CLASS OF 1892
March 6 brought the following letter from Bliss, written at Singapore, Straits Settlements:—
"When our round-the-world trip was planned, I promised myself never to bore my friends with travelogues, and my mind is unchanged. We came for the sake of broadening our own horizon and to visit our son and his wife.
"The first plan was to sail by the Dollar Line, but upon investigation we found the Prince Line gave us more ports of call and a longer stay in them. The Prince boats are chiefly cargo ships, and carry passengers incidentally. Our boat, the Japanese Prince, had a maximum capacity of eleven passengers. This does not mean unsatisfactory conditions. We had a good-sized cabin with two single beds (not bunks), running water, etc. The food was good, the service all that any one could ask, and the officers spared no pains to make our days pleasant.
"The only fly in the ointment was the fact that we did not stop at Honolulu, the first port after leaving Los Angeles being Yokohama. Here we left the boat, and went across the island by train, joining the ship at Kobe. This gave us three days in Japan. It was a source of regret to us that our stay "was not longer and that we did not have a chance to see Nikko.
"Some tourists spend two weeks in Japan and never have a sight of Fuji. We were very fortunate. The mountain was unclouded when we came into Yokohama, and was plainly visible during the entire time of our stay in that vicinity.
"We reached Batavia two or three days before Christmas, where our people met us, and we spent two pleasant weeks in the island. We drove back into the mountains, spending a week at a high elevation. One unusual experience was ours. We visited an active volcano with an automobile road leading up to the very edge of the crater. I understand that this is the only active volcano in the world where such a thing is possible. As you may imagine, the road was a bit difficult.
"Although we are in the tropics in the rainy season, we had only two brief showers during the entire time we were in Java. Singapore makes up for it, however, as it showers frequently here almost every day. We have not suffered from the heat, but this is due to the open, airy houses and the tropical style of dressing.
"I find it a bit difficult to adjust myself to the common attitude towards servants. No one pretends to do anything for himself. If matches are on the opposite side of the room and a person wishes to light a cigarette, he calls 'boy' and the boy comes. Your bath is drawn, clothes taken out for the daily brush and airing, beds made in the morning, etc. I got in trouble on our first trip by starting to take my bag out of the car.
"In Java we spent some time visiting government pawn shops. These are run by the state to keep the poor Malay out of the hands of Arab loan sharks. The unredeemed goods are sold for the amount of the loan. This practically saves the unwary tourist from being cheated. All through the East the merchant starts by asking from two to four times what he expects to get. Last night one of the men from this office showed us some linens which he had just bought for $200 and the original asking price was $800.
"We leave here the last of February and are due in New York April 2. By that time I suspect the old U. S. A. will look very good to us.
"D. C. BLISS"
Now get out the atlas and see just where Mr. and Mrs. Bliss have spent the winter.
Six of us, Emerson, Hayes, McDuffee, Holland, Strong, and Weston, turned out for the Dartmouth alumni dinner in Boston, March 7. When one of the center pieces took fire, Fred Hayes pinned on his fire department badge and was prepared to rush valiantly to the rescue. As the pin stuck, he unfortunately was not ready until the fire was out. Apart from this excitement we passed a quiet but most enjoyable evening.
Since Charley Gould and Stought retired from Hanover life we have not been represented on the teaching staff until the present time. Now we are back again, with Eke and B.Emerson both lecturing in the Tuck School. B's lectures are on "The Relation of Health to Business." I don't know the exact title of Eke's course, but it bears on personnel work.
Secretary, 285 Columbus Ave., Boston
