Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

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'A' LAUREL 'A' through great difficulty in commuting on icy roads and muddy roads. They always manage to get there, though. If commuting becomes im- possible, they stay on some farm in the com- munity in which they work. The pay in these small schools is very low. Some of these teach- ers barely make enough to pay for their trans- portation, room and board. These teachers are certainly unsung heroes. Most people don't realize their sacrifice and often criticize their old-fashioned methods of teaching. But these teachers go on, knowing they're better than nothing. Many women in our own community are doing this very thing. We should be as proud of them as we are of the boys in the service. Iane Austin '44 LANA, THE LIBRARIAN LANA is the girl behind the library desk. Yes, she is the one who has to keep saying, Quiet, please. Please move over to that other table, Earl or No talking without permission, Ray- mondf' Or is it you she is talking to? Is she hoarse at the end of every period you are in the library? The library is a place to use the dictionaries, encyclopedias, sociology, English Classics or his- tory reference books. And, yes, you may read the magazines if you have permission. The library is not a place to go to converse with that cute little blonde who sits in the next row in the home room or to discuss the basket- ball season with Iohnny. Take pity on the student librarian. She may be trying to learn a definition or get an opinion for Social Problems. Or she may be trying to decide whether you are a homo sapiens or some other type of mammal. Pauline Frost '44 IACK EVERY night on my way home from school I used to stop to talk to lack. Even if I am a girl I was interested in his work. His wife's name was Beverly and I'm afraid she had to sort of play second fiddle to his love for machinery. She didn't seem to mind though and at all times encouraged his work. She was just what Iack's 28 type of man needed for a wife. They lived very happily in their simple ways. Everyone in the neighhorhood was Iack's friend and lack was their friend especially when something broke down. After graduation he opened a small garage on our road. In about a year this grew into quite a business. When win- ter came around, everyone went to lack to have his car fixed. When household machinery broke down, it went to lack for repair. lack took great pride and joy in his work. Shortly after Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy Air Corps. Beverly knew she would miss him, but she understood how he felt and was very proud to think that he wanted to help his country. So they closed the garage for the duration. Today lack is over in North Africa at a Navy base. He is now a crew chief and has the love and respect of everyone. Alice Hagerstrom '45 THE FARM TOOL SHED THE shed with its one roof slanting toward the northwest is the place where the farmer keeps his tools such as the horserake, the mow- ing machine, the cultivator, the hayrack, the disk harrow, and several things that look like junk piled up sky high but of great value when unpiled. The smell of oil is strong, and greasy rags hanging on the wall have a peculiar odor. Wrenches are scattered here and there on the sills and shelves. Pieces of worn-out machinery are scattered over the hard-packed, greasy earth floor. If it is a rainy day, a man will be tinkering with his mowing machine, getting the number of a gear or putting on new fingers. He will probably be on his back on the greasy dirt under the hayrack replacing a lost nut but totally un- conscious of how dirty his clothes are getting. He may be oiling the mould-board of the plow. He may be looking for a certain tool which is under the horserake or the hayrack. All of this adds to the comfort of the farmer's life, but to the distress and temper of the farm- er's wife. Mahlon Moore '44

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'A' LAUREL 'A' He said that before he died he wanted to give each of his grandchildren a Bible, on the first page of which he would write a favorite verse and sign his name, and this he accomplished. My mother has the Bible which he gave her when she was in grammar school. It is dated December, 1911, and quotes this verse in his own handwriting: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life. 1 believe 1 shall always remember him as he was such an inspiring person in his determina- tion to abide by his religion and do his duties accordingly. Claire Hiscock '44 A FAMOUS RELATIVE Y most famous living relative is Gov- ernor Leverett Saltonstall of Massa- chusetts. He became governor in 1938. At this time lrish Democrats were in full control of politics, and it ,took a man of great character and prestige to beat them. Saltonstall for the preceding years had been Speaker of the House in Massachusetts. ln this office he greatly en- joyed bringing out to public light the many scandals that the Democrats had started. For a background he has everything a good candidate should not have. He is a member of one of Massachusetts' oldest families, since his direct descendant came over in one of the first boats in 1630 and founded the Boston suburb of Watertown. On his mother's side he is also re- lated to Beacon Hill society. In a city of Irish Democrats this is not a vote-getting background. Points in his favor are typically American. He is homely, this makes him look very Yankee. Every week-end he heads for his farm where he does real farm work. He knows be- ing a typical New Englander gets votes. As governor he doesn't believe in a great show. While previous governors had police escorts for their expensive cars, he drives around in a Chev- rolet coupe. His speeches are all somewhat alike, but they bring out many truths that are food for the common man. He served in the last war in the infantry. He has a family of five children, three of whom are in the service, one having fought at Guadalcanal. 27 His Yankee characteristics of honesty, patri- otism, frugality and love of good government would be an asset to any man. These charac- teristics and his clear-cut Yankee face will aid him in getting elected to the United States Sen- ate in the November election. He is a relative to be proud of. Vance Dearborn '44 HOME-FRONT HEROINE THE courage of the mother who sees her boys, whom she has brought up to be God-fearing men, take leave of their country to fight among untold dangers in a strange land, rises beyond and above that of the boys' many times, even-as they are about to go into actual combat. It is, of course, a different kind of courage inasmuch as her soldier son is usually possessed with some- what of an optimistic viewpoint concerning his welfare, whereas it is diflicult for the mother to be anything but fearful. She has also that help- less feeling brought on by being able to do nothing but pray. Such a woman is the mother of a great friend of mine. She has seen three sons, who, before being inducted were rarely out of her sight for more than a short period of time, hurled into a holacaust so utterly in con- trast to the surroundings which she brought them up to love that it is all but beyond the comprehension of the human mind. There are, I know, millions of like cases today, all of which, exemplify one of the highest types of human internal fortitude. Frederick Rollins '44 THE HEROISM OF THE UNGLAMOROUS MARRIED women, who see the importance of the education of youth today, have given up their homelife to go out and put their training into use. They teach in small towns where it is hard for superintendents to get teachers. They let their own families get along the best they can and put everything they've got into teaching in these small communities. They also help to keep children healthy because they work out hot lunch plans and gym classes. These gym classes might have to be held between the aisles or on the playground but they serve the pur- pose. Sometimes these teachers have to go

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'A' LAUREL t BUT ONCE A YEAR- THE bringing in of the Christmas tree is always a minor crisis in our house. Dad drags it in and sets it up. Promptly an argument be- gins- Set it a little more to the left - 'K Tip it to the wall. Such is the ensuing talk until Father in exasperation, leaves the house with this parting remark to me, It's all yours. Then the search for ornaments begins with the tugging and pulling of trunks around in the attic until the house is a bedlaml Mother is positive she put them in the big trunk, while Aunt Iane insists that they are in a packing box which is in the farthest corner under the eaves. Finally they are uncovered in the top of a bed- room closet. All hover around the tree for a short time, but their energy is soon exhausted and they sud- denly remember something that they just must do in some remote part of the house. Hence, Mother and I are left to tackle the job. The major operation is to get the star on the top. What a struggle! After toiling up over the cellar stairs bearing a step ladder attended by much jiggling and steadying of it, the star finally reposes on the tip-top branch looking very serene indeed. This accomplished, then begins the switching of baubles with the usual dropping and breaking of a few, the draping of the tinsel and the plac- ing of favorites in a conspicuous place. This goes on for a couple of hours and we finally finish only to Find that we never did get an electrician to put in that new wall plug. Eventually a network of cords stretches this way and that and the tree is ready for lighting. The rest of the family arrive with no great Oh,s and Ah's about how beautiful the tree looks, but to pass the remark that the room looks as if a cyclone had hit it. I We pick up and Hrmly resolve not to bother with a tree another year, but we always do and are glad it happens. But once a year - Ioyce Streeter '46 29 .764 .9 ' ' and Qcuwiful MORE ABOE'-TQOOSEVELT HE tall Marine was talking intently to the group of Solomon Islanders. Every now and then his lean finger would shoot into the air to emphasize a point. The natives seemed doubtful of his strange tales. I am a friend, he boomed, from Amer- ica-where the great buildings areg buildings as high as twenty of your palm trees stood end on end. America-where bridges are as long as your island is wide-I am a friend. The Marine looked at the natives, he saw their unbelieving looks, he saw the expressions of doubt on their faces. Surely, he thought, they have heard of our American trains. Maybe they'll believe me if I tell them about the steam engines. I am a friend from the great country across the sea, America. You have heard of the huge iron monsters which we use to carry our supplies on iron rails laid on the ground. They can go faster than the leopard can run, -much faster. One of the natives stepped forward. He spoke in broken pidgin English. We thinkey white fella speak with not truthem, he roared. If you from 'mericy, tellem us 'bout 'mericy natives. The Marine thought quickly. It was now or never, -he had to show the Solomon Islanders that he was from America. Well, he began, in America the natives are called Indians. They roam about the streets and scalp all the white men that show their heads. They drink fire-water and then go set the towns on fire. Many white people are killed. Then the White Father Roosevelt came along and make natives stop taking scalps and drinking bad fire-water. CEvidently the Ma- rine was a Republicanlj The big native stepped forward again. How do 'cm Roosevelt make natives stop be bad? he queried. Well, drawled the Marine, he just said two words. The natives were silent for a minute and then they started whispering to their black-skinned spokesman. -