After putting together my last column from the late Lou Rushlow's sports scrapbook from the 1930s, it occurred to me that I'm going to have to carefully remove the clippings from the rapidly disintegrating pages, or these accounts of local sports history may be forever lost.
Though I try my best to handle the ancient pages with care, I'm afraid the inroads of time have done their damage; after last week's column there were dozens of yellowed scrapbook fragments dotting my floor.
Before undertaking my little salvage project, though, here's a few paragraphs on the great Don Lange from the 1938 column, "From the Press Box."
When I was a kid, I used to dribble my basketball down Brook Street, then cut through the backyards (the Lange's featured a basketball court, undoubtedly for use by his son, AHS two-sport letterman, Don Jr., who was then patrolling the paint with Bob Higginbotham for the Bombardiers). Inevitably, Mr. Lange would wave hello and smile as I passed through before jumping the fence into the Bliss School playground to shoot some hoops.
Always a favorite of Rushlow's, Lou had this to say about Lange Sr.
Overheard an interesting talk yesterday which had to do with Don Lange, the Combine's best and most dependable football carrier, kicker and passer. Lange, who tips the scales between 190 and 200 reported for practice Sunday and it seems he was told that he was out of condition by Coach Landry.
What do you weigh, asked Coach Landry? Oh, about 198, explained Lange. And what did you weigh last season? Maybe around 195, answered Lange.
Lange weighed in at that figure all during the season and he played 60 minutes of six games, which is in itself something few, if any football players in this district can boast of, whether in school or in semipro circles. Lange is just one of those boys who never gets out of condition. He has no bad habits and has little to say.
However, don't forget that he is a powerful football player on any man's team and can also Bingle a baseball high, wide, and handsome.
After watching him in races, one cannot doubt his speed. Take a 100-yard dash, for instance, where only Eddie Fontneau headed him to the tape recently. Right now, we would be willing to bet a dozen doughnuts against a cruller that Lange could beat Coach Landry up-and-down Hayward Field on any Sunday morning, afternoon or evening, for that matter.
Even state commissioner Pat Rooney couldn't show any more enthusiasm over softball than manager Sam Sargent of the Balfour team. Sam says: "If you were only at Chicago and viewed what we saw (referring to his team) you would be just as enthused as I am. One cannot picture that dazzling speed of those hurlers, unless they actually see for themselves."
Do you believe - the 10 Mile River is clean enough for canoeing - that basketball is going to be better at the YMCA this fall - that the Combines will draw as many fans as the Jewelry City team - that that Townies will succeed in an enticing Dale Worrall to play with them or that Bobby Batchelder will again be in the Townies fold - Red Gendron will again heave a bat to the top of the grandstand - Barrington High will beat North Attleboro on Saturday at Community field - that North Attleboro High doesn't like the influx of star athletes from Plainville High - that Attleboro High will finally sign a football game for Sept. 25 - that Coach Buhl of Mansfield High School will have as fast a team as last season - that Spatcher will ever release the high school football schedule?
Parting thoughts
- Old friend Dave Hardt tells me that Hope Worrall, the venerable lady of Park Street, recently underwent hip replacement surgery and would love hearing from old friends. This corner hopes for a rapid and complete recovery for Mrs. Worrall, whom I have known since I was in grade school.
- Condolences to the family of Paul Pelletier, especially to his wife, Patricia (Silva) Pelletier, and their son and his wife, Paul and Amy Pelletier , and their daughter and her friend Sherrie Pellet will and Ken Ross. Sympathy also to his two brothers, Gerard and Gordon Pelletier; sisters, his twin Pauline Craige and Elaine Briggs; grandchildren, April, Tiffany, Logan, Emily and Kateleigh; and great-grandchildren, Abigail, Mickenzy, Rheann, Avery and Angell.
- Sympathy to the family and friends of one of my old classmates, Ernest Russell "Russ" Oster Jr., in particular to his loving mother, Doris (Reed) Oster, a friend and treasured correspondent of this writer. Condolences also to his daughters, Heather Bouchard and Erica Paradis and her husband David; two brothers, Eric Oster and wife Joyce and David Oster and companions Janice Casey and Joyce Cloutier.
- Condolences to the family of Frederick William Burns III, another former AHS classmate, especially to his daughters, Rhonda Harris and husband Stephen, Stacey Brady and husband Derek and Tricia M. Burns; also Fred's grandchildren: Bryan, Andrew and Tyler Harris and Emma and Nathan Brady. Sympathies also to his former spouse, another former classmate, Ellen (Tomlinson) Burns.
- Condolences to the family of Gerard J. Fournier, especially to his wife, Gloria (Ferreira) Fournier, and their children: my old pal from Holman Street, Joseph "Jed" Fournier and his wife Karen, Patricia Chastened and husband Paul, and Pauline Bramwell and her husband, old friend Brad Bramwell, Donna Fournier-Johnson and husband Glen, Deborah Vanada and husband Chuck, and Jennie Fournier. Sympathies also to his 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Vaya con Dios, Robert....
Perhaps year or two ago, I read several columns in this paper relating to a subject near and dear to my heart: Attleboro rail history. Both were well written, informative, and interesting.
One was submitted by a writer 10 years my senior, who was raised just across the tracks from my house, a fascinating 1950's holdover named John Buchanan, and the other by a fellow named J. Robert Warren, a transplanted Midwesterner 20 years my elder.
I was also very impressed by a guest column on the history and background of the Dodgeville/Hebronville area of our city, very well researched and written by a lifelong native of the area named Don Doucette.
All three were contacted, and so we met one Saturday morning over good coffee and better conversation, and a pleasant and always interesting tradition was born, with the group expanding and adding to its number always .
Bob Warren was a charter member of our "Four Guys for Coffee" group. As we were breaking and going to our homes after a get-together last summer (of late, the damn hip hasn't allowed me to attend very often, but I'm glad to have made that one), Bob matter-of-factly informed us that his cancer had metastasized and he was going to his daughter's home in Orono, Maine to await the inevitable outcome.
He told us his 85 years had been wonderful, that he was blessed with a great family and friends, and his life had been liberally sprinkled with with the triumphs, disappointments and occasional heartbreaks which it brings.
But he had enjoyed a good run, appreciated being included in our group and having new friends, and now he would greet this upcoming transition would the same quiet introspection and curiosity with which he had approached life.
Well, recently Bob went into that "great mystery" attended by his daughter and family amid the beauty and solitude of those Northwoods, leaving them and the many many friends he made throughout his journey missing a good man, a good friend and a marvelous conversationalist who never stopped wondering and never stopped learning. Vaya con Dios, Robert....
On that note, let's be good to one another out there and try to do someone a good turn daily. Please keep the less fortunate in mind, the hungry and the homeless, and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand - Peace...
Tom McAvoy's columns can be found online at: http://www.thesunchronicle.com/vip/