Letters to the Editor

Second the Motion

Dear Sir: As one interested Dartmouth man among many I should like to urge that some action be taken on the question of securing nation-wide broadcasts of at least one of Dartmouth's big games. Wire reports after all are rather poor substitutes for broadcasts. I don't see why a Dartmouth-Yale, a Dartmouth-Princeton, or a DartmouthHarvard game shouldn't receive as much national interest as, for example, a St. Mary's-Fordham hook-up. We have done our best out here this year through Roy Frothingham, who is with NBC, but as yet have received little or no encouragement. I am of the opinion that this is of sufficient importance to receive full consideration from such organizations as the Athletic Council, the Alumni Council, and the Dartmouth Secretaries Association. If concerted action were taken by alumni throughout the whole country in the form of letters, cards, or telegrams to the powers that decide these matters, plus first-hand contact by some of the authorities on the home grounds, I believe we might get somewhere.

November 3, 1933,45 Second Street,San Francisco, California.

Pullman Football

Dear Sir: Now that the current football season is about over, it would appear to be an opportune time to start thinking about a more evenly balanced schedule of games. Four successive week-ends away from home make a rather heavy load for any squad to undertake and carry through successfullythat is, for any squad that does not make a business of playing football.

It is true that the 1934 schedule offers a slight variation as you can see—Norwich, Vermont, University of Maine, Virginia, Harvard at Cambridge, Yale at New Haven, New Hampshire, Cornell at Ithaca and Princeton at Princeton—but even so there is a lot of travelling, and Hanover finds itself without a major game, Virginia and New Hampshire being the best attractions there.

I have had authentic information that any team on our list (and that includes Harvard, Yale and Princeton) is willing to play in Hanover—a home game with one of those institutions would certainly equal anything ever played there and could be converted into a mammoth Home-Coming for Dartmouth's sons.

I am not attempting to tell "Rip" Heneage how to make out his schedules for if most of us alumni had his job, we would possess even fewer hairs than he has in his receding crop.

November 15,Canaan, N. H.

Dartmouth Songs Lost

Dear Sir: May I congratulate you upon the new typographic style of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. It brings the MAGAZINE "up to date" and gives it an individuality that is most pleasing.

I was naturally interested in seeing the way the Dartmouth song came out as a frontispiece. The idea is a capital one.

It was rather unfortunate that you did not use the original copyright notice at the foot of the page, as the words and music of "Eleazar Wheelock," and the "Hanover Winter Song" were first published in "Dartmouth Songs," copyrighted by me in 1898. In case you use the latter song please see that the original copyright notice is run.

In clearing out an old letter file the other day I came upon the correspondence with Richard Hovey and Frederick Field Bullard in connection with these and other Dartmouth songs.

On November 5, 1897, Hovey wrote me:

"Letters being my profession, you willof course expect that our arrangement shallhave a pecuniary basis. This I shall en-deavor to make as reasonably moderate aspossible. On payment of $100 I will agreeto allow you the use of any of my songscontained in 'Songs from Vagabondia' or'More Songs from Vagabondia' excepting'Hunting Song' and 'Barney McGee,' andin addition to use of my three Dartmouthsongs ('Eleazar Wheelock,' 'Our LiegeLady Dartmouth>,/ and 'Men of Dartmouth') and a song written expressly foryour book, and which you can advertise aswritten expressly for it ('Hanover WinterSong').

" 'Men of Dartmouth' may be printedwith as many different musical settings asyou see fit; indeed, I think the more thebetter, and let time try between them. ButI want Miss Wurm's music to be one of thesettings used."

The following April 16 Mr. Bullard wrote:

"Here is the MSS. of 'Barney McGee'and the 'Hanover Winter Song.' After mature deliberation I have come to think thatit would not be desirable to include mysetting of 'Men of Dartmouth,' especiallyas you have one already, and as I have two,and don't know which is surely the best.Moreover Mr. Hovey himself has not heardthe new (and I think my best) setting of thesong. The fact is that these compositionshave turned out so well that I have takenunusual pains with them, and have triedthem a number of times in public, andchanged and altered them accordingly util I am sure I have them in the best possible form.

"I am happy to say that the songs haveproved very successful wherever given: theApollo Club of Boston have said that theywill sing the 'Winter Song' next season,and the Papyrus Club of Boston were veryenthusiastic over 'Barney McGee,' whichwas well sung to them by Mr. Arthur W.Wellington a week ago."

In a letter dated July 13, 1899, Addison F. Andrews, Dartmouth '78, who was musical editor of the first book of "Dartmouth Songs," and whose setting of "Men of Dartmouth" won the Baker Prize of $100 for the first acceptable setting for Hovey's brilliant verses, wrote as follows:

"I thank you for your kind congratulations as expressed in your letter of the 10thinst. It was undoubtedly due in part toyour prodding me to try for the prize, andto the publication of my setting, that 1have had all this honor and the $100 thrustupon me. I had no idea of winning, especially not with that setting; because themusic did not at all fulfill the conditionsof the prize.

"What was wanted was music on the styleof 'Auld Lang Syne,' which antique andtoothless alumni with no voices, could pretend to sing at an alumni reunion. I wrotesuch a setting last April in three part harmony and sent it in; and when I rec'd checkI supposed it was for that simple setting."

I have often wondered what has become of this "simple setting" of "Men of Dartmouth" "which toothless alumni with no voices, could pretend to sing at alumni reunions."

So, there have been at least five musical settings for "Men of Dartmouth": one by Addison F. Andrews, one by Marie Wurm (an English composer and friend of Hovey's, whose setting for "Eleazar Wheelock" has proved so popular), the wellknown setting by Harry R. Wellman which first appeared in the 1908 edition of "Songs of Dartmouth," and the two settings by Frederick Field Bullard neither of which have been published, but which Hovey heard sung and greatly admired for he wrote me: "Bullard has made a very fine setting for 'Men of Dartmouth.' "

It would be interesting if these three lostsettings of "Men of Dartmouth" could be recovered and preserved in the college archives.

I am inclosing four portraits of Richard Hovey, in blue prints (one with his mother). Why not reproduce these four portraits on a page of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE which contains one of Hovey's songs. If this suggestion is of any value I shall be glad.

November 8, 1933,Rollins College,Winter Park, Fla.

Damp & Foggy

Dear Sir: On emerging from the fog which completely obscured the Princeton-Dartmouth week-end, I am reliably informed that I and a Princeton companion made ourselves, particularly myself, very obnoxious to a number of people who otherwise would have had a pleasant afternoon viewing a good game from well located seats in the Dartmouth stand.

Being unable to reach a whole section for individual apology, will you be good enough to publish this general apology and ask that those people annoyed by our antics be generous enough to excuse this lapse. We are genuinely sorry.

Dartmouth '19.

Inditement or Indictment?

Dear Sir: I was rather surprised to note Mr. Chamberlin's review of Under the Goal Posts, in the October issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. I believe the reviewer has been obviously unfair, and has overlooked the real value of this book.

The book does not pretend to be a literary masterpiece. It cannot be spoken of in the same breath as Not To Eat Not ForLove, by George Weller. George Weller's book presents a composite view of college life. It is concerned more with the mental reactions of a college student to his environment. Under the Goal Posts is a story of college football, and as such should be judged accordingly. The reviewer's statement that football players of 1933 do not talk and think like Chuck Arnold is in my opinion grossly inaccurate. Has the reviewer ever been in a position to judge the mental processes of a football player? Has he ever played with a team? Has he ever taken part in the dressing room conversation?

The outstanding feature of the book, in my opinion, and in the opinion of other men who have played football, lies in the true reporting of football as it is played on the field, and as it is talked about in the dressing room.

It is unfair for the reviewer to say that "it is supposed to be the story of a typical college quarterback." The book makes no claim that Chuck Arnold typifies a quarterback. He is a quarterback and a football player, but no intelligent reader would presuppose that Chuck Arnold typifies every quarterback, no more than the same reader would presuppose that Sinclair Lewis' Elmer Gantry typifies every minister.

Regarding the actual writing, it is unjust to compare it to the author's sports writing. No critic would ever make an even comparison of an author's reporting of a lecture, with the same author's work of fiction.

Under the Goal Posts should have been reviewed by a man who has played football, and who can appreciate the true atmosphere, the actual incidents of the football field and dressing room that have been faithfully reproduced. In closing I might add that Mr. Chamberlin's criticism of "hasty, unconsidered writing" applies to his own review. The title of the book is Under the Goal Posts, and not "Behind the Goal Posts" as stated in section (3) of his summary of inditements.

I would appreciate it if you would give this letter space in your columns.

November 14,1933, 67 West Forty-Fourth St.,New York City.

Noted Educator

Dear Sir: In October this year E. W. Butterfield '97, State Commissioner of Education of Conn, was in Indianapolis to address the Indiana State Teachers' Association. He made several talks before this Association and those who heard him spoke in the highest terms of his grasp of the subjects which he discussed. He is regarded by the men in educational work as one of the best informed men in the U. S. on educational matters.

He spoke before the Kiwanas Club of Indianapolis, which meeting I attended. He demonstrated in this talk his ability to interest a lay audience in his special work, which is a test of a man's real ability. I was very proud to claim him as a classmate.

Butterfield is the class Secretary of '97. He is always writing interesting information about the members of the class. Therefore, I concluded that this would be a good opportunity for someone to write something about his activities.

November 13, 1933,5505 E. Washington St.,Indianapolis, Ind.

Dartmouth's Great Poet Richard Hovey '85 and his mother.