Class of 1929
The New Yorkers ate together the other evening, and reporter Blair, this time the soul brevity, records the event as follows:
"The New York dinner was successful,even if I did help to run it. Among thosepresent were Jim Hodge, Alexander, Keyes,Shiriaeff, Felch, Lougee, Lundgren, Moxon,Hedges, Foulks, Babcock, Gunther, Middleton, Jamieson, Heister, Johnson, Fish,Nivison, Fisher, Enders, Heath, Armstrong;,Walsh, Yellin, Wollison, Blair. Amongthose notably absent, a certain well-knownperson busy attending the presidentialball. (It would be swords and pistols forme if I mentioned his name after my lastreport to you.)
"This dinner marked a new event inthe annals of class dinners at our NewYork club. Twenty-nine stepped out anddecided to be entertained. The result:Miss Lucile Jarrot at the piano with'intimate' songs while we tied to the feedbag. She seemed to have inside informationon many of those present, which she converted into pianistic chatter. Some of themembers actually blushed in shame.
"As Winchell would say—Orchids toBorn and Cavanagh for the movies of thereunion. They were viewed with muchinterest.
"Hodge dropped into the office the otherday and after hashing over the various recent happenings decided that there wasnothing printable to report.
"I hear Ellinger caused considerableconsternation at Bermuda last summer,wearing his reunion shirt of danger-flagred with utter disregard for the proprietyof the island.
"We didn't see much of Mo Heath atthe dinner. He seemed to prefer a seatnext to the pianist. Gosh, that man Heathnever tuill let down."
And now along comes Gentleman Jim Hodge with other tales set in the same neighborhood:
"You must be desperate for information,else you far overrate my fund. It shouldbe known by now that I am by profession,a cemetery lurker, removed from the ordinary pursuits of '29 members. Admittedthat I occasionally move with the quick,yet even then it is in the high grass of theJersey fiats. Certain of our group claimresidence in the same state and can bereported, but for most of the metropolitanarea I give you Reporter Blair.
"While mentioning the name Blair, Imerely wish to report that we will shortlyhave another Jersey party, and that ifJack brings enough money we will enjoyentertaining him in a manner as robustas the last time. He might even bringfew friends, then we will be assured ofavoiding a deficit. Not so long ago several of us attended certain ceremoniespertaining to one Jack Hubbard and thethen Susan Kent, who as the result isnow Mrs. Jack Hubbard, housewife. Jackmade the proper responses in full, richvoice, yet in later conversation conveyeda slightly distracted air. Not that he wasnervous or anything like that, probablyjust thinking of that trip to Florida.Crotvded against the refreshment tablewere Keyes and Breithut.
"During an occasional trip to PlainfielclI have lunched with Son Hetfield, lawyerand firm Republican from. Union county.He has one of the largest desks I have everseen, and if he is as good at law as the deskis big, then the firm of Hetfield and Hetfield is well founded.
"One slanderous remark made some fewmonths ago in this column cries for rebuttal, and since no other offer has appeared,/ rise to toss in my penny's worth. The incident is the slight rebuke implied againstGus Wiedenmayer concerning a privatecar to the Princeton game. Now the factsare that Gus worked hard to charter achair car that was shared by willing members of the Dartmouth Club of NorthernNew Jersey. If this constitutes a commercial plug, then make the best of it—but itis also the naked truth. I can be supportedby Jack Ackley, Art Clow, or Cal Soriero,all of them being in the group. Gus runsthe Newark lunches for the above Club,and manages to extract fairly regular attendance from Breithut, Headley, Soriero,and myself.
"Not so long ago I was driving along thehighway leading to the George Washington Bridge and passed a person dancingin obvious nervousness among an alarmingsupply of luggage. Realizing that I knewsaid person, I reversed, and loaded luggageplus Herb Morse into the car. His storywas that he was waiting for a 'bus toNew York, and had a remarkably shorttime to make connections for Boston. Jdid my best to speed him, but have oftenwondered if he did make the Boston 'bus.
"Contrary to my original prediction Iwill cross the Hudson for two items. First1 offer a very small prize for knowledge ofthe whereabouts of Mat Rock. He was aregular lunch eater at the New York clubduring football season, but has now eitherfound better food or fairer pastures. Anattempt was made to find him for therecent class dinner, but no trace was found.The other has to do with the late dancerun by the New York club. During theentire evening great pressure was broughtto bear on Ed Plumb to play the pianofor Dartmouth songs, and after muchdickering he. was mounted at the piano,with Red Kennedy functioning as songleader. Midway through one number abright and unknown youth leaned over theuncomfortable Plumb and announced thathe could play those songs, too. Ed almoststrangled him getting him on the benchand to work. One other thought carries meover water and back to last summer. 1wangled a trip to Bermuda, and whilethere heard rumors of someone wheelingaround the island wearing the mostviolently colored red shirt ever known tothe natives. After intense investigation Idiscovered that Ed Ellinger was still celebrating reunion. They are good shirts,though. I wore mine last Sunday for skiing and received only a few nasty remarks.And that's that."
We have a full-fledged author. And because his book is the first one written by a '29 man to come to our attention and because we watched the author grinding out some portions of the rough draft, we are going to have a little to say about it. It is entitled
I HE IDENTIFICATION OF FIREARMS From Ammunition Fired Therein With an Analysis of Legal Authorities' by Jack Disbrow Gunther, A.8., LL.B. and Charles O. Gunther, M.E.
One of the reviews of the book describes it as follows:
This book fulfills a vital need; it represents an honest, exhaustive effort to put ona sc'eritific basis the 'identification of fireaims from ammunition fired therein'(commonly referred to as 'ballistics'). Theauthors show that the history of firearms'dentifcation in judicial proof, at its best,bristles with conspicuous inaccuracies. Theexpert witnesses have failed to recognizethe similarities existing in the 'signatures'of many firearms, and the differences found>n the respective 'signatures' of a particularfirearm. The theories of these experts appeared most plausible; they possessed agreat 'attractive value.' The courts andjuries, untrained in the field of firearms'dentification, were unable to detect deficiencies. In a case of surprising recency,the prosecution based its contention ofmurder upon erroneous expert testimony.
The booh is highly informative to boththe scientist and the lawyer. For the scientist, it contains a concise exposition of theprinciples of firearms identification, unclouded by incongruent details. For thelawyer, it. contains a specific, comprehensive analysis of the cases involving firearms identification; the sources of errorare clearly demonstrated; the propermethod of handling this evidence is suggested; and the procedure for bringing tothe juries attention the weakness of expert testimony is likewise developed. However, the style of presentation makes thesubject matter not only intelligible, butinteresting to the layman."
The scientific portion was written by Jack's father, who is professor of mathematics, Stevens Institute of Technology; Lieut. Col., Ordnance Dept., U. S. A.
Jack began gathering the material for his part of the book while he was at law school, turning in a thesis on firearms identification in lieu of a sixth course during his third year. His law school teacher, Professor E. M. Morgan, has written the foreword, and Albert S. Osborn, the eminent examiner of questioned documents, has written that "this book will,1 think, tend to promote justice in a newand interesting field."
Johnny Laffey of the St. Louis office of the Equitable Life has recently been promoted from secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Alumni Association to the office of president of the organization. He saw Johnny Clements this summer and learned the startling news that Blyth Adams now weighs in at 215 pounds—a tribute to somebody's cooking and California's sunshine.
But there's another young fellow whose poundage is a bit more amazing than that of the above-mentioned Californian's, none other than Newton Dick Rogers, recently returned from the malty atmosphere of Cincinnati carrying 220 pounds. And incredible as it may seem, Stonewall Rogers still straps on his runners and bumps and rushes around the hockey rinks, perhaps not quite as speedily as was his wont, but effectively enough, none the less.
Mort Crowell recently arrived on the Pacific Coast, partner in Magic Foam of California, manufacturers of a deluxe upholstery cleaner, 163 Second St., San Francisco. The Dartmouth Association of Northern California boasts eight men now, the best representation of any class. The others are Blyth Adams, J. B. Blain, Brad Bradley, Dan Luten, Dan Marx, Polly Parrott, and Rich Rimbach.
Ellie Cavanagh writes from Hanover as follows, under date of December 12 last:
"We have all been pretty much rushedin our respective fields. Johnnie Parker hasbeen tied up all fall turning out championship teams at the High School. PaulWoodbridge had the misfortune of losinghis father about two weeks ago. He diedlather unexpectedly, following an operation in Rochester. Joe D'Esopo is managerof the Dartmouth Travel Bureau, with asuite located in the Gitsis block, and he istaking care of the travel needs of a lot ofthe alumni, as well as the students. CharlieDudley seems to be unusually busy at thistime of year, with skiing accessories, andI understand that he is breaking forthwith many new ideas which he picked uplast summer ivhen he ajid his wife visiteda number of the more famous skiing centers in Europe.
Marj and the boys are first class, andwe are all looking forward to the approaching skiing. Marj keeps herself pretty welloccupied evenings with the DartmouthPlayers, while I study in the field of medicine."
Don Simpson has just returned from six months' service with the federal department of Justice in Washington and North Carolina to accept an appointment as one of the assistant attorneys general of Massachusetts. We now have checked in two assistant attorneys general. The New Hampshire encumbent is shown above in the dignified if not characteristic pose in which he was pictured in the Manchester Union of January 7, 1935, under the caption, "Busy on New Job."
Busy on New Job
Secretary, 89 Pleasant St., Newton Center, Mass
