Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 9, 1940.
Schools Put On Carnival To Boost Athletic Fund
BY HERB STEINBACH
(Photographs by Paul Pattee)
The old fashioned “carnival spirit” pervaded Jackson township one night last week as the populace of that north Porter county area milled around the small gymnasium trying their skill at various improvised boothsーand incidentally helping the high school athletic fund out of narrow financial straits.
Because of a small seating capacity and comparatively small number of families dwelling in Jackson township, athletics at that high school have a hard uphill struggle to meet expenses. Three years ago school officials devised a community carnival to help the cage and diamond sports pay their freight, and it has since become an annual institution.
Last Thursday afternoon the pupils left their textbooks early to erect their stands and decorations for the night’s big “shindig.” Each class was responsible for its own concession, which it had previously devised and hastily constructed several hours before the carnival opening. Enterprising merchants from throughout the count donated suitable prizes for the various games of skills, and other knick-knacks were purchased in gross lots. For their part in aiding Jackson township the contributing merchants had their names boldly listed on the south wall on a large “honor roll.”
Armed with paper hats of all descriptions, balloons, horns and various noisemakers the students sold their wares to their parents and friends as they joined in the evening of merrymaking. The blaring of horns, and screechings of noisemakers, and occasional bursting of balloons helped put the crowd in jolly mood as they made the rounds.
In 1938, when the idea of an indoor carnival first took hold in the Jackson school, the athletic fund realized a boost of $75 from the night’s entertainment. Last year the “take” was upped to a top of $98. In those two years a night shortly before Thanksgiving was chosen, but because of conflicting events in the community this year the carnival was not held until the first week of December on a night when the thermometer hovered around the five-degree mark. As a result attendance dropped and the receipts fell to the level of the first endeavor.
Despite the raw lake breezes which were stirred up outside the goodly crowd on hand did manage to warm up, once inside. Piping hot coffee and red hots were sold to aid the cold and hungry patrons. The usual line of pop and ice cream bars were also served.
One of the busiest individuals present that night was The Vidette-Messenger photographer, who pressed his way around the crowd, as he sought suitable subjects to help the readers get a pictorial view of what transpired at the carnival in Jackson township. The results are shown above.
To the left in the above series of pictures is a general shot of the gymnasium as caught by the camera’s eye from atop the stage. Along with a portion of the crowd present some of the concessions can be noted here.
The photograph to the right of the general shot shows a fair young coed trying her skill at putting. She is bending over a golf club and ball, preparatory to “sinking a putt” in the “cup” located by the wall at the end of the uphill runway. Curious onlookers are making the studious Miss Muriel Youngkin, a junior in the high school who resides on Valparaiso route one, extremely nervous. P. S. ー She missed the putt!
The young man with the air gun at the extreme right, trying his luck at the shooting gallery, is Don Metzner, an eighth grade pupil. The fellow attacking a boiled “puppy” with vigor and delight is the school’s head man, Principal Clarence Olinger. (The photographer says Mr. Olinger’s apparent delight is due to said photog’s spending a nickel for the hot dog as his contribution to the athletic fundーMr. Editor please note).
The eagle-eyed fivesome appearing in the left bottom picture are awaiting the outcome of Lady Luck’s spin. As the cameraman perched his lens at the rear of the wheel the group intently looks on to see whether their number has “come up.” The man with the smileーwhose name was not obtainedーholds Card No. 23ーthe winner!
Among the other concessions not photographed here were a fish pond, ten-pin game, dart ball contest, dodge-’em baseball in which the customer tried to smack a baseball mask hiding a youth’s face, a “guess your weight” contest and several other entertaining features. There was also a free show, in which the crowd was presented with a half-hour musical program provided by the newly organized school quintet.
