USGENWEB NOTICE:  In keeping with our policy of providing free information
on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long
as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may
NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other
organizations.


The Brick College

A Poem Read at Vaughnsville Picnic Last Saturday


Poem composed and read by Samuel Williams for the Byrn
Tawa Reunion, August 17, 1907.

We love the name Brick College,
And we think we have a right.
For there is where this battle of life
We started out to fight.

Mary Ward was my first teacher;
We all loved her, you bet:
But the spanking she gave Mark and D...
I think I feel mine yet.

And o'er at Bryn Tawa,
Where we finished up our school,
We had the rep. of being good,
And lived up to every rule.

Our teacher always bragged on us,
And said with proper care,
Some day I'd be a township clerk,
Or marry a millionaire.

But things are always going wrong;
I had so much to do --
John C. Jones was partner in my seat,
I had to help him through.

I had Joe Edwards in my wake,
And likewise David Reese;
Until they learned me how to chew,
And then they had my fleece.

But Harry said I'll show you how
To quit and not half try;
And he handed me his old strong pipe,
And Dick Newton thought I'd die.

He said: Go out and get fresh air,
Your fever must come down.
Boys telephone the Valley
For Veterinary Brown.

So, Brown got men upon my rest,
I resolved to do my best,
But Harmon Daniels brought his gun,
And you all know the rest.

We searched the "Devil's Den" all through
In every kind of weather,
And shot at everything that flew;
We never got a feather.

And Shorty said we'll go next fall,
And take Dave Reese to watch;
But he landed us in this campaign
In Evan D's melon patch,

The champion marksman of our school
With Frank Jones -- with bow and arrow,
Could shoot at half a mile away,
The eyes out of a sparrow.

How things have changed -- t'was long ago
I can't remember half,
But say can any of you shoow
How "Joe Crabill" used to laugh

There's Jackie Nathan, by the way,
Conduct always perfect;
Could have married any girl in school,
But Jackie said they're "stufrick."

At foot race Evan Williams
Of a record he did boast:
But the fastest run he ever made
Was the night he saw a ghost.

At bull pen, on the meadows fine,
R. W. was a scout --
You might throw the ball and break his leg
but Dick was never out.

Jim Williams and Billie Johnson
Would debate the sword and pen,
And on the "last day" sing a Welsh song,
Entitled "O Saren Vach Wen."

Ab Clevenger came to our school
With mustache glowing curls;
Said Vaughnsville schools weren't good;
But he was stuck on "Tawa" girls.

"Old Man Hughes" as he was called;
We used to think him green,
But we changed our minds when he done us up
At trading sight-unseen.

We were all as poor as Job of old
But we didn't mind that much;
In fact our clothes from top to toe,
Would hardly pad a crutch.

For riches never made the man
That stood behind the gun:
And that was the only kind we had,
On the banks of Tawa Run.

The school's examiners in our time
Were strict right to the law;
But of later years it has been a cinch,
With Smith and Heidlebaugh.

Us boys and girls would often go,
When water wasn't shallow,
A bathing in old Tawa Run;
Our suits a sun-burned yellow.

Lou Rimer taught me how
To enumerate one million;
But he taught the bigger boys and girls
To dance a French cotillion.

Jap Beach was the teacher for one term,
And he did fairly well;
Us bigger boys he couldn't whip
but the kids -- he gave them hallelujah.

But of all the teachers that we had
R. N. he was the winner
His recess didn't amount to much,
But we got three hours for dinner.

.....
But we entered more or less.
Our girls they never got to wear
That last day's school new dress.

On those big days, they feed us grand;
We would sing and dance and hop,
But we never though it was just right
To serve cigars and pop.

The selling of the weed and drink
Seemed harmless, it is true,
But is not in line with the teaching
of the W. C. T. U.

The saloons they pay a license,
The awful stuff to sell,
and you may start some mother's boy
On the road down to hell.

Now ...  you all and look around,
It's very plain to see,
that our success depended
On Harry Seese and me

There is E. D. Thomas on the Ridges;
Would you think him mean -- not hardly,
But he'd get us kids upon his sled,
And then he'd run old Charley.

Mark, had a sweetheart, by the way,
To him she wrote a letter
And she she loved him, O, so much;
But she loved Frank Jones lots better.

Billy Thomas used to think
He could go some at debate,
But the Tawa boys soon proved to him
We was of second rate.

Belle Ambler was captain for a while,
And she entertained the idea
That she'd learn us a thing or two;
She was a graduate of Kalida.

We all were good and studied hard,
And on Christmas made her treat;
But, Oh, she whipped poor Billy Jones,
When he asked to leave his seat.

She said Doc Williams was the worst
She ever had in school;
Billy swore he paid him cash
To violate her rule.

Such tricks like this can't always last.
Twas taking lots of boodle.
So belle turned Doc across her knee,
And there played "Yankee Doodle."

Mike Murray was a cracker-jack,
Busy every minute;
He put Cayenne pepper on the stove
And the teacher blamed me for it.

Billy Jones was on the spot,
Would sing just like a preacher,
Would cut us out with all the girls,
And the last day kissed the teacher.

----- Edward was always good --
------ -three skidoo;
----- thing that her learned to say
Hand me down a chew.

Crosby Williams was a peach
At black man on the green,
Could go with any girl in school,
When he was sweet sixteen.

I turned a red squirrel loose one day;
It did make quite a clamor;
The teacher went straight up for that --
She was none other than Belle Ambler.

There's B. I. Williams, big and stout,
Muscle through and through;
But when Turnbull got him in the ring,
He met a Waterloo.

Now the younger lads weren't in my class,
And facts I do not know.
But they tell me this, and I half believe,
That St. Thomas wasn't slow.

Tom, Walt, Bill Young with Will and Tut
Like Indians used to holler,
And double up with Lem and Sid
To whip poor Josie Coller.

Now every girl in our school
Was always up to date,
But someone else must write them up
In nineteen hundred and eight.

Our enumeration, at one time,
Got very low -- looked blue,
Said Johny Edwards to Will Mark,
Why, this will never do.

But things have changed upon the ridge;
There is hilarity and joy;
Crosby says the school must stay
To educate my boy.

This world is full of boys and girls
With mother wit and knowledge,
But the best we have are graduates of
Tawa or Brick College.

Scott's Crossing and Brush College
Would unite to spell us down,
But htye always came out second;
We had fame of great renown;

Our spellers were of higher rank
And on the field of battle,
Would keep our colors to the front;
They were in proper metal.

Some high schools teach class yells,
But not so much of knowledge;
But the greatest yell I ever heard
Was three cheers for Tawa and Brick College.

----