CLASS OF 1924
All those whose mouths water at the mere suggestion of travel, prepare for an uncomfortable account. Ed Jones once upon a time and now again of 54 Ritchie Drive, Yonkers, has completed a "Richard Haliburton" with about half the effort and seemingly twice the fun.
"The recent much appreciated 24-Hour Notice was the first news I had seen in print of '24, but I guess that's mostly my own fault, as I seemed to have trouble keeping my folks posted with forwarding addresses. After banking a bit in New York, I wandered into the hardware manufacturing business in Bridgeport, Conn., which later developed into constant travel to most every city in the U. S. and Canada. Might just as well have been a traveling fraternity secretary for all the rushing weeks I got myself into. While still on the road I was tangled with the none too soft gravel roads in Arizona in an automobile accident.
"The charming younger sister of Bud Brown '25 did a good job on me in the Flag- staff, Arizona, Hospital, and after another operation later in New York I spent the next few months recuperating in Florida. Couldn't see that 1930 business looked worth worrying about, so again drove across country and punched cows in northern Arizona (the greatest part of the world in my estimation). The cattle ranch I have an interest in happens to be next to the Foxborough Ranch, with which Al Stopford was at one time connected. Didn't happen to see Al, but did run into a number of 1924 boys, among whom were Hen Barker selling insurance in Utica, N. Y., Morry Ahlquist in Spokane, Johnny Fleming, budding lawyer, Jim Moore, labor director of Firestone, Red Castle of the Los Angeles Biltmore, and Leon Rothschild, also of Los Angeles. Let me say right here that the Dartmouth Club of Los Angeles is one of the peppiest I've seen.
"Tiring temporarily of cowboy life, took to the sea at San Francisco. After calling at various Oriental ports and surviving a series of experiences, got off in Manila and worked as an overseer on a sugar plantation south of Manila about 40 miles. Then wandered to India and thence to the east coast of Africa, getting off again on the weird island of Zanzibar. Glad to get to the mainland and Mombassa, where I bumped into a couple of Englishmen and accompanied them on an expedition into the Belgian Congo. Luck continued, and another freighter carried me back to India and China. Handled New York stocks for a house in Shanghai for about five months. Sorry I didn't stay now. Not every day can one see a real war from one's backyard as it were. And incidentally the boys who take these jobs in the Orient with American outfits have their compensations. One can keep a string of polo ponies, house boys, and a couple of wives, to say nothing of whisky sodas, on about $60.00 gold at the present rate of exchange. However I tried to stick to tennis, and managed to thrice tie the 1926 Japanese Davis Cup player, Sekia Towara, now number one of all China, at both the Japanese and French Clubs. The former is at the present time both the base of Japanese operations and the execution ground for the poor Chinese devils who fall into their hands.
"Flying from Shanghai to Peking in a German plane, which later that day was forced down, the pilot and mechanic falling into the hands of Chinese bandits on the edge of the Gobi desert, I traveled as best I could overland to the Great Wall. After another trip up the Yangtse River and the almost indescribable Yangtse Gorges (comparable but different from our own Grand Canyon), I embarked from Shanghai on Bastille Day last July (after an afternoon of free champagne at the French Club), and rejoiced again at the sight of even San Francisco. For the sixth time in as many years I drove back to New York, and went to work for R. H. Macy & Co., recently graduating from their famed training course and becoming an executive, whatever that means. However a more fascinating place there couldn't be, as I think most of the other Dartmouthites employed there would agree.
"I've rambled on until I've a mind to tear this up anyway, except that I probably would never get the ambition to make another attempt. So use your own judgment. I'll be looking forward to hearing more of '24. Maybe I'd better be settling down too."
Art Watson, silent for some time, decided to kick through and give himself up. "You may remember that I left Hanover for the insurance business after a year and a half, and consequently don't know all the boys as well as I wish I did. However I got started from the last 24-Hour Notice. Been selling all lines of insurance since 1924, and more recently under the name of 'Arthur A. Watson & Co.' Have to keep humping to keep the bills all paid, as there are besides the wife, three girls and a boy ranging from to seven. Some gang. They have just finished with the whooping cough.
"See a few '24 men now and then. Hal Rider is working day and night trying to reopen one of our banks, here in Hartford. Ed Nason is with Phoenix National Life, and at present traveling around the country checking on their branch offices. Al Robinson keeps busy in Aetna Life, but finds timer for an occasional game of handball.
"I haven't missed one week or one weekend in Hanover since I left the place. Saw Al Stopford at the Holy Cross game last fall, also several of the clan at the New Haven game. Ced Foster, by the way, is president of our local association this year."
Secretary, 7 Harvard St., Worcester, Mass.
