Union Endicott High School 1939 Graduation Issue (Endicott, NY) - Guest Access

Til 0 T T T I En $100,000 Fire Damages U-E Annex 1912 ddition Harmed by Fire of ~tyslerious Origin cr amingo fire sir ns cut through the fog ~ night. Hurrying fi~ur s push their way through th thick fog. Ghostly shadows and fanta:tic figur pattern th m ·eh· s on the face. of thP . mall crowd that haYe gather d in front of the Union-Endicott High :chool b for the fire trucks &creech to a full stop. Flam ar It-aping from the entire roof of the new addition on th • outh ast corne1·, built in 1!142. A dull red glow appear: at thi' windows of th s cond story. By the time the fir m n hav begun thei play of water upon the licking tongu s of flam crowds are milling about watching th firefighter. do their • tuff. The thrill of seeing their school books and daily cares go up iu sm k has attracted hundt d: of student: i:t addition to many an alumnus of old U-E. But it i. n't mer ly to thrill at the thought thnt ~here will be no :chool tomorrow· it'., at. o to cheer the fir m n on in their haza~dou:.. ta.,k of fighting the leaping, r d hot flame:-., for the. c alumni ha\· be n thinking of the full they had in that jail, a: stud nt: :o often had call d it. l're sed against the ropes that hold th • crowd at bay stands Raleigh Estrada, already the eminent authot· of a best seller, "The Essence of Vriting (or How It 'm lis)," talk– int:; with Jame · Engli h, prominent man about town. "I hat to :e anything like thi: happ •n," lam nts E. trada. ".'inc or ten year: ago f would hav •njoy d it hul!ely." "A. Nho of us wouldn't have,'' a:ks Eng– lish. "In those day: luck like this <"<ltlld nc,·er have come our way. , othing ever happt•ned. 'ay, isn't that Crant Johu:on over there taking pictures for th • Binghamton I' res: '! i wonder how he ev •t' leamed to take a pictul"~.'' "H rc he com s now. Hi, old ~Ian!" call Estrada. Pr s. r port ,. John.on climb: O\'e1· th rope b hind which th two stand. "H llo, :'·here hav • you been k ping your:ch·es '! J JUst saw Ira Ker ·chn r ·omewhere in thi:-; mob. The;; t II m he's b en promoted to consultin~ en!\meer for the I. B. .I.'s factories overseas. " trang , isn't it, what a good fir will bring out!" ob:en· s E:trada. "I ju. t . aw Pauline Tras. :he's com • up in the world :inc I saw her last. 'he's trea:u rer now at th Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in • • ,,,. York." "\Yell I'm not . urpris d. You remember he was treasurer of our graduating- clm;s," anil\\' rs John:on. "Be •eing you guys again. Duty calls me el: wh rc at the mom •nt. Gi ·e my r gard. if you . ee any ne el e from OU!' clas.." B~ thi. time th fire had progre ed o rapidly that in spit of all !forts to control it, flames are now leaping from th roof ot' th new . ection to th old building. People are till milling around th rop -protected area., the lurid flam s plying weird hadow on their faces. At the back of the building tand two young wom n. If we f'Cramble through th crowd and .approach a littl near r; \\' •hall finrl two m. eparaul . , BarbHa and lma John on. "Beautiful fire, thi. ," say Alma. "YE'~, somehow, I hat to s e th hallowed old plac bum. I wond r if an.' of the plurt arc h re. They t II m • at the office that cor s or U-E alumni ar in town thi week-end." Anu Barbara scann d the crowd to s'ngl out h<>•· old friend . Let us I ~l\'e th sc fri nds while th •· di:tuss old times and draw a little closer t~l th crowd where \\' find Iaurice Arthur and James Atkinson standing tog •th r. Th orange light fi'Om the b. illiant ftame lights up their ~lo.sy r •d hait· sh dcling; a warm glow ovc;· their count nance . ''You'd be svrlll'·s :1," !'ay Jam s, "at the old fri nd. that came into mv re taurant Ia t ni!{ht! Practically the entir 'eta s of '3!) i in town thi: week-end." "'Member Herb rumb '!" asks Arthur. '·I fixE'd his Ford at th garage last night. H • says n 's been busy showing off his pur -br d Gurn: y.. On of th m won an internationJI blue ribbon at the Binghamton International Fair last month." "I'm be,.innin~ lo think that our ntirc cia. s is 1 1ere," exc 1 aims Jam s. "I s • Lilliau Dunlap and Ellen Jkpew O\' •r ther !" "And l\lcarle D les with th m. It must bt· a convention!" adds Arthur. L t'. lea\'e th<'sc two now and push our way throu~h the non! and listen lo th n w group of the class of '39. "~Iy, what a fir !" x ·laims Ellen. 'Isn't it thrilling, Lillian·~·· "Yes and I'm hoping Leonard is aroun I som place. lJ love· to watch fires." "Leonard Panaro '!" inquire. Iearl '· "What's he doing here in Endicott?" "Whr, h 's playing" in th ;ame orch tm as I am. In fact, h 's th . tar soloi t. Haven't you heard thaL ne\\ . ong of hi.?" "Leonard, a compo. er?" xclaims Ellen. "Hi, kids!" t·alls a ,.o;c in th crowd near the ropes. "Speak of th • deY it and he'· • ur to ap· p ar!" :ays l\I arle. "\V ju, t wer h a ring about your n .\\' . ong-. If ,,.c kn w what iL wa , I'd know whether we like it or not." "It's call d 'Fiddlin' in the ighl!' If