CLASS OF 1919
Each year about when the snow melts off the campus and the ice in the river takes another try at moving the old bridge down to Wilder, the Secretaries Association meets in Hanover. The object is to discuss ways and means of becoming better secretaries. Everybody goes because President Hopkins speaks at the dinner and no one would miss that. However, the greatest usefulness of the meeting is that it gives the class secretaries something write about in the June ALUMNI MAGAZINE. The meeting this year was the usual pleasant occasion. Both business meetings were full of helpful suggestions, the which we do not dare put down for then you would know how many we forget to put into operation. Mrs. Hopkins was our hostess at a delightful luncheon Saturday noon, and the dinner which was held this year in the dining room of the new Tuck School was as usual good. We missed the talk which President Hopkins usually gives, as he was obliged because of sailings to leave that day on a visit to Mr. Tuck in France. Bill Gray went to bat for him and did an excellent job, which was compensation enough for any one.
The golf course is still there and willing to take on all comers. We wouldn't want to say that we completely subdued it, nor would we care to publish our score. We did, however, make a new record of sorts for visiting firemen. We played the complete eighteen holes —gullies, ravines, and precipices—with the same much abused ball. All right, we'll get affidavits to prove it.
Larmon, McCarter, and Norton are all still at the old stands and doing business as usual. Larmon, who went Bed for the summer last year, is full of hot dope about the Rooshians. McCarter is selling Cheerless Richardson's history of the College to all who come within buttonholing, and Norton grabs you for Dartmouth plates. Max recently got his next door neighbor Dr. J. Gile to order him to Rye Beach for a vacation, which puts an idea in our head. Cottie, who is always trying to prove that he is really an excellent correspondent if given time enough, dove into his file to show us that he still had our Christmas card there to answer. He couldn't find the card, but disclosed a letter that we wrote him a week ago, and it wasn't even opened.
The fire department turned up an amusing story. Fire Department Treasurer Norton had just bought Fire Chief John Piane a shiny new piece of apparatus for his own personal use. It was standing in the station just out of the wrapping paper and John was showing it proudly to Cottie, explaining just how all the different valves, handles, and faucets worked, when a still alarm came in. John donned his helmet and jumped in and Cottie jumped in beside him. With sirens ashriek they circled the campus and tore for the outskirts of town to find a chimney fire just beginning to touch off the roof. Cottie aimed the nozzle and John began turning faucets and valves. Strangely nothing happened. John turned other faucets. Some forty minutes later the right combination was struck and out came a magnificent blast of water, which landed smack on the burning roof, nearly drowning a poor old man who had taken matters into his own hands and was on the ridgepole working feverishly with a pail and a ladle. Just then a cloudburst, which had sneaked up unnoticed, descended in full fury and reduced their proud stream to insignificance, at the same time filling the chimney.
A new book has been placed in the Inn in which returning alumni may register by classes and so see at a glance if any others of their class be in town. On the back of the 1919 index leaf, the names of 'l9ers in Hanover are listed with their addresses and telephone numbers so we can get in touch with them readily. Sign this book when you go up and it will make an interesting permanent record of visits to Hanover.
We didn't have a chance to check with Max personally, but we are glad to see by the statement from dear old Archie M. Peisch & Cos. that Max has some shekels in various and assorted banks. As you may well imagine there was a lot of talk about the present Alumni Fund drive. Everyone asked how things were, expecting to hear the worst, but strangely enough it's going along great, the old Dartmouth fight showing up when things are the toughest. However,, reports from Spider are not so encouraging. Spider has done such a good job that they expect a lot of our class, and it makes you pretty set up to go back to Hanover and ask about 1919 and have them say, "Oh, I don't know, we never worry much about 1919," especially when they are putting on a big fight talk for everyone else. We ought to appreciate what Spider has done for us, and give him a hand this year when he is having his troubles. We're all having a hard time, but outside of about a dozen in the class who are out of jobs or sick, everybody can well afford to kick through with something. And don't be ashamed to send a dollar if that's all there is in the wood. The dollars are going to be important this year and very much appreciated.
It is with deepest regret that we report the death of Don McCaslin, at his home in Indianapolis. Don was knowii and loved by all '19ers and the class will feel his loss as keenly as they have always valued his friendship. The news came to us from Nock Wallis, and from Jimmie Wilson whose account of it in full appears in the Necrology.
News of 1919 still seems to be scarce, the only other item we have is that we saw John Ross on the street today and waved to him.
Secretary, 87 State St., Framingham Center, Mass.
