteen to thirteen in their
favor. William W. Foster.
makind maps in School
We drew a map of the Central States and
colored it. It was dark green in the valleys
with a white line for rivers, and it was colored
a darker yellow for high lands. The Black hills
and Ozark mountains were the highest. The
Mississippi was the lowest, and the Missouri
next. Warren A. Skelton.
Screening Gravel
In the spring large quantities of gravel have
to be screened because the other gravel has
almost all been washed off of the walks. First
the gravel is put on the sand screen to get the
sand out. Then it is put on the gravel screen
and all that goes through the screen is the right
size. Then the gravel is taken up and put on
the paths and avenues.
Harold Y. Jacobs.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbotiip$on'$ Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor.
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 1
May, 1908.
Subscription Price - 50 cents per year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice-president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallaghef
V/ alter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The following success maxims from an
after-dinner speech given by Mr. J.J. Hill, the
Great Northern Railway Magnate, praises anew
the spur of necessity and the value of doing
things well. The truth of these words can
easily be traced in our own little community
and in the lives of its present and past citizens.
Look about boys, and think. Seriously apply
yourselves now, for your own success, and for
the good of the community.
"For a man to say that power, or the power
that wealth gives, is something for which to
make a slave of ourselves is not fit. I would
not do it; it is not worth the candle. And if to
make money was the object of my life I could
have been satisfied long ago, because I hope I
have learned that for myself and those who
come after me it is not the most fortunate or
best thing that they should have more money
than their share.
There is one thing that young men feel is
a burden and hardship, and I want to tell them
that the spur of necessity of which many com-
plain is a rich heritage, and that most young
men who miss it fall in the race.
The spur of necessity, of doing ' what you
have to do and doing it well because you feel
you must do it well or fail and be written down
as a failure — that really is of more value to a man
who has to meet the conditions that present
themselves in all the varied business affairs,
and is of more value to him than anything that
I know of; more, 1 might say, than anything
else, unless — and I won't claim any original
credit — that a man must make up his mind, if
he is going to succeed, that he must, as some
one said, if he takes the other man's dollar,
must give it back to him with a fair and honest
return.
If any business enterprise is honestly con-
ceived and executed business reward will follow.
The character of every community, city or
state, is the character of the men who consti-
tute it.
My work is nearly done. I have always
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
looked forward to a little leisure and time to
read a book or two.
When I do lay down the work there has
not been a line written that cannot be published
to the world."
notes
April 1 . Finished a junk room in storage
barn.
April 2. Sowed clover seed back of Cot-
tage Row.
Load of joists, clapboards, and shingles from
Freeport Street.
20 bushels cracked com, 60 bushels oats,
600 pounds cottonseed meal, and 600 pounds of
gluten came.
April 3. Made a roof ladder for north
wing.
Planted 16 Sugar maples on Cemetery
hHl.
April 6. Set out willow shoots along the
east shore.
A load of dressing from Walworth's.
April 7. Ernest Matthew Catton entered
the School.
April 8. First radishes from hot bed.
April 9. Steamer painted and varnished
outside.
April 10. A load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
April 1 1 . Observatory floor and stairs
varnished.
April 12. A litter of 10 pigs born.
April 13. Put a new door in the pent
house.
April 18. Planted Alaska peas.
Decorated chapel for Easter.
April 19. Sunday. Easter concert.
First chickens hatched.
April 20. Treasurer Arthur Adams visited
the School.
Planted shrubs at east end of the farm
house.
April 2 1 . Floors of boys' private room and
slop closet varnished.
Edwin James Tape entered the School.
George Wilford Eastty returned to his father.
April 22. Covered roof of cow run with
mineral roofing.
Stereopticon talk on historical places around
Boston, by Mr. Myron J. Cochran.
April 23. 200 pounds meal, 10 bushels
cracked corn, 60 bushels seed oats, and 5 bags
wheat came.
April 24. Two and one-half tons chemicals
for fertilizer came, also seven tons plaster.
Sowed oats and seeded down the piece
back of Cottage Row and in Bowditch Grove.
April 25. Mixed fertilizers.
Put on summer caps.
A play entitled 'The Spy of Gettysburg"
given by the first class.
Ball game with second team of the Boston
Latin School. Score 14 to 13 in favor of visit-
ing team.
April 26. A number of the boys attended
church in town.
April 27. Planted an acre of potatoes.
Secretary Tucker Daland visited the School.
Set out 30 white spruces north of the root
cellar.
April 28. Room No. 5 painted.
Peas planted April 1 8 germinated.
William Howard McCullagh entered the
School.
Planted peas, spinach, lettuce, and radishes
in the garden.
Ernest Niels Jorgensen left the School to
work for N. F. McCarthy & Co., Florists, 84
Holly St., City.
April 29. Claud Wallace Salisbury left the
School.
Graduate Alfred Lanagan visited the
School.
Hall Graff am returned to the Children's
Home, Fitchburg, Mass.
William Frank O 'Conner left the School to
work for the A. T. Stearns Lumber Co., Nepon-
set.
Entertainment consisting of music and reci-
tations given by Miss Ethel C. Jackson, Miss
Anna E. White, and Mr. Ralph G. Winslcw cf
Dorchester.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
April 30. Transplanted celery in hot beds.
Hoisted topmast to flag staff.
Treasurer Arthur Adams visited the School.
Stereopticon talk on Alaska of today by Rev.
Frederick M. Brooks, who recently visited there,
Joseph E. K. Robblee visited the School.
A Guernsey bull added to the herd. A gift
of Mr. George Mixter.
J\pr\\ metcorolodv
Maximum temperature, 82° on the 23.
Minimum temperature, 24° on the 4.
Mean temperature, for the month, 45.8°.
Total precipitation, 1 .09 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours,
.27 inches on the 9th.
5 clear days, 23 partly cloudy, 2 cloudy
days.
Total number of hours sunshine, 248 and
30 minutes.
CDe Tartti and trades School BanR
Cash on hand April 1, 1908 $505.04
Deposited during the month 11.10
$516.14
Withdrawn during the month 20.78
Cash on hand May 1, 1908 $495.36
Black Putty
In making black putty a small round pan is
quarter filled with linseed oil. Into this lamp
black is put to make it just black enough. Then
whiting is added to make it stiff so as to work
on a board. The putty is then taken out of the
pan and put on a board so as to be worked stiff
enough to use. Frank H. Machon
Cementing Crees
In the orchard there are quite a number of
trees which are decayed or have been hollowed
out by woodpeckers. In such cases we have to
fix the holes in them. This is done by filling
with stones, and cement or concrete. The pro-
cess by which the concrete is made is as follows:
five parts of fine sand are sifted, then one part
of cement is added. These are thoroughly
mixed and last of all there are added about one
and one-half gallons of water. It was my work
one Saturday morning to help Mr. Kibby do this.
We did almost the whole orchard that morning.
Our object in filling those cavities was to pre-
vent the rain from filling them and causing the
tree to decay, and to destroy the gypsy moth nests,
Theodore Miller.
Tilling Ruts on the Playground
During the fall and winter just passed, the
rain and snow storms caused large ruts to appear
in the middle of the playground. If these ruts
had been allowed to stay it would have spoiled
baseball playing for this year. The fellows have
long since filled them in and rolled the play-
ground all over. The filling was taken from a
large pile of clay behind the shop, over which
we spread loam, and then planted grass seed.
Now that this has been all done the grass will
soon grow and the playground will look like a
lawn that has been nicely kept up.
Paul H. Gardner.
Putting the Shot
The fellows have commenced to throw the
shot. About every day a number of fellows are
to be seen throwing it. We have two shots,
one a sixteen pounder, and the other a twenty-
two. When a fellow is going to throw the shot
he steps back from the line and runs, and when
he comes to the line he throws it. He does
this to get more force into the throw. On the
Fourth of July there is a contest. A six foot
circle is marked out and each fellow in turn
steps into it and throws the shot. If the fellow
steps outside the circle while throwing the shot
that throw is not counted.
Clarence S. Nelson.
Boating
It is the privilege of the boys in the boat
crew to go out in the boats rowing if they
choose. On Saturday afternoon somebody wants
to go out in the boat, so after getting permission
they go down to launch the boat. The boats
are kept on the wharf and are launched with the
aid of a derrick. A rope is hitched to a ring in
the bow and stern of the boat. The boat is
then raised so it will swing over the railing on
the wharf. The derrick is then swung around
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
so the boat is over the water, and lowered. The
oars are then put in and everything is ready for
the start. There are two large buoys which
mark our course. These are on the north-
western side of our Island. We row between
these bouys which are about a mile apart.
This gives us quite a large course to row. There
are four boats which we use for this, the Standish,
which is a four-oared boat, the Brewster, having
six oars, the Priscilla which has eight oars, and
the Mary Chilton, which is a nine-oared boat
twenty-four feet long. Louis C. Darling.
matchind a Bira
One morning as I was walking along "Cot-
tage Row," I happened to see something run in
under the Corinthian Cottage. I looked again
and saw.it was a bird. When the boys find a
bird they report it in school and write it down
on the bird list. I hadn't seen a bird like that
before this year. I had a chance to get quite
close to it and 1 kept still to see its colors or
markings. I got a good view of it and then
came up to the house and described it to the
teacher of our class, and then we looked it up
in the bird book. We found it was a chewink,
and I wrote it down in my bird list.
James L. Joyce.
Kcpairing £^ttm^
Most of the cottages of Cottage Row need
repairing every spring and this spring was no
exception. The first thing usually done is to
take down all of the pictures and put the furni-
ture and other things in a corner where they
will not be in the way. Then if there is any
repairing to be done, one of the owners gets the
necessary things from the shop. Usually the
doors are warped and have to be planed down so
they will open and shut easily. If any of the win-
dows are broken, new glass is set in. After
all the repairing is finished, inside and outside,
the walls are washed and then painted. The
floor is scrubbed next, and if the owners have
any carpet or mats, they are put down. Then
the Cottage is painted on the outside. When
a boy wants paint to use on his cottage he
sends in a requisition to Mr. Burnham, who
looks at the boy's cottage to see if it needs
painting very badly. If it does he will give the
boy the right kind of paint. The owners try to
have their cottages repaired by the first Visit-
ing Day so they can show them to their rela-
tives. T. Chapel Wright.
gleaning m Pigeon Eofts
When the pigeon lofts need cleaning, and
fresh litter put in, it is my work to do it. First, I
scrape the old litter into a pile, then shovel it
into a barrel. After sweeping the floor to get the
remaining Utter and dirt up, I wheel it down to
the pig pens for the pigs. Then I spread fresh
litter on the floor to the thickness of about two
inches. When this is done, 1 sweep the cobwebs
from the walls and ceiling, then 1 wash the
windows. The lofts need cleaning every week,
Prescott B. Merrifield,
morkind in the Sbop
One of the pleasures which the fellows have
is working in the shop. Every day the first
graders can go in there to work if they want to.
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday the second
grades are allowed to go in there to work. The
fellows use gumwood, mahogany, maple, and
many other kinds of wood to work with. They
make pen trays, paper knives, jewelry boxes,
and many other articles. The fellows can also
work on the lathe. The lath^ is very useful for
making many things such as dumbells, Indian
clubs, file handles and other things.
A. Allan Eaton.
Cbe Gluing Outfir
There is a new gluing outfit in the printing
office. It consists of a lamp which has a tin
chimney with a space where mica*is put so the
one using the outfit can see the blaze and regu-
late it. This is surrounded by a tin shield
about a foot high with an opening in it near the
bottom, and it has holes all around the top of the
shield which is open at the top. A copper pail
is put inside with hot water in it. A tin cup is
put in the pail and pieces of glue are put in and
melted. The glue is applied with a brush in
making up blocks, and in binding different pam-
phlets for the School. Leonard S. Hayden.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jllumni
Herbert W. French, 78, George W.
Byers, '86, Edward L. Davis, '02,
Charles F. Spear, '03, and George A.
Maguire,'06, were sufferers from the Chelsea fire
which occurred April 12. They all lost everything
except what they had on. Mrs. French was seri-
ously burned. Mr. French and his son Hobert
had great difficulty in putting out the fire in Mrs.
French's clothing, as well as that in their own
clothes, which caught fire several times in their
flight for life. Mr. Byers lost two houses which
were insured. Spear and Davis, as well as the
other fellow, showed the usual Farm School spirit
when offered assistance, preferring that others
should be helped first as they were well and had
employment.
Henry A. Fox, '79, District Chief of the
Boston Fire Department, with his driver, was
thrown from his wagon on going to a second
alarm fire in Charlestown, April 22. Beyond
a good shaking up and some bruises neither men
suffered severely. Chief Fox as usual landed on
his feet so to speak, and was soon at his post of
duty. The most damage was to the horse and
wagon in the run-away which followed.
Walter Cleary, '93, died at Roslindale,
Mass., April 27. Walter left the School in 1 893
to work for the Brainard Milling Machine Com-
pany at Hyde Park, Mass. An injury to his left
hand two years later prevented further work in
the shop and he began work for the Metropolitan
Sewer Commission Engineers Department.
Later he went to Colorado for his health; return-
ing he entered«the Pembrooke Sanitarium, Con-
cord, N. H. Our last letter from him was from
Concord thanking us for a remembrance box.
^it Jfftemoon UlalK
One Sunday afternoon we went for a walk
with Mr. Bradley. First, we visited the hen
house and looked at the hens, monkey, and rab-
Lits. Outside we visited the raccoon. It was
a cross one and didn't seem to enjoy our visit.
We then went along the beach road and through
Lyman's grove. Then went over to the point
where the cable runs through to the mainland.
Mr. Bradley explained all about it. Next we
went where David Thompson's cabin used to
stand and Mr. Bradley explained about that also.
We then visited the bee hive and from there we
went up to the house. Edwin J. Tape.
Cbc Brown Cbrasbcr
One afternoon, while taking a wheelbarrow
full of sod over to the sod pile at the south end,
I saw a bird new to me. It had a pale red-
brown back, darkest on the wings, underneath
white, breast heavily streaked with dark brown
arrow-shaped spots on a pale white background.
The bird had a tail about five inches long, and
it had a long bill curved at the tip. When I
looked it up in the bird book, I found it was a
female brown thrasher. It allowed me to creep
up underneath the branch on which it sat, and
look at it for two or three minutes, while it looked
at me with its yellow eyes. Then it flew to a
higher branch and 1 went on my way.
Edward M. Bickford.
J\ Hew Jlrrangcment
In the barn we have been in the habit of
getting our plaster out of a bag which was kept
on the cow run. But this was not a very good
way because cows going out and coming in often
tipped the bag over and the plaster went on the
floor. To remedy this a box was made, up in a
corner out of the way, to hold four hundred pounds
of plaster. This box is very convenient. The
plaster is brought up from the storage barn in
two-hundred pound bags and emptied in the box.
Theodore M. Fuller.
Gypsy moths
A gypsy moth is a tree destroyer and if
the eggs are allowed to hatch, the caterpillars
will eat the tender leaves, and so destroy the
tree. A remedy for them is creosote. This is
put on the eggs and it burns them so they can-
not hatch. A brush is used to put it on with.
The eggs are generally found on the under sides
of bark, boards, stones, etc. They are found in
nests of about three hundred eggs.
Terrance L. Parker.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 2.
Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass.
June, 1908
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894.
memorial Sunday
Each year the Elk Pleasure Association
makes up the programme for Memorial Sunday.
This year. Memorial Sunday came on May 31.
Saturday, it rained hard and we thought that it
would not be a good day, but when we woke up in
the morning, the sun was shining, and it was a
fine day for our exercises. The pieces were
given to ten different fellows, about two weeks
before Memorial Day. In the afternoon, we
all changed our clothes. The singing-books
were brought down from chapel and carried
over to the cemetery at the south end of our
Island in a hand cart. The flowers were also
taken over in the same way. We had daisies,
buttercups, bluegrass, white violets, peonies,
Japanese snowballs, and a vine called honey
suckle. All of these flowers were made into
bouquets. About quarter of three the bugle
sounded the call to line up. In the front of the
line were the drummers, bugler, and color ser-
geant, and then the E. P. A. privates, with the
officers at the side. Next came the Gardner
Pleasure Club led by George Holmes; next to
these were the rest of the fellows who are not in
either club.
We first marched down to the wharf to
receive Mr. Scott, an old war veteran. We
then marched along beach-road and up through
Lyman Grove to the cemetery. Captain James
Clifford gave the first address. After the sing-
ing and speaking by the boys was over, the offi-
cers decorated the graves with flowers, and
placed one United States flag on each grave,
with the exception of one, on which was placed
al:o a Swedish flag, in honor of our first sloyd
tercher, who died, while trying to save the lives
of some of the fellows. When the graves were
all decorated the bugler sounded the "Taps."
Mr. Bradley next said a few words and an-
nounced that Mr. Scott, who had been through
the Civil War, would speak to us. Mr. Scott
gave a very interesting account of his life during
the war. We all started for the house, feeling
that we had had a very pleasant time.
George H. Balch.
Caundrv Ulasbitid Routine
We have special days on which to do cer-
tain things. On Monday we wash the instruc-
tors' clothes, on Tuesday we wash the boys'
sheets and pillow cases, on Wednesday the boys'
shirts and stockings, on Thursday the boys' coats
and pants that have been changed during the
week, and on every other Friday we have the
farm overalls and jumpers, the shop overalls and
aprons, and the sloyd and printing office aprons.
Weeks when we have these, we clean the laun-
dry on Saturday morning, and when we do not
have them we clean up on Friday morning.
Clarence M. Daniels.
Repairing tbe Tarm l)ou$e Path
One afternoon Mr. McLeod, Harlan Stevens
and 1 got some clay and gravel in a wheelbarrow,
and went to the farm house path. Then we took
a bushel box and put straps in the handles so we
could carry it easily. After this Mr. McLeod
put some gravel in the box. Another boy had
put on the clay so Stevens and 1 took the gravel
and dumped it on the clay. Then Mr. McLeod
took a rake and smoothed it out so it would look
even. After that we went farther down the path
with the wheelbarrows full of gravel and dumped
it, ready to be spread out by Mr. McLeod.
Harold W. Smith.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
tbe Beacon's Birtbaay
The Beacon is eleven years old. It was
born in May, 1897 and has, ever since, entered
the offices and homes of its subscribers monthly.
There were two reasons why the school was
prompted to publish the Beacon, first for its ed-
ucational value to the fellows on our Island, and
second that the friends and relatives would get an
idea of the school in their boys' own words.
When the Superintendent and Managers thought
of having a paper the next thing was the question,
"What shall we name it?" After having sug
gestions, offered by graduates, and friends of the
school, it was decided to take the name suggested
by a former pupil, John P. Ackers, who at that
time was president of the Alumni. The name
which he gave was the "Beacon" and this
seem.ed to fit the school's position, it being on an
Island, in the midst of water, casting rays of hope
to some person wanting to have their boy come
to this school. The Beacon is looked forward
to right here at the school by the fellows, because
when a boy gets a Beacon fresh from the press, he
looks to see if his article has been printed, as
most of the fellows try to get an article in the
Beacon as often as possible.
Frederick J. Wilson.
Strainiitd milk
Every morning and night, at five o'clock, it
is my work to carry milk. I get the strainers at
the kitchen and carry them down to the barn and
put them on the can. There is a shelf that holds
two cans. When the milkers get through milk-
ing one cow they weigh the milk on a pair of cir-
cular scales. Then they mark it down on a
chart beside the number of the cow that gave it.
Then the milk is strained into a can which holds
twenty pounds. The can weighs five pounds.
When two cans are filled, 1 carry them up to
the kitchen. Here I strain it again into a can.
We get seven or eight cans of milk night and
morning. Henry G. Eckman.
Diddittd up Cms
One day Mr. Kibby, a lot of other after-
noon farm boys, and I went over to the Whale's
Back and dug up all the small dead trees. We
dug around the roots first as far as we could and
then pulled the trees up. Then we continued to
dig the holes until they were a foot and a half deep.
We put sods on the east side of holes, the loam
on the south side, and the gravel on the north
side. We dug up these trees so that we could
plant new ones in their places. This job lasted
all the afternoon and at the end the team came
and took away the trees that we dug up.
Oscar Neumann.
my Dog
I had a dog before I came here and his
name was Duke. He was very lively and in-
telligent. He used to come to school and meet
me. When I came home he would want to go
out and have a frolic. One day I gave him a
bone and he went out and buried it and several
days after he went and dug it up and ate it. He
runs up and down stairs so hard that you would
think a man was running up and down.
Edric Blakemore.
Picking up Stones
One day some other fellows and I went
picking up stones on the beach. We put them
in piles ready for the teams. When the teams
came we loaded the stones into the carts. We
worked two or three hours there until the tide
came. Then we went over to pile them on the
dikes. Dana W. Osborne
Beacon €bart
Each school room has its Beacon Chart.
The one in the second school room is one yard
three inches long, and eleven inches wide. In
the second school room there are three classes,
and in the first school room two classes. Each
class has a separate chart and they are tied to-
gether with red ribbons. When a fellow gets
an article in the "Beacon" there is a star put
opposite his name. I have one star.
A. Bennett Cooke.
Uisiting Day
Visiting day dawned bright and clear, the
great day looked forward to by all the boys.
We worked until half past eight: then the bell
rang and we got ready to receive our friends.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
When we were ready, we marched down on the
lawn to see where we were to stand. From
there we marched to the wharf at the beat of
the drum. When we got there the boat was in
sight, and as itneared the wharf the band struck
up a lively tune and played until the people got
off the boat. Then we marched up in step
with the band, onto the lawn; there the band
played two or three pieces. Mr. Bradley spoke
to the visitors and announced the second visit-
ing day, then he dismissed us and we ran to
our friends. We showed them all around the
buildings, then we had our luncheon, with our
friends. Then the bell rang, and we went to the
wharf, to bid them good-bye. After they were
on board, we gave three cheers and a tiger, and
marched to the house to put our food in our
drawers. Frederick J. Barton.
B Strange Scene
One noon, while Fred Webb, Willard
Perry, and I were playing ball, our attention
was attracted by the blowing of a steam whistle.
We looked out in the harbor and saw a light-
ship coming in. It got half way to Castle Island
and turned around and went out again. It
seemed to be going at a good speed. That
was the last we saw of it until quarter past two
in the afternoon and then it came down between
Spectacle Island and our Island, and we saw
this — "90 Hedge Fence 90" — on the side. On
the mast at the top, it had a large black flag with
the words "Fore River" in white letters. It
looked like a new ship. Some thought the
engines were being tested.
Gordon G. MacIntire.
Printing Uisitittd Day €ard$
Every year, about the last of April, or the
first part of May, the printers are busy preparing
the visiting day cards. We first got the re-
quired amount of stock and cut it up the right
size, which is five and one-half inches long by
three and one-quarter inches wide. Then our
instructor made up a good design for the face of
the card, and then printed nearly two thousand,
enough for the rest of this year. Mr. Bradley
then sent down a paper telling when the first vis-
iting day was. 1 then set it up in a plain type,
and locked it up in a chase. While I was doing
this another fellow was printing four cuts, repre-
senting a number of the trades taught at the
School, on the back of the card. One was of a
carpenter, sawing a board, and one at the lathe.
The other two were of a blacksmith, and a
printer. After he had finished this, the form I
had set up, was put on the press, and three
hundred and fifty cards were printed, for the
first visiting day. The fellows think this card
an improvement over the old one.
Herbert M. Nelson.
flower Gardens
On the northern part of our Island near the
hedge are situated the gardens. Every fellow
who owns a garden has to take care of it
during the summer months. As soon as the
weather becomes warm, which is usually in the
month of April, he is up there with a shovel,
rake, and trowel, starting to repair his garden.
First, he takes a shovel and digs up the ground
until it is soft, breaks up the lumps of earth so
that the ground is not lumpy, and takes out the
large stones. Then he levels the dirt off and
puts stones around the edges. Many of the
fellows, in order to have good garden stones go
around the beach and pick them up. Then
they get the required amount of dirt that they
need, because both the rain and snow have
washed a good deal of the old dirt away during
the winter. When all this is done the fellows
are then ready to plant their seeds.
Percy Smith.
Planting Potatoes
Every year, about May first, the farm fellows
are busy planting potatoes. They are first soaked
in formaldehyde so as to keep off the potato scab,
then they are cut up leaving at least one eye on
each piece. The rows are from three to four
feet apart and are from eight to ten inches deep.
The fertilizer is spread in the rows and the po-
tatoes are dropped about fourteen inches apart.
After the potatoes are covered, they are not
worked until they are up and growing pretty well.
Terrance L. Parker.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Doiiip$on'$ Tsland Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 2.
June, 1908.
Subscription Price - 50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
'Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0. Adams
1. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The "Listener" in the June 6th Transcript
expresses so much sentiment concerning this
School that will interest our older readers, who
perhaps have not seen the article, and that our
boys may grasp, if possible, a little better the
associations that surround them we reprint be-
low, by permission, what Mr. Clement says: —
Almost "tout Boston," that is to say, the
old "tout Boston" — -the Boston of the Beacon
Hill of the middle of the nineteenth century —
took, its annual sail down the harbor Friday.
It only went as far as Thompson's Island — noth-
ing of course like Nantasket is within its ken —
for its immemorial, yearly inspection of the
Farm School, now "The Farm and Trades
School," if you please, being thus officially
designated in the amended charter. It is one
of the many monuments of the enlightened phil-
anthropy of Boston and dating back to the leaders
of the social life of the first generation of the
nineteenth century, it shows that this Boston
"home," "asylum," arid school-founding habit is
of long growth. The big old school house on
Thompson's Island is as genuine and unspoiled
a bit of old Boston, the Boston of long before the
war, the Boston of the "swell front" houses with
purple panes of glass in the long windows, on the
slope of Beacon street; of the Boston when the
homey streets of the West end converging into
Bowdoin square, made Tremont row and Court
street, with their bright shops, the promenade for
the afternoon, as Boylston street with its new
shops is today. The whole detail of this most
interesting institution is of the period — down • to
the eight by ten window-panes and the slim
round mahogany banisters. The facade carries
with an air something of the grandiose architec-
ture of a public building — with four fluted col-
umns and the broad space above the entabla-
ture pierced by a half-round lunette — fronting
though it does only the boys and the farm, and
the southwest winds. But the grandeur is mod-
est in brick and demure in a certain grayish
yellow paint, a color stipulated in the bequest
which was left by one of the worthies of the per-
iod to the foundation for its periodical repaint-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
ing which insures its always looking fresh in this
Puritan suit of yellowish drab. The whole thing
is truly touching, though it is flourishing in its
age like a green bay tree. It irresistibly ap-
peals to the veneration that every true Boston-
ian feels for the great old names of our chro-
nicles to see that the affairs of the Farm
School are still in the hands of the quietly loyal
and loving, and sturdily up-keeping sons and
grandsons of the founders.
So a distinguished company of these and
their sisters, and their cousins, and their aunts,
with a few invited guests appreciating their priv-
ileges, fairly filled solid the walk from the end of
the pier winding up through the finely crowned
road to the great- school-house on the top of the
broad-topped, splendid hill which forms the
northern half of the Island. There, under the
noble old trees making an academic grove in
front of the main building, the view for the com-
pany swept down the length of the fair Island
with its beautiful rolling land — here a green knoll,
there rich with black soil, now studded with the
lines of the new springing crop. The pictur-
esquely charming Squantum Head, with its sav-
in-decorated rocky promontory, lies in the mid-
dle distance, and Quincy and the Blue Hills
supply the distance. Among the white-haired
men and matrons were representatives of the
■smart second generation come down from State
street for the afternoon on cheerful duty bound,
keeping informed as to the ancient trust. Gaz-
ing across the land and water and listening now
and then to the vigorous music of his boys' band,
the company were given in a brief resume, by
Superintendent Bradley, more than a score of
years now headmaster, the whole long history of
Massachusetts B.ay for background. One could
almost see Captain Miles Standish in his steel
armor and helmet landing at the tip end of the
Island as plainly as one saw Mr. Henry S. Grew
in his straw hat beaming upon Mr. Bradley and
the company assembled to show their continued
faith in him and interest in the work.
It is another visible proof, this whole beau-
tiful Island and the clean and simple, whole-
somely thorough work done there in character-
building, that the Boston men of other days who
gave the town its tone and name in progress in
benevolence and enlightenment, took their
measures well. It shows the right seed sown
and planted and watered, the best sort of trees
selected. Here is a plant that has constantly
grown in value and improved in character. If
it is still true that the boys are "indigent" they
are not told so or described thus to the public.
It is no longer an "asylum" that they are nur-
tured in from tender years to manhood's threshold ;
but a home in all senses and a school; and they
are not grudgingly limited to the three R's
and the useful trades; they may lay here the
foundation for all the cultivation they can take
in future years and all that it is necessary to
have at eighteen in any walk of life. The old
stigma is as completely gone, there are no
more bad boys at The Farm and Trades School
than there are Indians at Squantum or Fore
River, where on the trip when he took in
Thompson's Island Captain Standish killed a
couple of men and a boy becauase he wanted
their cabin to pass the night in, a little incident
of that period which corresponds to boy-gunners'
feats with the feathered tribes inhabiting the
coves along the shore. The boys are good ap-
parently without any discipline, nowadays. The
atmosphere created by the teachers and the
beauty of the environment are enough to insure
that. The little old "Gardner Hall," with stair-
ways strongly suggestive of the severely plain
passageways of Hollis Hall at Harvard, and the
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
gift of the old John L. Gardner — not the late
"Jack" — of HoUis's period, is a small "Tech"
teeming with fine salable works from joinery to
blacksmithing and job printing.
notes
May I , Veterinary here.
Picture moulding put up in Room No, 5.
Transplanted 1800 celery plants in hotbed.
May 5, Royal Raymond Ellison entered
the School.
Raised front of cow mangers 12 inches
higher.
May 6. Through the kindness of Mr.
Arthur Beane the first nine attended the Har-
vard-Williams base ball game.
May 7. Cut asparagus for the first time.
May 8. Sowed peas and oats and seeded
down the piece by the observatory.
Through the kindness of Henry Bradley
several of the boys and instructors attended drill
at the Boston Latin School.
May 1 1 . Put out rat poison.
May 12. Finished planting 5 acres of po-
tatoes.
Edric Blanchard Blakemore entered the
School.
Entertainment on "Yawcob Strauss" by
Mr. Charles FoUen Adams.
May 13. Planted early sweet corn and
beans.
Graduate Matthew H. Paul visited the
School.
May 14. A litter of nine pigs born.
Began repairs in sitting room and parlor.
Scott's works given to the School library
by Mr. Alfred Howard.
Removed fence crossing the Island by
Cottage Row, except that directly back of the
cottages..
May 16. Planted onion seeds.
May 18. First visiting day. 208 present
including Vice President Henry S. Grew, Sec-
retary Tucker Daland, and Manager Charles T.
Gallagher.
May 20. 40 bushels of rhubarb sent to
market.
May 21. Farm School Alumni Associa-
tion name changed to Alumni Association of
The Farm and Trades School.
May 22. Finished transplanting 1260 to-
mato plants.
May 23, Put up School sign on the wharf.
Ball game with North Bennett Street
School. Score, 12 to 12.
Graduate S. Gordon Stackpole, and Evariste
T. Porche a former pupil, visited the School.
Mr. Gustaf Larsson and graduating class
from the Sloyd Normal Training School spent
the forenoon here.
May 24. Sunday. Rev. Ernest Lyman
Mills of South Boston spoke to the boys. Ser-
vices were held on the front lawn.
May 25. Sprayed the orchard with bor-
deaux mixture and Paris green.
May 26. Harry Arthur Bagley and
Warren Augusta Skelton returned to their
mothers.
Removed stack of Steamer "Pilgrim" to re-
pair whistle pipe and clean boiler tubes, also
fitted new gaskets at hand holes.
May 27. Two tons of wood ashes came.
Set out 1000 strawberry plants.
May 28. 12 boys went to the circus.
Finished planting field corn.
May 29. Scow John Alden painted.
May 30. 14 boys went to the circus.
Cucumbers and peas in blossom.
Scow John Alden made ready for use as
judge's barge at the South Boston Yacht Club
races.
May 31. Memorial Sunday. Appropriate
exercises at the cemetery by the Elk Pleasure
Association as usual. Mr. Scott, a Grand Army
man, spoke to the boys.
may meteorology
Maximum temperature, 85" on the 27th.
Minimum temperature, 38° on the 2nd.
Mean temperature, for the month, 57.4^.
Total precipitation, 2.47 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours,
.99 inches, on the 8th.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
12 days with ,01 or more inches precipita-
tion, 8 clear days, 20 partly cloudy, 3 cloudy
days.
Total number of hours sunshine, 227 and
■40 minutes.
Che Tarm and trades School Bank
Cash on hand May 1, 1908 $495.36
Deposited during the month 56.77
$552,13
Withdrawn during the month 15.86
Cash on hand June 1, 1908 $536,27
CDc Gardens
Every boy who wants a garden has one.
Some boys own one together, I own with an-
other boy, I have already planted my sweet
peas, nasturtiums, and pansies. The boys
have stones for the border of their gardens. I
think that the gardens are very pretty.
Frederick J, Hynes.
Vawcob $trau$$'$ Lecture
We have been having some lectures lately.
We had one May twelfth, on poems that
were written by Mr. Charles Follen Adams, or
"Yawcob Strauss," as he called himself. He
writes in the "Dutch" dialect. He wrote "The
Long Handled Dipper," "Little Yawcob Strauss,"
"My Mother-in-law," and "Vos Marriage a
Failure?" These were interesting to listen to.
He is a veteran of the Civil War having been a
Union soldier. He fought at Gettysburg and was
wounded. The fellows had an opportunity to
see some of his books, one of them, "The Long
Handled Dipper," was published in the shape of a
dipper. His poems were divided into four groups,
and after each group the band played.
Paul R. Rietz.
One of Our Pleasures
While the "Rebecca Palmer" was laying
at anchor near our Island all the boys had the
pleasure of going aboard it on visiting day after-
noon. We were taken aboard her in groups by
the steamer "Pilgrim." The "Rebecca Palmer"
is two hundred eighty-five feet long, forty feet
wide, thirty-five feet deep. It has five masts
and each one cost twelve hundred dollars. The
hoisting of the sails and boats is done by steam
power. It takes three-fourths of an hour for
the vessel to get under way. This vessel is a
coal carrier and holds four thousand two hundred
tons of coal. It takes two days to load and two
days to unload. It carries coal along the coast.
While we were on board, we were entertained
by a boy who worked on board. He played upon
the piano with a pianola attachment. Besides
this, we were allowed to go about at our will.
Roy D. Upham.
nortb and South €nd Bars
The north end bar is on the north-eastern
end of the Island. The south end bar is on the
south-eastern end. The north end bar is
wider and not so long and narrow. These bars
are formed of material that has been washed
from the Island and been carried down by the
tide and wind. The sea gulls stop on these
bars, especially the one at the south end, after the
tide has gone out. These bars are made
mostly of sand, some stones, and shells. There
is a swift channel that runs past the south end
bar and this is the only separation from Squan-
tum, a part of the mainland,
Stephen Eaton,
my Desk
My desk is two feet and four inches high,
one foot eleven and one-half inches long, fifteen
inches wide, and four and a half inches deep.
I have five books and two pencil boxes, and an
ink well, I have a chair. Another boy sits in
it in the afternoon. Frank S. Mills.
mork in the Orchard
One afternoon I worked with Mr. Kibby in
the orchard. The first thing was to hold the
pail for Mr, Kibby to cement the holes in the
apple trees. In a little while Mr, Kibby told me
to go up in number seven room and get a bottle
of creosote and paint the gypsy moth nests
We cement the holes up to keep out the gypsy
moths. The creosote is to spoil the eggs of the
gypsy moths and kill them.
Harold D. Morse.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jlluitiiti
John A. Buttrick, '95, Agent for The
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad,
at Blackstone, Mass., writes that he was ap-
pointed to his present position December 1,
1907, and seems to be master of the situation,
as he has found time to take on twenty or more
pounds of flesh.
Edward Steinbrick, '95, writes from Re-
hoboth, Mass., where he now is, mentioning the
many benefits derived from his attendance at
this school. He expects to shortly start on a
large carpentry contract. At present he is farm-
ing as his health is not of the best.
Joseph E. K. Robblee, '04, died Wed-
nesday, June 3d, with Tuburcular Meningetis
after being sick in bed but two weeks, and not
thought to be seriously ill at the time. Joe
visited the School April 30, and seemed in
good health. Not long before that Joe brought
Mrs. Bradley home from the Symphony in his
automobile; he was a careful driver, happy and
cheerful in disposition, and well liked by his em-
ployers. He was buried at Newton Centre,
Friday, June 5.
The annual business meeting of the Farm
School Alumni Association was held on May 21
at Winthrop Hall, Dorchester, at which a num-
ber of important matters were discussed. The
following were admitted as members: — Frederick
B. PuUen, '58, J. Frank Dutton, '82, Leroy S.
Kenfield, '82, Fred W. Piecey, '86, Richard
N. Maxwell. '00, Evariste T. Porche, '07,
Ernest N. Jorgensen, "08. It was voted to
change the second article of the Constitution to
the following: — Name. The name of this or-
ganization shall be The Alumni Association of
The Farm and Trades School. Resolutions
were passed and sent to the Board of Managers
expressing our appreciation of their action in
changing the name of the School. All of the
Treasurer's records were destroyed In the Chel-
sea fire, but as the funds were in the bank no
money loss was suffered. Resolutions of sym-
pathy were passed to those of our number who
were affected by the fire and assistance was of-
fered. Mr. Bradley having invited the Association
to pass a day at the School, the entertainment
committee announced a field day, to be held on
the Island June 17th, open to members of the
Association with their wives. A committee was
appointed by the President to draw up a revised
set of By-Laws and report at the next metting.
Merton p. Ellis.
Our €lotl)c$ Dryers
When it is stormy weather we hang the
clothes in the laundry instead of the clothes
yard. We use for this purpose two clothes
horses, for the boys' clothing, which hold a great
many things, then there is a reel which turns so
the clothes will all have a chance to dry near
the fire. For the instructors' clothes there are
two horses and a reel. These reels each have
three sets of rods. The reels are in both ends
of the laundry and extend to the top.
James R. Gregory.
the mash Koom Cupboard
In the assembly room there is a cupboard
which is called the wash room cupboard.
There are hockeys, tools, skates, flags, and
many other things. Some Saturday mornings
1 take the things all out and put them in the
assembly room. Then 1 sweep out the cup-
board and scrub it. Then 1 put the tools back
in again. The cupboard is about thirteen feet,
seven inches long, and about four feet, four
inches wide. Lawrence C. Silver.
Bakery Ulork
One Friday morning when Harold Marshall,
the baker, went to play in the band, Charles
Morse and 1 took the bread out of the oven.
The oven is a large brick one which holds over
a hundred loaves of bread. We took two holders
each so that we would not burn our hands.
We took a long pole with a flat end like a shovel,
called a peal, to pull the bread out of the oven
with. He pulled the bread out and passed it to
me, and 1 took the loaves out of the pans and
piled the pans up.
Preston M. Blanchard.
THOMPSONVS ISLAND
rnALOS
Vol. 12. No. 3. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. July, 1908
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894.
Jllunini Tield Day
Some forty members of the Association
with their wives were fortunate in having fine
weather for their second annual field day at the
School on June 17th. The steamer "Pilgrim"
with its mate, the "John Alden," left City Point
at 10.30 A. M. for the School, arriving there
soon after. While going over, a short business
meeting was held at which John J. Henry, '50,
Soloman B. Holman, '50, and Thornton B.
Lewis, '80, were admitted. Teams for the ball
game were also made up with the married men
against the single men. After hard work nine
married men were finally located and drafted
for the team. Some were eager, but not as
young and spry as years ago, neither were they
as thin.
As soon as we arrived at the Island the
boys spread around to look over the improve-
ments and changes that have been made.
Many favorable comments were heard on the
condition of things in general.
• At twelve o'clock we had lunch on the
tennis lawn, and immediately after we were pre-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
vailed upon to gather together and keep quiet
long enough to have our photograph taken.
Then came the ball game. The married men
being so used to being looked after by their wives
were not able to find the ball and consequently
were beaten by the single men, 1 5 — 8. Graham,
for the married men, at second base in blue over-
alls for a suit, was easily a good comedian, even
if he had to a certain extent forgotten baseball.
Umpire Kenfieid managed to last through the
game and was not obliged to call on the police
of Cottage Row for assistance. His efforts
were rewarded with a handsome (?) prize. The
line up was as follows.
Married. Single.
Hefler c Bryant
Hughes p Pulson
Buchan 1 b Dinsmore
Graham 2nd b Stackpole
Piercey 3rd b Malm
Loud s.s. Means
Duncan r f Pratt
French c f Capaul
Alcott, G. J. If Thayer
The sports which followed the game were
quite interesting, the race of the fat men very
amusing, Graham again making himself notice-
able by winning. Mrs. Graham, not to be out-
done, won her running race. Time slipped by
too fast and soon it was time to leave. The
prizes were given out on the return trip and
were won by the following.
Running Jump, A. C. Malm; Standing
Jump, D. C. Clark; Light weight ladies' race,
Mrs. D. C. Clark; Heavy weight ladies' race,
Mrs. Graham; Heavy weight men's race. J. H.
Graham; Light weight men's race, D. C. Clark;
Backward Race, A. C. Malm; Race to wharf,
1st, Henry Bradley; 2nd, E. Capaul.
The field day under the direction, and for
the Alumni Association, is now an annual event
and all the members should try to be present.
That they would enjoy it can be vouched for by
members coming from as far as Woonsocket,
Bridgewater, and Marlboro to be present. Cele-
brations elsewhere prevented a number from
being at the school. Those present are named
below: —
George J. Alcott '80 John J. Henry '50
Herbert Balentine '00 Champney Hughes '98
Charles Blatchford '04 Herbert A. Hart '99_
Charles Bridgham '85 Leroy S. Kenfieid '82
Harold E. Brenton '90 Clarence W. Loud '96
Warren H. Bryant '06 Thornton B. Lewis '80
George Buchan '97 Alfred C. Malm '01
Fred'k Burchstead '02 Louis E. Means '04
John A. Buttrick '95 Fred'k W. Piercey '86
Edward Capaul '05 Evariste T. Porche '07
Don C. Clark '06 C. James Pratt '06
James A. Cross '73 Clifford M. Pulson '97
Wm. N. Dinsmore '06 1. Banks Quinby '06
Charles Duncan '71 Frank C. Simpson '03
Merton P. Ellis '99 William L. Snow '90
Herb't W. French '78 S. Gordon Stackpole '06
Jas. H. Graham '81 Henry M. Stokes '76
Alden B. Hefler '87 Fred'k P. Thayer '04
Lester H. Witt '02
CDe Book Cupboard
In the assembly room there is a book cup-
board. As you come in the "elm tree" door, it
is in the left-hand corner. This cupboard is
five feet high and four feet long, and has ten
shelves. When the fellows go to work they put
their books in it. The fellows keep library
books, stamp albums, their own books, scrap
books, and post card albums there. On Wed-
nesday nights, and Sunday mornings, library
books are changed. When a fellow wants a
book changed he leaves it on the top shelf, from
which it is taken up to the library, and the ex-
change made. John L' Estrange.
J\ Crip to the Circus
On Saturday afternoon, May 30, some of
the boys went to the circus. We got there just
about in time to get a seat. The band played
until the parade was ready and then a man blew
a whistle for the parade to start. It was led by
four trumpeters. In the parade were people
representing many different tribes, also trained
animals, and other interesting things. In the
ring near us, there were a dog and five ele-
phants that did tricks, some daring trapeze per-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
formers, a double-jointed man, tight rope
walkers, and others. In the arena there were
horses and ponies that did things such as jump-
ing and racing. There were three horses with
high jumping records of 7 ft. 8 in., 6 ft. 8 in.,
and 6 ft. 9 in., respectively, and two ponies with
leaping and broad jumping records of 6 ft. 1 in.
A ladies' jockey race went three times around
the track, a two horse race went three times
around the track, and a four horse chariot race
went around three times. There was also a
race between the fleetest American and English
whippet racing dogs. The last was the autos
that pass in the air, and this was done by two
women, one driving the red car, the other the
white. They both start at the same time, one
in back of the other, down a ninety foot runway.
The foremost car turns a somersault while the
other car glides under it and lands on a plat-
form closely followed by the car that turned the
somersault. Before coming back we visited
the animals. We enjoyed every moment.
Laurence C. Silver.
It was my work to harness up Major and
Bell to the spring-tooth harrow and harrow over
on observatory hill. This piece had been done
with the disk-harrow to cut the pieces of sods
up and to stir the manure in with the soil. It
breaks up the lumps of soil, then it has to be
done again with the spring-tooth harrow to
smooth it. 1 harrowed all the afternoon.
Henry G. Eckman.
Roofing
In the cow yard there is a small shed, and
at one end is a cow run which was to be covered
with Andamant roofing. Another fellow and I
hammered the nails down on the roof of the run
to make it smooth for the roofing. In each roll
of roofing there is a can of cement and enough
large headed nails to lay the roll. We com-
menced laying the tooting at the eaves and par-
allel with them, allowing the sheet to bend one
inch over the edge of the roof, securing it with
the large headed nails, driving them in two in-
ches apart. The second and succeeding sheets
were lapped over three inches, applying the
cement thoroughly the entire length of lap, then
nailing it one inch back from the edge of sheet
and having the nails about two inches apart,
A light board was used to stand upon when
nailing and cementing. When we came to
where the barn and roof of the run join, making
a flashing, we turned the roofing up under the
clapboards about four inches against the barn.
After cementing the boards, we bent some new
pieces of tin and nailed them on the roofing.
Elmer Bowers.
Clcanittd the mcst Dormitory
Every morning after we make the beds in
the west dormitory we sweep. We first move
all the beds to one end of the dormitory. When
that is done it leaves a space at the other end.
We sweep this space and move the beds that
belong there back, and so on until it is all done.
We sweep the dirt into a pile and take it up with
a dust pan and brush, and empty into the dirt box.
One fellow does this and another dusts the
dormitory. When this is done we straighten up
the pillows. Each fellow has two rows to
straighten up. While we straighten up a pillow
we straighten up the beds also, \ mean by this to
get all the wrinkles out and make the beds look
smooth. Alonzo B. James.
Cleaning tbc CDapcl
The chapel is our largest assembly hall.
When it is to be scrubbed it is f'rst cleared of
the chairs, settees and other furniture. When it
is scrubbed once, or as many times as it is
needed, it is waxed, by putting the wax on a
cloth and then rubbing it in thoroughly. After
it is rubbed in, it is polished with some polishers
or weights. Then the wood work is washed and
the furniture put back. Percy Smith.
B new Club
In our new club we have twenty boys, and
we have given it the name of the Gardner Pleas-
ure Club because it was organized in Gardner
Hall. The purpose of it, is to have gun drills
and pleasure. William B. Laing.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Dompson's Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 3.
July, 1908.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
TREASURER
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin O. Adams
1. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spauldin^
Moses Williams, Jr
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
Salvation sounds like a religious word but it
is no more nor less religious than the trees and
flowers. It is natural. It stands for perfect
health of body and mind. God meant every boy
and girl, man and woman, to be saved in just
that way.
Perfect health means muscles that are
obedient servants to the mind, that can lift and
carry, and help every other part to do its work.
If a muscle in the arm acta out of order then
there is trouble and the days work cannot be
finished. If a muscle in the leg says that it
will not act with the other muscles, then there is
trouble, and so trouble in the whole system,
because every part sympathizes with every
other part. Each muscle must be obedient, there
must be good team play, then there is happiness,
unconscious right action, and a chance to win.
When we ask ourselves what we are, the
answer comes back that we are just what our
minds are. Your mind is you, my mind is me.
It is that which reveals us to each other. It is
that which trains us and guides our thoughts.
It teaches us to think good, strong, pure
thoughts, until we are able to stand in all cir-
cumstances and win a victory over everything
and anything that is not absolute good. In our
gardens, if a supposed flower turns out to be a
weed, we pull it out just as quickly as we can
and put a good flower in its place.
Our minds are like gardens that bloom all
' the year around. When we see that thoughts
are going to grow bad, we can pull them out and
put good and right thoughts in their places.
We can uproot jealousy and meanness, and un-
kindness in all forms, and every thing like that
that would try to hinder our growth and choke
our good deeds and thoughts.
We can resolutely plant love and grati-
tude, a desire to be of service to those about us,
and a determination to do the duty which is
before us although it may be unattractive and
disagreeable. We can only grow through obe-
dience. Intelligent obedience is the test of
the highest culture. It is the stepping stone to
knowledge, power, and practical wisdom.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Napoleon learned to command through
learning perfectly to obey, in the military school,
when he was poor and unknown. By obedience,
the muscles grow and serve. By obedience to
the highest thoughts and instincts, the mind
grows and serves, and a healthy body, the
servant of a healthy mind, saves one from evil.
Through daily effort each saves himself by
achieving a character which withstands and
protects, and is his salvation.
Dotes
June 1 . Planted cucumbers and mangles.
Repolished Assembly Hall floor.
June 2. Through using steam heat.
June 3. Repaired picket fence back of
Cottage Row.
June 5. Planted sweet corn and beans.
June 8. Began haying.
June 1 1 . Made a platform for graduation
exercises.
June 14. First green peas of the season.
June 15. Superintendent's sitting-room,
parlor, and hall painted.
June 19. Planted cabbage seed.
A small load of spruce and pine lumber came
from Freeport Street.
June 20, Launched the Lozier launch.
Sail yachts Trevore and Winslow painted
and varnished.
Fire escape on northeast wing painted.
June 22. Picked the first strawberries.
A swimming float for boys use completed.
Screen doors and windows put on Main
building.
June 23. Plumbers finished putting in
closets in east and west dormitories, and a
drinking fount on the same floor, also stand pipe
for fire service on top floor.
June 24. Renewed fire grates in Steamer
"Pilgrim."
June 27. Finished transplanting 1800
celery plants.
Finished a map of farming operations for
1908.
3unc meteorology
Maximum temperature, 88"" on the 8th.
Minimum temperature, 48° on the 2nd.
Mean temperature for the month, 67°.
Total precipitation, 1 .68 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours, .83 in-
ches on the 29th.
7 days with .01 or more inches precipita-
tion, 6 clear days, 24 partly cloudy.
Total number of hours sunshine, 317 and
30 minutes.
Thunderstorm with hail on the 28th.
Cbe Tariti and trades School Bank
Cash on hand June 1, 1908 $536.27
Deposited during the month 54.75
$591.02
17.13
$573.89
Withdrawn during the month
Cash on hand July 1, 1908
Graduation Day
The twelfth of June was Graduation Day.
It was an ideal day for such an event. The ex-
ercises took place on the front lawn, where set-
tees had been placed for the guests. A plat-
form was erected where the members of the
class stood while speaking. The programme
was opened with a selection by the band, after
which Rev. F. B. Richards led us in prayer.
T. Chapel Wright, after welcoming the
people, gave an essay on Forestry. This
was followed by an essay on the life of Thomas
Edison, by Frederick Webb. Next, four boys
told about the principal legal holidays celebrated
in some of the different states, giving what has
been written concerning some of them by our
poets and statesmen. The history of Cottage
Row was given by James Clifford, who told how
it was started, and its growth up to the present.
Louis Darling gave some interesting facts about
mosquitoes, and the methods used here for their
extermination. Meteorology was the subject
taken by Alfred Neumann, who told about the
observatory and the different instruments used
at this school. Thomas Carnes decided in his
essay that the Germans were the best immi-
grants to this country. The class prophet was
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Herbert Watson, who created much laughter,
especially about the future of Thomas Carnes
whose highest ambition in life was to be the
"best dressed man in the country."
The others were given these futures: —
A. Neumann, keeping a hair-dressing shop; C.
Clifton Wright, farming down in Mexico; Louis
Darling, a theatrical manager; Van Brown,
dancing teacher; A. Allen Eaton, a star base-
ball pitcher whose "hornets" cannot be beaten;
James Clifford, a mayor; Frederick Webb an
inventor whose inventions were a benefit to this
school in doing away with laziness; T. Chapel
Wright, a manager of an agency for office-boys;
Herbert Nelson, editor of "Colored People's
Matrimonial Gazette;" and Frederick Marshall
a teacher of higher mathematics in India.
The class motto "Loyalty," was the last
essay. The band now played another selection.
The Rev. Charles F. Dole, the speaker of the
day, gave a fine address on the highest kind of
power.
The diplomas were then presented to the
members of the graduating class by Mr. Bradley.
The alumni gold medal was also awarded to the
graduate that stood highest in the class, by Mr.
J. T. Evans. Dr. Frank E. AUard gives three
prizes each year to the three fellows that show
the most interest in the United States History.
They were awarded by Mr. Bradley to Percy
Smith, Harold L. Marshall, and Robert W.
Gregory. The exercises were concluded by an-
other selection from the band. At five o'clock
the guests returned home, accompanied by the
graduating class as far as City Point.
Frederick W. Marshall.
Jllllgator Pear
Mr. Bradley brought to the first school room
a fruit which he said was an alligator pear, brought
him by Mr. Adams, from Philadelphia. It
is a tropical fruit, although it is sometimes
known as a vegetable. The fruit weighs from
one to two pounds, and contains a single seed,
enclosed by a hard, firm, yellowish-green pulp.
The seed is removed and the pulp eaten with
vinegar, salt, and pepper, or a French dressing.
This pulp also contains an oil which is used for
illuminating purposes, and for making soap.
The seed yields a deep, indelible, black stain,
employed for marking linen. The Alligator
pear tree is an evergreen which grows to be
about thirty feet high. It is grown as far north
as Los Angeles, but it needs a hotter climate to
make the fruit palatable. Most Europeans do
not like the taste of the Alligator pear, but once
it is acquired they become exceedingly, and
sometimes excessively fond of it. The tree
bears fruit when five years old.
Herbert F. M. Watson.
Coveritid Books
The office boys cover all the books. The
different books we have to cover come from
the school rooms, office, library, and chapel. .
When the covers of the library books get torn
or badly soiled, they are sent around to the of-
fice where they get re-covered as soon as possi-
ble. When the school terms are over, a good
share of the school books need covering. All
new books are covered. This is done with a
heavy gray paper. The hymn books have to be
re-covered nearly every year. They are cov-
ered with a heavy black paper. Sometimes
when a book comes in to be re-covered, the
binding is torn and some of the pages are loose.
These are glued so they will be in a good con-
dition for the next user.
T. Chapel Wright.
Dclit^eritid €iothe$
Every week after the clothes are washed
and ironed, they are taken to the rooms, where
they belong. We take the clothes off the reel
where they are hung, after they are ironed, and
sort the clothes and put them in their right piles.
Then they are put in blankets and delive.ed to
their respective rooms.
Clarence M. Daniels.
Tun in the 6ymna$ium
In the winter time the majority of the fel-
lows are found in the gymnasium in Gardner
Hall. There, they spend their play hours doing
stunts on the ladder, swinging on the rings,
practising on their band instruments, climbing
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
the rope, and swinging Indian clubs. On the
three traveling rings, the fellows play tag. The
fellow with the middle ring tries to tag either of
the other two fellows and then the one he tags
has to be "it." On the ladder are stunts of
many kinds, two of. which, are to get up over
the side hand over hand, and skip three rounds
at every swing the whole length of the ladder.
On the climbing rope, which is twenty feet long,
are two very good stunts to go up hand over
hand with kicking your feet and without kicking
them. There are not many fellows that can
swing the Indian clubs very well but they are
learning. There are other sports which the fel-
lows enjoy besides these.
J. Herbert M. Nelson.
The fishing has begun now and quite a
number of the fellows go- out on Saturdays.
For bait, sea worms and clams are used. The
best fishing is done on the end of the wharf and
that is where most of the fellows go. The fish
that are caught are flounders, and sculpins.
The flounders are kept and cleaned, and the
sculpins are thrown overboard. After the
cleaning is done they are brought up to the kit-
chen where they are cooked and then sent into
the dining room for the fellows who caught them.
James R. Gregory.
Samplittd Grain
In the second school room, there are ten
bottles of sample grain. I weighed them and
found that the linseed meal weighed the most,
buckwheat next, and corn bran, the least. The
different states legally decide the number of
pounds to a bushel of the different grains. At
present, the general reckoning is: — oats, thirty-
two pounds, wheat, sixty pounds, and rye, fifty-
six pounds to a bushel. This seems very inter-
esting to me because 1 am interested in every-
thing about a farm. George M. Holmes.
Cbe nidnkcv
We have near the house, a monkey named
"Whitey." She is in a cage. Mr. Mead and 1
made a trapeze for her to swing on but she did
not seem to appreciate it so Mr. Mead made a
rope ladder and 1 helped him to put it up. She
uses it quite often. I was going into the cage
one noon, to feed her and clean it out, and she
jumped on my back, then up to the top of the
ladder and began shaking it until she hit me in
the back of the head. After I got through I
stepped out and filled her dish with water and
she stepped up and let me smooth her and
looked up in my face as if to say "I'm sorry."
She then jumped up the ladder, after I shut the
door, and I said, "down," just to see what she
would do, and down she came to the door. All
the boys like to see her go through these actions,
but it is hard to get her to when so many are
around. Gordon G. MacIntire.
Cestiitd Seeds
After last year's planting we had some vege-
table seeds left. Some seeds die when they get
old. Mr. Kibby took a hundred of each kind of
seeds and placed them in between two pieces of
cotton flannel, then dampened the cloth and put
them into dishes, each with another dish on top
so as to make it warm and damp inside of the
dish. Then the dishes were put into a window
box in the school room. If the seeds are good
they will sprout. If enough of these seeds are
good we will not have to have to buy so many
next spring. N. Harold Silver.
Postal Cards
Lots of the fellows collect postal cards and
keep them in albums. Some fellows have quite
a number. I am saving postal cards and have
about one hundred and ninety. I have some
from different places such as Mexico, California,
Arizona, and other interesting places. Mr.
Bradley sent the boys postals when he was abroad
and also Mr. Humphreys gave us each a postal
card. Some were of Italy, and others of Africa.
On Christmas and the Fourth of July many of
the fellows have postals appropriate to the day.
Each year brings up our collection so that now
and then we have to get new albums. Ralph
Whittemoie has the largest collection of any
fellow in the School. It consists of about five
hundred. William W. Foster.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
jn\mn\
C. Archie Graves, "07, now in Dorset,
Vermont, writes from his home, with Mr. C. B.
Gilbert. Not only on the farm but in the church
he has made a place for himself, taking part in
the meetings and leading them when necessary.
Foster Hoye, '07, writes from Watertown,
New York, that he is a chaff eur and well and
happy. His employer was so well pleased with
his work that he engaged him for the winter.
He subscribes for the Beacon, because next to
seeing Thompson's Island is hearing from it.
Cms of Our Tsland
We have many varieties of trees on our
Island. The "Old Elm" is the oldest and
largest. It is situated between Gardner Hall
and the main building. In front of the house
are two large acacia trees. On one side of the
playgrounds are two rows of trees some of
which are maple. On the northwest side of
the main building we have a grove comprised
mostly of pine, oak and maple. At the south
end of the Island are Lyman Grove, Oak Knoll,
and Whaltbapk. Lyman Grove is mostly of
osks and larches. Oak Knoll has oak trees from
which it gets its name. On Whaleback there
are spruce and oak trees. At the north end
there is Bowditeh Grove of oak, maple, and
spruce trees. At the extreme north end, there
is a grove of Austrian pine and white birches.
In the orchard we have apple, pear, and cherry
trees. Ralph A. Whittemore.
Tronitid napKins
One afternoon I had to iron napkins. It
was a special "Visiting Day," and ever so many
people come through the laundry. I had my
picture taken as 1 was working.
Walter R. Horsman.
Putting in Rich Soil
One afternoon Mr, McLeod had a few
boys shovel the gravel from around the com-
post shed to make ready for planting shrub-
bery. The boys loaded the teams with gravel,
then the driver took it over to the south end
bringing back a load of loam. The gravel was
taken out about two feet deep and a rake
handle's length wide. When the loam was put
in, Mr. Kibby went over to the nursery and se-
lected some shrubs. The largest ones were
put in the background and the smallest ones in
the front and on the ends. After they were
planted, a boy got the water barrel and a bucket,
and watered the shrubs, allowing about a bucket
full to three shrubs. Edward H. Deane.
Sewing
Of late, extra work has been brought into
the sewing room, such as flags, curtains, and
other things. The ends of the flags were torn
and had to be mended. If there was a tear in
the stripe, it had to be repaired up as far as the
tear went. Then the instructor in charge put a
new piece in. There was also a Union Jack and
a pennant to be mended. All around the stars of
the Union Jack the cloth was thin and torn, so
they were taken off and replaced by a new and
better piece. Then the stars were sewed on
again. The end of the steamer's pennant was
torn. This had to come to an exact point so the
boys did not help mend it. When the sheets
are torn too much they are thrown away. These
of course have to be replaced. The sheets and
pillow cases are hemmed by the sewing room
boys. I like the work quite well.
Leland B. Watson
Che Pictures in Our School Room
The pictures in our school room are very
pretty. There are about fifteen in all. One of
the pictures represents "The Village Black-
smith." In it one may see the blacksmith,
working at the forge, and the school children,
looking in at the door. Another, represents
"The Childrens' Hour." In this, there are three
little girls coming down the broad stairs, and
there is a large clock in the back. Another, is
"The Gleaners," which is Millet's masterpiece.
In this, three peasants are picking up the re-
maining sheaves of wheat. In the distance
there is the large wagon, waiting for the grain.
Another, is "George Washington," by Copley,
an early American painter, which we all like very
much. Still another, is of the Matterhorn, in the
Alps in Europe. There are also other very good
pictures but these especially interest us.
George A. Matthews.
THOMPSONVS IkSLAISTD
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 4. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. August, 1908
Entered November 23. 1903, at Boston, Mass.. as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894.
Tourrb of 3uly
Fourth of July is one of our most interest-
ing days of the year and is looked forward to by
every fellow. On the night before the fellows
assembled around the Old Elm. Mr. Bradley
read the names of the races, one by one, and the
fellows who wished to enter a race had their
names put down.
After this was done we went to bed anxious
for the night to pass. At sunrise most every
boy was awakened by the sound of the bugle
and the noise of the cannon. At half past six
we had breakfast.
At seven o'clock the necessary work was
done and at eight o'clock we went to the as-
sembly hall and each fellow was given five
bunches of fire-crackers, a piece of punk, and a
package of torpedoes.
About nine o'clock we were ready for the
cross country run. Mr. Bradley started the fel-
lows off. All the rest of the fellows were anx-
ious to see who had the lead. Some went up
in the gymnasium to watch them. In a little
while some one told us that Clifton Wright was
ahead when they passed the farm house, but
as they approached nearer Robert Gregory was
about twenty yards ahead and he won. The
blind race v/as a good one because it caused
lots of laughing. The fellows in it were told to
get their towels and have some one tie them
over their eyes. They were then told the course
to take, and at a given signal, started off. Some
of them ran into trees, others ran into the potato
piece, and a few ran straight for the goal.
Another funny race was the obstacle race.
The fellows that were in this had to go through
the rounds of a ladder, through a barrel top of a
bench, under a bench, then run down to a bench
that had mugs on it, with corn in them. They
had to take off their shoes and stockings, turn
the latter wrong side out, put them on again,
then count the corn in the mugs and put the
amount and his name on a tag on the mug,
then run back to the starting point.
At eleven-thirty we had dinner. At twelve
o'clock the salute was fired. It was raining at
two o'clock p. m. so we had to postpone the
races on the beach road until it stopped. After
it stopped we were given a bag of "Dr. Bancroft's
double-jointed, California fresh roasted peanuts."
After the peanuts were passed around we went
to the wharf to watch the swimming races.
They were, follow the leader, the obstacle race,
and the two swimming races. We then went
over to the beach to watch the races there.
Some of the best and funniest ones were the
three-legged, wheelbarrow, and barrel races.
After the races were all over we went to
the house and at five-thirty we had supper. At
seven twenty-four came flag lowering and salute.
Then came the tug of war that was between the
odds and evens. The evens won. At eight
o'clock the fire-works were started, and enjoyed
by every one. By nine o'clock we were ready
for the fire-ball battle, or Mexican Insurrection
as it was called. This looked very pretty.
Every fellow tried catching a blazing ball of
wicking soaked with turpentine. They threw
them as far and as high as they could. After
the fire-ball battle Mr. Bradley lit some red
torches and stuck them in the ground around the
main building, and we went up to assembly hall
and returned the fire-crackers, or punk that we
had not used. After this we went to bed rather
tired, but feeling that we had spent a glorious
fourth. Stephen Eaton.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
ma$b Room
1 have been assigned as morning wash room
boy. It is my duty to keep the wash room clean
and to siiine the brass. I open the wash room
cupboard in the morning and give the boys the
things they need to work with. Then I go to my
work. For the last few days I have had some
one to help me. The towels are changed twice
a week. On bath night 1 get out the soap and
put the brushes on the floor.
Royal R. Ellison.
Out Sailing
Visiting day afternoon Mr. Bradley asked
some of the fellows if they wanted to go for a
sail. I guess we did! Some of the boys went
down and got the "Winslow" ready. She is an
eighteen foot knockabout. We sailed from our
Island across to the South Boston Yacht Club
where we made a short stop. From there we
sailed in back of the Life Saving Station and
past the Gasoline boat. Then we headed for
our Island. It was a cool trip and we all enjoyed
it. Frank H. Machon.
Squash
In preparing summer squash for dinner, 1
first wash them, and then cut them in slices and
peal off the skin. After that I put a pail of
water in the boiler with the squash and put them
on the stove and let them boil until they are
soft and mushy. They are then strained, that
is, all the water is strained out and then salt,
pepper, and butter added to flavor them. They
are then taken to the boys' dining room ready
for dinner. Gordon G. MacIntire.
Jlwaraing Prizes
At the end of every six months conduct
prizes are awarded. Mr. Francis Shaw, one of
the Managers of the School, gives fifty dollars
annually to be distributed to the ten boys who
stand highest in their grade, and receive the
least number of marks. These prizes are called
the Shaw Cash Prizes.
The Temple Consolation Prizes are given
by Mr. Alfred Bowditch, in memory of the late
Mr. Temple, a former Manager of the School.
These prizes are books, and are given to the
next five fellows who stand highest in grade.
Honorable mention is for the next five fellows
that are highest in grade.
These prizes were awarded by Mr. Bradley
on the fourth visiting day. Also the Good Citi-
zenship prizes were awarded, which are given
by Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Willis, to the four
fellows who show the most interest in Cottage
Row, and do their duty best, either as office
holders or citizens.
The fellows who received the prizes are as
follows: — ■
Shaw Cash Prizes
1 John F. Nelson 6 Joseph Kalberg
2 Herbert M. Nelson 7 Roy R. Matthews
3 Frank H. Machon 8 Alfred Neumann
4 James Clifford 9 Thomas Carnes
5 Harold N. Silver 10 A. Bennett Cooke
Temple Consolation Prizes
1 A. Allan Eaton 3 Ralph H. Marshall
2 Laurence C. Silver 4 Herbert H. Kenney
5 Percy Smith
Honorable Mention
1 John 0. Enright 3 Harlan Stevens
2 Clarence S. Nelson 4 Alfred W. Jacobs
5 Herbert F. M. Watson
Good Citizenship Prizes
1 James Clifford 3 Laurence C. Silver
2 Stephen Eaton 4 Harold N. Silver
Clarence S. Nelson.
Che Tourtb Uisitina Day
July twenty-ninth dawned eventually, much
to the joy of many boys who expected to see
their friends on that day. At seven o'clock I
went to my place of work in the sewing room,
and started to work washing, wiping, and shining
the lamp chimneys, while Frederick Barton filled
and cleaned the lamps. After all were done, I
went and told Paul Gardner that his lamps were
ready and he came and got them and put them
in their places. Soon the bell rang for us to
stop work and change our clothes, and assemble.
When all was ready, we filed down to the wharf
with the band in the lead. When the guests
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
arrived, we all assembled on the front lawn where
the band played a few pieces, and then Mr. Brad-
ley awarded the Conduct, and Good Citizenship
prizes. The Conduct prizes are given by Mana-
ger Francis Shaw, and Mr. Bowdich, who con-
tinues it in memory of the late Mr. Temple, a
former Manager of the School. The Good Cit-
izenship p;izes are given by Mr. and Mrs.
Willis. The boys were then dismissed and all
had a pleasant time until half past twelve, when
the boat came and carried off our friends, and
then every boy looked sad until we went in
swimming, then the water washed the sad look
away. Edward M. Bickford.
J\ Pig Pen
The last of July Mr. Kibby and four fellows
went to -the woodpile and got stakes and boards
and had them carried over to the field near the
celery piece. Then we staked out a square by
first driving the corner stakes and putting in
others between them. Then we nailed on
boards. In the northwest corner we made a
shelter for the small pigs. When this was done
we took the pigs by their hind legs and handed
them to a boy to put in the wagon. They were
then driven totheir new home. There are nine-
teen of these small pigs. They are mostly
Berkshires, a few being Chester white.
Herbert A. Souther.
Comatocs
The tomato plants were started in the hot
bed about five weeks before they were trans-
planted into the field in rows five feet apart, and
opposite each other. The cultivating of the to-
matoes is done every week to keep the weeds
down, and also to let the moisture get at the
roots better. Hoeing and weeding is done to
prevent the weeds from getting the start of the
plant, and so take the nitrogen from the plant.
Terrance L. Parker.
Eauncbitid a Rowboat
Our rowboats are kept on the wharf under
wooden covers. When a boat is going to be
used for any purpose this cover is lifted up and
the boat pulled out. The boat is then carried
over to a derrick which stands on one edge of
the wharf. A piece of rope called a sling, or
bridle, with a hook on each end and a ring in the
middle is now taken. The hooks on the ends
of the sling are fastened on to two rings in the
boat, one in the bow and the other in the stern.
The ring in the middle is hooked on to the derrick
rope. One fellow stands by the boat to guide it
while the other fellow hoists the boat high enough
to clear the railing. The derrick is then turned
around so that the boat can be lowered into the
water without hitting anything. Then the boat
is lowered, the ropes put away, the oars, oarlocks,
rudder and tiller put in place, and the boat is
ready for use. Clarence M. Daniels.
Picking Berries
One morning on the farm, Mr. McLeod,
Harold Jacobs, and 1 picked berries. We got two
crates and some boxes from the storage barn
and carried them over to the berry bushes.
First, we picked the large red gooseberries
about as large as strawberries. Of these we
picked seven and one-half quarts. We then
picked ten quarts of yellow ones of the same
size. The rest of the gooseberries were small
and green, although they were just as sweet.
Next we picked blackberries and raspberries,
but there were not many of these. By noon we
had picked about fifty quarts of gooseberries,
four quarts of raspberries, and two quarts of
blackberries. George J. Balch.
Biur a Rain Storm
Besides the good which a rain storm does,
it also makes a lot of work for us. During a rain
storm large gullies are washed out of the
avenues and around the house. After the storm
is over these have to be filled. Generally the
work is given to the larger fellows to do before
school. Three or four are sent to get clay and
gravel from the beach. The clay when dug is
wheeled to the gullies and dumped, then it is
tamped in. Gravel is then sifted and spread
over the clay, and it is raked off smooth with
the ground around it. Rain makes the weeds
grow faster than the plants, and this keeps the
farm squads busy, also, getting ahead of them.
Frederick J. Wilson.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbontpson's Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 4.
August, 1908.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
MANAGERS
Melvin O. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The value of a technical education cannot
be over-estimated, as is evidenced by the many
training schools, and the immense amount of
money being constantly expended for the main-
tenance of such. A special training and an
adaptness to readily apply one's self to the op-
portunities constantly arising is an open road
stead to success.
A willing disposition and an alertness to
execute a given trust is quite an important factor
in the commercial world, which must not be
overlooked on the part of one who aspires to
reach the topmost rung in his particular line of
work or occupation.
Impatience is often a handicap for many
who desire to step into a "soft thing," as it were,
right from the commencement, but it has been
found that it takes a good, hard, practical
demonstration of one's fitness to secure the
coveted place, and then it is that what appears to
be the real, hard work is only just commencing.
To successfully discharge the duties in an
executive position one must have fully mastered
all the details of his business from the very
commencement, always being on the alert to
correct, or improve any error, or improper
method of construction, or process of manufact-
ure.
In performing the duties of a position, no
matter in what capacity, the aim should always
be to so improve it that there would be no pos-
sible barrier to promotion. Rather seek addi-
tional responsibilities than to shirk or dodge what
you are already obligated to do.
There has been no time in the history of
these United States, when there has been a bet-
ter opportunity to prepare one's self to properly
combat the constantly arising necessities of a
thoroughly all-around knowledge of practical me-
chanics, generally applied, and the ability to
properly apply this same knowledge, it being
thoroughly essential to know what relation one
trade or craft bears to another, as will be found
by comparison, or by giving a brief review to
experiences.
Ambition should always be the watchword,
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
and to satisfy this ambition it is absolutely nec-
essary to be ever watchful of what is going on
around you, always alert to learn something that
will prove of great value to you in the future,
there being a great many opportunities constantly
presenting themselves in a variety of forms,
which require only a slight observation, and no
more exertion than carefully storing away in the
memory that which will ultimately be beneficial.
To be successful in a chosen profession, or
calling, one must become a part of the work it-
self, so to speak, and in this way become a mas-
ter workman, or a specialist.
A constant, conscientious effort, and a vig-
orous determination to succeed, are the two
most im.portant characteristics appurtenant to a
successful career.
Dotes
July 2. Finished repairs on rowboat
"Standish."
July 3. First string beans.
Painted fence by Highland road.
July 4. Usual celebration.
July 7. Stanley B. Tisdale entered the
school.
July 9. Some of the boys visited scene
of East Boston fire.
Steamer "Pilgrim" took fire about the
boiler sheathing.
July 10. Took the "Pilgrim" to Lawley's
for repairing fire damage, and a general over-
hauling.
July 1 1 . Finished haying.
July 13. John F. Nelson left the School
to work for S. H. Couch 8z Co., Boston.
July 15. Third visiting day, 240 present.
A new bull added to the herd.
Room 7 painted and varnished.
July 16. School began.
First ripe tomatoes.
Albert Leslie Allyn entered the School.
Franklin Stanley Keehlwetter and Frank
Elmer Richards returned to their mothers.
Herbert Fenn Watson and Leland Ballard
Watson left the School to live with their mother.
July 20. Picked first cucumbers and
squashes.
July 21. Transplanted late cabbages.
July 23. Painted new plastering in hall
and dormitories.
July 27. Beached the north side landing
float for cleaning and repairs.
July 28. Several boys spent the day at
Nantasket.
Carl Dewey Philip Hynes and James
Arthur Peak entered the School.
July 29. Planted corn for fodder.
Fourth visiting day, 186 present.
Shaw Conduct Prizes, and Willis Good
Citizenship Prizes given out..
July 31. First green corn of the season.
Graduate Andrew W. Dean visited the
School.
3ulV meteorology
Maximum temperature, 96° on the 12th.
Minimum temperature, 54° on the 18th.
Mean temperature for the month, 72.7°.
Total precipitation, 3.01 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours, 1.21 in-
ches on the 22nd.
9 days with .01 or more inches precipita-
tion, 10 clear days, 20 partly cloudy, and 1
cloudy day.
Total number of hours sunshine, 256 and
20 minutes.
Six thunder showers during the month.
Cbe Tarm and trades School Bank
Cash on hand July 1, 1908 $573.89
Deposited during the month 105.07
$678.96
Withdrawn during the month 26.13
Cash on hand August 1 , 1 908 4)652.83
Che €lk Pleasure Association
The Elk Pleasure Association is a club
that was organized by the boys, in the month of
September, 1900. It began in this way. A lot
of fellows congregated in one of the cottages
one day, and they all contributed some of the
dainties that they had received on visiting day,
and took them to this cottage, called the Elk, ana
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
had a great time. Each fellow received a share
of the food contributed. They then talked and
sang, and one of the fellows suggested that
they should organize a club, which they did, and
called it the "Elk Pleasure Association," in
honor of the cottage which stood so long, and in
which they had had so many good times. The
following night, after this plan had been sug-
gested, a notice was put up on the bulletin board,
inviting the boys who wished to join the club to
write out applications and hand them in to any
of the originators of this plan. Almost imme-
diately a number of applications were sent in.
There are now about forty-three members in
the club. After they had a sufficient number a
meeting was held to elect officers, a captain,
lieutenants, and sergeants. These officers com-
mand, preserve order, and conduct the affairs
of the club. They then voted for a constitution
to govern the club. The members are ex-
pected to live up to these rules or be fined a
ce tain amount 'of money. Then dues were
collected every term, which is three months for
five cents. The E. P. A. was not satisfied with
this, they wanted to still improve the club, so
they organized a company to drill and they had
wooden guns made for their use. After they
practised drilling they had Memorial exercises
over at the cemetery on Memorial Sunday. In
the winter the club had to improve their time
some way, so they organized a band and gave
dances and in this way provided much pleasure
for the instructors as well as the fellows. Every
year the E. P. A. has a banquet to honor the
birth of the club. Paul H. Gardner.
Ccdrnttid to Dive
The first dives a fellow takes when learning,
he most always lands on his stomach and makes
it all red and smarty. Also the first ones are
deep, and he thinks he is never going to come
up to the top. But just as he needs a breath and
thinks he's on the bottom he breathes and finds
himself in free air. After a few days or so he
can dive pretty well. Some of the boys take
backward, running, and other dives. 1 like to
dive off the spring board, or from the wharf.
Frederick J. Barton.
Pickiiid Beans
One Thursday a number of the fellows went
back of the farm house to pick string beans with
Mr. Kibby We were told to pick all the big ones
and picked all the afternoon getting ten bushels
and a half. Lawrence M. Cobb.
Sunday Refreshments
The Sundays during vacation Mr. Bradley
sent either something good to eat or drink out
to the play grounds for the fellows. One Sunday
a large boiler of ginger pop was made and set
out on a bench. One fellow served it out, and
we each had all we wanted. It was a hot day
and the pop tasted good. Another Sunday a
bottle of lime juice was given to the owners of
each cottage. The best of all, though, was the
treat a few Sundays ago. Three boxes were
seen coming out. There was a box of ginger
ale, a box of birch beer, and a box of cookies.
Each fellow had two cookies and a bottle of gin-
ger ale, or a bottle of birch beer, whichever he
chose. The refreshments were enjoyed by all.
Theodore M. Fuller.
Cbe "mary Cbliton"
The boat which we have been using the most,
lately, is the "Mary Chilton." It has a crew of
ten fellows and is the largest of our rowboats.
The boat usually makes a trip in the morning and
in the afternoon. There are five fellows who
row on the starboard side and four on the port,
and the coxswain. This boat has two life pre-
servers, two boat hooks, and a bow and stern
line. As we start out the orders are: — "shove
off forward," "out oars," or "up oars," and "let
fall," "Starboard give way," or "port give way,"
"give way together." When we are making a
landing the o.ders are: — "way enough," "bows
out," "oars out," "stow oars," "fend off."
James R. Gregory.
mashing Bread tins
Every little while 1 have to wash the bread
tins as they get quite dirty, and 1 put them in a
boiler with some soft soap and boil them about
an hour. Then I scrub them and put them
where it is hot and let them dry. There are
eighty-six tins in all. Harold L. Marshall.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
mcasurittd Koom$
One day, I went with Mr. Miller, the in-
structor in printing, to measure the rooms in
Gardner Hall and the other buildings. We first
measured the printing office, then the shop, and
the gymnasium. We measured their length,
breadth, and height. We then went to the as-
sembly room, wash room, chapel, reading room,
kitchen, bakery, laundry, dining room, ladder
and hose houses, the barn, and boat house, and
measured them in the same way. We meas-
ured the rooms because we are printing some
cards with the measurements on them. These
are posted near the doors so that the fellows may
know the length, breadth, and height of each
room, and the buildings, and learn to judge such
things. Earle C. Marshall.
Sports in (be U)nur
One of the sports that the fellows like best
of all is swimming. When we undress some of
the fellows see who can get undressed first and
get out to the float before anybody else gets out
there. Some take a running dive and see how
far into the water they can go Some of the
fellows dive off the spring board and others dive
down and try to find clam shells to bring up with
them, and see how far they can swim under
water. Five or six of the fellows can swim
under water and come up through the round life
preserver. Some of the boat crew fellows get
on oil skins and dive and swim with them on.
The fellows that cannot swim stay in near the
shore. There is always a boat with two fellows
In it around where we're swimming, and two
instructors on shore to aid anybody who might be
in need. Mr. Bradley often tells us not to make
believe we are in distress because sometime
when we are really in need of help they will
think we are fooling and then we might be
drowned. A few weeks ago Mr. Bradley had
two old boats that came on the beach and he let
the fellows that could swim have one out in the
deep water, and the other one he let the fellows
that could not swim have in shallow water. A
lot of the fellows that can swim got the boat out
in deep water and had lots of fun with it. Some
of our best swimmers are, Harold Marshall,
Harold Silver, Thomas Games, Robert Gregory,
Leonard Hayden, and Fred Wilson.
Alfred W. Jacobs.
Crip to East Boston
One day in vacation a number of the boys
went to see the fire over at East Boston. The
Cunard docks were all burnt, with some others.
While we were there we saw some fire boats and
engines. On our way back we went near a
barge and the men invited us on it. We made
fast to it and waited until a diver came up.
When he came to the top he looked like a big bear
because his rubber suit was blown up with air.
He had on a helmet made of brass, a pair of
canvas overalls, and mittens, also weights on
both of his shoes. He stayed down quite a
while. We also saw other interesting things on
our way home. Laurence C. Silver.
1)avind
We do our haying during the months of
June and July. The hay is cut with a mowing
machine. When the machine cannot cut around
trees a scythe is used. The grass is left out
until dry and then when it is ready a horse rake
is sent out to rake it up. Then we get our hay
wagon and load on the hay. Each time we get
a load it is taken up to our scales and weighed,
after v/hich it is put in the barn for use. We
have our first crop all done and hope to have a
second crop. Robert W. Gregory.
Screening Grai^el
One morning, Mr. Mead sent four other
fellows, and myself, to screen gravel on the beach
north of the boat house. We took the sand
and the fine gravel screens from the storage
barn and set them up where we were going to
work. We first put the gravel on the sand
screen to get all of the sand out. When we
had a good sized pile of gravel we put it on the
gravel screen. All of the fine gravel that went
through we put into a barrel to be used on the
avenues and , walks. The coarser gravel we
threw to one side.
Prescott B. Merrifield.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jflutntii
John J. Henry, '50, diedJuly 11, 1908,
in Quincy, Mass., of heart disease. He was ill
but a short time, although much run down and
in need of rest, which in his devotion to business
he thought he could not take. Mr. Henry was
Secretary of the Real Estate Exchange, 16 State
Street, and had been in the real estate and
auctioneer business for many years. His busi-
ness reputation was Al with many acquaint-
ances. Socially he enjoyed a large circle of
friends. He was a Mason and a member of the
Alumni Association. His picture is shown in
the last Beacon. He is sitting on the ground
in front of Mrs. Henry, with his head tipped back
a bit. Mr. Henry was a good speaker and was
to address the boys here on the Sunday which
followed his death. His home life was ideal.
He leaves a widow and a married son who was
graduated from Harvard, and from the Andover
Theological School, and is now preaching in
Tyngsboro where Mrs. Henry will soon make
her home.
William Bird Winters, '91, diedJuly 24,
1908, after two years of sickness, the last month
of which he was very ill. Since last April
William had been most kindly cared for by Mrs.
C. S. Tuckerman at her home in Ipswich.
Probably William was more widely known than
any other boy of his class; he had many good
qualities and will be kindly remembered espec-
ially by those who knew him best. His quick
impulsive nature and high temper developed ner-
vous troubles which finally took him away.
Silas Snow, '94, is engaged to Miss Fran-
cis Clary of Williamburg, Mass., who was grad-
uated from Smith College this year. Silas is
private secretary to Mr. Luddin, 221 Gates Ave.,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Howard Boynton Ellis, '99, is the proud
father of a boy born July 5th, named Howard
Boynton Ellis, Jr.
Swimmind float
The first of the season Mr. Dix asked the
boys how many would volunteer to build a
swimming float. A large number of boys
volunteered. So the next day a number of the
boys went to the beach with Mr. Dix who in-
structed them what to do. A large log was cut
in two. When this was done holes were bored
in the two halves so as to fit cross pieces on.
It was then boarded up. He then asked us if
we wanted a spring board, all saying, "yes!"
After that was put in, the float was completed.
Then it was anchored out in the water near the
stone wharf. Edward H. Deane.
Ulatering Cabbage
One afternoon it was my work, with two
other fellows, to water the cabbages over by the
compost shed. The water was taken from the
barn, in a barrel on wheels. We dipped our
sprinklers in the barrel and got the water out
that way. The ground was very dry so it took
all the afternoon to water the cabbages. We
used about seven barrels of water.
Allen Bennett Cooke.
Cowboy's Work
The cowboy's work is to drive the cows
to the south end of the Island where there is a
cow pasture. When he is not busy keeping the
cows out of the marshy ground he picks up waste
matter, such as paper, sticks, and stones. The
cows are out of doors about ten hours every day.
Spencer S. Profit.
lUarcrlnd Crces
As there has not been much rain lately-,
some of the smaller trees have withered. One
day, before school, another fellow and I were de-
tailed to water them. There were a number
of small maple trees and two small Colorado
blue spruces which had to be watered. We put
about eight pails of water on the spruces, and
two or three pails full on each of the small
maple trees. Ralph H. Marshall.
Cbatialna mork
The morning fellows went up to the chapel
recently to have their work changed. Mr.
Bradley came in and -told them the place where
they were to work. Then the afternoon fellows
came in later to have their work changed also.
Most of the fellows like the kind of work they
do. Harold Y. Jacobs.
BEACON
Vol. 12. -No. 5. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. September, 1908
Entered November 23. 1903. at Boston, Mass.,
Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894.
Che jm Staff
One of the prominent things on our Island
is the flag staff. It is 85 feet high. The first
flag staff which we have any record of was a
small one, erected on the Island, June 15, 1853.
This held the flag for nine years, until April 16,
1862. Then we had one which bore the stars
and stripes through a long and terrible Civil War.
This one was replaced by a larger and stronger
staff deeply imbedded, and strongly braced,
which stood through storm and wind, until April
19, 1897, when the topmast broke about half-
way down and the flag and all fell to the ground.
The flag staff was without a topmast for a short
time until a new one was put in place. This
flag staff stood for a few months with the new
topmast but the lower portion was weather worn
and decayed. On December 1 , 1 897, a new one
was towed from East Boston, and on December
5, 1897, the Thomas G. Stevenson Post, 26, G.
A. R., of Roxbury, Mass., presented it to the
School. It was made by the Boston Spar Com-
pany.
The School was given a holiday and at ten
o'clock in the morning the staff was raised. On
Saturday, December 15th, 1897, the Nelson A.
Miles Camp, Sons of Veterans, and the Woman's
Relief Corps, came to the Island and formally
presented the staff to the Farm School. It was
then put into place. The flag presented by the
General Nelson A. Miles Camp, Sons of Veter-
ans, was then hoisted. In the spring. 1899, Mr.
Bradley added a gaff, out of sympathy for the sail-
ors who pass our home. This made the staff
complete. Every year at Thanksgiving time the
gaff is taken down and housed for the winter.
The topmast is lowered half-way down to keep it
from being injured by the winter storms. About
the 19th of April I had to help get these parts into
place for the summer. When all of the lines
were arranged the gaff was hoisted.
John O. Enright.
Clcanittd up the Storage Barn
Every day it is my work to clean up the stor-
age barn. I pack up the bushel boxes, then I
clean the farm tools, such as the cultivators and
plows. Then I sweep the floor. After that I
pack up the tools and do other little jobs that I
see need to be done. Allen B. Cooke.
Picking Uegetables
One morning, six of us farm fellows under
the charge of two instructors, picked vegetables.
We all took half -bushel baskets and bushel boxes
over to the vegetable gardens. The vegetables
we picked, were lettuce, beans, cucumbers,
sweet corn and squashes. The lettuce was
rather old so we had to pick out the small and
tender heads. We picked one bushel of lettuce.
We next picked beets. We also picked only the
smallest beets for pickles. The large ones are
for later use. We pull these out of the ground
and break the tops off about two inches above
the beet. This is done to keep them fresh.
We picked one-half bushel of these. There
were three kinds of cucumbers we picked —
Early Clusters, Boston Picklings, and White
Spines. The Early Clusters are small, round
cucumbers, and they are ripe before the rest.
The Boston Picklings, and White Spines are
large, long cucumbers. After the largest of
these were picked the small ones were picked
for pickles. The middle-size cucumbers were
picked next for salting. Next were picked two
kinds of summer squash, the long green ones.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
and the round white squash. We next picked
the last of the string beans, and the first bushel
of sweet corn. After each vegetable or fruit is
picked, a card is made out by the instructor in
charge, telling the hour of picking, the name and
quantity. It is then carried to the kitchen. In
all we picked the following: — one bushel of let-
tuce, one-half bushel of beets, three and one-
half bushels of cucumbers, two bushels of squash,
one bushel of sweet corn, and one-half bushel of
beans. George J. Balch.
For three afternoons I had to work in the
coal. The first afternoon it wasn't very hard, as
it was just shoveling back the coal as the team
dumped it through. This was in the stock barn
basement. The second afternoon was much the
same, but the third afternoon we had to get down
on our knees and shovel away the coal from the
trap so as to make room for the other loads.
When we came up we looked as black as the
coal itself. Edric B. Blakemore.
SfraidDtcnind tbe Plank Ulalk
Between the main building and Gardner
Hall there is a plank walk. Mr. Mead noticed
that it was not straight nor level, so he told an-
other fellow and myself to make it so. We got
a large hammer and some blocks and set to
work. We moved the planks so that the walk
was straight, but in straightening it we pushed
some of the blocks out of place that keep it level.
We put these back in place but there were not
enough so we got some more blocks and put
them on the low side, and where they were
needed. Alfred W. Jacobs.
Ulooa Ulcrkitid
The boys like to make things to give to
their friends. Most of the work given away is
wood-work. The boys make glove and jewelry
boxes, paper knives, pen trays, picture frames,
napkin rings, thermometer holders, key boards,
and numerous other articles. Each boy in
making a box, or anything, uses the wood which
he thinks will look best. If he is going to inlay
he chooses wood which will look good against
his background. If he is going to carve he
takes some wood that in his judgement is best
for carving. The two chief woods most always
used in boxes are cherry and gum wood. If a
boy is making a bow he generally uses either ash,
oak, or hickory. His arrows are usually made of
quarter inch dowels. If he is making a boat he
uses mostly soft pine. A pen tray is generally
made of cherry. A paper knife can be made
from almost any kind of wood. Maple is the
most durable and hardest. Some of the fellows
prefer cherry, mahogany, black walnut, or gum
wood, for their paper knives. The different
kinds of wood we keep on hand for any purpose
for which it might be used are — oak, hickory, ash,
cherry, mahogany, maple, cypress, hard, soft,
and white pine, spruce, and a small amount of
ebony for inlaying. Clarence M. Daniels.
Swimming
All boys like swimming. Every day, one-
half hour after dinner or supper, the whistle blows
to line up. We line up according to size, the
two largest fellows at the head of the line and the
smaller fellows at the end. We line up by twos
and march down the rear avenue to the swim-
ming beach and the boys who are in the right
grade can go in. We have a half-hour to swim.
I like the sport very much.
Charles E. Morse.
masbing Stanchions
One rainy day Mr. MacLeod had the farm
boys wash the cows' stanchions. We had scrap-
ers, scrub-brushes, rags, and a pail of water.
We were all the afternoon washing them.
James A. Peak.
Bcacb materials and Chcir Uses
There is much material that is useful to
this Island that the beach gives us, such as the
sea-weed that washes in upon the shore. It is
used as bedding for the pigs, and for the cover-
ing up of plants that need protection during the
winter. There is the drift-wood that is washed
ashore, and gives us, after it is sawed and
chopped, our supply of wood. Clay is another
very useful material that we use a large amount
of. When it rains, gullies are washed out, and
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
chy is used filling them in. Over this clay is
spread gravel which is also obtained from the
beach. When gravel is screened for this pur-
pose, some of the sand is kept and used for the
winter time when it is icy. Another use for
sand is mixing cement and mortar. On the
northern end of the Island there are many
stones which are used for the dikes and other
similar places. When the fellows want to go
fishing they first go to the beach to dig sea-
worms. This is another way which the beach
helps us, and we are all thankful for its mate-
rials. Terrance L. Parker.
my melons
One visiting day when my father came
down to visit me he brought me some musk
melon seeds which he had got at Petticoat Lane,
London, when he was there. I got permission
from Mr. Bradley to plant them. After they
were planted and began to grow, I would weed
them occasionally. Now, 1 have about seven
vines with blossoms on them, and melons too.
When they are ripe they are yellow. I expect
to have them for my table when they are ripe.
Theodore M. Fuller.
Ulork on tDe Tarnt
One day Mr. MacLeod got hoes and gave
them to a number of farm fellows. Then he
told us to go to the shrubbery over by the farm
house and to hoe around the cherry and plum
trees. Around each tree we dug out the weeds.
This loosened the soil so that water could sink
in and moisten the roots of the trees. After
that we weeded the raspberries, and the aspara-
gus bed. When we got that done some of the
fellows went with Mr. MacLeod to pick rasp-
berries until the bell rang. That was the last
of that afternoon's work. Levi N. Trask.
Printing Pictures
On a recent visiting day my friends brought
me a package of solio paper for printing pictuies.
There are two dozen sheets in one package.
The size of the solio paper is four inches one
way, and five inches the other way. I borrowed
John Enright's printing frame which is made of
wood and glass, and is the same size as the solio
paper. I also borrowed some negatives from
some of the boys and I had some of my own.
I went out on the play ground and sat down in
the shade of the trees and took two negatives
which 1 wanted to print. I put the shiney side
down to the glass and put the solio paper in the
same way, and then 1 put the back on. After
doing this I took it out in the sun and held the
side with the glass up for the sun to shine on in
order to have the negative print on the solio
paper. When the solio paper turned the proper
color I took out the back of the printing frame
and then the solio paper, and put it in a book as
soon as 1 could because it will turn red if it is held
to the sun too long. 1 had one of the other boys
tone them for me. Alonzo B. James.
Baking Beans
The first thing 1 do in baking beans is to
put twenty quarts of beans in the water to swell
and take part of the beany taste away. 1 leave
them there over night, then 1 change the water
they are in, and put them on the stove to par-
boil. This happens generally on Friday morn-
ings. When they have boiled long enough 1
drain the water off and put the beans into six
bean pots. 1 put in each pot one-fourth of a cup
of salt, one cup of sugar, a piece of salt pork, and
fill the pots up with water, then I put them in the
brick oven. About noon-time 1 fill the pots with
water. At five o'clock in the afternoon 1 take
them out of the oven and again fill them with
water. On Saturday morning 1 put them in the
oven again, and by noon-time they are generally
baked and ready to eat.
Harold L. Marshall.
filling in the Beach Road
Recently, some other boys and I filled in
the beach road. There were three teams haul-
ing dirt from the cellar of the new building.
We filled in about half of the road between the
storage barn and the compost shed. The rest
of the fellows loaded the carts and they kept us
busy leveling it and raking off the stones. It
was quite warm and the perspiration stood out
on our faces. Mr. Kibby was in charge, and
he helped us rake. LeRoy B. Huey.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cl)omp$on'$ Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 5.
September, 1908.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S, Grew
TREASURER
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0, Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The warm days are going, the winds are
blowing more briskly, and making the leaves
dance. Red and gold, the maples gleam on the
mountain sides in the northern country and the
barns are being prepared for the harvest.
What a joy it is to know that the work has
been well done, to know that there is plenty now
and enough stored away for the winter.
The spring planting and summer labor have
borne fruit. Some of the crops are better than
others. Some were injured by too little rain,
some were planted in poor soil, some were
merely experiments. Some of the seeds were
better than others; some were crowded, so that
they could not send their roots out far enough
to get sufficient nourishm.ent.
Some of the seeds that were planted were
devoured by rats or crows; some had less ability
to withstand the cold, heat, and winds, yet each
one was made to grow, each one had within it
that wonderful germ of life that time cannot kill,
that principle mystery, before the wonder of
which the greatest scholars are dumb. They
cannot explain it. Seeds have been taken
from Egyptian tombs — (the wisest men have
said that they were 2000 years old) planted,
and have grown and borne grain. This seems
like a miracle and it is. Every time a boy
plants a seed in the ground, a miracle is to be
unfolded before his eyes. That wonderful seed-
life is to coax from the earth, food and drink,
to select properties in the soil that will nourish
it. It eats and drinks until the seed-coat is too
small, then it pushes it aside, or up, and takes
hold of the ground by means of its wonderful
plant fingers, or roots. When it pushes up higher
into the world it finds altogether different con-
ditions— air, water, sun, bugs, worms, friends
and foes. It needs more air and moisture and
sends out leaves, to absorb them from the
atmosphere.
After a while something very wonderful
happens, a bud appears, which develops into a
flower, with sepals and petals, and a pistil and
stamens, and filaments, and anthers.
We have seen the marvels of Divine In-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
telligence, first life, then obedience to the law,
then growth and perfection.
Man is always in the presence of God, as
long as he breathes, he is a walking miracle; he
is surrounded by miracles, and each harvest
season gives us a clearer vision of Him, a recog-
nition that character is a growth, like the flower;
first, there must be obedience to environment,
making the best of conditions, making the dark-
ness even a source of strength.
Like the plant only those things must be
selected from the multitudinous offerings of the
world that will truly help and strengthen.
The desire to be worthy and embody useful
and beautiful thoughts causes the boy or man to
unconsciously exhale kindness and goodness, and
be an inspiration to every other struggling soul.
Exactly what is sowed is reaped. If a boy
drinks and dissipates he reaps dishonor and
finally — -death. If he labors faithfully and desires
at all times to be a genuine man, he reaps honor,
respect and success.
God's laws are unchangeable — as we sow
we reap, and the fact is before us that there is
always a harvest day.
notes
August 3. Graduate William E. Procter
visited the School.
August 4. First early potatoes.
William Marsden Marshall entered the
School.
Charles Russell, a former pupil, visited the
School.
August 5. Launched sloop Trevore.
August 6. Staked out and broke ground
for power, light and heat building.
August 7. Floor layers finished in sitting
room, parlor, and hall.
Leonard Smith Hayden left the School to
live with his mother.
Charles Clifton Wright left the School to
live with his step-father.
August 14. North side float repaired and
replaced.
August 15. Fred Calvin Webb left the
School to work for General Electric Co., Lynn,
Mass.
August 17. Winter supply of coal came.
August 20. Stacked beans.
Parlor and sitting room furniture refinished.
August 21. Walls painted and floor var-
nished in room 14.
August 22. Repaired several windows and
frames in stock barn.
August 23. Began digging field potatoes.
August 24. Veterinary here.
August 25. Charles Howard MacSwain
entered the School.
30 bushels of tomatoes sent to market.
August 26. Two books, "The New Basis
of Geography," and "The Teaching of English,"
given to the School by Mr. Harlan Peabody.
August 27. Began cutting salt hay.
August 28. Fifth visiting day. 250 pres-
ent.
Boys went to Keith's Theatre where an il-
lustrated talk on the School was being given.
Treasurer Arthur Adams visited the School,
also graduate Philip S. May, and Ernest N.
Jorgensen, a former pupil.
August 29. Graduate Herbert A. Dierkes
visited the School.
Finished relaying sea wall in front of storage
barn.
Gordon G. Maclntire left the School to live
with his mother.
President Alfred Bowditch and Mrs. Bow-
ditch visited the School.
August 31. Restocked Observatory piece.
Burnt meteorology
Maximum temperature, 88' on the 14th.
Minimum temperature, 53' on the 21st,
28th, and 30th.
Mean temperature, for the month, 67.70".
Total precipitation, 2.93 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours, 1 .04 in-
ches on the 26th.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
9 days with .01 or more inches precipita-
tion. 12 clear days, 17 partly cloudy, 2 cloudy
days.
Total number of hours sunshine, 258 and
20 minutes.
Thunder storms on the 5th, 7th, 17th, and
27th.
Cbc Tartti and trades School Bank
Cash on hand August 1, 1908 $652.83
Deposited during the month 40.07
$692.91)
Withdrawn during the month 49.22
Cash on hand Sept 1, 1908 $643.68
Cutting €orn Stalks
One morning I helped James Clifford cut
corn stalks where the corn had been picked.
There were four long rows. He cut the stalks
and I put them in a pile and got about four piles.
Then we went up and got a team, but as we did
not have a load we cut the rest of the stalks.
Then we had most two loads. We put it in the
barn and then we got ready for dinner.
William M. Marshall.
miping Disbcs
Every afternoon it is my work to wipe dishes.
When 1 go in the dining room at noon, I
clean up my sink and get my towels ready.
First, 1 wipe the silver, mugs, plates, extra dishes,
bowls, butter dishes, and then I am all through
wiping, after which 1 put them away. After I get
that done I scrub my table and wash down my
sink, and then go and take my play time.
Bernhardt Gerecke.
Jlmerican Sparrow l)awk
In the reading room we have a hawk. It
is about the size of a pigeon. The first two or
three days that we had him in the cage he was
rather wild, but now he has got so that he will
let you put your hand in and pat him. One day
one of the fellows put his finger in the cage and
the bird came and sat on it. The color of this
bird is a slaty blue on the head, rufous on the
back, and rufous spots on his white breast. We
feed him mostly on raw and cooked meat, po-
tatoes, and worms. John LeStrance.
Preparing Corn for the Boys' Dinner
When the boys are to have corn for dinner
it is the kitchen boys' work to husk and prepare
it. Two boys husk the corn while one boy cuts
the ends and bad places off, and another boy
washes it and puts it in the boiler. Just before
dinner when the corn is all cooked we drain the
water off. When that is done it is carried into
the boys' dining room and distributed to the dif-
ferent tables. Theodore Miller.
Che eim Ceaf Beetle
The elm leaf beetle, which inhabits the elm
tree, is very destructive. One day Mr. Bradley
had a paper telling how to destroy these things
and he collected some slugs and leaves, some
of which were partly eaten. He sent the paper
and leaves, with the slugs on them, around to the
school rooms and we looked at them through a
microscope. The back of a slug is yellowish
black, and is about a quarter of an inch long.
This can be destroyed by putting ten pounds of
arsenate of lead with one hundred gallons of
water, spraying the trees between the first
and the fifteenth of June.
Ernest M. Catton.
UJeeding
One day Mr. MacLeod and a number of boys
went weeding on the corn near the farm house.
We weeded the whole piece and the blackberry
bushes. They were very hard to weed as the
briers scratched our arms and hands. After
that we weeded the asparagus. It took us all
the afternoon to weed all of these things.
Harold L. Wynot.
making a Torm
One afternoon 1 helped the mason make a
cement form for the new drain pipe that had
just been laid. We used about six buckets of
gravel and one bucket and a half of cement to a
mixing. I then mixed that up and shoveled it
into the hole where the drain is going to be.
After the form gets quite hard it will be knocked
off and a new grating will be put on the top of
the drain and packed down hard. It took about
four mixings to make the form.
James P. M. Embree.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
two Hinds of Suckers
Of course all people know that there are
the blood suckers, which are used in hospitals to
take bad blood from people. But the kind of
suckers I am going to tell about are the oak
suckers. What I mean by oak suckers are
small shoots that come from the trunk of the
tree. These suckers take the nourishment
which goes to the tree. The way to pre-
vent this is by taking them off as soon as pos-
sible and the tree will then have enough nour-
ishment to support itself and will be as good as
ever. There are some of the suckers in Whale's
Back that grew a year ago.
Norman V. Johnson.
mcdtbcr Bureau
Every month five fellows are selected as ob-
servers. Last month 1 was selected as one.
Every morning and evening, at eight o'clock, ob-
servations are made. The following instru-
ments are at the observatory: — polymeter, ba-
rometer, maximum and minimum thermometers,
rain gauge, sunshine recorder, and anemometer.
Besides the five observers there is a chief, and
a deputy, to take the place of the chief when he
is absent. Each observer has to fill out a blank
and chart the readings of whatever instrument
he is observer of. Clarence S. Nelson.
CDe Utew from Our Tsland
One important thing at our Island is the
view which surrounds us. On Sunday the boys
sit around under the trees west of the play
grounds and look through telescopes at the big
liners that come in. Some watch for the names
on the Nantasket steamers. I like to look over
to the city at the State House and Dorchester
Heights, and the Navy Yard. The boys like to
look through Mr. Bradley's telescope because it
is larger and stronger. We watch the boat races
which go by quite often.
Herbert H. Kenney.
Our Cibrary
Our library contains some two thousand
books, all numbered as in a public library. The
books are covered with a heavy gray paper to
keep them clean. The library is open twice a
week, on Wednesday at 7 p. m., and Sunday at
8 a. m. One of the fellows acts as librarian,
and sometimes has an assistant when the work
is rushing. A teacher has charge and sees that
everything goes right. To obtain a book a fellow
gets a card from the librarian, and after referring
to the catalogue which is hung on the bulletin
board, he marks down the case, shelf, and num-
ber of the book he wants, and hands the card to
the librarian. A fellow is allowed to keep a book
out of the library one week. When the pages get
loose, or the cover torn on a book, it is sent
around to the office where the office fellow re-
pairs it. A half of one case is given to refer-
ence books which are not taken outside of the
chapel and reading room.
Frederick J. Wilson.
Picking Apples
It was the work of three other fellows and
myself to pick apples. We took two ladders
and some baskets and began picking them. We
would pick all the apples in reach of the ladder
and then climb into the trees after the other
ones. The ones we could not get we would
shake off. We picked a bushel and a peck.
They were Red Astrakhan.
Harold Y. Jacobs.
?mt\m Piitcbes
In different places in the halls, dormitory,
and dining room, the plaster was loose and had
begun to fall out. A mason and two fellows re-
paired these places. After they were dry, it
was my work to paint them. I gave each patch
two coats of paint to match.
Harold N. Silver.
map Copying
In school we have been drawing maps of
Mexico, the exact size of the one in the book.
This was done by marking off a piece of paper
eight inches by five and one-eighth inches.
Every little while we measured how far in and
how far down to go. After we got it drawn we
painted it different colors. Some fellows divided
the country into its states, territories, and fed-
eral district. Most of the fellows paint fairly
well. M. Louis Reinhard.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jllumni
Henry M. Stokes, 76, recently returned
from a pleasure trip to the British Isles and
Holland, and we were pleased to receive a call
from him and hear of some of his interesting ex-
periences. He is now back at the old stand
ready for business, of which the firm of Bathrick
and Stokes, 471 Tremont St., evidently gets its
share.
Ernest N. Austin, '00, recently lost all of
his belongings by fire, including the clothes of
himself and wife, but is cheered by the fact that
he will probably receive first prize in a cottage
designing contest and the amount of that prize
will about equal his loss. Ernest is with Griggs
& Hunt, Architects, 51 Leavenworth St., Water-
bury, Conn.
Frederick F. Burchsted, '02, is the proud
father of a ten pound boy born September
5, 1908.
Harry M. Chase, '04, is married and keep-
ing house in Hyannis, Mass.
William E. Procter, '05, has enlisted in
the navy and is now an apprentice seaman at
the U. S. Naval Training Station, Newport, R. 1.
Keith's Bijou
We were all pleased visiting day afternoon
to hear that we were going to visit Keith's Bijou
Theatre. After putting away our food and other
things we shined our shoes, and combed our
hair, all ready to start. At about two-thirty we
all went to the wharf, where the Life Saving
Service's steamer named Relief was signalled
for, our own being under repairs. The Relief
towed our barge to City Point where we. boarded
two special cars to be carried to town. The
name of the first set of moving pictures was
'The Disastrous Flirtatation." This was of a
very polite gentleman who would tip his hat to
every young lady he passed, and wouldn't look
where he was going, and so got into trouble.
There were many other moving pictures, among
them, "The Revengeful Deed" and "An Indigesti-
ble Meal." The most interesting to us was a lect-
ure on our School showing pictures of the house,
storage barn, farm house, graduating class of '08,
the band, Gardner Hall, cottages, observatory,
wharf and steamer, and also some of the fellows
on the farm working, and a few more, all familiar
to us. At five-ten we all started for home hav-
ing, had a very pleasant time and thankful Mr.
Keith gave us the pleasure. Percy Smith.
J\ Cc$$on on tbc Gypsy moth
One morning when we were ready for
school Mr. Kibby said he was going to give us
a lesson on the gypsy moth. So we all went
over to Cottage Row where there are some oak
trees and we found there were a number of them
there. Mr. Kibby had a two quart measure
which he used to put them ,in. He said there
were four stages. The first was the egg stage,
second the caterpillar, third cocoon, fourth the
moth. When the moth lays her eggs she then
dies. You will find the eggs under the bark of
trees and on the under side of branches. The
gypsy moth eats any trees, such as the maple,
elm, pine, balsam, oak, cedar, etc. The gypsy
moth is one of the pests of our Island.
Harold D. Morse.
UviWm Uarnish
When furniture has been varnished it is
sometimes sort of rough. In order to make the
varnish smooth, pumice is used. Rrst, a small
quantity of pulverized pumice is put on the
piece of furniture. Then a small quantity of
water, and both are rubbed over the varnish with
a piece of woolen, or felt. This cuts the varnish
down so it has a smooth surface. The furniture
is then washed with a sponge and dried with a
piece of shammy skin. This is used to avoid
lint. Then the piece of furniture is smooth and
ready for the next coat of varnish.
Frank H. Machon. •
Barn Vard iUork
My work is now in the barn yard. I sweep
the run and the stones around the watering-
trough. Then 1 take the cow manu-e up and
put it in the cart and empty it. I am all done
at three o'clock except feeding the pigs. We
feed them at four o'clock, and have fourteen of
them. Harlan Stevens.
THOMPSO]
ISLAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 6. Printed AT The Farm AND Trades School, Boston, Mass. October, 1908
Entered November 23. 1903. at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16. 1894.
Cbc Construction of 4 Cottage
This year, the citizens are taking consider-
able interest in the conditions and welfare of
Cottage Row. Some have taken the opportun-
ity to pull down three of the cottages, and have
started to replace them with new ones. This is
the way the work is carried on: — they first
draw a plan of the size and shape of the cottage,
using the scale of one inch to a foot.
When the plan is accepted by Capt. Dix, who is
in charge of all construction work at the school,
they get enough lumber to start with. First
four post holes are dug and four posts are sunk,
each post being three feet long, and six inches
in diameter. Three inches of the post are left
above ground for the foundation to rest on.
Our cottage is eleven feet long and seven feet
wide, and six feet to the eaves. The posts are
eleven feet apart one way, and seven feet the
other.
Sills are made out of some strong
lumber, into the shape of a rectangle and nailed
on to the posts, each corner of the sill resting on
a post. This is the foundation. About every
three feet, floor timbers are put in two in-
ches thick by three inches wide, and about six
feet eight inches long. Half joints are made
at each end of each piece so they will lie on the
sill. Some more two by threes are cut up six
feet long. These are put every three feet apart
all around on the sill, in an upright position for
studding. These are nailed to the floor tim-
bers and on to the sill. A plate is then made
to match the sill, this being nailed on top of the
studding which forms the framework. The door
and windows are sectioned off. The boards are
then put on.
The right angle is then found for the roof,
and the rafters for the roof are sawed off. A
ridge pole is made for one end of the rafters to
rest against, the other end resting on the plate.
The rafters are placed three feet apart. The
roof is then boarded up. The trimmings are
next made from new stock which is used for
that purpose. It is then ready to be shingled.
Shingling is started at the eves and works up to
the ridge pole. Two layers are put on the first
row and one on the others. The shingles hang
over the edge of the roof about an inch or two.
Each row is spaced off. After the shingles are
put on, the clapboards are put on. When this
is done, the work on the inside begins. The
window frames and casings are made, and the
cottage is sheathed inside and then it is ready
for a coat of paint. The trimmings are painted
one color, and the clapboards another. The
inside is varnished or painted, just as desired.
A hard wood floor is laid and this is also painted
or varnished. The cottage is then ready for
use. Paul H. Gardner.
Che e. p. H. Banquet
Wednesday evening, September 16, the
Elk Pleasure Association held its eighth annual
banquet in Gardner Hall. About eight o'clock,
we entered the hall, which was decorated with
the colors of the Association, red, white and
blue; and'the colors of the school, old gold and
navy blue. On each table there was a large
bunch of asters, and other flowers. We had for
refreshments, ham, tongue, sardines, sand-
wiches, cakes, cookies, pie, fruits, and candies.
After we were through eating, Capt. George
Matthews appointed 1st Lieut. James Clifford,
as toastmaster, who called on about all the in-
structors present, and quite a number of the fel-
lows to speak. There were funny stories related.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
while others told of the improvements of the As-
sociation and its work. Mr. Bradley gave a
very interesting talk about Phillips-Exeter Acad-
emy which he and Mrs. Bradley had visited that
afternoon. After the speeches, Capt. Matthews
thanked all who helped make the banquet a suc-
cess. Then we adjourned to the assembly hall
which was also decorated for the occasion, and
enjoyed a social dance.
James R. Gregory.
Cbc €orn Roast
One night when we came out from supper
Mr. Mead told us to help get ready for a corn
roast, so we went down to the beach and gather-
ed all the dry wood we could find and put it in a
pile. After this was done, torches were lighted
and put up in different places to light the way to
where the roast was going to be. After that the
fire was started. Each fellow was given all the
corn he wanted. We all had sharpened sticks,
on the end of which we put an ear of corn and
held it over the hot coals to roast. After the
corn was eaten every fellow was given water
melon and bananas. While all this was going on
red torches were being burned along the bank.
It was a beautiful evening, the stars being out
and the moon shining brightly. We all thanked
Mr. Bradley for his kindness, and went to bed
feeling tired, but happy.
Stanley B. Tisdale.
Our new 6eo9rapDie$
Our geographies were getting old and
torn, and were not up-to-date, so Mr. Bradley
bought us some new ones. He bought enough
so that each fellow could have one. These
geographies are up-to-date and more interesting
to read and study. They have a picture of a
vessel on the cover. The name of the geog-
raphy is 'The Natural School Geography,"
by Redway and Hinman. We all thank Mr.
Bradley for his kindness for we needed them
very much. Stephen Eaton.
mork in tbe Dormitory
Every week day afternoon I work in the
dormitory. The first thing 1 do is to sweep the
long hall, then the wide hall, and the main hall.
After this 1 sweep the stairs going from the
wide hall to the kitchen door. Then I empty
my dirt box and put away my things, then pol-
ish the zinc, and wash the floor. After this I
scrub the floor just outside of the bath room.
When this is done my regular work is over. I
then sometimes wash one of the instructor's
rooms, and other times I polish the halls that 1
sweep. 1 like to work in the dormitory.
Frederick Hynes.
B musical treat
On September 25, our sixth visiting day,
the First Corps Cadet Band gave us a compli-
mentary concert in the afternoon on the croquet
lawn, where a platform had been erected for the
occasion. The players were in full uniform and
were excellent musicians. There was a great
variety of pieces including a baritone solo by
John F. Park, a sextet of trombones playing the
sextet from the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor,"
and Fielding's burlesque on 'The Merry Widow"
by the full band, which wound up with a so-called
"brainstorm." Mr. John B. Fielding led the
band and everyone enjoyed this musical treat.
Harold W. Smyth.
Ulorkiud in tbe Shop
One of the pleasures we enjoy is working in
the shop during our play time. During this time
we can make things, such as paper knives, pen
trays, butter paddles, glove and handkerchief
boxes, sugar scoops, etc. To be able to keep
this privilege we must clean our benches and
make things look neat, as we ought to do. I
have made a sugar scoop for my mother, a pen
tray for my sister, and a paper knife for my
brother. James L. Joyce.
mr$. Bradley's Birthday €ake
August 28, was Mrs. Bradley's birthday.
After supper Mr. Bradley come into the boys'
dining room with a monsterous cake. 1 held
my breath for a second, for I didn't think it was
really a cake, for it was so large. Then Mr.
Bradley told us it was Mrs. Bradley's birthday
cake. It v/as marked off so that it could be cut
into one hundred and fifty pieces. It was
covered with frosting and had a pink border. It
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
was about sixty inches around, and the thick-
ness was three inches. The tin was made es-
pecially for baking the cake. The cake weighed
fourteen pounds, six ounces. Mrs. Bradley
presented each one with a piece. When we all
had our piece of cake the middle was left. On
this was made in the frosting, Mary Chilton
Brewster Bradley, 1908.
Herbert H. Kenney.
eettiiid Tee
When ice comes from the city in one of
our boats, one of the steamer fellows comes and
tells one of the farmers, who then has a fellow
harness one of the horses to a cart and go down
to the wharf. One morning I helped bring it up.
I harnessed Bell to the new dump-cart, got the
ice tongs and rubber blankets from number seven
room, and went- down to the wharf. Usually
we get about four large cakes at a time. We
first washed these cakes off with a hose. We
then put the ice into the cart and wrapped the
ice in the blankets so as to keep the sun from
melting it. The ice was then weighed and car-
ried up to the house. Three of the cakes were
put into the ice chests in the meat cellar, and
the other cake was put into the ice chest in the
store room. We get ice very often during the
hot weather. George J. Balch.
mork and Play
The afternoon kitchen and dining room fel-
lows do their work while the other fellows have
their play time and swimming. In the afternoon
when we finish our work we have our play time
while the others are working. There are nine
fellows, four in the kitchen and five in the dining-
room. When it is swimming time Mr. Mead
takes us down to the beach. If it is low tide we
can go off the south side float and swim. We
play games and have a good time.
Charles E. Morse.
mt. Uernon
We have in our school room a picture of
Mt. Vernon, Washington's home. George
Washington was born at Bridges Creek, Virginia,
on the Potomac river about forty or fifty miles
from where the city of Washington now stands.
There is nothing standing where he was born but
a stone slab on which is written "Here, the 1 1th
of February 1732, George Washington was born."
As we now reckon, it is the 22nd of February.
Washington's grandfather was John Washington,
who came from England to Virginia in 1657.
George got a fair English education. When
his brother, Lawrence Washington died, George
had possession of Mt. Vernon. In 1759 George
married Mrs. Martha Custis. He died in 1799
at Mt. Vernon. His name will always be in the
United States History. The whole country
united to do honor to the memory of one who
was "First in war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his countrymen."
Norman V. Johnson.
Playiiid Drive
One Saturday morning when the dining-
room and kitchen fellows were excused we chose
sides and had a game of drive. This is the way
we play it: — when we have our sides chosen one
side takes the rugby and puts it in the middle of
the field. Then the best kicker kicks it to the
other side. When the other side gets it they
kick it back again • and they keep that up
until one side drives the other side back to the
goal. Then they change sides and play another
game. Roy D. Upham.
(Uasbing l)andkereblef$
On Wednesdays a part of the laundry boys'
work is to wash handkerchiefs. They are di-
vided up so that there are about fifty for each of
us to do. After we wash them we rinse and
scald them. Then we rinse them again, wring
them out, and then hang them up on the reel to
dry. Albert A. Anderson.
€leanind the Vards
Every morning after breakfast, two other
boys and I rake up the yards. First, 1 go around
to the office path and work down to the base-
ment, then down to the assembly room door,
and rake down toward the shop. The other boy
does the rest. If I get done before he does I
help him and then we take a waste barrel and
pick up all the piles of leaves.
Edric B. Blakemore.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbompson's Tsland Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 6.
October, 1908.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
SECRETARY
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley, - - - Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The bracing breezes hurry along, playing
with the leaves, tossing them into riotous masses,
and the leaves, as if possessed by the spirit of
glee, dance and whirl, as if to say, "We are bits
of joy, to the last."
A leaf is one of the most fascinating things
in the world, from the moment when the bud is
formed and warmly wrapped up by "Mother
Nature," to protect it from storm and wind.
In early spring the quilt gets too small and
out conies the leaf and figuratively opens its
eyes and takes a long breath.
Leaves are so different in tone and form.
The elm leaves come forth, a tender green, ex-
quisite, blending with the delicate spring tones
of grass and sky. The maple leaves unfold, a
grayish green, with dashes of pink that suggest
the brilliancy of their maturity.
Each leaf shows by form and coloring its
family tree, and leaves are as individual as people.
On the same tree you will hardly find two alike.
Take up a leaf and notice the general formation.
Walter Crane, the great English illustrator, says
that the tree, as a whole, grows like the leaf, in
form. Think this over, observe carefully and
consider whether you agree with him or not.
Get his delightful book, "Line and Form," and
see how he works out the problem.
Look at the leaf again and notice the won-
derful veins, which absorb air and moisture, and
help to sustain the parent tree. How quickly
they show when the soil is poor, or the roots need
more water, or air, or sun.
In the morning (spring) of the year, the
leaves grow; at noon (summer) they serve the
parent tree; afternoon (fall) sees them most
beautifully dressed, and joyously dancing, with-
out sadness or regret, to the ground. As night
(winter) comes on they fade, and sinking into
the ground warm and feed the roots of the tree.
The leaves show us the beauties of unfold-
ment, of maturity, of age, and more than all, the
continuous joy of life and in it. Through their
entire existence there is the keynote of silent
"Service."
They show the consecration of the individ-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
ual to the cause, the survival of the race of
leaves, and that continually is made possible
through the steady upbuilding of the tree.
Beauty and usefulness are combined and
the shade of the great tree expands with the
years, and ministers to all weary creatures who
seek rest beneath its branches.
The keynote of creation is "Service." We
are stepping stones for future men and women,
whom we know not nor can know. When any
created thing serves, it grows and is clothed with
spiritual beauty.
Everything in the world depends in some
way upon every other thing, and from the God-
like ant to the God-like man, the more persist-
ent and sincere the desire to serve, the more
sure the promise of immortality, because we saw
as we followed the transformation of the leaf,
that nothing really dies, it only changes form.
Dotes
Sept. 1. Annual inspection of steamer
"Pilgrim."
Ralph Abriel Jones entered the School.
Sept. 4. Graduate William N. Dinsmore
visited the School.
Five barrels headlight oil, two barrels gas oil,
and four of engine gasolene came.
Sept 5. Finished cutting the salt hay.
Asa Allan Eaton left the School to live with
his mother and attend Bryant &. Stratton Com-
mercial School.
Sept. 7. Picked 1 3 bushels Bartlett pears.
Graduates Merton P. Ellis, Robert Blanton,
and S. Gordon Stackpole visited the School.
Sept. 8. Caleb Buffam Frye entered the
School.
Sixteen bushels tomatoes sent to market.
Graduates Edward B. Taylor and Frank C.
Simpson visited the School.
Got a scow load of spruce, cypress, and pine
lumber from Freeport St.
Sept. 9. Finished digging the potatoes.
Graduate William E. Procter visited the
School.
Sept. 1 1 . Corn roast on the beach.
Sept. 12. Water sports.
Three boys went to Gloucester.
Staked off ground for Power Plant.
Loaned Scow "John Alden" to S. B. Y. C.
for judges' boat at yacht race.
Frederick William Marshall left the School
to live with his mother and attend the Lowell high
school.
Sept. 14. Remainder of boys went to
Gloucester.
Load of bran and ten barrels of cement
came.
Small load of gum wood and cherry from
Freeport St.
Sept. 15. Pulled the onions.
John Herbert M. Nelson left the School to
work for Mr. T. L. Kinney, South Hero, Ver-
mont, and attend high school.
Sept. 16. Annual E. P. A. banquet.
Sept. 17. Harvested the millet for hay.
Went down the harbor to salute Vice Pres-
ident Henry S. Grew as he returned from abroad.
Sept. 1 8. Van Renssellaer Brown left the
School to attend high school in Groton, Mass..
where he is to live with his aunt.
Sept. 21 Killed a pig weighing 180 pounds.
Sept. 24. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
Sept. 25. Sixth visiting day. 188 pres-
ent.
First Corps Cadet Band gave a concert in
the afternoon.
Sept. 26. Set cement monuments with
brras plates marking gates, etc., on water mains.
Sept. 28. Inspectors from City Water
Department here.
Graduate Clarence C. Taylor visited the
School.
Through the kindness of Mr. Arthur Stone,
Mr. Carl Weitz gave the School a horse.
Sept. 29. Fifty barrels of cement came.
Load of dressing from Walworth's.
Sept. 30. Another load of dressing.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Stptcmber macorolcgv
Maximum temperature, SS*^ on the 1 1th.
Minimum temperature, 48° on the 30th.
Mean temperature, for the month, 64.1°.
Total precipitation, .49 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours, .41 in-
ches on the 29th.
12 clear days, 17 partly cloudy, one cloudy
day.
Total number of hours sunshine, 247 and.
20 minutes.
The monthly rain-fall was very light and
much below any of our preceeding records for
the same month.
A clearly defined aurora, presenting many
interesting changes in form, and accompanied
with beautiful color effects, was observed on the
evening of the 29th.
Cbe Jum and trades School Bank
Cash on hand September 1, 1908 $643.68
Deposited during the month 23.07
$666.75
Withdrawn during the month 62.74
Cash on hand October 1, 1908 $604.01
Crip to Gloucester
One morning Mr. Bradley told us that we
were going to Gloucester, so when the work was
done and all were ready, we boarded the scow
and left our Island at fifteen minutes of nine.
We took a special car at City Point. Near
the south station we saw the lighter "Merchant"
at dock with ten logs of mahogany on the deck.
We passed on and reached the boat at the north
side of Central Wharf, at the foot of State Street,
and sailed for Gloucester at ten. We passed
the "City of Gloucester," the "Yale" of New
London, and the United Fruit Company's
Steamer "Admiral Sampson," at their docks,
and "Engine 31" of Boston.
Soon we passed Deer Island light, and Nix's
Mate, and farther on passed the Graves light and
Norman's Woe, the latter made famous by
Longfellow's "Wreck of the Hesperus." 1 soon
went down below and saw a dial-shaped machine
to tell the balance of the boat "Cape Ann."
Shortly before twelve o'clock we ate dinner,
and in a few minutes disembarked in Glouces-
ter. We visited a glue factory where sword-
fish heads, fins, tails, and fish refuse were boiled
down and pressed to get the glue out. Curi oil,
instead of linseed, is manufactured here out of
a different kind of fish. We next visited the
building where codfish is dried. There were two
long racks to dry fish on in the yard and four
racks on the roof. The dried fish were dumped
on the floor. The fins, bones, and tails were
cut off by men at a row of tables while men in
other sections of the building cut them into right
sizes for packing which was done by wom'en and
put in wooden boxes. In another section men
pressed the fish into oblong packages, and an-
other man wrapped and packed them in boxes.
They were then sent away.
We visited a fire house. In the front part
there was Hook and Ladder Truck No. 1, with
a seventy-foot extension ladder on top of which
a ten foot ladder could be affixed in case of
necessity. Chemical No. 1, could be seen at
the left of the hook and ladder. In the rear
the four gray fire horses were kept.
On the way back to the boat we stepped
into the police station, which is in the same
building with the court house. It has ten cells,
numbers three and four being reserved for
women, but all were empty. As we passed City
Hall I saw on the grounds a cannon that was
captured in the Spanish War by the "U. S. S.
Gloucester." Mr. Bradley gave each boy a
souvenir post card of Gloucester. The boat
sailed for home at two-fifteen with all on board,
and soon arrived at Boston having covered thirty-
one miles in two hours. We reached home in
time for supper. Edward M. Bickford.
Our Sloyd Course
Our sloyd course consists of twenty-four
models, some of which are the wedge, hammer
handle, book support, sun dial, tool chest, mallet,
and a small model of a sail boat. There
are three different classes. The class that gees
at seven o'clock in the morning consists of boys
who go to school at nine o'clock. This class
goes every day except Saturday and Sunday.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
The two classes that go at one o'clock are made
up of boys who go to school at two-thirty o'clock
in the afternoon. One of these attends Mon-
days and Wednesdays, and the other Tuesdays
and Thursdays. The morning class has one
hour and three quarters, and the afternoon class
has one hour and a quarter. When sloyd first
started, the classes made the small benches at
which we now work. Each bench has one vice,
one back saw, one T square, one knife, one
ruler, one jack plane, and one marking gauge.
The other tools are kept in the tool cupboard.
When a fellow first enters sloyd a bench is as-
signed to him. He then draws a plan of the
wedge, planting-pin, and plant support. After he
has drawn these he makes out a lumber order for
the wood he needs for his first model, and so on
until he has finished the course. We have for
our use a number of smoothing and block planes,
two spokeshaves, six saws, two turning-saws,
one keyhole saw, and a number of files and ham-
mers. We also have two lathes which are run
by a gasoline engine. Some of the woods we
use are, white pine, white wood, gum wood,
maple, cherry, and hickory. Most fellows finish
this course in about one year and a half. Upon
completion each fellow who passes receives a
diploma. Ralph H. Marshall.
Destroyiitd Old Tlags
One evening while the fellows were lined
up outside Mr. Bradley showed us some old worn
cut flags, which he said he was going to destroy.
He put them on the ground and set them on fire.
They did not seem to want to burn, so he put
some shavings with them and they burned all
right. This is the proper way of disposing of old
flags in the Army and Navy. Mr. Bradley said
that there was a sailor on board one of the ships
of our navy, that used a piece of an old flag for
a scrub rag. He was court martialed for this
grave offence. Clarence S. Nelson.
Pointitid
My work recently was helping the mason do"
the pointing on the new sea wall that has just
been put up in front of the storage barn. The
pointing material consisted of cement and sand
mixed, and lamp black added. The first thing
to be done is to take a hammer and chisel, and
cut some of the cement off the wall to make it
rough so the pointing cement will stick. After
that is almost hard a piece of old burlap is used
to rub the smooth surface so as to make it some-
what rough in order to make the cement stick
better, and so the rain cannot get in behind it
and wash it off the wall.
James P. M. Embree.
1)ome Cifc and School Cifc
At home nights, 1 always had my books to
study and did not have much work to do. I got
wood and coal for my mother and helped her
with the washing. Now I go to work as a man,
and go to school as a boy, and at night play, then
go to bed. So 1 find it very different here than
at home. 1 miss my little dog that thought so
much of me. I like farm work, and like to do
what other boys cannot do. 1 don't want to be
beaten in anything. I will try to do things well
here, so that when 1 leave this school 1 can pay
back what my mother has done for me.
Ralph A. Jones.
Scrapind and Rcmoi^ind Uarnisi)
When the varnish has been on the settees
for a length of time they look bad. In order
to have the settees look well all the varnish on
the face of them is scraped off. In scraping,
all the varnish doesn't come off, so "Ab-lu-ent"
is applied on the varnish. This is a liquid which
softens the varnish so it may be scraped off
easily, and the wood be left clean. Then the
settees are varnished again.
Frank H. Machon.
making morrar
Mortar was needed for the wall that was
erected near the storage barn. To make a bed of
mortar a half barrel of lime is put in the bed and
then enough water to slack the lime. After it
has slacked then sand is added and it is mixed
until it becomes stiff. When the mason is about
ready for it, some cement is added with a little
water and then all is mixed together, after which
it is ready to be used.
Robert W. Gregory.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
JHumni
George W. Berry, '83, was a recent
visitor at the school, with his wife and youngest
son of seven years. He has three other chil-
dren, the oldest a son, graduating from the high
school this year. Mr. Berry, on leaving the
school, learned the Carriage Trimmers' trade.
Then for five years he worked for the American
Express Co., but for the past nine years he has
been with the Haverhill, Merrimac and Ames-
bury Street Railway, and his home is at Merri-
mac, Mass.
Edward B. Taylor, '04, has charge of
the Poultry Department of the New Jersey
State Hospital, Morris Plains, where he has
been for the last two years.
Clarence L. Taylor, '05, after finishing
the Poultry course at the Connecticut Agricul-
ture College in February last, went to work at the
Sunswick Poultry Farm, South Plainfield, N.J.
Clarence, like his brother Ed, enjoys his work
very much.
C. James Pratt, '06, has been with the
American Sugar Refining Company since August
1906, starting in as collector and assistant re-
ceiver, and has now been advanced to re-weigher
and receiver. James lives with his mother at
4 Derne Street, Everett, where he enjoyes his
home. He has a garden and keeps some poultry.
(Uater Contests
As the swimming season was drawing to a
close, Mr. Bradley suggested that it would be a
good idea to close with some aquatic sports and
races near the landing. He said he would like
them to be arranged for, and conducted by the
fellows, or a committee. In a few days a com-
mittee of three took up the suggestion and de-
cided on the races and got entries for them.
September 12th was chosen for the date. At
half past two the fellows went down to the land-
ing and those who were to enter the contests
got ready. The races began with diving from
the wharf. There was the high dive, running
dive, sailors' dive, and backward dive.
The races were as follows, with their
victors: — ■
Diving, — first, Frederick Hynes; second,
Harold Silver; third, Frederick Wilson.
100 yard swimming race, over fourteen: —
first, Thomas Carnes; second, Percys" Smith;
third. Christian Fields.
Swimming race under water: — first, Harold
Silver; second, Henry Eckman; third, Frederick
Wilson.
Plank race, under 14: — first, Frederick
Hynes; second, Roy Upham; third, Frank Mills.
50 yard swimming race, under 14: — first,
Roy Upham; second, William Foster; third,
Warren Twombly.
First, second, and third cash prizes were
awarded after each event.
The judges appointed by the com.mittee were
Herbert Nelson, Percy Embree, and Thomas
Carnes.
Committee: — Harold Marshall, Harold Sil-
ver, and Frederick Wilson.
Frederick J. Wilson.
Onions
One day the afternoon farm boys went over
by the farm house to the onion piece. The in-
structor had some of the boys take knives, and
others scissors, and we started cutting the tops off
the onions. When we finished doing that we
helped the other boys who were gathering the
onions to put them into bags. Each bag held a
bushel. We got about fifty-four bushels of
onions. When they were put into bags, a team
came and took them over to the root cellar.
Arthur R. Merrifield.
f)m\m Bakery Ulood
One afternoon Mr. MacLeod told me to
take Bell and the small dump cart and haul
bakery wood, and to have Carl Hynes pile it for
me. 1 went down to the storage barn where the
wood is kept. We took a wheelbarrow and
put it into the cart. It took about seven wheel-
barrow loads to fill the cart. Then I drove up to
the house and dumped it in the basement under
the laundry. When I was getting the third load
Van Brown came and told me that Mr. MacLeod
wanted me to go and help rake salt hay.
Elliott W. Rowell.
THOMPSONjS ISLAND
BEAtON
Vol. 12. No. 7. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. November, 1908
Entered November 23. 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
map Of Our Tsland
A map of our Island has been prepared
showing the various farm plots, buildings and
other features of the School. These maps have
been posted in the school rooms, the barn, and
the shop, for reference and tor instruction.
First, a tracing was prepared by Capt. Dix,
then a photograph was made of the tracing, and
a zinc etching twelve by nineteen inches was
made from the photograph, from which we printed
the maps. Some were printed on paper, and
some on heavy cardboard, the size being thirteen
and one-half inches by twenty and one-quarter
inches.
The maps printed on paper were arranged
for a supplement to go out with this issue of the
Beacon, and the maps on the heavy cardboard
were punched and eyeletted. Each map having
two eyelets. After the maps were all printed an
index or key was printed in at the bottom of the
map.
On the map the farm plots, buildings, groves,
and other features are all numbered in a system-
atic manner, one to fifty-one inclusive, which
tell at a glance where any particular farm plot,
grove, or building can be found. For example, the
site of David Thompson's cabin is number thirty-
five, and the main building is number one. The
site of the new power house being erected is
number ten.
There is a scale of two and seven-eights
inches to one thousand feet just above the index.
There are three tide gates numbered twenty-two,
twenty-six, and forty-seven, respectively, which
are the east, west and south tide gates. In winter
the meadows which are drained by these gates
are flooded and form our skating ponds, giving us
a great deal of pleasure in our play time. One
of the arrows point to the true north and the
other arrow is the magnetic north.
Earle C. Marshall.
Playing 3acR Knife
As soon as the afternoon dining-room and
kitchen fellows finish their work they go for some
fun. One afternoon we played jack knife. The
one who beat was to get a stick about four inches
long, and hammer it in close to the ground, and
the fellow who lost dug with his teeth until he
got a good bite, and then pulled with all his might
until he drew the stick out.
Charles E. Morse.
Banking Celery
One morning three other fellows and 1
banked celery, the purpose of doing this being
to bleach it. One fellow has to hold the leaves
while another fellow hoes the dirt around the
stalks. After this has been done the dirt has to
be pounded to make it firm.
William M. Marshall.
Brockton
The morning of Oct. 1st, Mr. MacLeod took
George Balch and me to the Brockton Fair.
After an hour's ride in the train we got off at
Brockton. Then we took a car and rode to the
fair. We went inside and could hear balloons
squeaking and men talking. We visited many
interesting things. First, we went into the cow
stable, where we saw Holsteins, Guernseys, and
others. We then went to see the hogs which
were very large. There were some little pigs
that weighed no more than five pounds. After
walking around a while we watched the horse
races. The men must take good care of them
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
for we saw four men rubbing down one horse.
After a few hours we went to a lunch room for
our dinner, which seemed a queer place to eat.
It was called "Ye Olde English Kitchen." After
dinner we went to the poultry houses where we
saw hens, roosters, pullets, geese, ducks, etc.,
many of which had prizes hung over their cages.
Then we went into a canvas tent to see a giant
with two heads. He lay in a box with glass over
the top. A man stood there and explained it to
us telling us he was petrified and was found in
South Africa by a doctor. He was killed in a
fight with some other wild men. We went up
in a Ferris wheel and could see all over Brockton
Fair. We got off and went out to an "African
Dodger," where we tried our skill, George Balch
putting a ball through the hole where the dodger
had his head. We got back home between five
and six o'clock. Herbert H. Kenney.
Signs of minter
The coming of winter is shown by different
signs. The leaves on the trees are turning to
their bright colors, and many of them are fall-
ing, leaving the trees bare. The different col-
ored leaves make a very pretty sight to look at.
The fruit in the orchard has all been picked,
and the vegetables on the farm have been har-
vested. Another sign is that it is getting colder,
and the days growing shorter, while the nights
are increasing in length. The squirrels are
gathering their winter stock of nuts and acorns,
and the birds are going south.
John H. Marshall.
Illustrated Cecture on Coloraao
One evening, recently, Mr. Arthur Adams,
Treasurer of our School, gave a very interesting
lecture on Colorado, he having been there to at-
tend a convention of the National Bankers' As-
sociation. We were shown a map of Colorado,
and the mountain ranges, peaks, the divide,
cities, and parks that he visited were pointed
out. A street scene of Denver was shown with
some of the buildings, including the city hall,
while the towering mountains could be seen
twenty-five miles away. Views of Colorado
Springs were shown next, some of which were
quite life-like, and Mr. Adams helped to make
them more so, because of his excellent descrip-
tion of them. Pike's Peak and the cog railway
running up its side was seen.
We next saw a gold mine in a flourishing
town. Mr. Adams went down one thousand feet
in a mine a short distance from the one shown
in the picture. He told us that it was necessary
to don old clothing, because it is not over clean,
as well as being quite damp down in the mine.
We were shown a piece of ore that he picked up
while at the bottom of this mine.
A view of Royal Gorge was seen, which
was quite interesting, as we saw a place where it
was necessary to have the railroad suspended
from the walls of the gorge which was too narrow
at this point to allow of the passage of the rail-
road and a river.
Leadville, Grand Junction, Cripple Creek,
Glenwood Springs, and other places of interest
were shown and described, after which we
thanked Mr. Adams for his interesting lecture,
bade him good night, and then went to bed.
Edward M. Bickford.
flailing Beans
One afternoon four of us fellows helped an
instructor flail beans. The beans had been
put in the barn. The flailer is a pole about six
feet long, with a stick about three feet long tied
on the end of it so that it will turn around when
one is swinging it. We put the beans on the
floor, after it had been swept, and flailed them
until they were out of the pods, when we put the
beans in bags, and the pods in a pile.
Levi N. Trask.
1>usklng €orn
The corn had been picked and laid out to
dry beside the storage barn. A few days later
the farm boys were sent husking it. On the
seed ears the husks were just pulled back so they
could be braided together and hung up in the
corn house. These ears had to be ten inches
or more long, with the kernels running in straight,
unbroken rows. They had to be full, coming
together at the ends. The seed ears were put
in piles and the others in boxes. Two of the
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
boys pulled off some of the outside husks on the
seed ears and the instructor in charge braided
them together. Some of the boys gathered the
husks and put them into a pile. Then a team
came after them, and took them up to the
stock barn, where they were put into a bin.
They will be fed to the cows. About four-thirty
o'clock the boys took the corn up to the corn
house where it was put in bins. The seed ears
were hung up. Royal R. Ellison.
TootDall Game
Saturday, October 17, eighteen fellows saw
the football game between Harvard and Spring-
field Training School. We went to City Point
and then took a car for Harvard Square. We
walked then to the stadium. We saw the Har-
vard men do a little practise. At three o'clock
the game started. It was not long before Har-
vard had a touchdown. At the end of the first
half Harvard had 30 points to 0. We heard
some singing from the Harvard men. At the
end of the second half Harvard got 14 more
points which made 44 to 0. Most of us were
glad to see Harvard win. We all enjoyed the
afternoon, thanks to Mr. Beane.
Robert W. Gregory.
Zsm Com
One afternoon five other boys, one of the in-
structors and I, went over to the north end and
tied up all the corn. We tied it up by rows.
We put from twenty to thirty stacks in each bun-
dle and tied it up close to the top with a piece of
string. After we had got all the corn tied up we
stacked it. We brought the bundles to the in-
structor and he put them together. Then two
boys put a strap around the top of the stack and
pulled hard to make it firm and tight, so that it
could be tied with a string.
Edric B. Blakemore.
Jlcridi navigation
One Saturday we had the pleasure of hearing
Mr. Henry Clayton, Meteorologist of the Blue
Hill Observatory, lecture on navigation in the air.
He illustrated his talk by pictures of air ships,
balloons, cities, clouds, landscape and other
views. Mr. Clayton went in a race at St. Louis
with eight other balloonists from different coun-
tries. His partner was a German, and they went
together. Each balloon was to have a certain
course as there are certain air currents. Mr.
Clayton chose a high and strong one. The others
a low one. The balloons were spread out on the
ground with enough sand or ballast to keep from
going before they were ready. Then gas running
through pipes filled them all about the same time.
They bade good-by to their friends and started.
The gas bags were open all the time, because if
they were shut the balloon would explode, so they
were losing a small amount of gas all the time,
and throwing out ballast as the gas became less.
The balloon passed the Mississippi river into
Illinois; from there to Indiana, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania, and New Jersey, where their journey
came to an end in a little town on the coast.
Mr. Clayton and his partner made a new record
for distance in this country, and the second in
the world.
Balloons also go up for height, but it is
dangerous, owing to the inability to breathe, after
a certain height. To guard against this they
send up balloons in France with only a record-
ing instrument in them to record how far they
go. One reached the height of fifteen miles.
The Wright brothers, of Ohio, have been
successful in building the first good air ship.
They made the world's record for distance.
One of them was injured while up in one with
another man who was killed.
Count Zepplin of Germany made a big
balloon in the shape of a fish, and it was the
largest balloon in the world. During a storm it
was destroyed. Edwin J. Tape.
Digging Carrots
One day an instructor sent a squad of fel-
lows down to the carrot piece in couples. One
fellow would dig beside the carrots, while the
other fellow pulled them up and put them in a
row. After we had them all up we pulled the
tops off and laid some of them down and piled
the carrots on them, with the rest of the tops
over them to keep them from freezing. We
got some very large ones.
Dick W. Steenbruggen.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Dompson's Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 7.
November, 1908.
Subscription Price - 50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley, - - - Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
There is a worthy proverb that "a contented
mind is a continual feast." Real contentment
is real philosophy; but the word, "contentment"
is far from being perfectly understood. To be
truly content is not to be satisfied with our
small attainments, nor is it in any sense that in-
dolent ease which leads us to lose sight of the
fact that every morning opens before us new
vistas of opportunity for doing good in the world
for others and for ourselves. This is sheer blind-
ness or crass laziness, and not "contentment" in
any true sense. To be dontent is to be satisfied
to endure bravely whatever of misfortune or un-
toward circumstance have come to us by no
fault of our own and to bide our time for sur-
mounting them by conscientious effort; to believe
that God does not suffer us to be afflicted with
burdens greater than he enables us to bear, and
that in the end we may find that what seems
hard or evil may redound to our ultimate well-
being and happiness. To be "content" is to ap-
propriate and use whatever gifts or good fortune
may be ours, without a tinge of envy toward
others whom we think, perhaps mistakenly, are
more fortunate than ourselves. We say "mis-
takenly," because it is often true that the pos-
session of some things we crave might prove to
be the worst thing that could befall us.
But we should shun the false "contentment"
of self-satisfaction and indolence previously spok-
en of. No one is so good, or intelligent, or learned,
or successful, but these endowments should be
made the inspiration and the stepping-stones to
still higher virtue and attainment, and the larger
accomplishment of all worthy aims.
The late Dr. Holland said that there was a
good deal of fault-finding with that very nebulous
entity we call society; but if we examined care-
fully we should find that it was uniformly the
shirks who made the most complaint. It is
rarely that a man who performs his own duty to
society is ever heard to complain of society as
an institution. It is always the lazy man, — the
one who is "contented" in the false sense, who
is heard to say that "the world owes him a liv-
ing." It does if he pay the debt he owes the
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
world by earning it, and it will exchange all its
blessings for his effort; and after the exchange
is made and he gives the world its due, and is
able to feel that the world and he have made the
truly equitable and excellent exchange, that he
may know what real "contentment" is and re-
joice in it.
The world owes a living, absolutely, to
those who are not able to earn it, — to the
children, the sick, or the aged, — but not to those
who are able, but unwilling to earn it. When a
falsely-contented shirk whines that "the world
owes him a living," he has the disposition of a
highway robber, without his courage, or his en-
terprise. Every man who is "contented" in the
sense that he is too indolent to think out and
employ new means of making himself useful to
the world and to himself is a drone, and a tax
upon society about him. Such a man never
built a house, or a bridge, or a railroad, — he is an
incubus and a barnacle upon progress and misses,
not only all opportunity for achievement, but all
the comfort and blessing which comes from it,
as its natural and logical result.
There is no boy in this School but may
achieve more in the world than he ever dreamed
if he will put false content behind him and cul-
tivate the true content which will make him
thankful, not only for whatever of comfort sur-
rounds him, but for the abundant opportunity
which is his for the asking. The true spirit is
to be content with one's starting-point, and then
to go on to better and higher things each day,
by conscientious, brave, and withal, confident
effort, and every night which follows such a
day of endeavor will bring its own reward of
that well-earned "content" which is "a con-
tinual feast:" — and the boy who does this with
each recurring day will as surely accumulate the
riches of a successful career as a dollar in bank
accrues the interest upon it.
It is in the power of every boy in this School
to possess, ten years hence, by the exercise of
honest, persistent, painstaking effort, a success
beyond the price of rubies, which cannot be
measured by metes and bounds, and be able to
say, with true contentment and satisfaction:
"This is mine! 1 have earned it!"
notes
Oct. 1 . Finished two more concrete hot
beds.
Alfred Hugo Neumann left the School to
work for Mr. Albert M. Gifford, Pocasset, Mass.
Oct. 2. Began using steam heat.
Oct. 3. Hauled out sloop Trevore.
Oct. 4. Sunday. Rev. S. H. Hilliard ad-
dressed the boys.
Oct. 5. Fall term of school opened.
Oct. 6. Quarterly election of Cottage Row
officers.
John Thomas Slade, and Edson Morton
Bemis entered the School.
Oct. 7. Commenced putting in concrete
footings for power house.
Oct. 8. Theodore Chapel Wright left the
School to live with his mother.
Oct. 9. Finished a concrete walk in front
of kitchen porch.
Oct. 10. Seventh and last visiting day.
249 present.
Vice President Henry S. Grew, and Manager
Charles T. Gallagher were present; also Mr.
Henry C. Harden, a former teacher.
Grew Garden prizes, and Willis Good Citi-
zenship prizes awarded.
Graduates Frederick W. Marshall, and A.
Allan Eaton visited the School.
Illustrated lecture on Aerial Navigation by
Mr. Henry Clayton, of the Blue Hill Observ-
atory.
Oct. 1 1 . Sunday. Rev. James Huxtable
addressed the boys.
Oct. 13. Fifty barrels of cement came.
Graduate Joseph B. Keller visited the
School.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Oct. 14. Harvested seed cucumbers.
Scow load of spruce boards, and two by four
came.
Oct. 15. Banked celery for the last time.
Oct. 16. Began top dressing.
Graduate Don C. Clark and wife visited the
School.
Oct. 17. Finished concrete floor in
laundry porch.
Burned refuse wood and sea weed, obtaining
two tons of ashes.
Through the kindness of Mr. Arthur Beane,
eighteen of the boys attended the Harvard-
Springfield football game.
Oct. 18. Sunday. Rev. Mr. Spencer,
of Everett, addressed the boys.
Oct. 20. Began picking apples.
Harvested water-melons.
Walter Scott Hall, Jr., entered the School.
Oct. 21. 15 tons of bran came.
50 barrels cement, and 100 feet Akron
drain pipe came.
Robert McKay, a former pupil, visited the
School.
Oct. 22. Graduate Horace P. Thrasher
visited the School.
Oct. 23. Harvested 30 bushels turnips.
Oct. 27. Finished picking winter apples.
45 barrels flour came.
Thomas Harold Doty, Harold Pearson,
and Dick William Steenbruggen entered the
School.
Oct. 28. Dentist here.
80 barrels flour came.
Oct. 29. Pulled the carrots.
Graduate William N. Dinsmore visited the
School.
Treasurer Arthur Adams gave an illus-
trated talk on his recent trip to Denver, Col-
orado, and vicinity.
Oct. 31. Graduate Merton P. Ellis vis-
ited the School.
Boys held a political mass meeting;
speeches given and campaign pictures shown;
voted for national and state officers.
October meteorology
Maximum temperature, 76° on the 17th.
Minimum temperature, 33° on the 31st.
Mean temperature for the month, 54°.
Total precipitation, 2.55 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours, .88 in-
ches on the 29th.
10 clear days, 14 partly cloudy, 7 cloudy
days.
Total number of hours sunshine, 178 and
25 minutes.
Wind attained a velocity of 48 miles per
hour on the 30th.
Cbe Tarm ani trades School Bank
Cash on hand October 1, 1908 $604.01
Deposited during the month 58.64
$662.65
Withdrawn during the month 103.32
Cash on hand November 1 , 1 908 $559.33
Pickind and Sorting Jfpplcs
My work one day, with six other fellows, was
to pick apples. We went and got three ladders
and five baskets, and started work. I picked
up all the windfalls at first, and then helped pick
from the tree. After we had picked quite a
while it began to rain, and we stopped and went
up to the corn house "to help Mr. MacLeod sort
the apples. Edson M. Bemis.
Cbe election
Saturday evening, October 31, we had a
mock election. At seven o'clock we all gathered
in the assembly-hall and Mr. Bradley showed us
some stereopticon pictures of the Island, the
harbor, public buildings, and prominent men.
In the pictures of the Island were boys playing
football, the band, Mr. Bradley and his family, the
steamer, wharf, and main building. Then he
showed the candidates for president, vice pres-
ident, governor, and lieutenant governor. After
these were over he called for speeches and a
debate followed. Thomas Games and others
spoke for Bryan, and Clarence Daniels was the
leading speaker for Taft. After each speech
there was applause. The best speaker was then
voted upon, Clarence Daniels receiving the prize,
which was a subscription to any magazine. After
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
the speeches came the voting, Ninety-eight
boys and eleven instructors voted. While the
votes were being counted, Hallowe'en stories
were told with the lights turned low.
I told one first, then some other boys, and
also some of the instructors. Mr. Dix took the
prize for the instructors, which was a plate of
ice cream. I took first prize in the boys' part,
a book of Hallowe'en stories. Then the votes
were read and this is the way they came out: —
84 for Taft, 86 for Sherman, 14 for Bryan, and
1 0 for Kern. Draper received 92 and Vahey 1 .
The instructors' vote was 10 each for Taft, and
Draper. Then Mr. Bradley again showed Mr.
Taft's and Mr. Draper's pictures amid great ap-
plause. Then came a picture of the flag that
always floats. We had a pleasant evening.
Ralph A. Jones.
Che €ottiind Tair
We are going to have a fair this winter,
some time near Christmas. The instructors are
getting it up. The money that is gained is to be
used for a good time for the fellows. Mr.
Bradley told us this as we were in chapel one
night. He said the instructors were pleased with
pleasures that the E. P. A. had given to them.
Banners are being made for the fair, with a blue
field and yellow F. T. S, letters, and there are
also flags being made for the E. P. A., their col-
ors being red, white and blue. There will be
a candy counter, and tables where other things
will be sold. The fellows are pleased with the
fair and will help it along.
» Alfred W. Jacobs.
Cottage Row Election
Every three months Cottage Row holds an
election. The election is held in assembly-hall,
the Australian ballot being used. The share-
holders pick out five shareholding fellows who
wish to be aldermen, and the non-shareholders
pick out three of their number also. These, with
two candidates for mayor, treasurer, and assessor
are put on the ballot. Two candidates for judge
were put on the ballot this time also. Each fel-
low is given a ballot and allowed to vote for one of
the candidates for mayor, treasurer, and assessor,
two for non-shareholding aldermen, and three for
shareholding aldermen. Only the shareholders
are allowed to vote foi* the assessor. Every-
body is allowed to vote for judge. At the last
election, October sixth, the following officers
were elected: —
Judge, James Clifford; Mayor, Percy Smith;
Shareholding Aldermen, Willard Perry, Robert
May, and Harold Silver; Non-Shareholding
Aldermen, Frederick Wilson and Roy Matthews;
Treasurer, Harold Smith; Assessor, Lawrence
Silver. The following officers were appointed: —
Chief of Police, Frank Machon; Policemen,
Alfred Jacobs, George Balch, George Matthews,
Percy Embree, and Clarence Daniels; Street
Commissioner, John LeStrange; Librarian, Wil-
liam Foster; Janitor, Charles Morse; Curator,
Edward Powers; Clerk, John Enright.
Spencer S. Profit.
Leaves
In the fall of the year the walks and lawns
are covered with leaves which have been blown
from the trees by the wind. The leaves which
fall on the walks and lawns become of good ser-
vice. They are gathered up by some boys, with
wooden rakes, into piles, and from there put into
barrels, or bags, which are carried down to the
barn to be used as bedding for the cows, horses,
and swine. Edward H. Deane.
Out Rattiitd
One night Warren Barter and 1 went ratting.
We got two lanterns and the dog, "Jack," and
started along the beach toward the north end.
We walked along quite a distance when all of a
sudden we heard Jack give a howl, for he had
driven a rat under the rocks, and then we
began poking our sticks under the rocks after
him. One of us started him out after a while,
but Jack did not get him. We then went through
the north end grove and into the corn field where
the corn stacks are. After a while a rat went
under a corn stack. We lifted up the corn stack
and out he came and Jack got him. We were
allowed to stay out until nine o'clock. We got
three more afterwards, and it was quarter of nine
when we started for the house, having had a
good time. Harold D. Morse.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jflutniti
. John M. (Scott) Sargent, '97, lives at
16 Hano St., Allston, and works for Thompson
and Norris Co., paper box manufacturers, just
across the street. John has worked for this firm
for eight years, and his brother, Willie is em-
ployed there also. John is married and on a
recent visit here with his wife they looked pros-
perous and happy.
George Thomas, '02, is with the Greenfield
Baking Co., Greenfield, Mass., where he has
been for the past two years as bookkeeper and
salesman. George is a member of the Green-
field military band, an Oddfellow, and is evi-
dently one of the all around fellows of the town.
Horace P. Thrasher, '07, lives in Hatch-
ville, with his uncle, and works at cabinet mak-
ing and carpentry most of the time. Horace is
looking fine, evidently living well, and enjoying
himself.
music
A fellow when he first enters the school is
attracted by music. Some individual fellow or
the whole band is playing a piece. The fellow
if he has any musical talent in him will stop to
listen. A day or two afterward he will be whistling
that same piece. He begins to feel as though
he would like to learn to play an instrument and
so asks for a chance when there is a vacancy.
He gets what he wants and starts in. He first
learns to bring forth a clear tone, which he
succeeds in doing after a little practise. He
then learns a few scales and after that some of
the simple band pieces. He then tries his skill
in playing with the rest of the band. His ability
each day grows stronger, and finally after he goes
away, if he keeps it up, it develops and he be-
comes a good musician.
Paul H. Gardner.
Cbe Cast Uisiting Day
Visiting days occur once a month, from May
until October. This year the last visiting day
came on Saturday, October tenth. After our
friends had arrived and assembled on the front
lawn, the band played, after which Mr. Bradley
awarded the Grew garden prizes, and the Good
Citizenship prizes. Mr. Gallagher, one of the
Board of Managers, gave a short talk and then
introduced Mr. Henry C. Harden, who gave us
an address. He was once a teacher at this
School. Mr. Harden said that it was sixty
years ago that he was at the School, and that
he remained a little over a year and seven
months. It was a fine talk.
The Grew garden prizes were awarded as
follows: — Charles Morse and Robert May, 1st;
William Laing and Frederick Hynes, 2nd;
Clarence S. Nelson, 3rd; John Enright, 4th;
Percy Smith and George Balch, 5th. The Good
Citizenship prizes, which are given by Mr. and
Mrs. Willis, were awarded as follows: — Frank
Machon, 1st; Harold Morse, 2nd; Harold Silver,
3rd; and Edward Powers, 4th.
Clarence S. Nelson.
Sizing Up
One Tuesday night after bath we had a size-
up. First the tallest fellows on the back seats in
assembly-hall arose and stood in a line in the
back of the room. Mr. Dix was there and sized
us up. If a fellow had grown quite a bit and was
taller than some of the fellows in front of him
Mr. Dix would put him where he belonged.
Then we took our seats by fives and filled up the
benches beginning with number one. Most of
the fellows had their numbers changed so that
we had to change the drawers in which we keep
visiting day suits and other things. We also
had to put our tooth brushes and towels on our
right numbers. Christian Field.
Cbc Dentist
The dentist usually comes down once a year.
This year he came down and some fellows wished
that he had not come, but most of them were
glad after it was over. The teeth were pulled in
the office. Some had only one, while others
had two or three pulled. Later on some are to
have their teeth filled. Dr. Taylor is a good den-
tist, but he cannot take the pains that he could
at his office, if. only one or two came at a time.
He has the teeth of ninety-eight boys to look over
in one morning. Ralph A. Whittemore.
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 8. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. December, 1908
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
Cottage Row Government
BY HIS HONOR
PERCY SMITH
MAYOR:
A PROCLAMATION
FOR A DAY OF
THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE
Each year our Government has set apart a day to
give thanks to Almighty God for the blessings He has
bestowed upon us, making us well, strong, and happy
Wherefore I, Percy Smith, Mayor of Cottage Row
with the advice and consent of the Board of Aldermen
set apart Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November
as a day of remembrance and thankfulness to God.
call upon the citizens of Cottage Row to observe this
day by giving thanks to the Giver of Good, for the pros-
perity of our Government and School, which the Man-
agers are making better each year.
Let us give thanks for the new building we are to
have, and for the generosity of those who have con-
tributed towards it. Let us give thanks for our health,
the prosperity of our nation, our harvest, and for the
success we have had at different branches of work pur-
sued at this School. Let us then give heartful and sol-
emn thanks to God, and seek to praise Him not by words
only but by deeds.
Given at The Farm and Trades School this nine-
teenth day of November, in the year of our Lord, one
thousand, nine hundred and eight, the ninety-fourth
year of our School, and the twentieth year of Cottage
Row.
PERCY SMITH.
By his Honor, the Mayor of Cottage Row, with the advice and
consent of the Board of Aldermen.
JOHN 0. ENRIGHT.
clerk.
God save the Government of Cottage Row.
Our Cbanksdiv^itid
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, in chapel,
Mr. Bradley read, as usual, the proclamations of
the President of the United States, and the Gov-
ernor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
On Tuesday night, Mr. Bradley gave out the
Mayor's proclamation. This one is written by
the boy who is Mayor of Cottage Row Govern-
ment. That Thanksgiving was approaching
could be seen by anyone passing through the
kitchen. The fellows were picking pin feathers
out of the turkeys, helping with the making of
cranberry sauce, and other things.
At last it came, although the day was not
as pleasant as one would wish. I am sure we
all had a good one, 1 know I did.
When we went to breakfast, we found that
it was the same Thanksgiving breakfast as we
always have — bread, coffee, and mince pie.
After breakfast we went out to the assembly-
room, and after the necessary work was done we
were dismissed to enjoy ourselves as we pleased.
Some fellows read books, worked in the
shop, practiced on their instruments, or walked
around, but the main thing was a football game
between the West and East dormitories. The
halves were thirty minutes, with ten minutes
intermission. In the first half the West side
scored two touchdowns but did not kick a goal
either time. In the last half the East side held
the West down to nothing, the game ending
with the score ten to nothing in the West dor-
mitory's favor.
At eleven o'clock the bundles which the
boys had received from their friends were given
out, making those who received them happy, as
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
they contained many good things, such as chick-
en, candy, nuts, etc.
The next thing was dinner. Each boy re-
ceived a printed menu of the dinner, which read
as follows: — roast turkey, giblet gravy, celery,
cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed turnip,
onions, bread and butter, oranges and apples,
nuts, raisins, figs, and Clicquot Club sodas.
Each boy had all he wanted. This year, for the
first time, a turkey was put on a platter at the
head of each of the seventeen tables, and the
monitors had an opportunity to try their hand
at carving. Some fellows had rather a hard
time at it, but there were some instructors on
hand who helped some of them, so that the next
time they will be able to do it without any help.
The oranges, nuts, raisins, and figs were fur-
nished, as usual, by Mr. Tenney, Robert May's
uncle, and Mr. Flanders, of Martin L. Hall Co.
I am sure we all thank them very much for their
kindness.
After dinner the fellows walked around and
settled their dinner. After awhile some of the
fellows got ready for a football game between the
North and West dormitories, which came off at
three o'clock. There were thirty minute halves
with ten minutes intermission. This was also
an exciting game, the West dormitory trying to
hold the North down from scoring, but try as
hard as they might, the North dormitory scored
two touchdowns, but did not kick a goal, the
game ending with the score ten to nothing in the
North's favor.
Then came supper, which consisted of
bread, milk, and cup cakes. After supper the
fellows played around until half past seven, and
then went up to the assembly hall. Mr. Bradley
said there would be some boxing matches for
those who cared to box. Quite a lot of fellows
wanted to try their hand at it, and there were
some exciting exhibitions. This was the last
feature of the day, and we all went to bed feel-
ing that we had had a very pleasant Thanksgiv-
ing. William W. Foster.
Our Cbanks
Each year the boys are given an oppor-
tunity just before Thanksgiving to state their
.special reasons for thankfulness. The following
are some of their expressions: —
Tirst Class
Every year, around Thanksgiving time, each
fellow is given the opportunity to express en
paper his overflowing gratitude for all that is done
for him. 1, also, express my gratefulness, first to
God, who has so far laid a smooth path for me.
I am grateful for the moral education, as well as
the mental education I am getting at this School.
1 am thankful that my friends are all well.
These are only a few of the many things 1 am
grateful for. Paul H. Gardner.
One thing that 1 am thankful for is that I
can work on the farm, because it is healthy, and
1 am not doing the same thing all the time. I
am thankful that we have visiting days so that
my mother, brothers, and friends can come and
see me, and that we can play a couple of hours
every day, besides every Saturday afternoon.
Another thing which I am thankful for is that we
have a gymnasium and can use all the things
that are in it. Thomas H. Doty.
1 am thankful that 1 have some very good
friends and that they come to see me on visit-
ing days and write to me often. I am thankful
that 1 am a member of the first class, of the
boat crew, and am on the football team. I am
grateful that our class pins have come. I am
also grateful that 1 have a good bed to sleep on,
and that 1 sleep in the North dormitory and
receive the privileges that are given to the North
dormitory boys. I am thankful that my friends
are in good health and that 1 am also.
Harold L. Marshall.
1 am thankful that 1 am living and have
good health. 1 am thankful that we have visit-
ing days. 1 am grateful for what Mr. and Mrs.
Bradley and the instructors have done for me
since 1 have been at this School. 1 am thank-
ful for the good times 1 have had this last year.
Robert W. Gregory.
I am thankful that 1 am a pupil in this
School, and am receiving the excellent training
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
which this School gives. I am also extremely
grateful for the good advice given me, and the
preparation 1 am receiving to fight life's battles.
I am thankful for the many pleasures received
from our Managers. Superintendent, and others
who are interested in the School. I am thankful
that when I start out in life I will be better
prepared than the average boy, I am thank-
ful that my relatives and friends are getting
along fairly well, and are in good health.
Clarence M. Daniels.
Most everybody knows what it is to be
thankful. I do not think I realized what it was
to be thankful for what was being done for me
until I came to this School. It has been the
custom before Thanksgiving to write a thankful
article. I am glad to say I am thankful for a
great many things. First,' that my friends are
well and happy, and that 1 am in the best of care,
so that I may be able to help them when the
proper times comes. I am very thankful for
what is being done for me at this School. 1
hope that everybody is happy.
WiLLARD H. Perry.
Second €la$$
I am thankful that I exist. I am thankful
that I am in good health. I am thankful I have
a kind mother, and other good relatives and
friends. I am thankful I work in the printing-of-
fice, lam thankful 1 have a good home and
enough to eat. 1 am thankful we have a gym-
nasium in which I can play. I am thankful we
have a band. 1 am thankful I am having good
schooling. I am thankful there is a Farm and
Trades School and I am a pupil. 1 am thankful
there are all the buildings there are on our Island.
I am thankful for all the entertainments and other
good things the School has given me. I am
thankful 1 am in the second class.
William H. McCullagh.
1 am thankful because I am allowed to
write letters to my relatives and friends. Thank-
ful for the plain, hearty, wholesome, muscle and
brain-producing food that is given me. Thank-
ful for a warm place to sleep, a large, roomy,
warm sewing-room to sew in. Thankful because
1 am allowed to collect stamps, post cards, and
post marks. Thankful because I have the op-
portunity that thousands of boys all over this
country wish for. Thankful to become a good,
honest, upright citizen of the United States.
Edward M. Bickford.
As the days pass on to make a year I think
sometimes what I am thankful for. Many years
ago when the settlers came to this country, they
ill used some things — such as the forests. If
the forests had been saved then, many people who
live now, would be thankful. I am thankful for
the opportunity of living, and having the advan-
tages some do not have. I am thankful for my
friends, and that they are in good health. 1 am
thankful for my chance to learn and be taught
about agriculture, which I hope will be my ad-
vanced work in life. I am thankful that one of
my former pieces of work was learning how to
plow, along with many other useful things, which
will surely become useful to me later on.
Terrance L. Parker.
1 am thankful 1 am in good health, and have
not been sick this year. I am thankful that I
have a brother, two sisters, and a mother, and
that they are all well and in good health. 1 am
thankful for the good President that we have to
rule the United States. Elmer Bowers.
I am thankful that I have a mother, brother,
and sisters that are in good health, and are com-
fortable, and all are able to come and see my
brother and myself. I am thankful for the train-
ing and schooling I am getting, as well as for the
clothing and food that is given me. I am thank-
ful for all other things that are being done daily
for my relatives and myself.
Alfred W. Jacobs.
1 am thankful that I have a good home and
am learning a trade. I am grateful that I am
being educated in many ways. I am thankful that
I have a good aunt and uncle who write to me
often. I am thankful that 1 have a good bed to
sleep in and plenty of good wholesome food. I am
thankful that my health is good. I am thankful
for the opportunity that I have to make things in
the shop, out of wood. Spencer S. Profit.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbompson's Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 8.
December, 1908.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
VICE PRESIDENT
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin O. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley, - - - Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
Again Thanksgiving is with us. As we read
the thankful articles the boys of our School have
written we, also, hastily review the year and
dwell with grateful hearts on the many blessings
we have received.
There are three causes that we, as a
School, wish to publicly acknowledge. We are
thankful that Gov. Bradford obeyed the impulse
that prompted him to send four men "on fowl-
ing," so that they might, after a special man-
ner, rejoice together after they had gathered
the fruit of their labor. It was the result of this
one man's obedience to his sense of duty, ex-
ecuted by four others, that gives us the record
of the first American Thanksgiving now annual-
ly observed by us as a Christian nation.
The second cause for gratitude is the ex-
amples of those qualities that make for good cit-
izenship. Says a distinguished writer, — "Among
the remarkable qualities with which Providence
for its own wise ends seems to have endowed
the character of our ancestors, 1 know of none
more striking and admirable than their love of
order, and their submission to those just re-
straints whereby society is held together, per-
sonal security guarded, and public liberty pre-
served. . . . Before they left the ship they
projected, formed, and signed the first compact
for liberal government under equal laws of which
we have any record." They, our forefathers,
were submissive to authority.
Thoughtful men tell us that the greatest de-
fect of American character today is lack of rev-
erence for authority and that what we need is to
follow this example of the Puritans and the Pil-
grims, and gain as a nation, a new and effective
baptism of the spirit of submission and obedience
to laws for the general good. We need a greater
respect for authority in our homes, and in our
schools, in private, as well as public life.
The third cause for thankfulness is that the
Pilgrims so finely exemplified the truth that the
conquering of hardships is the course of true suc-
cess. We have a tendency towards making all
conditions too easy. The parent and the modern
teacher are in grave danger of making things too
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
easy for the child and allowing him to miss the
tonic of striving against unfavorable conditions,
and the satisfactory gain in the end. They, our
forefathers, schooled and prepared themselves
from the first to bear many adversities, and
divers kinds of trouble, knowing that it would
be well with them.
Especially for these three causes, — Gov.
Bradford's form of gratitude, our forefathers' ad-
herence to authority, and their braveness in
overcoming hardships, do we as a School re-
turn gratitude at this Thanksgiving season.
notes
Nov. 2. Fifty barrels cement came.
Nov. 3. Finished harvesting mangels.
Nov. 4. Harvested the turnips and beets.
Nov. 5. New bull came. ^
Several boys visited the dentist.
Nov. 6. Harvested corn fodder.
Nov. 8. Sunday. Rev. G. W. Solley ad-
dressed the boys.
Nov. 9. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
Outside of steamer cabin varnished.
Kate, the horse, humanely disposed of.
Nov. 10. Writing day.
George Racey Jordan entered the School.
Graduate Merton P. Ellis visited the School.
Warren Albert Twombiy returned to his
mother.
Rev. J.J. Lewis gave an illustrated talk on
"The Passion Play."
Twenty-five barrels of kerosene, two of gas-
oline, and ten tons of gluten and cotton-seed meal
came.
Nov. 1 1 . Concrete work for basement of
power house completed as far as capstone ele-
vation.
Nov. 12. Telephone installed in our locker
at City Point.
Tonnage and number cut in steamer "Pil-
grim's" timbers.
Nov. 13. Several boys visited dentist.
Nov. 14. Four boys went to the theatre.
Nov. 15. Sunday. Rev. James Huxtable
addressed the boys. Miss Cambridge sang, ac-
companied by Mrs. Porter.
Nov. 16. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
Fire extinguishers refilled, and fire pumps
overhauled.
Nov. 17. William George Beadle entered
the School.
Finished shingling roof over front wing of
main building.
Nov. 18. Put metal bow plates, and winter
sheathing on steamer "Pilgrim."
First class and advanced pupils entertained
by their teacher.
Nov. 19. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's. ^
Replaced spar buoy in channel off Head
House, City Point.
Nov. 20. Harvested celery.
Load of dressing from Walworth's.
Nov. 21. Two boys went to the theatre.
Six boys attended the Elmendorf lecture on
"Norway."
Window and door screens removed from
main building.
Zero-setting rain gage added to meteoro-
logical instruments.
Nov. 23. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
Nov. 24. Albert Leslie Allyn returned to
his guardian.
Small load of spruce and cypress lumber
from Freeport St.
Mr. C. S. Tenney gave raisins, nuts and
oranges for Thanksgiving, and Mr. William Flan-
ders, of Martin L. Hall Co., gave nuts, figs, and
raisins.
Nov. 26. Thanksgiving Day. Football
game in morning and afternoon, and boxing
matches in the evening.
Nov. 27. Rough day.
Sailboats and Lozier launch covered for
the winter.
A launch and rowboat cared for, and the
crews taken to City Point.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Three masted schooner, W. S. Perkins,
grounded on south end bar while being towed to
Dorchester by a tug.
Nov. 28. Graduate Frederick W. Mar-
shall visited the School.
Banked the root-cellar and hot-beds with
seaweed.
Several boys attended the Elmendorf lect-
ure on "Holland."
Nov. 30. Renewed riding cables for
steamer "Pilgrim."
Set out shrubs around the spring in Bow-
ditch Grove.
novcmbcr meteorology
Maximum temperature, 62 on the 4th.
Minimum temperature, 25" on the 16th.
Mean temperature for the month, 41.5".
Total' precipitation, .76 inches.
Greatest precipitation in 24 hours .32 inches
on the 15th.
4 clear days, 2 1 partly cloudy, 5 cloudy days.
Total number of hours sunshine, 150 and 10
minutes.
A Lunar corona observed on the 29th.
First snow of the season on the 17th.
ClK Tarm and trades ScDool Bank
Cash on hand November 1, 1908 $559.33
Deposited during the month 20.78
$580.11
Withdrawn during the month 80.38
Cash on hand December 1, 1908 $199.73
Cbird €la$$
I am thankful that 1 have a good mother
and other relatives. 1 am thankful that 1 can
get a good schooling. 1 am thankful that I have
to work so that when 1 start out in the world 1
will know how to use my hands and brain. 1 am
thankful that 1 have a chance to work in the shop
and on the farm, and around the yards, too,
making things look neat. For the playgrounds
and gymnasium. 1 am thankful that at night 1
am sure of a good bed, and that 1 am sure of
three meals a day. 1 am thankful that we have
a good Superintendent. 1 am thankful that we
have so many entertainments. I am thankful
that the dentist came down to look over and fix
our teeth. 1 am thankful that we have so many
privileges. If 1 were to write all 1 am thankful
for 1 should fill a book.
Ralph A. Whittemore.
1 am thankful that I can be about in the
beautiful sunshine, and that I can see the beau-
tiful birds and flowers. 1 am glad that I can
hear the birds sing, and the other things that
sound pleasing and make us happy. 1 am thank-
ful that my friends and relatives are all well. I
am grateful that 1 can get an education, and
learn the good things in life.
Dick W. Steenbruggen.
I am thankful that 1 am alive and well. 1
am thankful that I have a bed and my meals to
look fo ward to. 1 am thankful 1 have clothes to
wear, a chance to learn so many things, and a
gymnasium which furnishes so much fun. I am
thankful I have many friends and they are all well,
and for the privileges and good times I have. I
am thankful for the visiting days we have, the
library, and good Superintendent of this School.
Royal R. Ellison.
I am thankful that I came to this School to
learn so that 1 may be a successful man some
day, and go out into the world and make a good
living. I am thankful for the good food I get,
and thankful that 1 am getting on all right in my
studies, and 1 am more glad that 1 have a good
time here. I am thankful I have a good mother.
1 am thankful 1 have my health and strength.
Ralph A. Jones.
1 am thankful that I am in sloyd, as 1 can
learn to make different models, and learn how to
carve them, and 1 am grateful that I have
good relatives and friends, and that they got me
in a good school where trades of different kinds
can be learned, so that when I go out in the
world 1 will know something. 1 am thankful also
for the library, where many interesting books
are kept for the use of the boys. I am also
grateful for the gymnasium, where the boys have
a lot of fun in their play time. 1 am also grate-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
ful for the education that ^can be got here, and
also for the government of Cottage Row, which
will teach us to be desirable citizens.
Ernest M. Catton,
We all have many things to be thankful
for. I am thankful that I have health and
strength to do my daily work, and that I know
where my next bread is coming from. I am
thankful that I am in this School so that I will be
prepared for my work in the world when I get
through. Caleb B. Frye.
Tourtb Class
I am thankful that Thanksgiving and Christ-
mas are so near at hand, and that there are so
many good things in store for me and everybody
else. I am. thankful that I have a good mother,
brothers, and sisters, and also that I have other
good relatives. I am thankful that 1 am not in
the city with the bad boys so that my mother
would worry about me. 1 am thankful that God
has kept me alive and well, and that I am in a
good home. Oscar E. Neumann.
1 am thankful for this home and that I am
getting along so well. That I have relatives to
see me every visiting day. I am thankful that
I am treated well by all the instructors. I am.
thankful that it helps my mother while I am
here. And I will be thankful when I can help
her more. Harold L. Wynott.
I am thankful for my warm clothes. 1 am
thankful for this warm house to live in. I am
thankful for a bed to sleep in. 1 am thankful for
my food. I am thankful for the sunshine which
gives us light. I am thankful for my eyes to see
all the beautiful things of nature. I am thankful
for my hands that enable me to write this thankful
note. I am thankful for everything.
George R. Jordan.
I am thankful that I have a mother, brothers,
and sisters. I am thankful that they are well
and happy. 1 am thankful that I have plenty of
food and drink. I am thankful that I have a
good place to sleep. 1 am thankful that I am
well and that I am living at this day. I am thank-
ful that there is a school to go to to learn. I am
thankful that I have friends and playmates. 1
am thankful 1 am in this land. 1 am thankful
that I do not have to beg for my food, and that
I haven't got to sleep in a barrel, or under a tree.
William G. Beadle.
Tiftft Class
What I am thankful for is 1 am in such a
good place, for it is better than to grow up to be
of no use. I am also thankful that I have such
good health and I am able to work. I am thank-
ful for so many animals that are here. 1 think 1
will be all the more thankful after I have grad-
uated that 1 have been in such a good place.
Stanley B. Tisdale.
I am thankful that my mother, brother, and
sisters are well. 1 am thankful that 1 am getting
along well at the School. I am thankful that we
have such a nice Island. I am thankful we have
such a good Superintendent as Mr. Bradley. I
am thankful that 1 can go home and see my
mother awhile in the spring.
Edson M. Bemis.
The first thing 1 am thankful for is that 1
am at a place where I can get a good education
and be ready to go out in the world. I am
thankful for having a good mother, aunts, and
grandmother. I am thankful we get good whole-
some food. I am thankful for so much sunshine.
I am thankful for having Thanksgiving. I am
thankful for having a good Superintendent.
Harold D. Morse.
I am glad 1 am here at this School. 1 am
thankful for my clothes. I am glad to be here for
Thankgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. 1 am
thankful to work on the power house and on the
farm. John T. Slade.
1 am thankful for two good sisters, and a
father that 1 have. I am thankful because there
is one special day when we can give thanks to
God. I am thankful for the pleasures and visit-
ing days we have had. 1 am thankful for the food
I get. 1 am thankful for the good home I have,
and the good teacher. Edward M. Powers.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jflumtii
T. John Evans, '64, Secretary of Brock-
ton Shoe Manufacturers' Association for the
past six years, and the only man who has held
that office, has resigned and will take charge of
the office of the new George E. Keith Company's
factory at East Weymouth. His long experience
in the shoe business well fits him for the new po-
sition. As Secretary for the Shoe Manufac-
turers' Association, Mr. Evans has represented
his firms before the State Board of Arbitration
in all matters in which the companies and the
unions were involved, and this has been done
without a strike, and in a highly satisfactory
manner to all parties.
I. Banks Quinby, '06, is back from Willi-
mantic, Conn., where he went to play in an or-
chestra, and is again with the Reading Chronicle,
where he likes and is much liked. Banks also
plays in the Euterpe Orchestra of Reading.
Leon H. Quinby, '07, who was with Mr.
T. L. Kinney of South Hero, Vt., is now living
with his sister in Sanbornville, N. H., and attend-
ing high school. He is very happy and has a
good chance. John Herbert M. Nelson took
Leon's place at Mr. Kinney's.
Cbc Passion Play
Tuesday, November 10, we had the pleasure
of hearing Rev. J.J. Lewis tell us about his trip
to Oberammergau. He showed us pictures of
the village, and of the Passion Play. This is a
religious play given every ten years and is a rep-
resentation of the suffering of Jesus. The first
pictures he showed us were of the houses and
some of the people that took part in the Passion
Play. He showed us pictures of where Jesus
was going into Jerusalem, and also many other
scenes of the last week of Christ's life on the
earth. We saw a picture of Jesus and His Dis-
ciples at the feast of the Last Passover. It
was a most excellent lecture, and we enjoyed it
immensely. Laurence C. Silver.
€lmendorf Cecture
One Saturday afternoon six boys went over
town to hear an illustrated lecture on Holland,
given by Mr. Elmendorf. Among the many in-
teresting views shown were, a map of Holland,
the wharf at Rotterdam, and a picture of a tab-
let in a Baptist Church commemmorating the
day the Pilgrims sailed for America. Views of
some of the native sports were seen, as well as
what seems to us a queer mode of dressing.
We enjoyed this lecture very much, and at the
conclusion we left for home arriving at about six
o'clock. William M. Marshall.
J\ Schooner
On November 27, a three masted schooner
grounded on the bar at the south end of our
Island while being towed to Dorchester. A
small tug was towing it, and it grounded shortly
after two o'clock in the afternoon. The tug tried
to pull it off but without success. The name of
the schooner was "W. S. Perkins." When the
tide went out it was left high and dry on the bar.
The next morning some of the fellows went over
and had a look at it. The schooner was finally
pulled off after being aground two days, and
towed to its destination by two tugs.
Clarence S. Nelson.
Part Of the Ritcbcn Work
Every noon, after dinner, we kitchen boys
go out to the kitchen and start our work. We
wash all the dishes we can and scrub the meat
boards, and that leaves one of the tables clear
of everything. Then the food is brought up from
the instructors' dining-room and is put on one of
the tables in the kitchen. When all the food is
brought up from the lower dining-rooms, Roy
Upham and Frank Mills take the food around to
the front store room and bring up the dirty dishes
to be washed. Then that table is scrubbed.
About two o'clock 1 dump one of the fires so that
the stove will cool off a little. When it has
cooled off enough I get the brush, pail, soap,
cloth, and hot water, and wash the top of the
stove, and the sides, and then put the things away.
1 next build the fire. I get the wood, shavings,
and coal. I put the shavings in first, and the
wood next, and then the coal. Then I light
the shavings and see that it doesn't smoke.
The last thing that is done is the scrubbing of
the floor. Alonzo B. James.
TH0MP30]
IkSIvAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 9. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. January, 1909
Entered November 23. 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
€bri$tma$ Day
Christmas morning came with a great deal
of cheer and happiness here on our Island.
Everybody was wishing everybody else a "Merry
Christmas." After breakfast some of the fellows
went skating until it was time to go to assembly
hall for the distribution of packages from home,
and the presents given to each of the fellows,
from the School, and a box of Lowney's choco-
lates from Mr. Richard Bell. The fellows all
enjoyed themselves looking over their presents
until time for dinner. Some of the presents
were as follows:— sleds, knives, tools, neckties,
harmonicas, books, handkerchiefs, sweaters,
shaving outfits, gloves, games, candy and nuts.
In the front of the assembly hall was an
elevated platform, and on it were Christmas trees
situated along the sides and back, and in one
corner was a log cabin with holly growing by it.
While the distribution of presents was going on
a clown came out and did some feats in juggling
that were quite interesting.
After our Christmas dinner the boys went
skating again until three o'clock. Then we tidied
up for a vaudeville show which was provided
by Mr, Adams. When we were all gathered in
assembly hall Mr. Adams awarded the agricul-
ture prizes which he gives each year. The first
prizes of five dollars each were awarded to
Terrance L. Parker and John H. Marshall. The
second prizes of three dollars each to William B.
Laing and James Clifford, and the third, of two
dollars each, was given to Bernhardt Gerecke
and William M. Marshall. These prizes were
given to fellows in the School. The next prizes
of five dollars each were given to boys who have
left the School and are showing a great deal of
interest in their work on farms. Their names
were C. Ernest Nichols, C. Archie Graves,
Joseph Keller, and J. Herbert M. Nelson.
In the show which followed, there was clog
dancing, singing and acrobatic tumbling. There
were two boys who took part in this last one, a
little fellow who did a great deal of the tumbling,
and a larger fellow who threw him. At the con-
clusion of the show, there was a sketch in which
a man and woman took the parts of two people
who had, first, no turkey for Christmas, then two
turkeys, then none, and finally one which they
kept. Harold L. Marshall.
B Successful fair
Friday evening, December eleventh, we had
the big fair which the fellows had looked forward
to. The instructors provided the fair for the
benefit of the fellows, and the money that was
made will be used in providing an entertainment
of some kind, the nature of which, will be decided
by the fellows themselves, as they have the priv-
ilege of voting for what they think will give them
the most enjoyment, and we are all wondering
what it will be. The articles, which comprised
about everything from a popcorn ball to a shawl,
were sold, and they were not too expensive for
the fellows to buy and send away for Christmas
presents to their friends. Everyone who at-
tended voted the fair a success, and it is re-
ported, the sum of $83.86 was realized. Quite
a number of interesting and amusing things were
seen, which will be described elsewhere in this
issue of the Beacon. James R. Gregory.
6ettitid Ready for the Tair
One night a few other fellows and 1 had the
pleasure of helping Miss Ferguson and Miss
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Stratton make popcorn balls and candy for the
fair. First, we put together the candy boxes,
which were made of cardboard covered with
pictures and Mother Goose rhymes. We filled
forty-five of them with candy that was already
made. Miss Stratton had charge of the corn-
balls with three fellows popping the corn, and
three making the balls, while Miss Ferguson had
another fellow and me help her make the candy.
First we shelled peanuts and made peanut candy,
then we had to make plain fudge. This was
very easy so I could make some alone. The
way we made it was to put four cups of sugar to
two cups of milk, two squares of sweet chocolate
and some butter. To find out when it was done
we tested it in a cup of cold water. When it was
just right we took it off the stove and added one
and one-half teaspoonfuls of vanilla and stirred
it until it became thick, then put it into pans,
and put it out of doors to cool. While we were
making this much again, the other would be pretty
well hardened. After the candy was good and
hard we cut it up and put it into boxes.
The cornballs were being made as fast as
the candy. White sugar and molasses was
boiled until it would thread. While three were
popping the corn the rest picked out "old maids."
When a large pan full of corn was ready the
molasses was poured over it and some began to
make balls while two fellows wrapped them up in
paraffine paper. We all took great pleasure in
testing the candy and cornballs as well as making
them. As it was getting late, all the fellows
went to bed but three of us who stayed to clean
up. We cleaned off the stove, swept the floor,
and washed all the dishes and pans. In all there
were one hundred and fifteen boxes of candy, and
two hundred and fifty cornballs ready to be sold
at the fair. We all enjoyed the evening very
much and hope to have a chance at the same
work again. George J. Balch.
Decorations and music at the Tair
Assembly hall was decorated for the fair
with the national colors, and navy blue and old
gold, colors of the School. The wide bunting
with red and white stripes on the outer egdes,
and a central stripe of blue with white stars, was
hung around the top of the hall and came toward
the middle from the center of the sides, dividing
the ceiling into four parts and coming in the cen-
ter to form a canopy for the fancy table. At
either end of the table was a national flag on a
stand. The School's colors were looped all
around the walls of the room. The different
tables were also decorated. The fancy table
was decorated with red, white and blue bunting.
The pennant table was decorated with white and
navy blue bunting with a large knot of old gold.
The candy table had blue bunting draped with
old gold bunting looped and knotted at intervals.
The table for the old man was all draped in red.
Where the squash was placed was decorated in
white. The decorations looked very pretty.
During the fair the School's band furnished
music. We also had two graphophones going.
At the end we danced. Mrs. Bradley played the
piano so the band fellows could dance.
Robert R. Matthews.
cne oia man
A few days before the fair we were sur-
prised to see signs on yellow cardboard posted
up in different parts of the house. Some were
printed "Visit David," "Oh! Whiskers," "Pull
'em Quick," "Pull 'em Good," "Visit the Old
Man of the Island," "Blue 5c," "Yellow 10c,"
"Pull for a Prize," "Pull 'em Often," "5c and
10c a Pull," and "Pull Whiskers." Some of
these were on blue cardboard, and were alter-
nated with those on the yellow cardboard and
made into banners and hung around to advertise
the old man. These were auctioned off during
the fair and brought quite a sum. When we en-
tered the hall, on one side we saw a head painted
to look like an old man. The whiskers were
made from narrow strips of blue and yellow
paper and each one was numbered. When a
fellow pulled a whisker he told Mr. Miller, and
then went to either Miss Brewster or Miss Gor-
don after a prize. Harold W. Smyth.
Pennants
One of the most attractive things at the fair
was the pennant table, where School pennants
were sold by Mr. Ekegren and Miss Pierce. It
was situated in one corner of the hall. The pen-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
nants were pinned upon three screens and also laid
on the table. The first thing the fellows bought
were the pennants. The largest of them were
made of navy blue felt and had old gold F. T. S.
letters on them. These cost fifty cents and the
staff five cents. The small pennants cost
twenty-five cents. The pennants of the E. P. A.
were red with white letters and blue ends, while
others were blue with white letters and red ends.
They sold for twenty-five cents. The armbands
were navy blue with old gold F. T. S. letters on
them, and cost fifteen cents. The pennants went
very fast and many more could have been sold.
Edward H. Deane.
Cbc $qua$l) Contest
In one corner of assembly hall, there was
a squash, that most of the fellows called a
"freak" because they had never seen one of such
a color before. In back of the squash was a pil-
low of navy blue felt which had the letters F. T. S.
embroidered in old gold. The one who came the
nearest to guessing how many seeds there were
in the squash would get the pillow. In order to
have a guess you had to pay one cent. Some
of the instructors paid ten or fifteen cents.
After all had guessed the seeds were counted and
Mr. Bradley read off how many seeds there were
and who guessed the nearest to the correct num-
ber. There were six hundred eighty-seven, and
Ralph Whittemore guessed six hundred ninety-
nine. His guess was the nearest so he got the
pillow. Stephen Eaton.
Rebecca at the lUell
One of the attractions at the fair, was an old-
fashioned well, and a well sweep from which was
suspended a bucket. The well stood in one cor-
ner of the hall. It was about three feet square
and about three feet high, and was made of slabs.
The punch was made of lemonade and grape
juice. Miss Ferguson was Rebecca. She was
dressed in an oriental dress of blue and white,
with her hair in braids. The punch was sold by
Miss Ferguson and Mr. Kibby for two cents a
glass. The cornballs and candy made the fel-
lows thirsty, so the well was well patronized.
Harold Y. Jacobs.
Che Taney Cable
As we entered assembly hall, on the night of
the fair, the first thing we noticed was the gaily
draped fancy table in the center of the room.
Around it stood Mrs. Dix, Miss Walton, Miss
Balch, and Mr. Thomas, who were selling the
articles. On the table were things for sale that
the instructors had made, such as handkerchiefs,
aprons, neckties, etc.; also many fancy articles
that came from the city, such as bags, pin-
cushions, and other things. Elmer Bowers.
Che Candy Cable
The candy table was located on the area
side of the assembly hall. A few days before the
fair, anyone passing through the kitchen would
smell the fudge and popcorn. The fudge was put
in little boxes covered with pictures and Mother
Goose rhymes. This table was the chief one of
interest and quite a crowd was there all the time.
The cornballs were made of popcorn, molasses
and sugar boiled until hard, and then made into
balls and wrapped up in paper. The fudge was ten
cents a box, and cornballs one cent apiece. All
the candy and popcorn balls were sold, and more
could have been sold. Alfred W. Jacobs.
J\ fortune Celler
One of the enjoyable things at the fair was
to visit "Madam Zorah," a lady who told for-
tunes. To have our fortune told we had to pay
the small sum of two cents. Every boy that
cared about it, and that had a chance to see the
fortune teller, did so. She was seated behind
screens so that none could see except the one
whose fortune was being told. She had a pack
of playing cards that she would shuffle before
she began, and she told the past, present, and
future. Miss Lilla Elizabeth Kelley did this.
James L. Joyce.
Storm mindows
Every fall the storm windows are taken from
the west loft and brought down to the wash-
room, where they are washed, after which they
are put on to the windows most exposed to the
weather. In winter, the most severe winds are
from the North, Northwest, and West.
Frank H. Machon.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cboinp$on'$ Tsland Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 9.
January, 1909.
Subscription Price - 50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin 0. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
Confidence in a person may be likened to
the main spring of a watch. The main spring is
the most vital part of the watch, without which
it would be practically useless as a time keeper.
It must be perfect, and unbroken, and so ad-
justed as to work harmoniously with every other
part of the watch; and likewise a person In whom
no confidence can be placed is as helpless as a
ship in a turbulent sea with neither sails nor rud-
der to guide it, insofar as being able to gain and
maintain a position in life such as only comes to
those whose every act has been so molded as to
merit the confidence and respect of their busi-
ness associates, employers, friends or neighbors.
Lost confidence should be abhorred by all
well-meaning people, and the old adage — "What
is worth doing at all, is worth doing well"— should
be always paramount, for with such a determin-
ation, success is bound to come, and with success
respect is bound to come too. The failures seen
as one goes about can be traced more or less
directly to a careless, indolent person, whose
only aim or wish is to see not how much, but
how little can be done in a given time. Such
tactics are equivalent to a sly, deceitful, under-
handed method of pilfering, when pay is taken
for work that has never been done, but purposely
neglected with the intention of deceiving, and
getting something unjustly deserved. The one
who thinks he is the smart one and is contin-
ually trying to deceive someone, is the real fool
indeed, for, sooner or later, a bomb will explode,
so to speak, and he will find himself buffetted
about in the storm of a general shake-up in the
working force, and some industrious fellow, who
has been a conscientious worker, pushed ahead
with increased pay, while he joins the ranks of
the unemployed, and frets and fumes about in-
justice and an ungrateful employer.
Confidence when once lost can never be re-
gained, no matter what one's position is in life,
nor where located. It is what seem to be the
small things in life that are eventually the
really great ones. Therefore, it behooves every-
one to be on the watch, and help themselves by
helping others. Neither success nor prosperity
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
can be received without being created. It is
upon the efforts of the faithful workers whose
whole hearts and souls are in their work that
comes the burden of supporting the indolent and
shiftless, unappreciative class of ingrates. It is
a pity, indeed, that such facts can be chronicled,
and with no apparent effort on the part of the re-
cipients of such consideration to benefit their
condition, nor willing to contribute their share
to the well-being of the community.
Deceitfulness, and a shirking of what is
justly expected from one, are the quickest roads
to failure and lost confidence. A knowing dis-
regard of instructions and directions for per-
forming a given duty is another direct road to an
unsuccessful career. It is being demonstrated
more and more every day, that the ones who do
things, under any and all circumstances, whether
some one is watching their every movement or
not, are the ones who reach the front rank of
success, and have the confidence of the people
at large. Dishonesty, deceitfulness, laziness,
and an ungrateful spirit, are closely related and
inseparable, and when one is inculcated, the
others fall in line with the regularity of a well-
drilled body of soldiers.
notes
Dec. 1. Killed a pig and bull.
50 barrels of cement came.
Mr. Richard Humphreys gave an illustrated
talk on his trip to Africa.
Dec. 2. Pulled the parsnips.
Dec. 3. Harvested the cabbages.
Seven boys visited the dentist.
Dec. 4. Play, "Belle, the Typewriter Girl."
given by the boys.
Dec. 8. George Homer Appel, and Arthur
Gardiner Appel entered the School.
Small load of spruce, and some spruce slabs
from Freeport Street.
Dec. 9. Banked hotbeds with seaweed.
Henry George Eckman left the School.
Usual Christmas box of Lowney's choco-
lates came for the boys and instructors, from Mr.
Richard Bell.
Musical entertainment by Mr. Clarence
Humphreys and friends.
Dec. to. Graduates C. Alfred Malm and
Merton P. Ellis visited the School.
Dec. 11, Made 20 trespass sign boards.
Made a few repairs on rowboat "Standish."
Fair given by instructors for the pleasure
and benefit of the boys.
Completed six horses and ladders for Mass-
achusetts Humane Society.
Dec. 12. Moved hose house to temporary
location.
Treasurer Arthur Adams visited the School.
Dec. 14. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
Dec. 15. Began top dressing.
Covered the strawberry plants.
Pumped out City Point landing float.
Dec. 16. Moved ladder house to tempor-
ary location.
Magazines received from Miss Lilla Eliza-
beth Kelley.
Dec, 17. Placed horses and ladders on
the bank of the Charles River for Massachu-
setts Humane Society.
Dec. 19. Decorated chapel for Christmas
concert.
Branch and gate for power-house water
supply installed on main pipe line.
Dec. 20. Sunday. Christmas concert,
Dec. 21, Killed a pig.
Load of spruce boards and matched planks
from Freeport Street,
Louis Clifton Darling left the School to
work for Martin L, Hall Co,, Boston,
Dec, 22. Fifty barrels of cement came.
Dec. 23. Fall term of school closed.
First skating of the season.
Set hydrant houses to protect hydrants from
freezing.
Dec. 25. Christmas, Awarding of the
Adams Agriculture prizes.
Usual distribution of gifts in the morning,
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
and in the afternoon, entertainment provided by
Treasurer Arthur Adams.
Dec. 28. Set out Christmas trees around
walks and buildings, for protection and ornament.
Load of dressing from Walworth's.
Dec. 30. Through the kindness of Mr.
Bayard Thayer, thirty-three boys attended the
Sportsman's show, and all are to do so.
Dec. 31. Rowboat "Standish" painted.
Thirty-three more boys visited the Sports-
man's show.
Deccmi^r meteorology
Maximum temperature 64" on the 1st.
Minimum temperature 1 1 ° on the 6th.
Mean temperature for the month 32.2°.
Total precipitation 1 .44 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours,
.42 inches on the 8th.
9 days with .01 or more inches precipitation.
3 clear days, 23 partly cloudy, 5 cloudy days.
Total number of hours sunshine 127 and 10
minutes.
Monthly snowfall 2.50 inches,
Che Tdrtti and trades School Bank
Cash on hand December 1, 1908 $499.73
Deposited during the month 89.40
$589.13
Withdrawn during the month 109.46
Cash on hand January, 1, 1909 $479.67
ClK Christmas Concert
The fellows gathered in assembly hall the
Sunday before Christmas to have a Christmas
concert. Twenty-one fellows spoke pieces, the
choir gave a number of selections, and two boys
sang a song, the choir joining in the chorus.
The selection the fellows liked the best was the
one given by George R. Jordan and John O. En-
right — "A Plan That Failed." One of them was
Santa Claus and the other boy represented a
fellow who hung up an extra large stocking to get
more presents, but the plan failed. Another one
was "Through the Telephone," by Dick W.
Steenbruggen. Here a boy telephoned to the
North Pole and found out that Santa Glaus was
on his way to the Island. Another prominent
feature was "The Signals." Seven boys had
signals and after each one of them told the
meaning of his signal, Thomas Games hoisted
them up on a flag staff. Mrs. Dix then sang
"A Lullaby," the choir joining in the chorus.
Mr. Bradley and Mr. Thomas made remarks on
Christmas.
Song . - - . Choir
"Glory in the Highest"
Address of Welcome Clarence M. Daniels
Responsive Reading
Leader, Paul H. Gardner
Song Fred'k Hynes, Dana Osborne and Choir
"Hail the Day"
Recitation - - Carl D. Hynes
"A Recipe for Christmas Cheer"
Recitation - William M. Marshall
"Santa Glaus' Names"
Song - - - - Choir
"Bethlehem Star"
Recitation - - LeRoy B. Huey
"Alaska Christmas Candles"
Recitation - Terrance L. Parker
"The Carving of Fra Bernardo"
Song _ - - - Choir
"The Shepherds"
Recitation - Dick W. Steenbruggen
"Through the Telephone"
Exercise George R. Jordan and John 0. Enright
"A Plan that Failed"
Song - - - - Choir
"Swing Christmas Bells"
Recitation - - William E. Rowel!
"Christmas in Sweden"
Recitation - - George J. Balch
"The Silent Guide"
Song - ■; - - Choir
"0 Chime Again"
Recitation - - Laurence C. Silver
"Just in the Place Where We Live"
Recitation - Edward M. Bickford
"What Happened on Christmas Day"
Song - - - - Choir
"Blest Mom, We Hail Thee"
Recitation - Ralph A. Whittemore
"Christmas Tokens"
Exercise . . - Class
"The Signals"
Song - - - - Choir
"O. Peal Your Merry Chimes"
Remarks - - - Mr. Thomas
Song - - Mrs. Dix and Choir
"A Lullaby"
Remarks - - - Mr. Bradley
William H. McCullagh.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Bclk, the typewriter 6irl
One of the most interesting entertainments
we have had this winter was a play in five acts
given by some of the fellows. The first Friday
in December the play came off. On that even-
ing we all entered assembly hall and were con-
ducted to reserved seats by ushers, and at eight
o'clock the play began. The players were: —
John Randall - - George J. Balch
A returned diamond miner from Africa
Simon Morgan - Clarence M. Daniels
A banker and broker
Ralph Morgan - - Paul H. Gardner
His son
Edward Blake - - Willard H. Perry
Morgan's chief clerk
Abe Cohen - - Terrance L. Parker
With a gold mine to sell
Belle Randall - Louis C. Darling
The miner's daughter
Julia Randall - - Frederick J. Wilson
The miner's wife
Between the acts we enjoyed music, refresh-
ments were sold, and between acts three and four,
a sketch entitled "Words to the Wise," was given
by Frederick J. Barton. Percy Smith.
Sale of Cickets
Assembly hall, where "Belle, the Typewriter
Girl was given, was divided into sections, A, B,
C, and D. At one in the afternoon, the day be-
fore the show was given, the fellows lined up in the
reading-room to get their tickets. Everyone was
trying to get a good seat. Some fellows got good
ones, and some not so good. The tickets con-
formed to the sections and numbers on the set-
tees. We filed to a table, and Louis Darling
sold the tickets. The tickets were 5 cents, and
10 cents for those over 20 years.
Herbert H. Kenney.
Sportsman's Show
We had the privilege of attending the Sports-
man's Show this year as we havehad in previous
years. We left the Island at nine o'clock in the
morning arriving there about ten. The fellows
went in three different groups. The first group
attended on Wednesday, and the last on Friday.
As we entered the building the first things that
met our gaze were large cages divided into sec-
tions containing pheasants and grouse. In the
middle of the building was a large pond where
water birds were kept. As we proceeded we
came to where the game animals were kept, such
as moose, elk, raccoons, rabbits, deer, a Rus-
sian wild boar, and some squirrels. The gun
case was another place of attraction. Here were
kept the different models of guns, such as differ-
ent sizes of Colt revolvers, rifles, doudle-barreled
shotguns, triple-barreled shotguns, etc. In the
back part of the hall was a large tank of water
where the aquatic sports took place, such as div-
ing through a hoop, a tub race, a relay race, fancy
diving, swimming races, etc. While these were
going on the Salem Cadet Band was playing.
Down stairs was the shooting gallery where the
men were trying their skill. On the second floor
was an exhibit of the sub-target gun. This is
used in armies and navies for practice. Oppo-
site this was the bowling alley. We left the
building about three forty-five, arriving at the
landing about four-thirty, having had a fine time,
for which we are indebted to Mr. Bayard Thayer.
George A. Matthews.
Ceaf mould
In the rear of the storage barn is a bin that
has lately been rebuilt. In this bin leaves are put
that the fellows have picked up on the lawns,
under the trees, on the back road, and various
places to form leaf mould. Leaf mould is formed
by time and weather. It is composed of nitrogen,
hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. It is called
"humus." Humus gives a dark brown or blackish
color to the soil. This is very good for trees
and sandy soil. Stanley B. Tisdale.
Gatberiiid Drift Ulooa
One afternoon another boy and I, with one
of the farm instructors, went around the Island
picking up drift-wood. One boy drove the double-
horse team while the instructor and 1 threw the
wood into the cart. We got four or five loads
that afternoon, which were taken to the wood-
pile. After we got our last load, and had emptied
it, the instructor cleaned out the cart and went
down to the wharf after freight, while the other
boy and 1 bedded the stalls of the gray team.
Edric B. Blakemore.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Fred P. Thayer, '04, is with T. W. Ripley
& Co., printers, where he went to work on leav-
ing the School. Fred writes an ambitious and
hopeful letter, and expresses his determination to
thoroughly understand the printing business.
Geo. 1. Leighton, '04, writes to wish us a
"Happy New Year," and to add two more years
to his subscription to the Beacon. George is still
working for the Boston Counter Co., having been
employed there since leaving us.
Ernest Nichols, '07, works for Mr.
Arthur M. Vaughan, of Randolph, Vermont.
Mr. Vaughan is State Forester of Vermont, and
was for some years instructor in agriculture at
this School. Ernest attends, the high school,
and is happy to be able to continue his studies.
T. Chapel Wright, '08 sends an interest-
ing letter from Three Lakes, P. Q., where he is
living on a farm with his mother and step-father.
He, and his brother Clifton, are helping to build
a log house. Clifton hopes to visit the School
next summer.
J\ musical etttcrtainment
V/ednesday, December nineth, Mr. Richard
C. Humphreys provided a musical entertainment
for us. These people contributed to our pleas-
ure:— Miss Charlotte D. Pope, Soprano; Mr. A.
S. Nye, Baritone; Mr. C. B. Humphreys, Pianist;
and Miss Margaret Langtry, Violin, accompanied
by Miss Gertrude Belcher. Mr. Humphreys
began by playing a piece on the piano. Then
Mr. Nye sang. Miss Pope sang in Italian, which
sounded very funny, and then she sang two
Stevenson songs. Miss Langtry played a piece
entitled "Perpetual Motion." It was very quick
and pretty. The fellows clapped a long while
and she played it over again. We heard some
fine duets by Miss Pope and Mr. Nye, and a
number of selections by Miss Langtry, and Mr.
Humphreys. We went to bed thankful for hav-
ing heard such good music.
Frederick J. Barton.
B €ban9c of Classes and mork
On December eleventh, the first and third
classes changed sessions. The first class is
having the forenoon session, while the third class
attends school in the afternoon. I am glad the
first class has the morning session because we
had to work by lamp light the latter part of the
afternoon. The classes were changed so as to
have a larger squad of fellows on the farm morn-
ings. A change of classes made it necessary to
change their work. When we came out of the
dining-room the morning of the change, the third
class fellows who were to work in the morning
were told where they were to work until further
notice. The first class were told at one o'clock
where they were to work.
Frederick J. Wilson.
£ccturc on a Crip to jFffrica
Mr. Richard C. Humphreys recently gave a
stereopticon lecture on his trip to Northern
Africa and the Mediterranean, and including the
Azores, Gibralter, Morocco, Algeria, Tripoli,
Tunis, Crete, Malta, Sicily, and Italy. Mr,
Humphreys first showed a view of the Azores
landing, the Battle of Flowers, and then a beauti-
ful view of Gibralter and the Rock itself. Other
pictures following were of an Arab, who was Mr.
Humphrey's guide, an Arab on a camel, a lion of
the desert, Arabs in camp with their camels,
a wharf in Tunis, which was made of cork, the
chapel of bones in Malta, a view of a city after
a volcanic eruption, Mt. Etna, Mt. Vesuvius, and
a great many others. After the lecture Mr.
Humphreys asked if anyone would like to ask
any questions. A few were asked and answered,
then some souvenirs of his trip were shown.
Mr. Humphreys was thanked for his very inter-
esting lecture. Edward M. Bickford.
milkind
Every morning, at quarter of five, the
watchman awakens the milkers. After we wash,
we go to the barn, take our stools and pails, and
milk our regular cows. Each milker has five or
six cows to milk. When we get through milking
one cow, we weigh the milk and write the amount
on the milk report. A pound is one pint. We get
through milking about quarter past six every morn-
ing. In the afternoon, as soon as school is dis-
missed at five o'clock, we milk again. We finish
at about quaiter of six. 1 like milking very
much. John H. Marshall.
THOMPSON^ I3IyAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 10. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass. February, 1909
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
Our Tariti macbines
On our farm we have a number of farm
machines that help us do our work. In the
spring or fall the land is plowed, harrowed, and
fertilized. For this purpose we use the plows,
harrows, and the manure-spreader to spread the
manure. In summer time the vegetables that
are planted have to be cultivated, hoed, weeded,
and fertilized. In planting our corn we use the
corn-planter. The corn and fertilizer are put
in the machine and then a horse draws it along
and the wheels go around to plant the corn.
Then a big wheel turns to cover it over. In
weeding this corn we have a weeder with teeth
similar to a horse-rake. It is called the "Star
Weeder." A horse hauls it along and a boy
guides it. It weeds a number of rows at a time.
In June, when the hay and weather are
right, we begin our haying season. In haying,
first of all we use the "Walter A. Wood"
mowing-machine to mow with. The tedder kicks
up the hay and turns it over to dry. When it is
dry the hay-rake rakes it up and it is hauled to
the barn in a hay-rack. After the haying sea-
son is over the apples begin to get ripe. We
have a cider-mill to help us make our cider. It
consists of a frame work and trough to put the
apples in, then a wheel is turned and the apples
are crushed and then pressed, the juice running
into a pail. Our corn is husked and the stalks
used as cut feed for the cattle. We have
a horse-power and cutter, that cuts the corn
stalks for this purpose. The cobs with the
kernels on them are put in a machine which is
called the corn-sheller. This machine shells
the corn.
When mangels are ready to be pulled, we
gather them in and grind them for the cattle.
The grinding is done by a vegetable grinder.
The mangels are put in and the wheel is turned.
This turns a roller which has spikes on it. The
mangels go between the rollers and are crushed
and ready to be fed to the cattle.
In grading land we first use picks and
shovels, and a horse scraper. After it is leveled
off we have a two-horse roller that rolls the land
and makes it ready for grass seed or whatever
is going to be done with it. When we sow
grass seed we have a little machine which can
be strapped around the waist. We fill it with
grass seed and turn the main wheel which turns
two cog-wheels that turn the sifter that the seed
is in. It sifts the seeds out on the ground.
Our farm machines are kept clean and are
always to be found in the barns when not in use.
They are good helpers and we could not get
along very well without them.
Theodore M. Fuller.
6etrind Beacons Rcaay
Every month when the Beacons are printed
it is the office-boys' work to get them ready to
go to the subscribers. We put the address on
the wrappers, which is done by a machine that
puts paste on the back side of the addresses,
cuts them off, and pastes them on wrappers.
After this is done the Beacons are folded once,
and while one of us is doing this the other puts
the wrappers around. This is done partly by
machine and partly by hand. In the machine
there is a board about the size of the wrappers,
and on the front edge of this board is a groove
with small holes in the bottom to let out the
paste. Half way down on the board there are
two pieces of iron to keep the wrappers in place.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
We then take a Beacon, fold the wrapper around
twice, then pull the wrapper out from under the
groove, which will have paste on the edge, and
paste it down. After they are wrapped they are
stamped. The postage on the Beacons that go
outside of Boston is paid for by the pound. We
have about thirteen hundred subscribers.
John Le Strange.
Cbe Dm Box
A box has been made in which the
steamer's stern and bow lights and the two side
lights which are used at night are kept. This
box is lined inside with zinc. It is made of
white pine three-fourths of an inch thick. The
cover is cased with canvas so water will not get
in. On the ends are handles. This box is kept
on the stern deck. There were two ring-bolts
put in the deck about one-half foot from each
end of the box, which is lashed to the deck of
the steamer. The box is painted a buff color.
Warren J. Barter.
Cottage Kow Election
The quarterly election of Cottage Row
Government was held Thursday evening, January
fourteenth, in the first and second school-rooms.
The meeting came to order and the Mayor,
Percy Smith, appointed for tellers Robert May,
Frederick Wilson, and George Balch. We at
once gave out the ballots. The shareholders
voted first. They can vote for every office, and
the non-shareholders can vote for all but as-
sessor. After the election was over, the last
term's officers were requested to hand in their
badges. After the others went to bed, the tellers
counted the votes. The following officials were
declared elected: — Mayor, Willard Perry; Share-
holding Aldermen, Alonzo James, Christian
Field, and Harold Silver. Non-Shareholding
Aldermen, Edward Deane and Alfred Jacobs;
Treasurer, Stephen Eaton; Assessor, Ralph
Whitternore. George J. Balch.
Conduct Prizes
January fifteenth, conduct prizes were given
to the boys who had had the least number
of marks for the preceding six months. Man-
ager Francis Shaw, gives, twice a year, twenty-
five dollars which is divided into ten money
prizes, for conduct, the first being five dol-
lars and the last one dollar. Temple consolation
prizes are given by President Alfred Bowditch,
of our Board of Managers, which consist of
five books. The following named boys re-
ceived the Shaw prizes: — James Clifford $5.00,
Clarence S. Nelson $3.25, Earle C. Marshall
$3.00, Frank H. Machon $2.75, Herbert H.
Kenney $2.50, Harold L. Marshall $2.25, Alfred
W.Jacobs $2.00, Percy Smith $1.75, Robert
H. May $1.50, and Harold N. Silver $1.00.
The Temple consolation prizes were given to
Ralph H. Marshall, Thomas Carnes, Louis M.
Reinhard, Prescott B. Merrifield, and Robert R.
Matthews. Harold W. Smyth, Royal R. Ellison,
John 0. Enright, LeRoy B. Huey, and Joseph A.
Kalberg received honorable mention.
Robert R. Matthews.
B Peitorating Jlttacbment
A perforating attachment has been added to
the other attachments for our "Sterling" ma-
chine in the printing-office. It is very simple to
operate, and extremely useful. The perforator
itself is a box-like affair, about three by twelve
inches, and is screwed on to a table which is
twenty by twenty-one inches, and the table is fas-
tened to the "Sterling" with a screw, while the
perforator is connected to the driving-rod by an
L shaped cam which operates the lever upon
which the perforating punches are fastened, giv-
ing it a sheer-like movement. The length of the
perforating bar limits a single perforation to ten
inches in length, but by reversing the sheet, and
making a second perforation, any length up to
twenty inches may be obtained, and from one to
four sheets may be perforated at a time if the
paper is not too thick. There are fifteen punches
to the inch. There are also adjustable guides
which can be set for different sizes of paper.
Earle C. Marshall.
meatber Signals
Our weather signal-flags are furnished by the
United States government and are the same as
are used all over the country. They are displayed
at the observatory. A white flag indicates fair
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
weather and stationary temperature. A blue
flag indicates rain or snow. A half white flag
and the other half blue indicates local rain or
snow. A white flag with a black pennant above it
indicates fair, and warmer weather. A white
flag with a black pennant below it indicates fair
and colder weather. A blue flag with a black pen-
nant above it indicates rain or snow and warmer
weather. A blue flag with a black pennant below
it indicates rain or snow and colder weather.
Frank Machon, chief of the weather bureau,
puts these signals up on a flagstaff on the roof of
the observatory. Spencer S. Profit.
J\ Storm
January seventeenth, we had a very severe
snow storm which later turned to rain and event-
ually froze, doing considerable damage to the
trees, bushes, etc. The limbs of the trees were
nearly touching the ground under the weight of
the ice. There were many branches and limbs
broken off the trees, some big branches and
limbs from "The Old Elm," one from a tree on
the west side of the main building, and one down
by the shop. The trees and bushes looked pretty
when the sun was shining on the ice. A num-
ber of the instruments at the observatory were
frozen, and the weather-flag was frozen stiff for
two days so that it could not be taken down.
Laurence C. Silver.
n mekb RarcDit Party
Our teachers and one of the other instruct-
ors gave the boys of the first class a merry
evening January 28th. We were told that our
presence was requested in the first school-room.
We began by playing games and guessing conun-
drums, after which followed the rarebit, the mak-
ing of which was very interesting to us as we are
not very well acquainted with the chafing-dish.
When it was done, it was served on crackers.
We went to bed feeling we had passed a pleasant
evening and thanked those who took the pains to
give it to us. Willard H. Perry.
Sidn Boards
Some new trespass sign boards have been
made to put around the Island. These boards
are an improvement over the old ones, which
were painted white with black letters. The new
ones have cypress backs of seven-eighths stock,
and are sixteen and one-half inches long and
thirteen inches wide. Two dovetail keys were put
in the back of each board, and the top rounded off
in a good curve to make it look better. Split
dowels with grooves in them, were nailed on in
such a way that a card will just slide into the
grooves. Then two side pieces extending half
way down the sign, and a top piece, which slanted
to shed water, were nailed on. The cards with
the notice on will be put in the grooves and a tack
in the lower part will hold it in place. There are
going to be twenty of these signs put around the
Island. Clarence M. Daniels.
Playind 1)0CKey
One Saturday afternoon, a lot of boys chose
up sides for a game of hockey. For goals we
had four sticks which we got from the woodpile.
We put two at each end of the pond, about six
feet apart. Two boys stood in the middle of the
pond and when we were ready to start they hit
their hockeys together three or four times and
then hit the puck. It took the opposite side from
the one I was on a long time to get a goal. At
the end of the game the score was ten to ten.
Harold D. Morse.
Scrapiitd tbc Tee
On a recent holiday, which we were given,
six of us fellows went down and scraped the pond
near the storage-barn to make it good and smooth
for skating. We all took shovels and started in
to scrape all the rough places, the snow, and all
that spoiled the skating. We took the back side
of the shovels, and so got it quite smooth. It
was then swept. Caleb B. Frye.
. Blistering Paint
The rowboat "Standish" was sent to the
paint-shop to be painted. The old paint that was
on the outside was in a very bad condition and
very thick. In order to scrape the old paint off,
it had to be blistered. This was done with a
painter's torch. One of us would blister the paint
while the other one scraped the blistered paint
off with a putty-knife. Harold N. Silver,
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbompson's Tsland Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 10.
February, 1909.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin O. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr,
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
Apropos of what has been written, or read,
concerning the collision at sea, of the "Repub-
lic" and the "Florida," we think it would not be
amiss to dwell awhile upon the lesson taught by
the fidelity and devotion of the Captain of the
"Republic" to his ship, and the attachment of an
under officer for his superior, and the sacrifice
each one was willing to make in the performance
of what they considered their obligated duties,
and the illimitable courage they also displayed
in the face of overwhelming odds.
It is not the purpose of this article to eulo-
gize nor specialize on these particular men, but
to treat with fidelity and devotion to duty, and
with courage to perform this same duty, no
matter what it may be, providing, of course, that
it be one of the many legitimate pursuits that
can be engaged in. By this, we mean that when
a person has selected what seems to be the
most inviting, or remunerative occupation, and
starts in, it must be with the determination to do
the position justice, not the position make the
person, but rather the person make the position,
and not with a sullen, don't-care spirit, but with
a vim and a manifest willingness that will not
be mistaken, and by a close study and application
of detail become a live factor in the hum of in-
dustry.
It does not necessarily follow, that to be-
come devoted to duty, one must give up all else,
without diversity of any sort, for such is a mis-
taken idea, but one thing should surely be
shunned, and that is, to become imbued with the
spirit of dissatisfaction too often prevalent, that
detracts, more or less, from the fidelity that
would otherwise be shown if more devotion was
given to duty, and a courageous attempt made
to surmount whatever obstacles might present
themselves.
The influences of association oftentimes
tend to broaden or lessen the mind, to a certain
degree, and should be given the most careful
consideration, and when an associate or com-
panion is chosen, let it be one whose fidelity is
beyond question; one whose counsel and advice
are of the highest quality; one who is always
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
cheerful, and not continually grumbling because
of his lack of something within his grasp, yet too
lazy to reach out and get; one whose influences
are an inspiration to aspire for the good things of
life; and one whose sense of honor and justice
is beyond refute.
We realize that there may possibly be a
widely diversified opinion as to what may be
consistently called a devotion to duty, but we as-
sume that the predominating inclination should
be a willingness to sacrifice those things that are
of an insignificant, pecuniary personal gain, and
put forth every effort to become more proficient;
to also train the mind to become more active and
exacting; to utilize a few of the many spare hours
at one's command for the betterment of civic
conditions; an inculcation of a spirit of thrift,
and, above all, a courage to do our duty no mat-
ter what, when, or wherever we are.
notes
Jan. 1. Nineteen boys visited the Sports-
man's Show.
Usual supply of calendars received from Mr,
W. D. C. Curtis.
Jan. 2, Small load of lumber from Free-
port Street.
Jan. 4. Winter term of school began.
Finished concrete work on pig-pens under
storage-barn.
Jan. 5. Dr. Alexander Burr here to see
cattle.
Completed six horses and ladders for Mass-
achusetts Humane Society.
Jan. 6. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
First grade boys spent evening in the as-
sembly-hall with instructors, playing games and
singing.
Jan. 9. Letter-writing day.
Placed three horses and ladders on bank of
Charles River, Boston side.
Jan. 13. Annual dinner of The Alumni
Association.
Rev, T. Namae, from Japan, and graduate
William T. Walbert visited the School.
Jan. 14. .Killed two pigs.
Finished setting three windows in piggery.
Jan. 15, Shaw conduct prizes awarded.
Play "Out in the Street" given by the boys.
Jan. 16. Foster B, Hoye, a former pupil,
visited the School,
Placed three horses and three ladders on
bank of Charles River, Cambridge side,
Jan. 17. Sunday. Rev. T, Namae again
visited the School, In the afternoon Mr, Namae
told the boys something of the Japanese people
and their customs.
Jan. 18. Load of plaster came.
Jan. 20. Teachers visited schools in
town.
Jan. 22. Finished stonework necessary to
carry foundation down to level in east basement.
Jan. 23. Finished sawing 24 cords of
wood for the bakery.
Jan. 25. Began collecting winter web of
the brown-tail moths.
Jan. 26. George Arthur Mansfield entered
the School.
Killed a beef and two pigs.
Jan. 27. Capt. K. W. Perry, of the Reve- ,
nue Cutter "Gresham," told of the experience of
the cutter in going to, and trying to save the
"Republic,"
Load of gtain came.
Jan. 30. Five boys visited the Motor Boat
Show.
Jan. 31. Treasurer Arthur Adams visited
the School.
January meteorology
Maximum temperature 58*^ on the 5th,
Minimum temperature 3° on the 19th.
Mean temperature for the month 30.3°.
Total precipitation 3.08 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours
,64 inches on the 24th.
14 days with one or more inches precipi-
days.
2 clear days, 1 8 partly cloudy, 1 1 cloudy
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Total number hours sunshine 85,
Snow, turning to a rain and sleet storm on
the 14th and 1 5th, caused some damage to trees
by breaking limbs,
Cl^e Tarm and trades School Bank
Cash on hand January, 1, 1909 $479.67
Deposited during the month 37.72
$517.39
Withdrawn during the month 34,62
Cash on hand February 1, 1909 $482.77
Skafingi
So far this year we have had some good
skating. The fellows like skating about as well
as any winter sport we have. Some like to skate
to one end of the pond on windy days, and let the
wind carry them to the other end, some like to
play hockey, and some like to see how long it
takes them to go around the pond. We have
various kinds of skates, such as clamp, hockey,
long-runner, wooden-top, and different kinds of
key skates. We have three ponds, one at the
south end, which is flooded by the rain, melted
snow, and salt water from the tide-gate, one by
the east side tide-gate, which is formed by rain
and melted snow, and another one is by the stor-
age-barn, and is flooded from a hydrant near the
stock barn. Prescott B. Merrifield.
B Calk on Japan
One Sunday afternoon, we had the pleasure
of hearing Rev. T. Namae, a Japanese friend
of Mr. Bradley's, speak. His talk was based on
obedience and loyalty. He said that in his
country the children are very respectful to the
old people. They are taught to take care of their
parents in their old age. The children when very
young work hard and save their money so that
when their parents are old and unable to work
any longer, they can live comfortably. Japan is
continually sending out men to different countries
to learn their ways and then to come back and
teach these ways to their people. When the war
with Russia began, many a young man left his
good home to go to the front to fight for his
Nation. In Japan, the people never show their
sorrows to any one. They are never seen to cry.
They have a very strong will power and are able
to keep their sorrows hidden. As soon as the
war began many children were either homeless
or fatherless. The mothers of the children had
to go and find work, and the condition of their af-
fairs was pretty bad. While the mothers were
out working, day nurseries were started where
the mothers might leave their children. These
nurseries did a great deal of good for Japan,
There were also nurseries for the children who
did not have any homes. The children were
taken there and looked out for. At the end
of Mr. Namae'stalk he said the Lord's Prayer in
Japanese. It was very interesting, and we en-
joyed it very much. Paul H. Gardner.
CDe **6mbam" and m ^'Republic"
On the evening of January twenty-seventh,
we had the pleasure of listening to a thrilling talk
given to us by Capt. Perry, of the United States
Revenue Cutter "Gresham." He had taken an
active part in trying to save the "Republic,"
which had been rammed by the Italian Steamship
"Florida." The latter was an inbound steam-
ship for New York, and, owing to the elements,
had gotten away from its regular course, and not
being equipped with the "Wireless," there were
no means at hand by which communication
could be had with the Nantucket light-ship
, which was only a few miles away. The "Re-
public" was outward bound, with a large pas-
senger list, and supplies for the United States
battle-ship fleet on its way around the world.
On the morning of the disaster, while eating
his breakfast aboard the "Gresham," which was
at anchor in Provincetown harbor, Capt. Perry
received one of the many wireless messages sent
out from the "Republic," calling for help. Capt.
Perry immediately got under way, although a
very dense fog prevailed. Eventually, the "Re-
public" was located, but having been struck amid-
ship, the water rushed into the engine-room and
disabled the engines, leaving the steamship at
the mercy of the sea, so a hawser was made fast,
and an attempt made to tow it to safety. The
passengers had been taken off. After awhile.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
it was seen that the "Repubhc" was begin-
ning to sink, so the hawser was cut, and in a
very short time this splendid ship went to the bot-
tom, thus ending one of the most remarkable
shipwrecks that has ever occurred.
Capt. Perry also told us the purposes for
which the revenue-cutter service was created,
and the work it is now performing. On Decem-
ber first, the "Gresham" is ordered to be
ready to go to the assistance of any vessel
in distress, anywhere on the coast, from
Portsmouth, N. H., to the Nantucket light-
ship, and these orders are effective until the
first of April. It was a very interesting lecture,
enjoyed by everyone present, and we all thanked
Capt. Perry for his kindness.
Harold W, Smyth.
Cow-bov
One morning, the farm instructor told me to
go as cow-boy and see if I could do better than
the other fellow did, so 1 went down and began
my work. I took a card and brush and began
cleaning off the cows, after which I helped the
barn-fellow sweep the floor and clean the cracks.
When it was time, we let out the cows, gave
them a drink, and then waited until the barn-
fellow got the floor and gutter cleaned, then we
let the cows in and cleaned them off again.
After this we helped the barn-fellow get down
hay. There are twenty-seven cows and one bull
in the barn. Levi N. Trask.
match Caps
January ninth, the watch caps were given
out. Every fellow in the School was given one.
The tops are old gold, and the rim is navy blue,
which are the School's colors. These caps are
very warm and we are glad to have them.
Stanley B. Tisdale.
Cbe trading Company
For the convenience of the boys wishing to
purchase articles, for their use, a Trading Com-
pany was established with the clothing-room boy
as manager. This manager hands Mr. Bradley
a slip with the names of the articles he wants to
order on it. When the things come, the bill is
copied into the invoice book, then the cost is
found of each article and from that the selling
price is decided. When a boy buys anything he
makes out a check to The Farm and Trades
School Trading Company. On the check he
also puts what he buys. A record is kept in a
sales book of what is bought, who buys it, and the
price paid for it. The checks are deposited by
the manager who also keeps the books. The
first of every month an account of stock is taken
with the cost of each article and how much they
all cost together, then this is all added up. The
amount sold, and the gain, is also found. After
this is done Mrs. Dix approves the books. The
hour for trading is between twelve and one o'clock.
The manager gets half of the profit, and the
rest goes into the business.
Ralph H. Marshall.
ntakind $m%m m^dt
Whenever a pig is killed a certain part is
saved for sausage meat. One afternoon 1 had to
get the meat-chopper from the back store-room.
This meat-chopper is fastened to a board four
feet long by one foot wide. I put it between two
chairs, and the instructor sat on one end and I
sat on the other end to hold it down. Theodore
Miller and I took turns at grinding. When the
meat was all ground I washed the chopper and put
it back in the store-room. Roy D. Upham.
Juddiing
One of the sports I like to do is to juggle
tennis balls. 1 keep three tennis balls with me,
and am learning to keep them going in the air,
and as soon as one lands in my hand, I throw it
up as quickly as I can, and in this way, I keep
three going, one in one hand, and two in the air
all the time. William B. Laing.
Cleaning off the Ulbarf
Every morning 1 clean off the wharf and
south-side float. I take a broom, a shovel, and
an ice-chisel down to the float, and begin there
first. I cut all the ice that has frozen during the
night with the ice-chisel, scrape off all 1 can, and
then sweep it. I do the same to the wharf.
Charles H. MacSv/ain.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jllumni
Herbert A. Hart, '99, writes to send
greetings from both his brother and himself, and
to say he is well and getting along nicely, and
wishes to be remembered to all who may know
him. Herbert is with the S. S. Pierce Co., and
his brother is at Wareham, Mass.
Charles M. McKay, '00, is at Cape Pogi
Light, Edgartown, Mass., where he went from
New Haven. Charlie likes his new position and
expects to move his family to Edgartown about
the first of April.
Frederick F. Burchsted, '02, who was
formerly with the Fore River Ship Building Co.,
as draftsman, is now located with the Blake
Pump Co., at an increased salary, and is quite
well satisfied at present, but is studying evenings
so as to fit himself for a still better position.
Fred is going at it the right way, and his example
is a good one to follow.
JInnual meeting and Dinner
The third annual dinner, and the annual
meeting of the Alumni Association of The Farm
and Trades School was held on Wednesday
evening, January 13th, at the Boston City Club,
9 Beacon Street, Boston. The meeting was
held at 7 p. m., and after the reports of the va-
rious committees were received the following of-
ficers were elected for the ensuing year: — Pres-
ident, Thomas J. Evans, '64; 1st Vice-President,
Clarence W. Loud, '96; 2nd Vice-President,
Charles H. Bridgham, '95; Secretary, Merton P.
Ellis, '99; Treasurer, Herbert W. French, '78;
Historian, Alfred C. Malm, '01. Walter B.
Foster, '78, and William T Walbert, '08, were
admitted members and Rev. T. Namae, Kobe
City, Japan, was elected an honorary member.
The following guests were present also: — Alfred
Bowditch, Arthur Adams, George L. DeBlois,
Charles H. Bradley, Frank E. Allard, William
A. Morse, and Rev. T. Namae.
Cbe Cobbler's Outfit ana mork
One of the morning shop boys is cobbler.
His outfit consists of a stand, a set of lasts, (two
of each size), a hammer, knife, file, lamp, awl,
stretchers, heel and sole trimmers, bone-black
irons, bone-black, leather, shoe-nails, ink, and
oil. He keeps an account of how many shoes
are brought in, the number tapped, heeled, dis-
carded, and returned to the clothing-room. At
the bottom of this account he has to put down
the extra work he does other than that of a cob-
bler. When a heel is to be put on, hemlock
trimmings are used, and are put on in tiers until
the heel is high enough, then a piece of leather
of a better quality, and the shape of the heel, is
fastened on with a row of iron shoe-nails, after
which it is trimmed and inked. When the ink
is dry, bone-black is put on, and then it is oiled
and left to dry, after which the shoes are taken
back to the clothing-room. The taps are done
the same way, except that they are not built up,
but only one layer of leather is put on.
John 0. Enright.
Sidbts
From the Island a great many different
things and places can be seen. At the south are
the Blue Hills, Squantum, and the new houses
that are being built. The view east includes
many islands, the forts, also the outer harbor.
Looking north, Deer Island, Winthrop, and many
different kinds of schooners and ships entering
and leaving the harbor are seen. To the north-
west, East Boston, Charlestown, Bunker Hill
monument, battle-ships, liners, tugs, barges, and
many other things can be seen. Towards the
west, South Boston, Dorchester, and Dorchester
Heights can be seen plainly.
Clarence S. Nelson.
StoKer
In the laundry there are four fellows who
work in the morning and four in the afternoon.
One of the morning fellows has charge of the
stoves there. The water-heater, which furnishes
hot water all over the house, has to be looked
after as well as the stove which heats the sad-
irons. One fellow gets up at five o'clock to see
that things are all right for the day. A new
fire is made every morning in the sad-iron
heater except Sunday, but a fire in the water-
heater has to be going all the time to keep the
water hot. George A. Matthews.
THOMPSONiS INLAND
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 1 1. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston, Mass.
March, 1909
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
Caking JInotbcr Teilow's Place
One morning when Harold Marshall went to
school at nine o'clock, the bread was left in the
oven and 1 had to take it out, with Norman
Johnson's help. There were eighty-five loaves
of bread. , It was taken out with a peel with a
blade four and one-half feet long, and nine inches
wide, and the handle ten feet long and three
inches in diameter. This peel will hold twelve
loaves.
The pans with the bread in them were taken
out and put on the table and turned over, and the
bread was taken out and laid on four boards about
four feet long, two feet wide, and one inch thick.
The pans were put in back on a stand.
When the bread was all taken out, I put in
the beans to bake. Harold Marshall had put
them in the pots and fixed them so that all I had
to do was to put some water in them and put
them in the oven or on the grate.
Then I moved most of the things in the
bakery and swept and got things ready to scrub.
The next thing I did was to scrub the floor and
put things in order again. After that I got up
wood and put it away under the oven to have it
handy at any time, or before five o'clock in the
morning, or when the watchman builds a fire.
The tops of the mixing tray were scrubbed
and wiped dry. The next to the last thing was
to get a barrel of flour, and the last thing to be
done was to set the yeast soaking in warm
water. 1 had never set the yeast soaking but
had seen it done and knew how to do it if nec-
essary. Alonzo B. James.
tide Calendars
One of the pieces of work that we do in the
printing-office is the tide calendars which are
printed every year.
We make them in two forms of sixteen
weeks each and one of twelve. Then they are
printed. After they are printed and are all dry
they are cut and arranged on the bench in order
of the months. A fellow then starts to gather
them. When they are all gathered a piece of
colored paper is inserted to keep the sets separate.
Then they are piled up nicely and looked over to
see if they are in the proper order, after which
they are stacked up evenly and padded. They
are trimmed on both sides and on the bottom.
There are two different sizes. The small one
has one week to a leaf, while the larger one
has two weeks to a leaf.
The next step is getting the backs ready.
These are printed on cardboard that has a very
smooth surface so that the half tones that we
print on it will show up good and clear. We
generally have four different illustrations that
pertain to the School and its work.
After the backs are all printed they are
punched and eyeletted. Then the last stage of
the work is done which is stitching the pads to
the backs, and then the calendars are all ready to
send off or keep for our use. These calendars
are used to tell the time when it is high water,
and also tell the time when the sun rises and
sets. Our location makes these tide calendars
very useful to us. Earle C. Marshall.
J\ Calk on music
One Sunday afternoon Mr. Thomas, who as-
sists in our Sunday services, gave us a very in-
teresting talk on music in connection with relig-
ion. He said it is a fundamental principle of all
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Christian services. In the ancient world it is
said they had large choirs numbering, it is
thought, two or three thousand men, women, and
children. Their instruments were of a very odd
make but the music that they produced was very
soft and sweet to them. It is thought that these
choirs sang the Psalms that we have in our Bible.
In this way the vocal music was passed down
through generations to the present choirs we have
in our churches, but greatly reduced in number.
Also the church organ takes the place of those
weird sounding instruments of the earlier times.
He said that the Indians had vocal music
singing their song to the rising sun. They wor-
shipped the sun and every morning and evening
when the sun rose and set they would face it and
sing their song. The early Egyptians also wor-
shipped the sun in about the same manner.
While Moses was in Israel he wrote a number of
Psalms and gave them to the children of Israel
to sing. In Greece and Rome they had the best
music of the time. Then going to the time of
the Reformation he said that Luther also wrote
songs of praise. In this way the music developed,
starting with the music written all on one note
which made a weird sound, and a little later it was
written with one melody, and still later two parts
were written, and finally the four parts were writ-
ten making a melody and harmony. Moody and
Sankey were two men who worked for the build-
ing up of the Christian religion. Moody was an
evangelist and Sankey was a singer. They went
around, one preaching and the other singing.
They did a great deal of good. In speaking of
songs in our own time we are told that President
McKinley on his death bed asked to have his
favorite hymn sung to him, "Nearer, My God, to
Thee." Another song "When Sorrows Like Sea
Billows Roll" was composed by a woman who
was traveling on a ship that sank and her two
children with it. When she recovered from the
shock, she wrote this song and it has been pub-
lished in the church hymn books. Mr. Thomas's
talk was very intersting. Paul H. Gardner.
Ulorkitid in the east Basement
At the beginning of the work in the east base-
ment, holes had to be dug out from under the
old walls so as to put in large bowlders and con-
crete and so make a better wall and a stronger
foundation. They were not low enough and so an
underpinning was needed.
These holes were two or three feet square
and every few feet apart. When they were dug
down the length of an eight foot pole from the din-
ing-room floor, a layer of concrete was put in
three or four inches deep, then we filled in as
many large granite bowlders as could be put in,
these being held together with sand and cement.
Then the ends were blocked up with bricks and
filled up with concrete until solid.
When these first posts were hard, the spaces
between were dug out and then filled in with
bowlders and concrete the same way. This was
done until a wall was built all around the base-
ment from the dining-room floor to the basement
floor. Part of the wall was pulled down, leaving
an opening large enough for doors, one opening
into the tower and one into the assembly-room.
Afterwards the dirt under the tower was
dug out and carried away until a hole was dug
back far enough to admit a stairway. Near the
walls on all sides forms were put up and filled with
concrete, the mixing beirg three parts sand, four
and one half parts gravel, and one part cement.
This concrete was of a different thickness in
different parts of the wall. Just sand and cement
was put in places where it was too small for the
coarse concrete to penetrate and make a smooth
face. The walls will finally be finished off with
fine sand and cement, this being mixed one part
sand and one part cement. Later on a concrete
floor is to be laid.
Louis M. Reinhard.
Digging trenches
Along the side of the road that leads to the
wharf the old timbers are rotten and not much
good to hold anything with. 1 dug two trenches
so that new timbers could be put in. I made
them about one foot wide and as long as the tim-
bers are. It took me about three hours to do
this as there were a number of big rocks in the
way. Charles H. MacSwain.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Use Of fbe ''Tair money"
The evening of February twenty-second, we
listened to a stereopticon lecture on Europe which
Mr. Bradley kindly gave us. After the lecture
Mr. Bradley allowed the boys to vote how to use
the proceeds of the recent "Fair." First he
asked for suggestions. Somebody said, "Three
days' campaign of 'King Philip'," somebody else,
"moving picture show," another, "banquet here,
and go to theater in town," some one else, "go
to just theater in town," some one else, "banquet
in town," and still another," banquet here and
show here." We finally decided on having a
banquet and show here. Between forty and fifty
dollars out of the eighty-four dollars and seventy-
six cents was devoted to the banquet which was
held February tw-enty-seventh, and the remainder
will be used for the show.
Theodore Miller.
Padding
When there is any padding to be done in
the printing-office we get the stock, and see
that it is cut, and divided off into the required
number of pads, after which we get the pad back
and cut it up to the proper size, and then place
it so as to come at the bottom of each pad.
When this is done we get the blocking press,
which has a post at the top and right-hand side,
so we can stack up the stock and have good,
square edges on the top and right-hand side, to
be used as guide sides when the pads are
trimmed.
After the pads have all been stacked up and
weighted down we get the padding glue and
glueing outfit ready, which consists of a stove,
steaming-kettle, and melting pan. The glue is
cut into small pieces and put into the melting
pan, and then as soon as the water in the steam-
ing-kettle begins to get warm the glue will melt
and when it is at the proper temperature it is
taken to the bench, and two coats applied to the
stock, and then a piece of cheese cloth is put on
and two more coats of the glue applied. When
the padding glue is used separately, the pads
sometimes get broken into several pi-eces, but
when cheese cloth is used they hold together
much better and stand hard usage.
These are the principal things we do in pad-
ding, but after this is all done the glue is allowed
to dry over night, and the next morning the pads
are split, or separated, then trimmed to the right
size, after which they are ready for delivery.
William H. McCullagh.
Dkind Coasting Pictures
One Wednesday afternoon before school
Mr. Bradley told some of the boys to get sleds
and go to the front lawn to have their pictures
taken. We all took a sliding position, the
double-runner in front with a "flexible-flyer" on
each side. There were also sleds, and toboggans
scattered on the brow of the slope, and three fel-
lows standing in back of them. Mr. Bradley
took pictures from different positions. Then we
were told to slide down once, after which we re-
turned to school. Robert R. Matthews.
Bugler
For quite a number of years it has been the
custom of the School to have two or three buglers
to do work similar to that done in the army or
navy. There are different calls such as reveille,
which calls the fellows to get up and dress; mess,
which is blown before each meal; and taps, which
is blown the last thing before going to bed. Be-
sides these everyday calls we have the assembly,
church call, fire call, and other calls which are
blown on special occasions. Attention is given
to taps. When it is blown every fellow stands
still and when in the dormitory stands by his bed.
Percy Smith.
Sunday morning farm Ulork
Sunday morning, the farm boys do only the
work that must be necessarily done, such as
cleaning the cows and horses, watering them,
cleaning up the barn and getting down hay. It
is the work of the cow-boys and barn-fellow, but
on Sunday we help them so that they will have
some time for themselves and be in time for
Sunday School. Sometimes I help clean the
cows and sweep the mangers, and other times 1
get down hay. 1 like this kind of work very much.
Dick W. Steenbruggen.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbomp$on'$ Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 11,
March, 1909.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
VICE PRESIDENT
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin O. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S..Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr,
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley, - - - Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
Nothing is more important than good
thoughts. Every earnest parent or teacher de-
sires to instill into the life of children about him
a goodly supply of them. He realizes that if the
child is taught only the subjects in the prescribed
course of study, the more important part of his
education will be omitted. Especially is this so
of a private school like The Farm and Trades
School. Here the boys are with us all the time
and during their stay we create their home in-
fluence.
What, then, is the best means of teaching
good thoughts, as well as good actions? The
first important factor lies in the character and
personality of the teacher. The child more than
others, unconsciously feels the influence of the
people who surround him. A teacher, then,
who has high ideals will radiate an atmosphere
of good thoughts, and will suggest them uncon-
sciously to the child.
Secondly, our school stands for work, the
dignity of labor. We realize and impress upon
our boys the satisfaction of duties well done; that
honest effort brings its own reward. We be-
lieve that an intelligent recognition of his efforts
will help the boy, promote good thoughts, and
bring to him happiness.
Thirdly, every child has, to some degree,
the love of the beautiful. Since the child enjoys
beautiful flowers, pictures, books and colors, these
are a real source of education to him. To-day
the fine thoughts of the writers of many times
and lands are offered to children. Some of the
most precious bits of literature offer good food
for the mind. Much is gained if they are com-
mitted to memory.
From our location, we have an unusual ad-
vantage of seeing Nature in her different aspects.
She presents an interesting appearance in sum-
mer, in winter, in calm days as well as stormy
ones. The boys who carry the milk from the
barn to the house have a splendid chance to en-
joy the fine sunsets.
If a boy reads, he finds many ideas in books.
Care has been taken that the books of our library
and the papers of the reading-room are of the
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
helpful and inspiring kind. The plays that the
boys "get up" also serve as a proper center of
thought.
All interests of an educational value should
be encouraged, all others should be shut out. It
is the abundance of good thoughts that will crowd
out poor ones — there will be no room left for them.
Therefore, "Whatsoever things are pure, what-
soever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good repute, think on these things."
notes
Feb. 2. Cleaned snow off skating pond.
Feb. 4. Several of the band instruments
repaired.
Feb. 5, Class in machine work formed.
Feb. 6. Graduate S. Gordon Stackpole
visited the School.
Feb. 8. Good Citizenship Prizes awarded.
Feb. 9. Letter-writing day.
Feb. II. Made a few repairs at City
Point Landing.
Feb. 12. Lincoln Day, Appropriate ex-
ercises by the School.
Graduate Alfred H. Neumann, and George
A. Maguire, a former pupil, visited the School.
Valentine exchange in assembly-hall.
Feb. 16. Killed a pig.
Feb. 22. Washington's Birthday.
Game "King Philip" played in afternoon.
Treasurer Arthur Adams visited the School.
Stereopticon views of Mr. Bradley's trip
abroad in evening.
Boys voted to use proceeds from fair for
banquet and entertainment.
Feb. 23. Repaired south side gang plank
and landing float, it having been damaged by
heavy seas.
Collected 1426 brown-tail moth nests.
Feb. 25. First grade boys entertained in
assembly-hall by teachers.
Feb. 27. Banquet for boys.
Began hauling dressing from the compost-
shed to North End.
Removed about fifteen feet of stone wall
on account of changes and new work in east
basement.
Feb. 28. Sunday. Rev. S. H. Milliard
spoke to the boys.
Veterinary here.
Tcbruary meteorology
Maximum temperature 60° on the 6th.
Minimum temperature 3° on the 1st.
Mean temperature for the month 32.4°.
Total precipitation 2.49 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours
.50 inches on the 17th.
10 days with .01 or more inches precipita-
tion, 4 clear days, 19 partly cloudy, 5 cloudy days.
Total number of hours sunshine 135 and 30
minutes.
Monthly snowfall 2.25 inches.
Sleet storm on the 14th and 15th slightly
damaged some trees and shrubs by breaking
branches.
Cl)e Jam and trades School Bank
Cash on hand February 1, 1909 $482.77
Deposited during the month 23. 1 1
$505.88
19.89
Withdrawn during the month
Cash on hand March 1, 1909
$485.99
1)0vv me Spent CIncoln Day
Lincoln Day with us was a holiday and in
the morning the fellows hurried around to get
their work finished. At half past nine we stopped
work and at ten o'clock we assembled to hear
the exercises.
When we entered the assembly-hall almost
the first thing we saw was a large United States
flag over the door. On one side of the door was
hung a state flag of Kentucky, and on the other
side one of Indiana.
On the left hand side of the room was an
easel with a picture of Lincoln draped with a
United States flag, and a large laurel wreath
above his picture. Before the exercises each boy
was given a small United States flag which he
pinned to the lapel of his coat. We had pieces
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
spoken and songs sung and we enjoyed them very
much.
One of the principal features was a drill given
by sixteen boys each holding a United States
flag over his shoulder. After a very pretty drill
they sang "The Red, White, and Blue" waving
their flags while they sang the chorus. The pro-
gram follows:^
Remarks - - - Mr. Bradley
Prayer - - - - School
Song - - - - School
"America"
Recitation - - - Alfred Jacobs
"Abraham Lincoln"
Song - - - School standing
"The Star Spangled Banner"
Recitation - - Frederick]. Barton
"0! Why Should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud?"
Reading - - - Ralph Marshall
"What Made Lincoln Great?"
Song - - - - School
"Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Recitation - - - Ralph Jones
"O Captain! My Captain!"
Reading - - Frederick Wilson
"Brief Sketch of the Life of Abraham Lincoln"
Song and Drill - School and sixteen boys
"Red, White, and Blue"
Recitation - - - Ernest Catton
"Toast to the Flag"
Recitation - - - Seven boys
"Lincoln as a Humorist"
Recitation - - Harold L. Marshall
"Gettysburg Address"
Saluting the Flag - - School
Song - - . - School
"Marching Through Georgia"
At dinner time we had a good dinner.
There was candy on each table. In the after-
noon we went on a visit to the schooner, "Fuller
Palmer." It was a good deal of enjoyment to
look over the different parts of the ship. This
boat was launched in November, 1908.
When evening came we again went to as-
sembly-hall and Mr. Bradley gave out valentines.
We were then allowed to change them with each
other. Mr. Bradley also gave us some post
cards, mostly funny ones.
In the front of the room was a table upon
which lay some interesting war relics from
Gettysburg and souvenirs from other places.
These Mr. Bradley explained to us. There was
a piece of wood from Lincoln's log cabin, a nail
and piece of iron from the "Merrimac," a large
shell and several bullets, three beautiful canes,
two that were made of wood that grew on the
battlefield and one of a piece of wood containing
a bullet. This bullet had lodged in the tree
during the battle and afterwards the wood was
made into a cane with the bullet in the handle.
There was alsc a number of various other relics
that we enjoyed. This ended a very pleasant day
for all. Harold W. Smyth.
Clearing out a Drain
One day it thawed while the ground was cov-
ered with snow. As a result a great quantity of
water came into the shop basement. This was
pumped out but the next day it was flooded again.
Then we saw that our drain was blocked up. We
took two lengths of fire hose and coupled them
together, fastened one end to a hydrant and
screwed a large fire nozzle to the other. This
end we put in the drain and the water was turned
on. For a few minutes the water came up the
drain into the basement, then it went down with
a rush. We then swept all the water that was in
the basement down the drain which now keeps
the basement dry. Clarence M. Daniels.
Cbc Bell
At the top of the tower of the main building
hangs a bell which is rung by means of a rope in
the tower. The chief work of the bell is to call
all the boys up to the house to get ready for din-
ner or any thing that is wanted of them. The
bell rings at fifteen minutes after eleven for the
boys to stop work and at one o'clock for them to
go to work again. At five o'clock the bell rings
again at the close of work and after supper is
over it rings again at seven o'clock, this time
to get ready for bed or whatever may be going
on. Ernest M. Catton.
'%m pwiip"
Washington's Birthday is usually celebrated
by a snowball battle. This year as there wasn't
any snow, we played "King Philip." We
chose the Colonial General and King Philip, and
they chose their officers, and subordinates.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
The Colonists were as follows: — General,
Captain, First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant,
Third Lieutenant, First Sergeant, Second Ser-
geant, Third Sergeant, Color Sergeant, and Pri-
vates. King Philip's were: — King Philip, Big
Chief, Little Chief, King Philip's Wife, King
Philip's Son, First Brave, Second Brave, Third
Brave, Medicine Man, and the Young Bucks.
The leaders were equal to twenty-five points,
Big Chief and the Captain were equal to fifteen
points. Little Chief and the First Lieutenant equal
to ten points, King Philip's Son and Second Lieu-
tenant equal to five points. King Philip's Wife
and Third Lieutenant equal to five points, First
Brave and First Sergeant two points, Second
Brave and Second Sergeant two points. Third
Brave and Third. Sergeant two points, Medicine
Man and Color Sergeant two points, and the
Young Bucks and Privates were equal to one,
point.
The forts were located one at the back of
Gardner Hall and the other over by the sumach
trees. If a spy was caught he was out of the
game altogether. To capture a man you must
be his equal or higher in grade. Each side tried
to see how many men they could capture or how
many points they could get. There were scouts
on both sides. On the Indians' side there was a
scout on Whale Back, Oak Knoll, Spruce
Ridge, and one near the cemetery. The scout
at Whale Back was to signal to the other scouts
if he saw any of the other side. They were fur-
nished with flags to do this. Toward the end of
the game while some of the Indians were scout-
ing on the east side of the Island, King Philip
took the remaining men he had and tried to
capture the Colonists' fort and then sweep down
and capture the men. While marching up to
do this one of the scouts on the other side saw
them and signalled to the Colonists to go to the
fort. Just as the Indians got there, they were
captured by a higher grade of points, ending the
game with the Colonists the winners.
George A. Matthews.
Uisiting the "Tulkr Palmer"
The afternoon of Lincoln's centennial anni-
versary Mr. Bradley took the boys out to the
"Fuller Palmer," a five-masted schooner an-
chored not far from our Island. This is the newest
boat of the Palmer fleet of which there are four-
teen. It was launched November tenth, nineteen
hundred and eight. It has a capacity of fifty-two
hundred tons. It is three hundred nine and four-
tenths feet long, forty-eight and nine-tenths feet
beam, twenty-seven and four-tenths feet draft.
It cost about one hundred and fifty thousand dol-
lars. The masts are made of Oregon pine and
are thirty-six inches in circumference at the
base. There are four pets on the boat, an angora
cat, Scotch collie, a parrot, and a canary bird.
We were taken to and from the boat on our
steamer. We noticed the mud anchors on it
which few other boats have. The captain was not
on board but the first and second mates showed us
around the boat. Only Capt. Clarke and the
first and second mates live on board now. The
boys all enjoyed the afternoon very much.
Royal R. Ellison.
Sifting Jfshcs
One day Mr. Burnham told me to help Paul
Rietz sift ashes. I went to the ash pile and
began to sift them. Some ashes had just come
from the shop so we had enough to keep us busy.
After we sifted them we took out all the clinkers
and then put the coal in a big can, ready to be
used again, and wheeled it to the shop basement.
Albert J. Blakemore.
Playing **3ack on Rips"
One day a gang of fellows started to play a
game of "Jack on Hips." First, two fellows
chose up sides, then one side "got down," that
is they bent over, each putting his head between
the legs of the fellow in front of him. The first
fellow leans against a post or a fellow standing
against the wall so this first fellow won't get hurt.
The other side has three turns to run and jump
on these fellows. If the side that is down caves
in or le's all the fellows on their backs fall down,
that side gets another jump. If the side that is
jumping touches the floor, they lose the rest of
their jumps, and the side that was down has
three jumps. Frederick J. Barton.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jllumni
Joseph W. Clark, '93, who lived at 28
Conley St., Dorchester, Mass., died Dec. 18,
1908 at his place of business, 452 Neponset Ave.,
Dorchester, poisoned by illuminating gas. He
was buried in Garden Cemetery, Chelsea, Mass.
Chester R. Palmer, '95, who is at Lynn,
Mass., writes that he often thinks of the pleasant
times he had at the School, even though he has
been away thirteen years, and sends his best
wishes to the boys.
Thomas J. Fairbairn, '97, writes from
Plaistow, N. H., that he is living with his mother
and sister, and is working in Haverhill. Tom has
a garden, a fine little place, is enjoying himself,
and is identified with church work, having be-
come a member of the Congregational Church
and Christian Endeavor.
Elkanah D. LeBlanc, '97, is at Charles-
town, Mass., and writes that he is living right,
and speaks well of former pupils of the School
that he is constantly in touch with.
mv every Day 3ob
Every day 1 attend to the cows with another
boy. 1 clean off half the number of cows.
When 1 get through if it is half past eight I help
let the cows out, after which I wash the milk-
stands, sweep half the cow mangers, and water
the bull. If there is nothing else to do 1 help to
get down some hay, let the cows in and brush
my half off again. After this is done my barn
work for the day is over. George H. Appel.
mritiitd Day
Every month for six months of the year the
fellows write letters to their friends. Writing day
comes about the tenth of every month. The
other six months the fellows' friends come and
see them. I write quite a number of letters and
wish 1 had more friends to write to.
Frederick Hynes.
B new Cool-Cbe$t
On February first, Mr. Ekegren, our sloyd
teacher, finished a new model of a tool-chest.
This chest is twenty-six inches long, fourteen
inches wide, and twelve inches high, being two
inches longer and wider than the old model. It is
made from three-fourths inch soft pine, and the
trimmings are of one-half inch maple. It has
forty dovetail joints, eight more than the former
one had. The fellows like this chest a great
deal better than the other one, and three or four
fellows have each begun making one. The chest
is the last model in the sloyd course and is given
to a fellow when it is finished for his use and to
take away with him when he leaves the School.
Frederick J. Wilson.
Drawittd maps
One of our recent drawing tests this term
was to draw the map of Southern Europe. This
includes the countries of Portugal, Spain, France,
Italy, and parts of Switzerland, the German Em-
pire, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, and the British
Isles. We put in Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, and
a few other islands in the Mediterranean Sea.
When the outline was all drawn the countries
were marked off and their names printed in.
Prescott B. Merrifield.
Being Careful
Signs have been put up on different stair-
ways in the house, saying, "Do not hit riser,"
and " Do not scuff . ' ' This was done so we fellows
will be careful, the stairs will not be disfigured,
and we will make a better appearance. Mr.
Bradley said that we would look better if we
would walk more manly and not scuff.
George M. Holmes.
Scrubbitid the Ceiling
The ceiling of the second school-room is
painted. It needed to be scrubbed so I was
chosen to do it. I work at it every morning until
half past eight. To reach the ceiling I use a
ladder. I get a pail of hot water, a scrubbing-
brush, two cloths, one to wipe and one to wash,
and a piece of soap. I scrub in squares and rinse
with hot water without soap in it. Around the
places where the four lamps hang is the worst.
I use more soap and scrub harder in these places.
I have a large square done now but there is much
more to be done. William J. White.
TH0MP30NVS
BEACON
Vol. 12. No. 12. Printed at The Farm and Trades School, Boston. Mass.
April, 1909
Entered November 23, 1903, at Boston, Mass., as Second-class matter, under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894
\m Reports
The annual reports of the School, which are
printed in our printing-office, usually contain from
twenty to twenty-four pages and a cover. This
year there were twenty-four pages beside the fol-
lowing illustrations: — "A Coasting Scene," four
small views of the "Foundation Work on the
New Power Plant," "Horizon Direction of the
Sun at Sunrise and Sunset," and "Group on
Alumni Field Day, June 17, 1908."
After the type had been set for the reports
and proofs taken, corrected, and approved, the
type was made into pages, after which a form
of four pages was locked up, put on the press,
made ready, and then printed. There were two
thousand five hundred copies to run off. After
all the forms had been printed the illustrations
that were to be inserted were printed. After this
had been done the paper was folded and the dif-
ferent sections of the report iarranged in order,
the illustrations inserted, gathered, stitched, the
covers glued on, and then trimmed on three
sides, after which they were taken to the office
ready to be sent out or filed away for future use.
The reports have a drab-gray "Paradox"
cover, on which was printed in red ink: — "The
Farm and Trades School, 1909, Ninety-Fifth
Year."
In the reports are printed the list of present
and former Officers and Managers of the School;
a review of what has been done in the way of re-
pairs, alterations, or additions, during the past
year; a brief outline of the agricultural, meteor-
ological, and manual training courses. Atten-
tion is called to the School paper, the "Beacon,"
published monthly; Cottage Row, our bank. The
Trading Company, pleasures and meetings, and
the Alumni are each described in turn.
To call attention to the financial needs of
the School a pink slip of paper is inserted at the
first page on which is printed a request for aid,
from the Managers. There are lists of the
names of the people who contributed the past
year to the School, and toward the new power
plant.
Toward the last came the Treasurer's re-
port, a schedule of investments, a printed voucher
of the Treasurer's record, and a statement of
the amount placed to the credit of the School.
These annual reports give printed intelli-
gence about the different features of the School,
and the work that is being done.
Earle C. Marshall.
Sprittd
All the fellows are glad to know that spring
is here. The birds have come, the buds are
bursting, the grass is beginning to grow green,
the rhubarb has begun to sprout, and the shrubs
to leaf out. Some of the fellows are working oh
their gardens, while others are fixing their cot-
tages. We are all glad that spring is here with
its bright, warm sunshine and happy days.
Oscar E. Neumann.
Carryittd £odl
One morning, five other fellows and I car-
ried coal from the carts as they came from the
stock-barn basement. We carried the coal to
the furnace bin and when we had that filled, we
carried some to the boiler-room bin and filled
that. There were about eight loads brought up
and emptied that morning.
Dana W. Osborne.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Rodents
The gnawers, or "rodents," are among the
worst enemies of the farmer. There are several
different kinds of rodents such as the rat, squirrel,
muskrat, beaver, chipmunk, woodchuck, rabbit,
and different varieties of mice.
The Norway rat is brown in color and makes
its home on the banks, around the barns, and in
the barns. It was not until a few years ago that
it was thought necessary to put poison around
the Island to destroy them. This poison was
put around in several different ways such as in
fish, on bread, and on wooden plates. In this
way we got a good share of the rats taken care of.
The squirrel is a pet on the Island, as he
does no damage of any account. The varieties
we have here are the gray and fox squirrel.
The muskrat is brownish in color, and con-
siderably larger than the Norway rat. There
are very few of these seen around the Island
as they need fresh water. The muskrat lives
on clams and things found on the beach.
The teeth of the rodents are very peculiar.
They have to keep gnawing to ket>p their teeth
the right length.
The rabbit is a pet here at the Island and
a white Angora is kept in Audubon Hall. Some
rodents are pets, while others are pests.
Robert H. May.
ecttiitd Ready for Baseball
Now that spring has come and the days are
getting warmer and longer, the boys are begin-
ning to play baseball. The fellows have picked
their nines and are practicing on the playground.
These nines play each other according to their
rank. The first and second play each other and
the second and third play each other, and so on.
I play baseball and 1 think it is a pretty good
game. James L. Joyce.
mendltid Clothes
Miss Putney looks the boys' clothes over
to find the ones that need mending. There are
sometimes quite a number of trousers to mend.
After they are all looked over we commence
mending them. There are mostly rips and tears
to be mended, and sometimes buttons have to be
sewed on. When there are holes in them Miss
Putney puts on patches. Sometimes there are
trousers that are worn so much that we save only
the best part of them and use these for patches.
The trousers usually come in the last of the
week and we do them sometime during the next
week. When they are all mended the sewing-
room boys carry them to the clothing-room
where they are given out when needed.
Thomas Milne.
Cbe masDroom Sink
The washroom sink, where all the fellows
wash, extends almost the entire length of the
washroom, and is supplied with hot and cold
water. A shelf holds the soap and brushes we
use. Here the boys wash three times a day, and
oftener if necessary. The sink has to be kept
clean and in good order. Kerosene oil is used
to remove any rust from the sink, and fcr the
brass water pipe that runs the length of the sink
kerosene oil and bristle brick are used for clean-
ing and polishing it. Each boy has a stream of
water to himself. Albert J. Blakemore.
Our Brick Oven
In the bakery there is a large brick oven in
one end of the room. Here the boys' baking
is done. It is of red brick and painted red in
front and the color of the walls on the side. The
oven is in the center of the front, and has
an iron door. This is where all the food is
baked. Below is another opening not so large as
the main oven, where the wood that comes from
the beach is dried. At the right hand side of
the main oven is an iron door that leads to
the grate. Here is where the fire is built that
heats the oven. Before I put anything into
the oven I clean it out by means of a long pole
with a cloth on the end. Alfred W. Jacobs.
Cbe Battle of Gettysburg
Among the beautiful pictures that adorn the
walls of our school-room, there is one which has
impressed me more than any of the others. It
is a beautiful engraving of the battle of Gettys-
burg. This picture is a fine illustration of the
three days' battle. In the background every-
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
thing is being devoured by fire. In the fore-
ground the troops are engaged in a desperate
fight, the North against the South. The ground
is covered with dead and wounded men and
horses. Some of the ranks are scattered by
the enemy's cannon. The bombs are doing their
share of the deadly work by bursting in the air
over the soldiers' heads. This picture has
always made this impression on me, that war with
other countries should be held off as long as
possible. Under this picture is a key to it telling
who the different officers were who took part in
the struggle. Paul H. Gardner.
Getting €citicttt
One afternoon the steamer m.ade a trip to
the Public Landing for a load of cement. When
she arrived two planks were nailed to the gang-
way so as to form skids for the barrels to slide
upon. A pair of skids was placed in the scow
and two fellows rolled the barrels into it while one
fellow piled the barrels up. On arriving at the
Island the scow was beached and the cement un-
loaded and taken to the house and barn. There
were fifty barrels of cement in all.
Ralph H. Marshall.
Sctriitd a Pane of Glass
If a pane of glass is broken, it is the work
of one of the painters to set a new one. The
sash that needs a new pane is taken out of the
window-frame and carried down to the paint-
shop, where the putty, glazier's points, and
broken glass are chiseled out. A new pane of
glass is then set, and the sash returned to where
it belongs. Harold N. Silver.
my first Earbc Ulork
My first work on the machinist lathe was to
true up a cast iron cylinder, making the length
eight inches, and the diameter one inch and five-
eighths. 1 then divided the length into four equal
parts of two inches each, made square shoulders
an eighth of an inch, that is, the first two inches
the diameter was one inch and five-eighths, the
next two inches it was an eighth of an inch
smaller and so on until 1 finished. I then shined
it up with emery paper and oil.
WiLLARD H. Perry.
l)orses
We have six horses, named as follows: —
Baby, Bell, Colonel, Dan, General, and Major.
Baby is the carriage horse, snd the others are
work horses, Colonel and General being used as
a team. Our horses are very useful to us and
we use them for various purposes, such as haul-
ing, ploughing, cultivating, mowing, other farm
work, and for family driving. I take care of the
horses and have noticed many things that they
do. They know the way into the barn, when it
is time to be fed, and when I speak to them they
prick up their ears. We treat our horses kindly.
They are cleaned off every day, and with the ex-
ception of Baby, are fed two quarts of oats, one
quart of corn, and some hay three times a day.
Baby is fed only half of this. They are also
watered three times a day.
Harold Y. Jacobs.
Quotations
About every morning, when the fellows come
into school, they look on the black-board to see
if there are any quotations to learn. There is a
different one there about every morning. When
the time comes our teacher gives us a few min-
utes in which to learn it, after which we repeat
it. Recently we had quotations from Tennyson,
Oliver Wendall Holmes, and Gladstone, all of
whom have their hundredth anniversary occur-
ring this year, so we learn different selections
from them that will help us in life. One of
them was as follows: —
"Some will hate thee.
Some will love thee,
Some will flatter.
Some will slight,
Cease from man and look above thee,
Trust in God and do the right."
Elliott W. Rowell.
making Curtain Rods
Most of the cottages have window curtains.
I needed some rods for mine so I took two small
dowels four feet long, and sand-papered them
good and gave them a coat of shellac, after
which 1 cut each one in halves and rounded off
the ends. These rods will be held up by screw
eyes. Prescott B. Merrifield.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Cbonip$on'$ Island Beacon
Published Monthly by
THE FARM AND TRADES SCHOOL
Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor
A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR WORTHY BOYS
DEPENDENT UPON DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.
Vol. 12. No. 12.
April, 1909.
Subscription Price
50 Cents Per Year.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
president
Alfred Bowditch
vice president
Henry S. Grew
treasurer
Arthur Adams
secretary
Tucker Daland
managers
Melvin O. Adams
I. Tucker Burr
Charles P. Curtis
George L. DeBlois
Charles T. Gallagher
Walter Hunnewell
Henry Jackson, M. D.
Richard M. Saltonstall
Francis Shaw
William S. Spaulding
Moses Williams, Jr.
Ralph B. Williams
Charles H. Bradley,
Superintendent
Treasurer's Address 50 State St.
Boston, Mass.
The future of the younger generation is
of the utmost importance. Its seriousness should
be constantly before us. It should be so im-
pressed upon the mind of the youth that he
will realize the necessity of a proper prepara-
tion to make a place for himself, and to provide
for the adversities of life. In a sense his future
is in his own hands.
Probably the first thing to be given consid-
eration is the disposition — that is, the youth
should be taught the necessity and advantage of
having a willing disposition, a courteous manner,
a tidy personal appearance, an alacrity in doing
things, an orderliness in what he is doing, a
sensitive regard for the feelings of those with
whom he is in daily contact, and to avoid a
needless waste either from wanton carelessness
or destructive inclinations.
The parental influences should ever sur-
round the boy, and the interests be mutual and
general. He can be taught to feel how keenly his
efforts are appreciated, and the joy and pride
his success will bring to those at home who
are so zealously advising and watching him.
Under such circumstances there is no doubt the
boy will do his best to succeed.
The home training of the boy is conceded
to control his destiny to a certain extent, and
bespeaks his inclinations, disposition, and possi-
bly his ambition. It is instantly discernible by
those with whom he is associated, especially by
one of refined tastes and a high moral character.
The faculty of seeing and grasping an opportunity
is to the advantage of everyone, and there are
many opportunities always presenting themselves
to an ambitious boy, who is alive to his own in-
terests. One who proves by his own effort*
that he is willing to help himself is not only
bound to receive the admiration of his parents,
but will have means placed at his command
by which he may possess that to which he as-
pires, and so on throughout his whole career.
Success sometimes comes slowly, only after
a long, determined, laborious effort, and then
again it sometimes comes rapidly. In neither
case can reward be expected unless earned, and
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
a boy should begin to lay his foundation for the
future at the earliest possible moment, and never
allow a relaxation of his watchfulness for his in-
terests and responsibilities. Whatever duties
he may be given to perform, let them be done
with a cheerful spirit, whether they be pleasing
or distasteful, and also in the best possible man-
ner, and to realize the advantage of so doing.
Nowadays a boy has a great many oppor-
tunities of various sorts to improve his condi-
tion, and he is constantly apprised of the fact.
Whether at this School or some other, there will
be found many things of a similar nature to be
learned, that if properly digested by the boy will
become of inestimable value at some future
time. As the years roll along he will look
back with a feeling of gratitude for those who
labored so arduously for him that he might be-
come a successful man.
notes
March 3. New Singer sewing-machine,
and darning-machine installed in sewing-room.
March 6. Went to Freeport Street for
small load of North Carolina pine.
Manager George L. DeBlois, with Mrs.
DeBlois and little daughter, visited the School.
Mr. Frederick N. Frazier, a graduate of the
School, sent a box of Porto Rico oranges to the
boys.
March 8. Began work on the hotbeds.
Load of dressing from Walworth's.
^ March 9. Fifty barrels of cement came.
Leslie Howard Barker entered the School.
March 10. Letter-writing day.
March 1 1 . Replaced gang plank at City
Point.
March 12. Planted lettuce, tomatoes, and
radishes in the hotbed.
March 14. A number of boys attended
church in town,
March 15. Outside windows removed
from the main building.
Planted spinach, peppers, egg plant, and
radishes in hotbed.
Manager Francis Shaw visited the School.
March 17. Seventy-six barrels of cement
came.
Musical and literary entertainment by Mr.
Edward Brigham.
March 19. Seventy-four barrels of ce-
ment came.
All day campaign game of "King Philip"
played.
March 21. Several boys attended church
in town.
March 22. Secretary Tucker Daland vis-
ited the School.
March 23. Rowboat "Brewster" painted.
Finished removing ten brick piers, and re-
placed them with ferro concrete columns in east
basement,
March 26, Inside of the penthouse revar-
nished,
March 27, Transplanted lettuce.
Finished collecting brown-tail moths' nests;
total 6,798.
March 29. Load of dressing from Wal-
worth's.
march meteorology
Maximum temperature 52° on the 11th
and 27th.
Minimum temperature 17° on the 1st.
Mean temperature for the month 35.5°,
Total precipitation 1.79 inches.
Greatest precipitation in twenty-four hours
.90 inches on the 25th.
1 1 days with .01 or more inches precipita-
tion, 7 clear days, 18 partly cloudy days, 6 clear
days.
Total number of hours sunshine 195 and
30 minutes.
Monthly snowfall 1 .25 inches.
Cbe Tarm and Crades School Bank
Cash on hand March 1, 1909 $485.99
Deposited during the month 7.71
$493.70
Withdrawn during the month 10.65
Cash on hand April 1, 1909 $483.05
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
new $ewin9-Koom macDincs
In the sewing-room we have two new ma-
chines. One is a darning machine, and the
other an ordinary sewing-machine, both being
"Singers." The sewing-machine is used for all
kinds of boys' work that needs to be stitched.
There is a new way of winding the bobbin on this
machine. The bobbin winds while the machine
is stitching, by means of an automatic bobbin
winder. The presser-foot is lifted by pressing a
piece of iron near the treadle with the knee.
This machine is a fast feeder. The darning
machine is used for darning stockings and other
things. There is a projecting arm that the
stocking is put over ready to be darned. Trous-
ers are darned the same way. For darning
sheets, towels, etc., a steel plate is clamped over
the arm. All the sewing-room boys like these
machines. Preston M. Blanchard.
Scrubbing the m\\%
During the winter the walls in the kitchen
got rather dirty, so one day 1 got a pail, brush,
and step-ladder and began to scrub them. I be-
gan on the side nearest the door leading to the
hall and scrubbed from there to the door leading
into the bakery. Then as it was dinner time 1
put my things away and the work was finished
another day. George M. Holmes.
Cbe Scbool-Room Cibrary
On a shelf, in the back of the first school-
room, are fifty-nine books which can be read dur-
ing our spare time in school. Each book is num-
bered and has a special place on the shelf.
When we want a book we ask permission and
must judge by the name which one we want be-
cause we are not allowed to look them over at
the back of the room. There are a variety of
histories, geographical readers, and nature books.
Dick W. Steenbruggen.
One Saturday afternoon another fellow and
I made fudge. We borrowed a copper kettle
and a spoon. Into the kettle we put four cups
of sugar, and cut up two squares of chocolate,
adding to this a cup of milk and a pinch of salt,
and then stirred it all together. While it was
boiling I put in a piece of butter. To find out
when it was done I took a cup of cold water and
poured some of it in, and then turned out the
water, and if it was a sticky mass it was done,
after which we took it off the stove and beat it
until it became stiff, then I poured it into
greased pans where I left it to harden. At last
it was cut up into squares and put in a box.
Norman V. Johnson.
Telling Crccs
On our Island are many trees, some of which
have died. These trees are first dug around at
the foot so as to get at the roots which are
cut with an axe. When all the roots are cut
that can be seen, a rope is attached to the top of
the tree and a number of fellows pull on the rope
in a certain direction so as to have it fall right
and not injure other trees. The limbs are
chopped off and saved, to be burned in the bakery,
and the twigs are gathered and taken to the
burning pile. The stump is sawed off and carried
away, while the trunk is saved to make spars and
other things out of. In Lyman Grove we felled
four trees in an afternoon. Percy Smith.
Uacation
Vacation started March twelfth, much to
the pleasure of the boys who expected a pleasant
time. During the week we had such sports as
baseball and marbles. Some of the boys have
quite a few glassies, some of which they received
from Mr. Bradley. One of the best things we had
during the vacation was a day's campaign play-
ing "King Philip," We started at nine o'clock
in the morning carrying our provisions with us and
continued up to nine o'clock at night. The next
day most of the boys were pretty tired.
Edward H. Deane.
Six Tamous Poets
In the first school-room, hanging up on one
of the walls is a picture of six famous New Eng-
land poets. They are noted for their poems all
over the world. They are Longfellow, Lowell,
Holmes, Emerson, Whittier, and Bryant.
Thomas H. Doty.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
On the eighth of March, we began to get
the hotbeds ready for planting. First the winter
covering of boards and seaweed was cleared away
and compost was hauled and spread about
eighteen inches thick over the bottom of the four
hotbeds. Loam was sifted and put on about five
inches thick. The glass was then put on and
when the temperature rose to between sixty and
seventy degrees the hotbeds were ready for
planting. Frederick J. Wilson.
eoitid for fertilizer
One day before school some other fellows
and I went after fertilizer in the scow. When
we got over to City Point, the team was just
coming so we did not have to wait for it. There
were thirty-three bags of chemicals that we
mix for fertilizers. We carried them down
to the scow where two fellows took them and
piled them up. The bags varied in weight, some
weighing two hundred and twenty-four pounds,
some two hundred pounds, and others one hun-
dred pounds. When we got them all on board
we started for the Island.
Charles H. MacSwain.
€99 Carriers
The egg carriers that we use are about eight
inches long, six inches wide, and two inches high.
They are made of soft pine and each holds one
dozen eggs. The eggs are put on end between
two curved wires. These wires are bent into
about the shape of the egg. The eggs are
brought up from the hen-house in the carriers
that are kept there. They are then washed and
I^t into carriers that are kept in the store-
room. One morning ! washed some of the
carriers. Roy D. Upham.
Gardening
When 1 came to the School I had a garden
given me. 1 have kept it ever since, but this
year I wanted a larger one so 1 changed with
another fellow who wanted a smaller one. I
took the loam out and put it at one end of the
garden, then I took the clay soil to the dirt pile.
1 took out about a foot of clay and shoveled the
loam into the place where I had taken the clay
from. After this is all done I will fill it with
loam and make it oval in shape, then I will get
some stones with rounded tops and set them
around the edge of the garden so that they will
be about two inches out of the ground on the
edge of the path, and in the garden there will be
soil almost to the top of the stones. I think the
garden will be ready for planting then.
Frederick Hynes.
Dressing
A number of the fellows often go to Wal-
worth's after dressing. This is the time of the
year to put it on the land. When they come
back with a scow full, the scow is beached
and at low tide the carts are driven down and the
fellows unload it. The farm fellows are kept busy
spreading it on the ground. 1 helped to spread
it one day at South End. John T. Slade.
Repairing BasKets
A couple of laundry baskets were badly
broken and were sent to the shop for repairs.
Some thin strips of maple not quite an eighth
of an inch thick were sawed out and soaked in
water to make them pliable. While the new strips
were soaking the old broken ones were removed.
The new strips were then woven in just as the old
ones had been and the baskets were almost as
good as new. Clarence M. Daniels.
new Library Books
Lately we have had some new library books
given to us by Manager Henry S. Grew. The
names and numbers were posted on the bulletin
board. The next week all of them were out.
Most of the books were by Edward Stratemeyer.
He is a favorite author of the fellows. The
names of the books are, "Dave Porter at Oak
Hall," "Dave Porter in the South Seas," "Dave
Porter's Return to School," "Dave Porter in the
Far North," "Defending His Flag," "Between
Boer and Briton," "The Motor Pirate," "A
Tar of the Old School," "American Boy's Life of
Theodore Roosevelt," "At the Fall of Port
Arthur," and "Bound to be an Electrician."
We all like these books very much and thank
Mr. Grew for them. Frederick J. Barton.
THOMPSON'S ISLAND BEACON
Jllumni
Andrew W. Dean, '03, is working in a
saw-mill at St. Johnsbury, Vt., where he expects
to be for another month, after which he is going
to learn blacksmithing.
Harry M. Chase, '04, is working for J. K.
& B. Guires, lumber concern of Hyannis, Mass.
Harry is doing well, has a good home, is mar-
ried, and has a little one seven weeks old.
Matthew H. Paul, '06, recently visited
the School. He is in the shipping department
of Selmar Hess & Co., publishers, Boylston St.,
Boston.
C. James Pratt, '06, writes us from
Everett, that he is working every day and enjoy-
ing himself. James is interested in poultry and
expects to raise quite a number of chickens this
year. He also has a garden.
Albert L. Sawyer, '06, is with the Roy-
crofters, at East Aurora, N. Y., has a good posi-
tion, and is getting along finely.
Pruning
The object in pruning is to cut all the dead
limbs out, to cut out all limbs that interfere with
other limbs and to make a well-formed head.
The trees that we pruned were in rows in the
orchard. We took the first row and went through
to the end before we started on the next row.
Suckers had to be cut off, and the limbs cut close
to the tree. The old limbs were put in piles and
were taken to the burning pile at the sorting
grounds. Ralph A. Whittemore.
Ploagbing
As the ground was ready to be ploughed, I
was sent with another fellow to take the gray
team and help plough it. We went to the stor-
age-barn to get the side-hill plow. We put it on
the drag and took it to the corn piece at North
End. Then the horses were hitched to the plow
and we were shown how to hold and reverse it.
We ploughed back and forth, and so had to re-
verse the plow at the end of each furrow. Har-
old Jacobs drove the horses while I held the
plow. When I was taking too wide a furrow I would
tip the plow a little towards the opposite side of
the moulding-board, which narrowed the strip.
Tipping it the opposite way would widen it. The
way this plow is reversed is to push a lever up,
have the horses turn, and, as they turn, lift the
plow a little, the moulding-board swings over, and
the lever pushes down to hold it in place. Then the
sod colter and gauge are moved.
James R. Gregory.
In the morning, before school, Earle Miller
and 1 sweep the assembly-room. The assembly-
room is where the fellows hang their coats and
caps before washing, and where they assemble be-
fore going to meals, school, work, and other places.
There are four benches and four windows in the
room. We hang up the sweaters, sprinkle the
floor, and then sweep it. After we get it swept
we fix the boys' books in a little cupboard at one
corner of the room. Edson M. Bemis.
Sweeping Cobwebs
Our barns get dusty and cobwebs collect at
the top of them, so Mr. Kibby had a squad of
the farm fellows set out one day to clean the
stock-barn. We took brooms and climbed on
the beams and scaffolds and swept down the
cobwebs and cleaned up in general.
Earle C. Miller.
Concrete Tloor
In the east basement we are laying a con-
crete floor. This floor is four inches thick. We
lay three inches of concrete, composed of cement
one part, sand three parts, small stones four
parts, and finish with one inch of fine sand and
cement. This sand is put through a small
screen which takes out all the gravel and leaves
good fine sand to finish off with. The concrete
finish is put on in the morning about ten o'clock,
and in the afternoon about four o'clock it is trow-
eled off good and left to dry.
Robert W. Gregory.
Che Sltower
The boys bathe under the shower in the
washroom. This shower is eighteen and one-
half feet long, the two pipes are two feet apart,
and six inches in circumference. It is the wash-
room boys' duty to keep it clean. We shine it
with bristol brick and oil. Royal R. Ellison.
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