Class of 1891
Under date of February 4, DuBois writes the Secretary as follows: "As you may know, I retired from busi-ness about seven years ago, and have sincedevoted myself to taking care of my health(which is now quite good) and doing thethings I always wanted to do but neverused to have time for. My summers areusually spent at the old farm in Bethel,Vt. I am an unsuccessful farmer, but evenso enjoy it. In winter I am supposed to seeka warmer climate than New Jersey, andusually go South for a few weeks. But thiswinter my wife and I with a couple offriends are going to the Mediterranean,and in March expect to take the boat tripup the Nile to the First Cataract. Later wehope to go to Sicily, Italy, France, and Eng-land, returning home in May or June ifthe money we have been saving up for thisadventure still holds out.
"Our real home is still, as it has beenfor twenty-one years, in Englewood, N. J.,where both our children live, near enoughso that we can see them and our four grandchildren almost daily.
"I see Squash occasionally and TotnmvLord about once a year, neither of them asoften as I could wish. Of course JohnAbbott and I get together several times ayear.
"It pleases me to have 'C. M.' governorof Vermont. That, has been the best managed state in the Union for a hundredyears or more, and ought to be even betternow with a '9l man in charge!"
Ned Dearborn sends the following interesting letter from Hilton Village, Va.:
"After a lifetime spent in various placesat various occupations, I have finallybeached the old hulk on the shore ofJames river, where, like the aborigines, Ican find oysters, clams, and a variety offish for subsistence. These, with a fewplain and fancy staples from the A if P,support me. The fauiia and flora of thisregion are more or less new to me. I devote some of my time to getting acquaintedwith them. Then I have numerous tools,which enable me to make and repair manythings— Yankee style.
"I still live with my first wife. Our twochildren, now married and on their own,both live in Virginia, one at Hampton,eight miles from here, and the other nearWashington, D. C. We see them and theirfamilies frequently. We have two grandchildren, now six and nine. We still havea reasonable degree of health, which allows us to enjoy our season of retirement.
"Two years ago I saw Sargent at hishome in Wolfeboro. Unfortunately I wasunable to wait for a real visit. Eggleston Iused to see very often while I was in Washington. Five years ago I saw him in Hanover. At that time I also saw Squash Little.Last summer I ran across Dan Richardsonin Hanover. I would be glad to see anymember of the class who might care tolook me up. This village of some 2000population is a suburb of Newport News,where the great airplane carriers are built.I saw the Ranger struck on the nose witha bottle by Mrs. Hoover as she slid into thebrine. Two more carriers are now beingconstructed here."
Under date of February 6, Sq. Little, after telling the Secretary he was mistaken in regard to the roads to Bear Mountain Bridge, writes as follows:
"I am altogether too modest to writeanything in regard to myself or my family.Besides, no one would believe anythingI said that was favorable, anyway. I don'tknow a thing about any of my classmatesexcept once in a great while DuRois telephones me, and ojice in a longer time JohnAbbott writes a note.
"When I was going through Keene lastweek I stopped and saw Chang Smith, andhe was in his usual condition. The wholefamily is teaching somewhere, except onedaughter who is married, and he saw to itthat she married a man with some money,because he wasn't going to take care ofher any longer. When I mentioned the factthat C. M. Smith is now governor of Vermont, he replied that for the most partthe Smiths had led virtuous and honestlives, but that occasionally one wanderedaway and got into politics."
Early in February the Secretary received the following:
"Our Bob O'Brien spoke before the University of Minnesota in the Northrop Auditorium on the World's Tariff Problemson Monday, January 28, and on the following Wednesday before the Association ofCommerce of Chicago, where he sat besideH. H. Hilton '90, the well-known bookpublisher and civic leader. O'Brien is alsoscheduled to speak in the Old SouthForum in Boston on Sunday, February 24,and before the Beverly Chamber of Commerce on Monday, February 25. He reportsthat he often sees Jimmie Reynolds '90,an unfailing fountain of humor, andHenry P. Blair '89, who revels in goodworks, and that he hopes to have PresidentHopkins as his guest at the next dinner ofthe Gridiron Club. O'Brien is the lastsurvivor of the four freshmen who livedon the second floor of the Miner House.The others were Plummer, who died asoldier's death in loyalty to his profession,Chapman, Plummer's roommate, whopassed away shortly after graduating fromcollege, and Holton, O'Brien's roommate, who died in Detroit a few years ago.Curiously enough, Holton's daughter isthe wife of Luther Linkins, who is thereal estate agent in charge of the apartmenthouse—the Highlands—of which O'Brienis a tenant. He adds that in spite of thatrelationship he still 'has to pay rent.' Onewould have supposed otherwise."
Or. Perley, medical examiner for Middlesex county, writes concerning himself and family as follows:
"There are Mrs. Charlotte M. Perley, aMiss Charlotte C. Perley, and Roscoe L.Perley, all residing with Dad at 63 WestEmerson St., Melrose. Charlotte has beenfor fourteen years with the New EnglandMutual Life Insurance Company. Son anddaughter unmarried. Mrs. Perley is busymaking our home the most attractiveplace on earth for her family, and I amstill busy with my first undertaking, viz.,listening to and trying to relieve some ofthe ills of the human race. Wish I mighttell you about some of our classmates, butwas with you such a short time that Imissed the close friendships which arefound in college life."
The Secretary and O'Brien keep in touch with Walter Cobb, who is on the retired list of the N. E. Tel. & Tel. Cos. While Walter's health has been none too good, he has certain interests, including stamps. If one has stamps (canceled) to spare, they would be gratefully received by Walter at his home, 22 Wellesley Park, Dorchester, Mass.
Secretary, 80 Federal St., Boston
