1916
New England Balmacaaners, living in the Garden Spot of America, have had their usual monthly gatherings this summer. Frank Bobst started us off with a golf party at his Oakley Country Club in Belmont. Nineteen Balmacaaners attended. Victor Porter walked off with the kicker's prize, Bob Steinert with the low gross, and Sam Cutler with a seventy handicap, the low net of 72. Howdy Parker, famed professor of High, Low, Jack, and the game, held a final examination with seven of his former pupils. Howdy paid all the costs of the assembly. Rod Soule and his twin Duff Lewis, Ollie Barr, John Boyle McAuliffe, Charlie Creesy, weighing fifty pounds less than a year ago, the hard-working treasurer of Hathaway Baking, Gil Tapley, Sears Roebuck's Boston manager, Alec Jardine, Jake Story, handsome Bill Mott, Joe Newmark, Gran Fuller, Dr. Parker Hayden, Tog Upham, and your Secretary attended.
On Wednesday, July 13, New Hampshire State Senator and Racing Commissioner Ralph "Heinie" George turned over his box at Rockingham Park, Salem, N. H., and watched us wager our shekels on the fillies. The betting committee of Johnny Mullen, Tut Marsden, and Duff Lewis were on the spot until the last race, but they had twenty bucks on the nose of the winner, and we broke even. Gene McQuesten, Ralph George, Herb Lord, Jack Kittredge, Jake Story, Bill Caldwell, Bill Nagle, Howdy Parker, Emery Lapierre, Rod Soule, and yours truly called it a day, when Bill Caldwell declared a stock dividend of a large bottle of his "Old Medford Rum" to each one present. Bill tells me they first started making "Old Medford" in 1735. I believe him now.
Then along came August 25, when Jake Story, the Essex shipbuilder, staged a fishing party and an old fashioned clambake. Did the boys like their lobsters, steamed clams, sweet corn, and baked potatoes? Just ask John McAuliffe, Rod Soule, Duff Lewis, Johnny Mullen, Joe Newmark, Tut Marsden, Ralph George, Sam Cutler, Bob Steinert, Frank Bobst, Alec Jardine, or Bill Caldwell.
We have two parties in the offing. Mr. Filene expects to stage his annual Balmacaan party either late in September or early in October. Word will be sent out to all, when Mr. Filene returns. Then comes the night before the Harvard game. Now don't you lonesome Balmacaaners wish you lived in little old New England?
Now for the news—Alec Jardine assured me that when his new house in Wellesley is completed, he would allow Balmacaan to bless his new domicile, provided we b.0.0.1.
Bob Steinert is now doing business counseling at 131 State St. Bob examines every new gadget or idea that comes in, and if it looks good, raises the money, makes the gadget, and arranges to market it. Jake Story is on the society page now. Oh my, yes. The old shipbuilder, who usually makes the honest-to-God Gloucester fishing schooner, made two sissy yachts, very beautiful however, and the Boston Herald had a full page of pictures of the launching. Don't misunderstand me, Jake has not become sissified. Joe Newmark, Salem Rotarian, busted his buttons the other day, when he introduced the speaker of the day, Boston Poet Authority Dick Parkhurst.
Ralph George is a proud father these days. His son is burning up the cinders in the 100- and the 320-yard dashes for the Concord, N. H., High track team. His lovely daughter is breaking hearts at West Point hops, Williams proms, and Dartmouth winter carnivals.
Here is news from China. Things are normal for Carl Eskeline and family at Tientsin. Eskie writes me that Judy is studying the piano, and Donald, the guitar. And my old roommate couldn't play a tambourine. Bill Hale, according to Eskie, should be back in America by now, but as yet, I have not heard.
Pete Cleaves gave me the first news of Bob McClure that we have had, from our missionary at Foochow City, Fukien, China. Bob left on July a for a furlough to the U. S. A. Things got so bad in China last October, Bob packed his two daughters and wife off to Pasadena, Calif., where his two boys are in college. One realizes how precarious affairs are in China when Bob writes, "I find myself keeping everything tabbed up to the minute and everything put in the vault if I leave the office for even a half hour Even a candid camera could not make you see the suffering and devastation the Japanese are causing in this land. The Chinese are telling the truth when they say that they are fighting the world's battle for it. England and America are just beginning to find out what they have to expect from Japan." And then Bob makes this significant statement, "A new national consciousness has come, and the people are giving for relief in a way never before heard of. A determination to endure to the end is evident. WIN OR LOSE, China is a new nation from now on."
Many thanks, Bob, and welcome home, after twenty-two years in the Orient. Bob's address is g6o North Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, Calif.
The Sunday New York Herald Tribune carried a picture of an interview with Charles K. Everett, manager of the new uses section of the Cotton-Textile Institute. Methinks Chuck is almost bald. I have not seen the old Boston Globe scribe since we had dinner in Washington two years ago.
When I called Bob Dana the other day for a class party, the air was electric. Bob's company was suffering an investigation by a Senate committee. Bob entertains a very high opinion of government snoopers.
Under-Secretary of the Treasury Ros Magill has left the cabinet for his chair at the Columbia Law School. By the way, Viv Fletcher, 15 Wight Place, Tenafly, N. J., after fifteen years in the security and investment business is footloose and heart free. Wall St. tycoons take notice.
Jim Shanahan, Ben Moxon, Emery Lapierre, Bob Brown, Jim Coffin, Ralph George, and Ralph Parker, New Hampshire Balmacaaners, whom I see now and then, are still keeping young. It must be the Granite State air.
Ed Riley and his bride are back in America. Welcome home, Ed and Mrs. Ed. If you want a good hearty laugh, get Johnny Monahan to tell you of some of his experiences as an insurance adjuster.
Freddie Bailey is doing a fine job on the school board in Dedham. He was recently reelected. Daniel Webster Coakley is on the job and going strong. Living in Los Angeles, he heard of a big construction job in New Orleans. He discovered a contractor who was making a bid, drove with him from L. A. to New Orleans. The contractor got the job, and Dan got the surety bond. That's the old fight, Dan. You just can't beat a red-headed, freckled-face Irishman.
Speaking of Irishmen, where oh where is that pea-green, fly-bitten knock-kneed, diluted squire of Bristol, Pa., John Hyde Mensel? I suppose he is writing poetry somewhere.
All our sympathies are extended to Nat Harris and his six-year-old son, in their loss of wife and mother as a result of a motor accident. It is pretty lonesome for Nat and Charlie, but they will carry on. By the way, Nat saw Chuck Everett a few weeks ago in New Orleans and had a fine visit with him. Nat is manager of the W. T. Grant store in New Orleans.
Pete Cleaves and his assistant class agents did a whale of a job on the Alumni Fund the past spring. The thanks of the class are extended to Pete, Bill Biel, Al Gluek, Parker Hayden, Joe Larimer, Dan Lindsley, and Tog Upham. Pete writes me that Leslie Leavitt's oldest son is coming on from Beirut, to spend a year with Larry Leavitt, headmaster of Vermont Academy, which is a grand school for Dartmouth men-to-be.
Tex Rogers wrote a long letter from France to Pete, saying he would be back in Dallas with the Times-Herald, after a few more weeks of France and England.
Kike Davis is still peddling Fiske tires in Antwerp. Kike begs any Dartmouth man passing through Antwerp to look up Fiske in the phone book and call him. His address is Anglo-American Distributors, 121 Plaine Van Schoonheke, Antwerp, Belgium.
Just to give you an idea of the esteem in which Bill Nagle is held by the students in Belmont, Mass., High School, I just learned that the senior class presented "Pop" a beautiful gold watch as a token of their affection. Gene McQuesten is the production and merchandise manager of the big Nashua Mfg. Company and goes to New York weekly. I wonder what that country boy does in the city weekly.
I am very sorry to record the death of Chris Salmonsen at Portland, Me., on June 4. Chris was on the sick list for a year. Bill Ban ton represented the class at the funeral.
Good old Bailey Van Ness Emery died on July 18, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after a recurrence of his illness of a year ago. It just won't seem the same world with B.V.D. gone. Full details in the Necrology column.
Late news item as we go to press—Bob McClure will be in the East on a speaking tour for the American Board of Foreign Missions during October and November. Look up Bob if he appears anywhere near you.
Secretary, 37 Maple St., Stoneham, Mass
