CLASS OF 1903
Charley Luce represented the class at the meeting of the Secretaries Association, May 3-4, in Hanover. He afterwards wrote your Secretary a complete report, enclosing much printed matter picked up at the meeting; this included May 3 and 4 issues of the Dartmouth, the current issues of the Jack 0'Lantern and the Tomahawk, a catalog of a printing concern which gets out many Dartmouth class reports, showing prices in detail for this service, and the annual financial report of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. There was also included the official report of the Association meetings, which was reprinted in the June MAGAZINE. All this material combined, of course, to give the color of the presentday Dartmouth, especially of undergraduate interests. Charley's letter is full of color; though it is too long to quote in toto, here are a few extracts:
"Everett Stevens and I went up over the road. First sign of life was Carl Woods 1904, secretary of the Winchester, Mass., Association, who passed us at Newport. We arrived at Hanover via the back road from Leb, and viewed the new houses on the second road to the east of College Park. Hanover appears to be growing in all directions. The new Carpenter Art Building and Sanborn English Building are nearing completion. Incidentally, a new Gile Hall is going up on the south side of Tuck Drive, and later a new Tuck School building with dormitories on the north side. It is reported that the old Tuck School building will be used for college purposes.
"We then went to the reception, general meeting of the Association, and banquet; and in the morning, to the second meeting of the Association. We were very glad to see Arba J. Irvin 1902, who represented his class and also the Dartmouth Association of Oklahoma, which he has just started in Tulsa. You know him, of course.
"It was with great delight and astonishment that I learned that the mellowing influence of time has so changed the character of our old instructor, Charles Darwin Adams, that he now smokes cigarettes. [Shades of Tiryns and Herculaneum! However, several things happened before my eyes in Hanover which I cannot see happening in 1903, a slimly attended track meet, an instructor smoking a cigarette, and a student asking him for a light.
"Nat Batchelder was at the hotel for a few minutes while I was there. He is always in Hanover, according to my observation.
"I think that the boys at Hanover do not dress as well as they did a few years ago. I saw lots of coat sweaters, and it looked more like the old days than it usually does.
"Saturday afternoon I attended the events at the Alumni Field. I stood on top of the bleachers, and thus had an opportunity of seeing at one and the same time a track meet between Dartmouth and Syracuse, a baseball game between the freshman teams of Dartmouth and University of New Hampshire, and a lacrosse game. And another baseball game followed the first one. I also had the pleasure, which I had not had for many years, of being able to see a college event from any part of the side lines I wanted to. The athletic policy at Dartmouth now is to get as many boys as possible to engage in some kind of athletic activity; which is, indeed, compulsory for all freshmen and sophomores. On this Saturday afternoon, although there were a number of contests going on, the attendance was rather slim. A lot of fellows were in the gym, and at the same time, a number of scrub baseball games were going on. There is a rather large coaching force, which is able to give attention to men who are not varsity material. I feel that this is a very much healthier situation than when we were in Hanover."
A good letter, Charley. The thanks of the class are yours for your faithful handling of the assignment given you.
Change of addresses: Cleland R. Neal has moved his office for the general practice of law to 198 Broadway, right across the road from our genial class president. Neal's telephone is Cortlandt-6783. I'll give you a ring, C. R., the next time I'm in the metropolis; but no business for you from me, as I'm keeping out of trouble nicely right now. Carl B. Worthen lives and works at Griffith Park, Los Angeles, Cal. This means Tute. Sherman Smith has again turned up, this time at 3220 7th St., West, Calgary, Alberta.
Mous Avery wrote your Secretary June 12; he was just about to leave with Mrs. Avery for Norway and the North of Europe to stay until October. He says that he and Kenie reuned all the time the latter was in Washington recently, and they "had a wonderful visit together."
You will notice items above about Avery and Worthen, the alpha and omega of the class when we matriculated. (Abdian joined us later). If the rest of you guys representing the balance of the alphabet want to see your names in print, come across with some news.
Kenie wrote us June 18. I quote part of his letter: "I have just come back from two or three days in the north country. Part of my time, Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday morning, I rounded-up with the class of 1904. Also had a fine visit with Meat Hanlon and Dick Brown. Had a long visit with Ned Egbert; who settled in Wolfeboro about six months ago, doing surgery for that section." Egbert roomed with Andy Jackson and your Secretary during our sophomore year, and had many friends in 1903; he entered with 1904.
Mrs. Safford sent us on May 11 a clipping from Theodore Price's Commerce and Finance for May 1. This had an article describing the annual meeting of the American Cotton Shippers Association at New Orleans; H. G. Safford was elected president for the ensuing year. This, I am informed, is an outstanding honor in the cotton world. Queech was just leaving on a two months' business trip in Europe.
Ag Smith writes under date of May 14, "I had a very fine visit with Willie Woolverton and family at Birmingham, going out to his home Tuesday and spending the evening. Birmingham will always seem more like the promised land, as they asked me to come again on my next visit there. Willie's older daughter just won a $500 prize in some sort of a national essay contest. You can get the details from him [Oh, rawther, but it apparently it was quite a feather in her hat and also for Goucher College, where she is at school. Out of a possible 18 prizes Goucher won two firsts and one second." Willie, if you happen to spy this item, give me a little of the credit. Albert spent about an hour at my home Saturday evening; then putting him on the train for "Buminham," I urged him to call on you. By the way, do you happen to know Lawyer Chew, of the African colony of your fair city?
Eddie Schlatter writes May 16, mostly news of his family. His daughter Dorothy is spending the summer in France; your Secretary's wife and daughter met her and spent a few hours with her when she passed through Chicago. She is a charming girl, with many of her father's attractive qualities, and is a teacher of modern languages, like him. Eddie was debating the request of E. B. Junior (16 years old) known as Bunker, for a motorbike. Eddie is not a strong believer in motorbikes for members of his immediate family, but I thought I saw signs of his weakening in his opposition to the scheme. I'll let you all know later whether the boy got his motorbike.
Also in May (gosh, but plenty happened that month), on the 25th, to be exact, your Secretary had the pleasure of entertaining Buck Lewers for an afternoon and evening. He was here only twenty-four hours, meeting his father, who came on from California. Needless to say, we had a splendid visit, and another of those informal class reunions goes into the record.
Clippings from recent Boston papers comment on Vic Cutter's finishing twenty-five years service with the United Fruit Company, with a sketch of his record; on a scholarship at Harvard recently granted to Armen G. Abdian of Arlington, Mass. (Is this the son of Gregory Nazareth?); on the new college record in the quarter mile of 49 1/5, made recently by one Swope, which takes the record out of the 1903 family, as the former record was held by Bucky Bates, Jr.; and on the baseball prospects at Tabor Academy, with Bun Mudge mentioned as one of the three veteran players eligible for this year's team.
Prex Whelden came through with the above items, and also the following information: Nat Batch drove through Nashua with his mother, on the way to Boston, May 13. He found the roads very good. Emmett Brown, son of Phil, is on the Newton High School tennis team. Prex adds to this, "Page the Bolz French and Arthur Bolster children." Why, I dunno; do you? Mrs, Bucky Bates and Mrs. Phil Brown played a friendly game of bridge with Mrs. Prex Whelden and Susan E. McClellan, whom so many Dartmouth men know as the relict of the Hon. John E. McClellan, late senator from Grafton, Mass., now mother-in-law of Prex Whelden '03, and Dick Whelden '11. Grandfather Bucky Bates has Bucky 3d dressed in running pants only. Gotter get that new Swope record back in the family.
Bob Brewer is now president of the Merchants Bank, Boston.
Dr. Harvey Cushing, the eminent Boston surgeon, is a sort of a relative to your Secretary; at least he married our first cousin, Kate Crowell. Harvey doesn't know us from Adam, of course, but we have known him by reputation for years, and admired him. He was granted an honorary degree by Dartmouth at the recent Commencement. Oh, yes, Benedict Crowell, one of the numerous secretaries of war in President Wilson's cabinet during the World War, is of the same clan, and is also our first cousin, though we doubt if he knows of our existence, which bothers us not at all.
In this same connection, I quote from Tacitus, my favorite Latin author; here, then is your Latin assignment for the month. Be sure to get it translated accurately before next month rolls around: "Mihi, guantoplura recentium seu veterum revolvo, tantomagis ludibria rerum mortalium cunctis innegotiis observantur."
Secretary, 1033 Northshore Ave., Chicago
