CLASS OF 1866
ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
Fifty years, unless marked in their flight by very significant events which burn their impressions in memory, are but "a watch in the night," but "a tale that is told."
The classes of today, as they move steadily forward in their history, are marking their progress towards their fiftieth, the goal of all anniversaries, by gathering in spans of five, ten, or more years. A very wise procedure, which should have the sanction and support of all outgoing classes. For these gatherings serve to fix more firmly the tie that binds, and the class obtains some permanent knowledge of itself. So, when this anniversary comes, which marks so important an era in the life of the class, the meeting together of its members will not have the semblance of having sprung from the ground, coming from Nowhere into Somewhere.
Some of our number, who fifty years ago left the classic shades of old Dartmouth, as once they were designated, going into the wide, wide world to wrest a living from its reluctant hand, had hardly been back to pay homage to their Alma Mater. They, therefore, had seen but little of her splendid growth along its material side. And, when they attempted to adjust themselves to the changed conditions, they could not make a start until they had begun where they left off. Soon they grasp what Tennyson meant when he said, "The old order changeth, yielding place to the new. Then they recite with Longfellow:
"This is the place. Stand still, my steed! Let me review the scene, And summon from the shadowy past The forms that once have been."
(The steed in the above, now reads "auto.") And, when the forms do appear, having enough of the original in them to betray, for the most part, their identity, the new gives place to the old, and the reunion is complete; and everybody is happy except the men who could not come. Thus the class of 1866 came together, and under the spell of memory, which is the immortal of our earthly existence, they renewed their youth, as spent at Dartmouth more than fifty years ago.
Fifteen hearty veterans, out of a possible nineteen, whom God had spared to live on "Earth's green fields," came from the north, the south, the east, and the west. And here they are: Samuel P. Atkinson, Champaign, Ill.; James H. Chapman, New York; Nathan P. Hunt, Manchester, N. H.; Henry Clay Ide, St. Johnsbury, Vt.; John Edgar Johnson, Philadelphia, Pa.; Henry A. Kendall, Somerville, Mass.; Charles E. Lane, Lombard, Ill.; Chester W. Merrill, Cincinnati, Ohio; George H. Pillsbury, Lowell, Mass.; Levi Rodgers, Greenwich, Conn.; Walter A. Sellew, Jamestown, N. Y.; William B. T. .'Smith, Charlestown, N. H.; James A. Spalding, Portland, Maine; George W. Wing, Montpelier, Vt.; Henry Whittemore, Framingham, Mass. The following members of the class were not present: Henry Wardwell, Salem, Mass.; Waldemar Otis, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Lewis L. Wood, Chicago, Ill.; and Thomas P. Kingsley, Cleveland, Ohio.
There was also present a man who was once connected with the class, a royal fellow and a good class man, Harrison Hume of Washington, Maine, who, later in his life was honored with the degree of Master of Science, worthily bestowed. A worthy company, present and past; a company which has brought honor to the College and increased its revenues.
What have they been doing these fifty years? Five have been doing God's work, directly; business absorbed the attention of five; law found something for five to do, just the form this "something" assumed, well, the boys themselves give no hint of it; two were enrolled as disciples of Esculapius; one has been an engineer, having a hand in many of the big things of the day; and the last, and we hope not the least, has been a teacher.
But they have not always followed strictly to the line of work as it is ordinarily found in the professions as chosen. One of the preachers- broke the lines and became a bishop; another of these messengers of God did his Master's work by laying on the lap of his Alma Mater many a generous gift. His donations for the establishment of the Outing Club, to the College, and to the College Church, testify to his generosity and his loyalty. If "Bully" Sanborn were here, he would say that these gifts would last until the last syllable of recorded time. And there is one who is written in the "Register of Alumni" as a lawyer. Early in life he took the broadest view of that noble profession, and ended his career in the service which he honored, as minister plenipotentiary at Madrid. Enough said. It would be invidious to make comparisons, and there would be no end to it; and besides the fellows would not like it. For what the fellows don't like, don't go. The great event of the reunion was the presentation by Kendall of the class histories, which had been prepared by him during the preceding year. It was the summing up in a brief period, of the events which had crowded to the full the fifty years of the lives of those who were present and absent. Was there any event just like it in the history of fiftieth anniversaries? In a masterly way, the historian traced the events of each man's life into one harmonious wholea composite stream.
"And when the stream Which overflowed the soul was passed away, A consciousness remained that it had left Deposited upon the silent shore Of memory, images and precious thoughts That shall not die, and cannot be destroyed."
At dinner the reunion reached its height. For on the morrow, the world, its cares, made a raid upon the group and the ranks were broken.
THE AFTERMATH
It was reported in the newspapers that '66 had won the cup given for the greatest percent of attendance for class reunions. As far as we now know, no intimation has reached the secretary that this is true. Should he not have this information?
At the dinner, John Edgar, for fear the richness of the repast might have a dire influence upon the partakers, then and there declared that on the morrow he would give to the College $5000 as an example for other classes to imitate when they celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. And the class went on record in a hearty manner, as appreciating his loyalty and their belief in him as a man and brother. Some of the fellows went to see Amherst trim Dartmouth at baseball. History repeats itself. We did not see Bishop Sellew in this crowd. But it should be known that the present game of baseball was introduced to Dartmouth mainly through the instrumentality of the Bishop. There was a game of baseball played at Hanover in the summer of 1866 with Amherst. And Amherst beat us. Sellew and Chapman played in that game. But that had nothing to do with our being beaten.
Why the College authorities did not call upon '66 to respond to a sentiment offered by the presiding officer at the alumni dinner in honor of '66, "no feller knows." It has been stated that it was not on the program which the presiding officer had given him.
And so "the shadow hath moved o'er the dial plate of time," and the fiftieth anniversary for 1866 hath come and gone.
But we are not ready to say with Tennyson, "Old men must die, or the world would grow mouldy, would only breed the past again." Rather we say with the Psalmist, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
And we say to the Old Dartmouth and to the New, "Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces."
