Class of 1916
Well, we are off to a New Year, and perhaps one of the newly made resolutions of Balmacaaners is to send me news of themselves. I just wonder what happened to Roger Flagg Evans. Rog usually sends me at least one item a month. Is the Alumni Councilor, law professor, afterdinner speaker, one Fletcher Reed Andrews too busy to send me a little nugget of news? Where is our big Burlington, Vt., business man, proud father of four, Chriscraft cruiser owner, one Honey Abraham? I'd like to know what Tony Garcia is doing, if Charlie Brundage, of Story, Brundage & Cos., investment counselor de luxe, is still counseling; what new tunes the ex Claremont, N. H., bugler, Bones Joy, is writing; whether Bob Burlen was responsible for the Mae West radio skit of a few weeks ago; whether Abe Lincoln still has his Philipino butler; if Ruby McFall is still grinding out original advertising copy. I know the class would welcome news from each of you men.
Ed Ozite Kiley has worked out several new ways to mix up Caldwell's New England Rum. The volume of Bill Caldwell's product in the New York area should be on the increase, for Balmacaaners insist their favorite package stores carry this elixir.
When I saw Ben Moxon in New Hampshire last week, he wanted news of Arthur John Conley and Cassius Ozite Kiley. I gave him an earful about the latter gentleman. Jim Shanahan, Shanahan & Ekstrom, New Hampshire's leading accounting firm, is working night and day. All accountants should be voting New Deal because of the work that has been devised for them. I meet Vic Porter and Tuck Flanders every now and then. I see Frank Bobst and his lovely secretary quite frequently. I like to call on Frank, even if I know he is going to say "No." Cliff Bean, back in harness, is still working at his usual top-notch speed. Dick Parkhurst is making New England Boston Port conscious, and what a whale of a job that boy is doing for this section of the country. Tog Upham is in the radio and piano business in Maiden. Tog still sings a mean baritone. How I wish we could drag out Howard Renfrew and B. V. Phinney for an old-fashioned hum. Jack Little, Estabrook & Company's brightest investment man, called me the other day for a reunion with one of our army buddies. A good time was had by all.
Wasn't I happy, as I know you will be, to receive news of Larry Davidson. Ever since graduation and the war, Larry has been engaged in the department store business, with Davidson Bros. Company, Sioux City, la. Larry has a seven-year-old daughter, and a three-year-old son who is right now receiving his groundwork in Dartmouth traditions. Believe it or not, Larry gets lonesome and envious of us folks in the East, especially during the football season, as he reads of our get-togethers. Traveling Balmacaaners, please make sure you visit Larry next time you are near Sioux City. Many thanks for your fine letter, Larry.
Ray DeVoe of the Wall Street DeVoes recently flew down to Dallas, and of course visited with Dallas Giant, the first grandpappy in the class, one Henry Holmes Green. According to Ray, Holmes has pictures of his grandchild all over his office, and is he proud. I'd give a nickel to be with Bones Joy and Leigh Rogers when they read this item about Grandfather Green.
On his return trip, Ray was grounded at the Camden, N. J., Airport, and there he ran into Irving Wolff, flying his own de luxe ship. The fog kept Irving from flying to Richmond, Va., for lunch. You see he had to be back on the job with R.C.A. In Philadelphia at 2:30 P.M. Distance means nothing these days, but I can recall how hard it was to keep a full table at the Tavern because it was too far away.
Just by chance I was reading the prizewinners in the contest conducted by the Better Homes and Gardens and I noted the name, F. Stirling Wilson of Chevy Chase, Md., winning the first prize of $50O. Just think of getting fifty bucks for writing a letter. Now Van and Selma Matt, you take that fifty away from Stirling and save it for our twenty-fifth reunion. I want to see Betty and Stirling's three wonderful children again.
Once a year, I receive that rare note from Daniel Webster Coakley. Dan is in the insurance brokerage business and is going fine. According to him, his health is O.K. and his morals perfect. All Dartmouth men in Los Angeles take heed. Dan is located at I11 West 7th St., Los Angeles. Gee, Dan, if you only knew how happy we all are to hear from you, you would write more often. If you are not careful, Mr. Coakley, I'll tell a story or two about your and Harry Worthington's method of catering at the initiation banquets for the goodly brothers in Deke and Sigma Chi, twenty-some-odd years ago.
Arthur G. Fiske has changed from 28 Daniels St. to 18 Lura St., Lowell, Mass.
Santa Claus brought me Christmas greetings from the Evans, Beans, Eskelines in China, Kileys, Renfrews, Goves, Storys, Coles, Wilsons, Fullers, Uphams, Jardines, and the Van Wyck Motts of Washington, D. C.
The other night Kay and I had a treat when we visited the Goves. Insley, Louie's thirteen-year-old daughter, had sculptured out of soap as fine a group of Christmas Manger figures I ever hope to see. The statues were not only accurate and beautifully carved but reverent in spirit. Balmacaan is producing a genius.
A number of men have been clamoring for a vest-pocket directory of the class, such as was issued in 1926. How often does a Balmacaaner find himself in Boston, New York, Chicago, Sioux City, Denver, etc., knows that some of the class live around the city, but doesn't remember just where. With a class directory, giving business and home addresses and phone numbers, the problem would be solved, and a reunion would take place. Dick Parkhurst got after me again the other day about it- It's a fine idea. It means a lot of work to get it, but out here is the hitch; it costs money. We may propose the idea, but the treasury says "No." Do you folks want one? The first call on the treasury is for the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, which the class pays for. If some of you men who haven't paid your class dues would only pay up, I might get that Yankee treasurer of ours to say 'Yes." I await expressions of opinion.
Secretary, 37 Maple St., Stoneham, Mass.
