Class of 1903
THE FOURTH ANNUAL PICNIC AT MUSA
August 7, the day Vic and Florence Cutter chose for the annual picnic at "Musa," New London, has come and gone. For four consecutive years the New England representatives of the class have gathered at Vic's summer home for a day of reuning. Not once has a drop of water fallen on the chosen day. The great sun god has sent forth his brightest rays, as though approving. No drought has ever laid its heavy hand on the cornstock, and full appreciation has been shown by each and every Potholesker present. To Vic, to Florence, to Thelma, Victor Jr., and Donald I can only pass the compliment as told me"this has been the best picnic of the four."
Early arrival found Vic and Victor Jr. up in the new rockery tapping the fund of knowledge of O. W. and Amy Smith with regard to wild plant life. For three years a little wooded dale of about an acre in extent, which has a bog, a meadow, an open hillside, soft wood cover, hard wood cover, heavy and light shade, has been receiving invited guests of the wild plant folk. The soil, ranging through all degrees of acidity, has been supplemented by leaf mold applications from the farm wherever required. Search has been made throughout northern New England for rare plants, and all so favored have been gathered from wild, inaccessible places by leaping from cliff to cliff or wading from bog to bog. Whenever a rare plant has been found, only a single specimen has been taken and great care used not to destroy a single station. No attempt is being made at clean cultivation in the garden, the object being to maintain wild conditions, the natural habitat of these rarer flowers, and gradually to eliminate weeds and grasses.
Including all so-called weeds and grasses, the plant varieties approximate six hundred. The collection is particularly rich in water and bog plants; the Floating Heart, the Wild Calla, Water Plantains, Water Parsnip. Thirty-three varieties o£ the Orchid family, including all of the Ladies' Slippers: thirty-four species of fern, including the Spleenworts and the slender Cliff Brake. White Cinq-foil, Bearberry, Mountain Cranberry, Mountain Bilberry, Labrador Tea, and cold bog or mountain top plants, which are making satisfactory growth. The Floating Heart, a tiny water flower, is most interesting.
Spacious homes among rocks, each house stocked with nourishing leaf mold, have been built, waters dammed in the best flood-control methods, walks laid out and bridges built, until the whole area makes one feel on entering that a new world is opening before him.
The blueberry patch, as usual, tempted the energetic, and "Boys," as Meat Hanlon said, "when I say blueberries I mean a field blue with berries." The crop this year was tremendous, and as "Cherbuck" Edwards, permanent judge of blueberry picking contests, said, "There's no possibility of a contest here. Just set a row of baskets under the bush and shake 'em into 'em."
The usual swim before dinner sharpened the appetites, and then fifty-nine individuals sat down to a true-to-form Cutter family dinner. Such a dinner is simply indescribable, and all I can say is that if you have never broken bread at the Cutter table just plan on being with us next year.
Two years ago we were especially happy to have George Patch with us. George is teaching in the Cranbrook School, Birmingham, Mich., and this year he permitted Mrs. Patch to come with him. What the inference is I cannot say, but Mrs. Patch declared she is to be on hand next June at the 35th. George and his wife spend the summer vacation at the home farm at Shelburne Falls, Mass. Artie and Mrs. Bolster of Nashua, and Horace and Mrs. Kidger with David, Barbara, and Charlotte were present for the first time. Twenty-three classmates discussed plans for the 1938 reunion at Hanover in June, refused to discuss politics after last year's one-sided debate, sympathized with Dana Whipple in his catastrophic coffee act, and voted that Vic and Florence should cut one more notch on their totem pole for unexcelled hospitality to the class.
The following were present: Artie and Mrs. Bolster, Nat and Mrs. Batchelder, E. L. and Mrs. Brown, M. R. Brown, Ray Brown, Ned and Mrs. Burbeck, Vic and Mrs. Cutter, Thelma, Victor Jr., and Donald, Carol Whittemore, Bob Cheney, Cherbuck Edwards, Tinker Erwin, Russell Erwin, F. J. and Mrs. Hall, Starton, Roper, Richard, and David Proper, Pip and Mrs. Howard, Ned Kenerson, Horace and Mrs. Kidger, David, Barbara, and Charlotte, Brutus and Mrs. Luce and Elizabeth, George and Mrs. Patch, Ralph Pillsbury, George and Lela Reed, Dorrit and Arleen, Jake and Mrs. Swish, O. W. and Mrs. Smith, Harry and Mrs. Watson, Dana and Mrs. Whipple, Earl and Carrie Wilson, Elaine, Roger, Loie, and Elwin.
Much talk was made concerning the 35th reunion next June, and it goes without a minority opinion that those who have attended the New London picnics will form a fine nucleus for a large attendance next year. The problem of enthusing those of the class who have lived too far away to participate in these round-ups has been made easier by the ALUMNI MAGAZINE management in offering the magazine as a medium of propaganda. All you need to do to learn from time to time what is planned for the most enjoyable three or four days of your life is to subscribe at once to the best college magazine in the country. If you have never previously subscribed, you will be delighted not only with the appearance of the MAGAZINE but with the contents. If you have dropped your subscription in years past, it is time now that you renewed it, for you are missing a contact with Dartmouth and contacts with classmates which you cannot afford to miss.
The marriage took place July 12, i937, at St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, England, of Mr. Robert Arbuthnott (Robin) Hunter, elder son of the late Mr. Robert Cecil Hunter and of Mrs. Hunter of Elm Farm, Woolton Hill, Newbury, and Miss Melanie Grant, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William West Grant, of Denver, Col., U. S. A.
Bolz French has reason to be deeply gratified because of his success in the class contribution of the Alumni Fund this past year. With the able assistance of Harold Hess, the quota of $2093 was passed to the tune of $B9. To quote Bolz' figures,
"Of the six classes with whom we were associated as undergraduates, only 1901 contributed a larger amount. Considering thetotal contributions throughout the life ofthe fund, 1903 has contributed $48,555.Only 1900 with $66,860 and 1901 with$49,380 have contributed more." "We had74 contributors. Other classes of our timecontinue to obtain gifts from a larger percentage of their membership. However,we have effected an encouraging improvement from the depression, during whichour figure dropped from 80 in 1930 to 45in 1933" Great work, Bolz and Harold. The class is behind you and greatly appreciates your efforts.
The class extends its deepest sympathy to Leroy Thorpe in the death of his son, Donald, by drowning in the early days of May, 1937. Donald is remembered by those who attended the 30th reunion as a fine type of Dartmouth man.
Secretary, 198 Humphrey St., Marblehead, Mass.
