Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

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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. -

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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' Finally the spokesman stepped forward again. Uses wanta white fella tell uses two words ' Rosevell' speakum, he muttered. Oh! replied the Marine, all he said was - ' My friendsf The natives didn't understand at all. The Marine broke out laughing in a hysterical voice. One by one the natives joined in until they all were laughing. They roared and roared. Then their spokesman stepped forward and put his arm around the tall Marine's shoul- ders. When he had stopped laughing he bel- lowed, Uses think this 'Roseve1l,' him some fella, and uses think you from 'mericy O. K. Only fella from 'mericy able tell such story as first one you tole about. Carlton McGary '44 Sardis, 42 B. C. Portia, my loving faithful wife, When thou receiv'st this epistle, Marcus Bru- tus will probably be among the good and valiant Romans in the Elysian Fields, for on the mor- row we engage Antony and Octavius in a battle to the death on the plains of Philippi. I pray that thou wilt pardon and forgive me for my abruptness on the morning of the Ides of March. My brain had been drawn into the dank, musty, swirling depths of a whirlpool by many sleepless, thoughtful nights. If I spake harshly to thee, please forgive me. I was not physically sick, but my mind was tortured that I must kill a dear and loving friend. I pray that thou dost not condemn me. That foul deed was not done with pleasure. Mine heart ached for the brave, noble Roman I had to kill, that all the great empire that is Roman might be more free. I durst not have told you my task, for fear thou mightst have turned me from it. Mine arm that held the sword was loath to thrust it into great Caesar's body. However, my mind overpowered, in the silent battle, my trembling arm. The look of anguish and won- derment that clothed Caesar's countenance as my reluctant sword pierced his breast will re- main in my mind even after death has claimed me for its own. I am not afraid of the grim, dark, dismal scep- tre of death, but what will befall thee, dear Por- tia? I shall pray with all my heart, body, and 30 soul for thy deliverance from evils. So, good Portia, farewell for ever and ever. Thou hast been the gentlest, bravest, kindest, most beauti- ful, and most loving wife ever to grace the face of earth. I pray that I am worthy of thy love. Your sad but loving Marcus Brutus. George Greenwood '47 HOW PEACE CAME TO THE WORLD Time: The year 2500 ' Speaker: Father Time In the year 1914, the God of War, Mars, and the God of Peace, Pax, had a quarrel, which Mars, being the stronger, won, temporarily. Pax, however, was growing stronger with every passing minute and by the end of 1918, forced Mars to terms of surrender. Pax wrapped Mars securely in ropes and thongs and threw him into a deep dungeon. The bonds that Mars was wrapped in were made of the League of Nations so Pax thought he had his enemy secure. By 1920, however, a weasel, whom we can call Mussolini, had started to work on the bonds of Mars, and rope after rope fell loose. In 1933 another bigger rat, whom we can call Adolf, started working on the bonds of Mars. Some of the biggest ropes fell loose in '35 and '37 and the last large rope holding the War Giant was separated in '39, Mars was free! Completely free! By December 7, 1941 he had set the entire world on fire. The God of Peace, Pax, had not been idle while this was going on but had begged a boon from lupiter. Pax was a peaceful god but once aroused he was a better fighter than any of his brothers. Pax was thoroughly angered by the War God's antics and he became determined to put an end to Mars, no matter what the cost. Securing the aid of his allies, Sam States and Iohn Bull, he crept up on Mars' castle through the back door fthe Balkans, on a dark night. Here the fighting was fierce and many gallant men died, but Pax won the field. Having cap- tured the War God, Pax then had the problem of what to do with him. lt must be something not too cruel but severe enough to punish him for the enormity of his crimes so that he would never again cause any more trouble. Pax