Class of 1914
In response to continued demands from the West Coast for news of Elmer Robinson we have finally smoked him out, and hear from him that all is well with the Soft Lite Lens Company at 119 West 57th St. in the city of New York. Elmer says he has nothing much to write, and that he is busy as hell going all over the U. S. A. and way-points. He managed to get to Providence, where he met Bill Slater and Ray Trott, with whom business is likewise very good. Elmer's good wife and family are well and happy, and he remarks how good it was to meet with the New York bunch at the alumni dinner there.
We learn from Abe Winslow 'so of the San Francisco Association, and it is substantiated by our likewise reliable correspondent, Page Junkins, that Bill Washburn has been doing some wholesale cutting up on the Gridley family. Herb lost his appendix, then got the flu and was laid up again, but is now in good shape, we understand. Bill also removed the usual tonsils from one of the Gridley family.
Page Junkins sends us some welcome news about Vogie Stiles, who is with the Shell Oil Company in Wood River, Ill. His company is very busy these days, running full capacity, and Vogie anticipates that he is in for an extremely busy summer.
Amplifying further news from Herb Gridley, we find our big commissary man breaking out as a philosopher, stating that bad news cannot keep up forever; there's no use worrying about a condition much too big for us individually to aright, and although he hopes they will leave us enough to pay the laundry bill he is not sure they will, but if they don't he can't change it.
Jack Dellinger's new address is Box 446, Dallas, Texas. We assume in the absence of word to the contrary that Jack has now fully recovered from his long illness which afflicted him last summer.
The rest of Page's comments have to do principally with the weather, and being in the midst of the worst northeast storms we have seen in years with the snow rapidly accumulating in every direction on this tenth day of April, we, like Herb Gridley, will simply state that there isn't much we can do about it.
Our Philadelphia correspondent, Red Davidson, reports all well with the class group.
Jesse Stillman is still messing around a laboratory for the duPont Company at Wilmington, Del., and George Gilbert is still schoolmastering in Merion, while Dutch Burnham is happily settled down as Philadelphia manager for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company.
Gum Sargent, eminent insurance broker with Hare & Chase, apparently has taken exception to the alleged inaccuracies in reporting his automobile mishap last fall. There seems to be no question about the mishap, but about the cuss words there is apparently some doubt. If the redoubtable Gum will write us; stating his recollection of what he said on the occasion, we shall duly submit it to the editors of this family magazine, and if it be printed the class may then draw their conclusions as to the fine distinctions which Gum alleges exist between the use of language picturesque and profane.
NEWS FROM NEW YORK
Apparently the Dartmouth dinner was a great success. Unfortunately several regu- including Fred Davidson from Larchmont, Hal Pease from Portchester, and Fahey and Sleeper from Scarsdale were among the missing.
Bill Hands has a coming Dartmouth man age fifteen, who already weighs 153.
Marshall Picken, in addition to a subdeb daughter, has a fourteen-year-old son primed for Hanover.
Elmer Robinson, who received a great welcome on his return from the Coast, boasts a sixteen-year-old daughter and a young son who, from his photograph, has an all-American build.
There was much political discussion between Judge Remsen and Vahan Kalenderian. Kelly had an important case on for the next day and had a pre-occupied look. His last political venture was when he was elected mayor of Hanover in 1912, and it is now reported that he has the solid backing of the New York Armenians for the mayoralty and that Judge Remsen has pledged his support.
QUOTED ABSOLUTELY VERBATIM
ORIGINAL COPY IN FILE FOR REFERENCE
"Bob Hopkins arrived late and somewhat disheveled. He reserved a room, at theRoosevelt, put on his soup and fish there,and strolled through Grand Central to theCommodore. Half a dozen young ladies,espying our handsome and perfectlyadorned classmate, mistook him for JamesCagney and ganged him for his autograph."
Sig Larmon reports that Kid Claeys expects to be back in the United States for a short visit in June, and if he misses this event he has marked his calendar for a trip next fall for the Yale game party in New York.
IMPACTS
"One of the most important undergraduate influences of the liberal college isthe impact of youthful mind upon youthful mind." .... President Hopkins.
Rarely do we bump into Derby Hall than is re-begun the old argument as to which of us was the greenest freshman ever to enter Dartmouth. Each time new reasons are advanced, and the battle still goes on.
Tearer-downers and amateur Menckens have been having great sport lately dedating alumni secretaries, perpetual undergraduates, and the like. The college and class "spirit" theory is shot full of holes through which the glare of the sophisticate beats unmercifully. As one of the tribe thus spotlighted we shall offer no rebuttal beyond an observation or two.
At the recent Dartmouth dinner in Boston we observed the entrance of many men into Eleazar's tap room. The oldtimer reacted in the time-honored and Victorian manner. A few steps inside the door, a glance around, a smile here, a hand wave there, then .... straight to their respective class tables. Poor old fogiesthey just don't know any better.
But mirabile dictu the youngsters did the same thing but more so. The junior alumni stuck closer than clams to their own gangs. Interested to be sure in those about them, but primarily in their own class groups. Perhaps there is something after all in the Impact theory.
For one we can recall certain "impacts" which may put us one up on our ancient enemy, Derby Hall.
Our impact with Lay Little by which we discovered how a bird could be altogether regular, a brilliant student without being a grind, and a D. C. A.-er without a sanctimonious air.
To Ollie Wylde because of his poise, his shirts and neckwear, and his unfailing good nature.
Our physical impact with long John Peppard who, sitting directly behind, constantly prodded us with his outsize dogs; to John likewise for teaching us how to get humor out of the commonplace.
To Elmer Robinson, from whom we acquired a bit of insight into certain aspects of literature with which the faculty had left us unimpressed. Likewise how to light a pipe in a breeze.
To Lize Wheelock and Fritz Fraser, who could express themselves in complete sentences without profanity and who early gave evidence that the lure of the Christian ministry was still strong with sane, regular men.
To Perry Parsons, whom we knew in high school and, though blessed with perhaps more material possessions than some of us, yet displayed to us an outstanding example of Dartmouth democracy.
These we recall offhand among many as instances of undergraduate influences which we are convinced are typical of the ties which make difficult, even unconsciously, the severing of one from his four years spent upon a campus such as ours.
JUST IN FROM PROVIDENCE
Bill Slater phones that recently he spent an evening with Elmer Robinson from six-thirty to twelve but can't remember a thing they talked about. Bill reports the family in excellent health, and added his usual comments on the state of the security markets, which appear of scant cosmic importance at this particular moment. Last month we neglected to report that Bill Barnes has removed from Boston to settle in his native Portland, Me. Some months ago he suffered the loss of his father, and the class thus belatedly expresses its sympathy.
We understand that Bill has now assumed the direction of the wholesale grocery concern in Portland which has been in his family for several generations. Good luck, Bill!
George Boggs writes to learn who is going to Hanover this Commencement. Maybe we can tell you next month, George. Be sure to come, there will be at least a dozen Fourteeners present.
How about planning a week-end in Hanover this June at Commencement? We repeat that if you have not visited Hanover at Commencement in an off-year you have missed an interesting time. If those of you who think you may be around will drop the Secretary a line, he will arrange to have a group of rooms reserved in one of the dormitories for the boys of the class to be together. There is absolutely nothing planned and nothing formal, but you will be surprised how much fun you can have doing nothing much in particular.
Once again the time approaches when each Dartmouth man is called upon to consider his annual contribution to the Alumni Fund. The nature of the appeal is so well known and so ably expressed by the fund committee that little need be said in a column such as this. We do have the thought, however, that perhaps the amount of work done by the class agents is inadequately appreciated and, therefore, if those who plan to contribute would take early action a great burden would be lifted from the shoulders of the class agent and enable him to work more closely with those to whom the Alumni Fund appeal has to be more extensively explained. Won't you do your part EARLY?
Secretary, 367 Boylston St., Boston FROM THE PACIFIC
