Prevost High School - Prevost Yearbook (Fall River, MA)

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YEAR BOOK OF 1939 - MSGR, PREVOST HIGH SCHOOL -4'A ' - ' 1 PROPHECY OF THE CLASS OF 1939. 1939-1940-1941-1942-194+1946-1950-1954 W0 months ago in this year of Our Lord, 1954, as I was taking a walk one morning. I decided to drop in Bizicr's Funeral Parlor. Hello, greeted I, how's business? Oh fine! answered my old classmate. it has been getting better and better especially since Dr, Alfy Fournier has moved across the street. Later on, I turned a corner and perceived Paul Dumais. the renowned poet. absent-mindedly crossing the street: he was reading from his latest book. Poetry vs. Comic Strips . and he little knew that an open man-hole lay directly in his path. Before Icould give sufficient warning however. the head of the Honorable Belanger, the eccentric millionaire with an odd inclination for work in sewer pipes, popped right up and squeaked at Paul: Say, what's the matter with you? Look where you're going. or you'll soon land in Chagnon's Nut Asylum ! After exchanging greetings with them. I resumed my journey and came presently to a magnificent theatre that we had formerly called the Flea-House , but which under chum Berube's expert management, now enjoyed the cinema monopoly in Fall River. I encountered Manager Bembe at the door. resplendent in a green-checkered suit with a large flashy diamond stuck in his yellow tie. Upon inquiring. I learned that the reign of the pest for which we 'had originally surnamed the theatre had finally been cut short by the use of scientist Goyette's new discovery. Flit-em. While engaged in conversation I suddenly noticed that giant placards in front of the place were shrieking the fact that Signior Briere. the world-known violin virtuoso was starring in an epoch-making picture with Cyril B. De Mille Talbot as his producer. I was just going to comment upon this fact. when I heard a bedlam of sound coming nearer and nearer down the street. I whirled around just in time to perceive a pack of yelping mongrels closely pursued by Mr. Bernier who was grimly bearing a butterfly net. Mr. Bernier, a pros- perous publisher. enjoyed the job of dog-catcher as a side-line and as a re- laxation. I resumed my walk. astonished and happy at having seen and met so many of my pals. I was just turning up Pleasant Street when I was stopped by a large crowd of people. carrying signs, and walking back and forth before a huge store. I was greatly surprised at the wording on these signs, One went like this: ' Roses are red. Violets are blue. I want to stay healthy too! 0 Page 23

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YEAR BOOK OF 1939 -- MSGR. PREVOST HIGH SCHOOL Historique de la closse de nos Finissants. OUS scellerons bientot les pages de notre vie ecoliire. Avant de quitter Prevost, jctons un coup d'oeil sur ces annees vecues dans la joie de la jeunesse, dans la tranquillite et l'indolence du printemps de la vie. Il y a de cela douzc ans! . .. Nous etions des bambins chnrmants dis- perses aux quatre coins de Fall-River. Nos premieres dents chancelantes mor- dircnt dans lcs ameres racines des rudimenrs du savoir avec une telle repugnance que leur solidite deja fort compromise y regut lc coup mortcl qui devait les emporter. Il serait long et fastidieux de narrer ce que tout liumain experimente sur les bancs de l'ecolc elementaire, ou avec la discipline de toutes ses facultes. 1'homme apprend 51 penser, is juger, 5 aimer et a croire en meme temps qu'il apprend a chiifrer et ii lire, Mais passons... Vint l'Ecole Superieure. Il nous fur avnntageux de subir Vhumiliation d'6tre appeles Freshmen. d'6tre au pied d'unc nouvelle echelle ct d'y recevoir ics inattentions et parfois lc mepris des plus avances. Realiser la signitication de Sophomore devait nous prendre plus d'un an. Nous etions d'ailleurs trop occupes avec les memorables leqons dc latin ct les intcrminables devoirs de comptabilite pour nous concentrer sur plus de sagesse. Le temps nc nous attendit pas. Heins! Nous comprimes trop tot ce que signifiait le mot Junior. Les mystires de la geometrie nous faisait jour- nellement perdre de la dimension, pendant que les inextricables signes dc la stenographie nous bergaient de reves de romans orientaux. Enfin septembre 1938 nous apporta le titre de Senior! . . . Senior, Seigneur . .. Nous sentimes tout de suite que ce titre nous appelait dans les hauteurs, or Noblesse oblige! Les difficultes de la chimie nous occasion- nerent nombre dc deboires et pour comble de malheur nous allimes nous as- sommer contre Ia geometrie dans l'espace. Cependant la voix doucereuse de Shakespeare ranima notre enthousiasme presqu'eteint et aux accents patriotiques dc l'histoire nationale nous nous remimes ii marcher d'un pas accelere et nous voici: Finissants de 1939! ' Si vous aimez notre histoire. relisez-la. U Page 22

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YEAR BOOK OF 1939 - MSGR. PREVOST HIGH SCHOOL .,.. -' ........ ,.- while another read: 'Tm glad I can still walk . On inquiring. I discovered that the employees of the great Briand and Remy Shoe Store were on strike. It seemed that Messrs. Briand and Remy, insisted on making their employees wear the shoes they advertised. Proceeding on my way. I was suddenly stopped in my tracks by a piercing shriek of agony that disturbed the calm morning air. I looked around. found the cause of this annoyance. and laughed. It was only Dentist Forcier glee- fully working on income tax assessor Gagnier's teeth. I walked absent-mindedly from then on, and before I knew it. I had reached Lafayette Park. An immense crowd was there to witness the play- off of a baseball series. The Royal Bulldogs were playing the Notre-Dame Street Cats. On the former team, I recognized the great star Bert Laprise. contentedly picking his teeth with a baseball bat. while Lussier on the latter team was pitching to Vannie Marcoux who was shouting his signals in Latin. On the sideline. Lussier's family of 15. fincluding his mother-in-lawj, was cheering him on to victory. On the bench. I perceived Mr. Francoeur. the Bulldogs' manager, worried- Iy tearing out his hair. From what I found out later. he was trying to figure out a way to chisel undershirts for his team. At the other end ofthe park. I saw Boutin on a soap-box. shouting vociferously at a mob of kindergarten pupils. He was practicing his speech for the next assembly of the State Legislature. I turned around, and there. on a little rise. stood a stately five-storied, red-bricked school:-Mgr. Prevost High School:-my Alma Mater! . I walked in through the arched doorway. and had proceeded but a few steps when. from a class room in front of me. a babel of sound suddenly arose. The door was flung open, and Euclide St. Amand, now a teacher, rushed out fol- lowed by an avalanche of books and school paraphernalia. He had been talking to the Freshmen about the importance for the government of dividing property equally among the citizens, I continued my tour of inspection. and entered the new large auditorium where Lapre, the great orator. was speaking to a group of open-mouthed students on How to express yourself clearly in 10 easy lessons! My little stroll was over. and I happily headed back for my private laboratory where I was just finishing an invention. I had just discovered a laughing gas that would eliminate the tears shed at sad moving pictures. This discovery was going to net me millions.-I hoped!!! Philippe Deschenes, '39. 0 Page 24 1. o .