The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 34, Milford, Kosciusko County, 20 August 1986 — Page 6

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., August 20,1986

6

Community Corner

By MARK HUFFMAN Staff Writer About this time next year Steve Bartow will still be recuperating from his “vacation. ” While most people use their vacations to recuperate from work, Bartow uses his to further his work at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, with next year marking his first “active” duty on the executivefair board. “I usually take about three weeks off during the fair, doing anything and everything, ” he comments. Profile $ Elected vice president of the board for 1987, Bartow was elevated from three years as director of the 4-H Rabbit Club — an advisory position, after being nominated by several others. After his 1987 stint, Bartow will serve as president-elect in 1988 before taking over the top spot in 1989. “I enjoy working with a good cross section of people,” the Syracuse resident says, noting that the vice-president serves as a liaison between the 4-H Club and fair board. That rapport with people is also evident in Bartow’s “other” job — that of being president of Bar-

By PILGRIM Guest Feature Writer Recently I have been examining an autograph album which belonged to my mother. It is a small book with a hard cover, containing 30 leaves, 2 3/ 4 inches by slightly more than four inches in size. Inscribed at the beginning are the words, Miss D L , Her Book, bought December 26, 1885. (I am not giving my mother’s name,) Most of the entries are dated 1885 and 1886; the latest is 1892. My mother born June 17, 1875. She would, therefore, probably have been in the fifth and sixth grades at school when she was chiefly engaged in collecting autographs. A few of the entries carry names that are familiar to me because they belong to relatives or friends of the family whom either I met and remember or else heard about often enough that I recall stories about them. Most are apparently from classmates of my mother from school days. A typical page contains first a date, then a quotation or, more rarely, words of advice from the writer, then the

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Vacation spent working

An autograph album

signature. An aunt and one or two others wrote a quotation from the Bible, and as one might expect, the favorite verse was, “Children, obey your parents . . . ” However, almost always the entry is a bit of verse and favorites appear repeatedly. Since I have been an English teacher, it is inevitable that I regard these entries with a critical eye. How well did grade school children write a hundred years ago? The handwriting varies from childish to attractively legible to Spencerian. Two girls painstakingly transcribed their contributions in capital letters. Two entries are signed “Your Teacher" with a name following and both of these are in Spencerian penmanship. They remind me instantly of the signature on my third grade report card by my teacher, a man who wrote in this same style. I was interested to find that my latest dictionary still retains this word and defines it. The person unimpressed by the flourishes of the Spencerian style of writing would probably agree with me that among the best examples of good handwriting in this album is that of my grand-

tow Cartage Inc., a delivery service in Goshen that requires him to be in constant contact with his truck drivers and customers. Bartow took over the reigns of the company from his father in 1968, eight years after an inJi KEEPING IN TOUCH — Syracuse resident Steve Bartow’s work often requires a lot of telephone contact, something he will likely also find true of his new position with the Elkhart County Fair Executive Board when he takes over the reigns of vice president in 198". (Photo by Mark Huffman)

mother who grew up in Pennsylvania. Her first husband was killed in the Civil War and for some years she supported herself and children as a postmistress, with the aid of course"of a pension. When she married a second time and ultimately became my grandmother, perhaps nor thwestern Ohio, the place of my birth was still a part of the wild and relatively uneducated west 9 Punctuation and spelling are often wildly erratic in this little book. I am particularly astonished at the personal pronoun T. which appears over and over as ‘i.’ I recall that during my own grade school days, a letter would reach us occasionally with this same pronoun written i, and I was always amazed. Commas often do not appear at all in the entries, and a period seems to have been in those days an unnecessary luxury. A capital letter may be the only signal that a new sentence is beginning. Perhaps most surprising of all is the way in which the verse is written with no regard at all for the lines. I often required my students to memorize poetry, and they knew that a word omitted at the end of line one and put at the beginning of line two meant that two lines of poetry were promptly checked as being incorrect. Apparently no one paid any attention to the lines of poetry in the days of autograph albums, although the school children certainly read poetry correctly printed in their “readers.” However, it is to be explained, the quotation that follows is an example of what constantly surprises me when I read in the album. Remember me and bear in mind a friend like me

troduction to the trucking business. Former 4-H member A Goshen native, Bartow became involved in hog, swine, and beef clubs as a child in the 19505. “I got involved with the 4-H through the other kids at school that were involved,” he remembers. After a lay-off, Bartow was re-introduced to the club when his daughter, 15-year-old Sirena, became a member of the 4-H rabbit club. “She went to the fair one year and saw the rabbits, since then I’ve been a rabbit club leader,” he laughs, noting that his wife of 25 years, Pat, is also a 4-H leader. Another daughter, Debbie, and son, Tracy, have married and left the Bartow household. A lake enthusiast, Bartow moved from Goshen in 1969 and set permanent stakes in Syracuse. “I ent joy the lake so much that I had to live near it,” the " avid waterskier and hunter says. However, his ardor for the Elkhart County Fair never waned after the move. “I thoroughly enjoy it and the 4-H Club is one of the best organizations there is for youths,” he says. With over 50,000 people passing through the gates of the fair each year, Bartow also takes pride in pointing out that it’s the second largest county fair in the U.S., the first being in Los Angeles. “It’s also the third largest ticket drawer in the state,” he boasts, referring to its standing among the Indianapolis 500 and Indiana State Fair. After reflecting on all of the statistics about the fair and noting the growing popularity, Bartow doesn’t mind the recuperation period required after his three weeks of “vacation,” realizing that it’s time well spent.

is hard to find. For one entry like this: Live for a noble purpose Strive to be pure and true Live for those who love you And the. good that you can do. There will be a dozen like this: May your virtue ever shine like the blossoms on a pumpkin vine. My mother’s album opens lengthwise, and therefore the size of the paper does not demand these short lines. Some of the entries in the iilbum are frankly humorous. As a child I heard this one and I was not surprised to find it here. in the storms of life when you need an • umbrella may you have to uphold it a handsome young fellow No capitals, no punctuation except the period at the end. But at least this gem does not smack of the sentimentality of some of the effusions that evidently were popular then. Perhaps dear Friend these lines will be the last ill ever rite to thee and if they be then i keep ah keep till time shall and the last Remembreance of your Friend. No punctuation, the word “remembrance” misspelled, as so often in these pages, chaos in the meter and rhyme scheme! But the sweet, sad tone, coming presumably from healthy grade school children who have been playing games and scrapping with each other and "making up” later seems as disturbing as the inability to spell. When I am most appalled at the errors in these entries, 1 remind myself of one signed “From your

teacher’’ and written in Spencerian: Many industrious fields are open for those who are successful. What, pray tell, is an “industrious field 9 ” Another writer in Spencerian said. ’Except the love and good wishes of ...” If adults who mastered the stylish Spencerian handwriting were so inaccurate in their use of words, perhaps we should not be surprised at the inaccuracy of children, even the kind illustrated below. if these lines (you) do refuse birn them and me excuse and wath the flames as they desend and think they come from a friend. I supplied the you’ in the example above. Apart from other errors, one marvels at the flames that ’ desend I ’ The wise writers of autographs in 1885-86 chose the simpler ones: Remember me When this you see. Or: When far away And friends are few Remember me and I will you. Whatever the astonishing errors in this album, the book is an interesting commentary on life a hundred years ago. James Russell Lowell’s poem “For an Autograph,” dated 1868, is proof that the autograph album was popular then in literary circles as well as in country schools in Ohio. Who else in this area, I wonder, owns such a book 9 Lakeland locals

Jack and Marleen (Mock) Leamon and daughter, Angela. Syracuse, had as visitors on Sunday for a family reunion the following people: Dan and Bar Mock, Tulsa, Okla.; Connie Mock and Cathy DeHaan, Kalamazoo, Mich.; John and Martha Bayne, Warsaw; Steve Bayne, Thomasville, N.C.; Steve and Connie Byrd and children Shannon and Aaron. Bob and Martha Hepler and Jo, Julie Hepler and children, Dustin and Cody, Lori Hepler and friend and Linda and Nichole Jones, all from Syracuse; and Patty Carlen and friend, Georgia.

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ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCED — The engagement of Betsy Annette Norris to James Mitchell Evans has been announced by their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred J. Norris, P.O. Box 122, Poneto, and Mr. and Mrs. James C. Evans, r 1 box 182A, Syracuse. The future bride is a 1983 graduate of Southern Wells High School. She will graduate in May 1987 from Olivet Nazarene College with a business administration degree. She is a member of the Women’s Residents Association, Olivet Nazarene College, and resident assistant. Her fiance graduated in 1984 from Wawasee High School and will graduate in 1988 from Olivet Nazarene College with a business administration degree. He is on the Olivet Nazarene College varsity basketball team. The couple plans to marry on June 13, 1987, in theYirst Church of the Nazarene, Bluffton. BPW hears from scholarship winner The Syracuse Business and Professional Women’s Club’s monthly dinner meeting was conducted in a local restaurant on Tuesday, Aug 12. The following guests were introduced: Fay Medlock, Shelia Bogart, Cathy Bogart and Florence Bndenbecker. Shelia Bogart, the 1986 BPW Scholarship recipient, related her college schedule at Indiana University/Purdue University, Fort Wayne, for this fall. Gloria Hodler gave the reading, “Another Day.” Hostesses for the meeting were Mildred McDonald and Mary Rose Henning Door prizes were won by Carol Smith and Barbara Matney. Following the meeting, members went to browse in the Country Duck as guests of Fay Medlock. Area man leads European trip Jerry Rensberger, folklore instructor at the Mohican Outdoor School in Loudonville, Ohio, and a part-time resident of the Syracuse-North Webster area, and Dr C. James Bishop of Manchester College, North Manchester, have opened an invitation to a European winter carnival trip. The after Christmas excursion covers a portion of nine countries is featured at a college base price, but completely first class throughout in spanning a December 28 departure with a January 18 return. It was announced today that space for 10 students or adults will be added to this trip which will feature the best of the seasonal European thrilling highlights. Enriched with a fascinating itinerary array of events will include New Year’s eve on the Copenhagen Square, the January 6 Russian Christmas on Moscow's Red Square, the breath-taking train excursion through the snow covered Alps, the best in folklore, plays, music, guided tours, entertainment, a winter moonlight cruise on the Baltic, first class hotels, two meals a day plus all travel and so much more. The traveling package will feature the best of Europe’s winter spots including the colorful and glamorous cities of Cologne, Copenhagen, Leningrad, Moscow, Budapest, Vienna, Zurich, Lagorsk and Pushkin. For more information contact Rensberger, 136 1/2 South Market Street, Loudonville, Ohio, 44842.

CALENDAR Week Os Aug. 20 To Aug. 27 WEDNESDAY Al-Anon 9a.m., in North Webster Church of God AA 12 noon, in Syracuse Church of God Syracuse Lions Club 6:30 p.m., Beacon Restaurant Syracuse Jaycees 7:30 p. m., Lakeland Eagles Twilighters Bunco Club 7:30 p.m. Lutheran Church Women 7:30 p.m., Syracuse Grace Lutheran Church Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., in Sacred Heart Church, Warsaw Alcoholics Anonymoils 7:30 p.m., in Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawasee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., in St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse Psi lota XI 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY Ebenezer Ladies Aid 2 p.m. Wawasee Community Toughlove 7 p.m., in Lakeland Youth Center, Syracuse. Parent support group for parents troubled by their teenagers behavior. Milford Volunteer Firemen 7 p.m., Milford Fire Station Adult-children of Alcoholics 7:30 p.m., in North Webster United Methodist Church Milford Jaycees , 7:30 p.m., CJ’s Restaurant family room North Webster American Legion Auxiliary W 8 p.m., Legion Hall FRIDAY V Milford Kiwanis 6:45a.m., Milford Community Building Alcoholics Anonymous 7:30 p.m., Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawasee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Alcoholics Anonymous 8 p.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Syracuse Heart of Lakes Squares 8-10:30 p.m., Syracuse Elementary SATURDAY Wawasee Kiwanis 7 a.m., Gropp’s Syracuse SUNDAY Alcoholics Anonymous 10 a.m.. North Webster Fire Station AA, Al-Anon and Aloteen ■8 p.m., in North Webster United Methodist Church MONDAY Lakeland Kiwanis 6:45 a.m., Church of God meeting room, North Webster FOE Men’s Meeting Aerie 3760 7 p.m., Lakeland Eagles, 404 Sycamore St., Syracuse Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, Milford TUESDAY Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary 12 noon in the Beacon Restaurant Syracuse Park Board 7:15 p.m., Syracuse Town Hall Wawasee American Legion Auxiliary 223 7:30p.m., Legion Hall — WEDNESDAY Al-Anon 9 a.m., in North Webster Church of God AA 12 noon, in Syracuse Church of God Syracuse Fire Department 7 p.m., Syracuse Fire Station Alcoholics Anonymous 7:30 p.m., Wawasee Episcopal Center, All Saints Episcopal Church, south shore of Lake Wawasee, one-half mile east of South Shore Golf Club on Vernon Road Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, Warsaw Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Saint Andrew’s United Methodist Church. Syracuse Register For Fall Classes & - Wed., Aug. 27 5:00-8:00 P.M. > Thurs., Aug. 28 5:00 8:00 P.M. I '"I RRS SYRACUSE. 1N46567 Member Os Chicago National Associations Phone 658-9875 Os Dance Masters ocated Southeast Corner Ot Dewart L ake)