Thursday, April 5, 2018

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks


To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

Graduation was approaching and time to apply to which high school we wanted to go to. For some reason my father decided that I should go to an all boy school. Boston English. [ed: Dad, think it might have been because Grandpa was tired of Mrs. Sullivan calling him to say you were constantly bothering and flirting with Miss Lavonia? Yeah, I see that wry smile of yours.] That was fine, but we were still in the Depression which was getting worse.

Anyway I applied and was accepted. In the Fall. September as was the custom. The Summer time was over and it was back to school. The Summer was good and I was not happy to give it up. I played a lot of baseball, played on a team, played outfield. Hit pretty good and wasn't good as a pitcher. I had the wrong stance at the pitcher's mound.

School opened and I entered Boston English. All boys. 3300 of us. The classes were large. It was not unusual to have classes of 50 and up. The teachers were all men. Boston English was at the time the only integrated school in the country.

We also had to have uniforms for we held the City of Boston's Cadets. All the high schools participated. 17,000 strong. Boys marching downtown Boston. It was a big day. At different sections of the march area there would be men who would grade each school. I was lucky and I inherited someone's uniform and it fit. We could not afford the one.

Nor could I participate in sports they were not conducted in our school yard. We didn't have one. So it meant going to Roxbury which meant another car fare and getting home late for supper and then doing your homework. There were not many boys from East Boston. In fact, it was a mistake , my going there [ed: Boston English High School]

While my marks were good getting the car fare in and out of Boston got hard. I began to feel taht I was out of my class. And I began to hate to go. It started in the Winter and I began to consider quitting school. And I pressed along into my 16 birthday. [ed: 1935] and finally with only 26 days of school left, I quit. My mother and father were upset. As they should be. Of the five children, I was the only one that showed some evidence to have a career of sorts if I wanted one.

Mario caused some problem and he definitely had no sense of wanting to be a scholar. In fact, my father decided that he would send him to reform school. And he did. Which was definitely unwarranted he didn't do anything to warrant it. He was sent to Holyoke and I am my mother went to visit him. He was happy to see us and wanted to know when he would be able to come home.

photo: The Boston High School Cadets on Tremont Street in the early 1930s. from Only in Your State:  http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/massachusetts/boston/great-depression-boston/

14 comments:

  1. It must have been hard for your father at school, it's not easy being poor and not being able to pay for fares and sports etc. This was another interesting view into life back in the 30s. Have a great day, hugs, Valerie

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  2. It's interesting how a certain type of school doesn't work for everyone, and that sometimes your parents don't know best. Too bad your Dad dropped out, but I am assuming he did get back to school. You are lucky your Dad left you so many stories. Happy Thursday. hugs-Erika

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    1. No, they did know best. Thing is, at that age, you don't really listen to what your parents say, but you will listen to someone else. Grandma knew this.

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  3. I remember he wrote about quitting with only a few weeks to go. I also remember your poor uncle who should not have been sent to a reform school. It must have been hard for him and also for your father, who may have felt the brunt of that punishment, too.

    Your father's memories certainly puts a new perspective on the depression, because I remember hearing about it from my grandmother, who came from wealth, and from my grandfather, who left home when he was 15 to make his way in the world and put food on the table.

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    1. This memory of Dad's may be clouded with guilt and a broken heart. The reason Mario was sent away, was to help the family. With 2 growing teenage boys, Grandma (Grandpa wasn't working) could barely make ends meet. Grandpa's reasoning, Mario would be taken care of with food, clothing, and shelter. Dad, when he went back to finish school, lived with his mentor, Charlie. Grandma was able (barely) to provide for the 3 younger children at home.

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  4. Poor Mario.....and your father...... :(

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    1. Yeah, wasn't so good for Mario. He was away from the family for 6 months or so.

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  5. Wow! What a lot was going on. An integrated school, but no girls:) Quitting that close to graduation. We look back at our decisions and sometimes shake our heads don't we?
    Poor Mario.

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    1. He wasn't close to graduation. It was the end of his junior year. And our decisions, good and bad shape us. Yeah, Mario got the short end of the stick

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  6. 50 is a good size class; even by today's standards for some schools.... I'm surprised dad's parents didn't "make him" go back to finish out the remaining days ~~~~~~ my grandfather was sent to reform school and depending on whose version as to "why" you listened to, I wonder if it was really necessary ~~~~~~ ♥♥

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    1. Dad was 16. Legally, his parents obligation to have him educated was ended. And they were probably counting on him getting a job and helping to support the family. As that was the custom of the day. Yeah, wasn't a good reason to send poor Mario away. Grandma never forgave Grandpa for sending Mario away

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  7. I feel for your dad and your parents! I feel so sorry for Mario too! Such a different way of life!

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    1. Yup, was a different time, hard times, and people tried to do the best they could.

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