Class of 1905
Austen Lake writes in the Boston Evening Transcript of January 3 an interesting story about "The Western Reserve Keadys, Pere and Fils," with a close-up of "Son Barron Getting a Pointer from His Father and Head Coach Tom Keady." (Barron is in our records as Thomas 8., our own "Tom's" eldest son.) Quoting a small part: "Barron was a right halfbackat Western Reserve by right of his ownabilities as a blocker, kicker, and passer,and not because his dad happened to behead coach. This is not the first time thatTom has coached a team on which a member of his immediate family was a player.Back in the days when Tom was coachingat Lehigh, his brother Jim, halfback forthe Brown and White, remarked to thewriter, 'This is no snap. It takes twice theeffort to make Tom's team, just becauseI'm his brother.' Barron, one of Tom'sthree sons, earned his spurs at Western Reserve on merit, and it was he who scoredthe deciding touchdown against Case atCleveland on last November 5. He took aforward pass late in the game and ran halfthe length of the field to make the score,Western Reserve 13, Case 7. Anotherbrother, Walter, is now a junior at Dartmouth, and still another, Richard, is preparing to enter Harvard. . . . Over thepresent holiday season Keady received upwards of 3,300 greeting cards, most of whichcame from boys he had coached over the 26years of his college experience at Dartmouth, Massachusetts State, Bates, Andover,Lehigh, Vermont, Quantico Marines, andWestern Reserve. . . . Perhaps there arenot more than half a dozen collegecoaches in the country today who have hadthe rich experience and possess such a fundof anecdotes as Ready. Now in the vicinityof fifty years of age, he retains the buoyancy and easy humor that is linked withyouth. It probably traces to the fact thatthroughout his career he has associated andthought in sympathy with boys and youngmen. Lately in the news-starved columns ofthe sport pages, stories have been printedthat Ready has been offered coaching positions at Dartmouth, Carnegie Tech, HolyCross, and Fordham. At which he scoffs:'I haven't seen any of these offers yet.''Would you go back to the Marine Corpssquad?', I asked, referring to the reportthat the Marines are hoping to start another Quantico team. 'Yes,' he answered,with conviction; 'l'd go flying.' ... As aplayer, Ready dates back to the day thatDartmouth christened the Harvard Stadiumin 1903, which was in his sophomore year.Later as a tackle he played beside JoeGilman, now president of the Boston Garden. Among his souvenirs is the game thatGilman, a guard, played against AndyMarshall, former Dartmouth guard, whowas recruited from the Harvard GraduateSchool to meet his old Alma Mater. 'Andwhat a battle!' states Ready, a la GrahamMcNamee. 'They shellacked each other allover the field, handing out more punishment than I have ever seen two men giveand take at any time since.' Ready hasalready signed his contract with WesternReserve for next fall, being one of thathappy group of coaches who are firmlyestablished in this present year of footballuncertainty."
Mrs. Charles E. Estes died on December 18 at Auburndale, Mass. She had been ill four weeks, and had been visiting at the home of her mother since August. For many years she was an instructor of music at the Women's College in Constantinople. Her grandfather, the late Cyrus Hamlin, was the founder of Robert College, Constantinople, where Ned is now the head of the music department. Mrs. Estes was born in Aintab, Turkey. We all extend our deep sympathy to Ned, and also to Clara and Charles, their children.
Rufus Day has certainly been on the front pages these past few weeks: his picture on the front page of the New York Herald Tribune one day, and a few days later another picture on page 2, in company with Norman H. Davis and John H. Williams, the latter and Rufus being the United States technical experts on the agenda committee in connection with the Geneva conferences preliminary to the world economic conference. They went over about October 18 and returned to this country later for conferences. They sailed again on December 28 to meet with their committee in Geneva on January 9. As a result of conferences in this country, Mr. Day and Professor Williams will be in possession of the next president's views, which they will take with them to the meeting of the agenda committee.
From the Boston Herald, via Shirley Cunningham: "Dr. and Mrs. Halsey B.Loder of Plymouth and Brookline haveannounced the engagement of their daughter, Miss Elizabeth Loder, to Mr. WilliamP. Elwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. William D.Elwell of Arlington. Miss Loder attendedthe May School and the Garland School,traveling abroad for a year after her graduation. Mr. Elwell prepared at the Belmont Hill School and was graduated fromHarvard with the class of 1932. He is attending the Harvard Business School." Congratulations!
Do you remember the Tri Kap houseparty at the time of our Junior Prom? We claimed that it was the first ever pulled off in Hanover. It seemed impossible when first suggested, because of—well, the general crudeness of our appointments. But we got next to Hen Teague—always our friend—and by fair means or foul we eventually shifted most of the college furniture up to the house, including rugs, portable washstands with miscellaneous crockery, and curtains, to lend a bit of privacy to our bathroom facilities, and other luxuries which were unnecessary under normal conditions. At least a week before the girls arrived we helped Hutch give the place the cleaning of its life, even to washing the windows again, hiding the cuspidors in the cellar, and making other changes which seemed desirable or advisable. We hardly knew the old house the day the girls came. It was certainly too clean for comfort. I recall that we left in the hall on the third floor, for local color or whatever, an old keg that had served a purpose years before, beyond the memory of our class. There had been a dispute about it, but the noes had it and so it remained.
Then we made another deal with Hen Teague. He set apart a private dining room, in the southwest corner of College Hall, for our outfit; set the tables with his new Royal Worcester china, which had never been used except for the Earl of Dartmouth, and with some brand-new silverware, etc.; had special menus at special prices and with a spread of time to suit our convenience. Thus we could dress before or after dinner, with no rush or waits for dinner service, and could be ready for the show or concert with luxurious leisure.
The night of the Prom we had a feed at the house afterwards—probably not much of a feed by modern standards, but good enough for our time—and sat around beefing and smoking (just the boys, of course, then) until the wee small hours. And then the bright idea came to somebody and we all fell for it, either because we liked it or didn't want to admit that we didn't— to go over to the tower and see the sunrise. There were several reasons present for enjoying a moonrise, but it now seems that we were a bit crazy to want to see the sun at that unearthly hour. Anyhow, away we went over to the college park, in pumps and patent leathers, climbed the tower and "waited for the sunrise." And eventually the sun peeked over the hills and shone with a foolish grin upon either a bunch of wild fools, or upon a group of interesting and enthusiastic youths (depending on how old you are). And then some crazy nut suggested a coach ride, so down to Hamp Howe's barn went a considerable group, after leaving us saner heads, and off they went on a coach ride till breakfast. As for me, I went to bed and got a couple of hours' sleep, and so did some others. We thought we were wise—what do you think? So do I! I remember waking up and hearing some tale about Batch stealing Tom Luce's girl, or something like that. Or, come to think of it, and lest this might cause trouble in Venado, Calif., it may have been the other way around. Well, it sure was a grand house-party, and I bet there has never been a better one.
Henry Norton announces a new address, whether temporary or permanent he sayeth not. It is 1148 Park Ave., New York. He says, "I figure that it takes about half asmuch vitality for each item, and that thereare three times the number of items. This,of course, intensifies the interest and varietyof life, but allows no more time or strengthfor relaxing and thinking than life out inthe country did."
Mrs. John A. Laing died on October 16, 1932, as a result of bronchial pneumonia, following an operation four days previously, which it was expected would restore her health. Mrs. Laing seemed to come through the operation successfully, but the pneumonia complication set in two days later and proved too great a tax on her heart.
Mrs. Laing's maiden name was Ruth Elizabeth Fuller, daughter of Albert DeLos Fuller and Helen T. Fuller, formerly of Albany, N. Y. She was born July 21, 1889, and lived in Albany and vicinity until the fall of 1905, when she moved with her mother and sisters to New York city. She married John Albert Laing on June 1, 1910, in New York city, Ed Estes acting as best man at the wedding. About six months later Mr. and Mrs. Laing moved to Portland, Oregon, where they have since resided. Surviving her, besides her husband, are a daughter, Helen Fuller Laing, aged 21; a son, John Collier Laing, aged 17; an adopted son, James Fuller Laing, aged 22; and two sisters, Mary Alice Fuller and Grace M. Fuller, who reside in New York city.
Our sympathy goes out to John and the children. *
Secretary, 45 East Main St., Malone, N. Y.
