Class of 1904

Chick and Mrs. Weston are keeping well informed about things in Hanover. They have just attended the Carnival and learned as eye witnesses the versatility of the College in developing a highly successful winter carnival without snow.

Ike with Mrs. Charron and Lucile and Mary Willis spent a recent week-end with us during which the skiing was done by Lucile for the group. Ike piloted the rest of the party for a few mild climbs in the woods and found the exercise quite different and more difficult than his daily climb to the 17th floor of the Boston Post Office Building where his offices in the Circuit Court of Appeals are located.

You will all be interested in the following article concerning our Dartmouth songs: "A recent article in The New Yorker on college sons has particular interest.Morris Bishop, most of whose article wasdevoted to amusement over the inanitiesof the college song genre in general, sayswith reference to Dartmouth, 'Blessedamong colleges is Dartmouth. Blessed inhaving mothered Richard Hovey, of theclass of 'B5. Hovey, a true poet, gave hiscollege a series of great songs, rich and,masculine. "Men of Dartmouth," "EleazarWheelock," "Hanover Winter Song," "]yjyLove's Waitin'," "A Stein Song," "Comrades," "Barney McGee," and "Our LiegeLady, Dartmouth," make a garland which no other American college can attempt to match.' To support his contention, hequotes in full the first stanza of 'Men ofDartmouth.'" It is expected there will be a new edition of Dartmouth songs published this spring. Buy it for the grandchildren.

Last year on the occasion of the Boston Alumni Dinner, Tinker Gale and myself were the only representatives of the Class when the Dinner started. A few of the Boston residents arrived soon after, however, and the evening was a pleasant one. This year I knew that Tinker had been confined to the house with threatened pneumonia and while greatly improved in health was unable to attend, and I had an engagement which would prevent my attendance. I consequently wrote both Ike and Robbie asking them to stir up some enthusiasm and let me know who attended the Dinner. The Class members near enough to attend have been circularized by an ingenuous appeal stimulated by our rather poor attendance of a year ago, and I asked Ike to secure the name of our missionary. Here is his reply and the story of the Din- ner: "My efforts at your request to ascer- tain the author of the clever 'deer Klass- mait' appeal to attend the Boston Dart- mouth dinner were rudely checkmated the first move I made. Upon receipt of your letter I immediately called up Robbie, the local source of all class gossip, and asked if he knew who wrote the letter. He coun- tered, 'Wasn't it terrible?' 'Why, no,' I an- swered. 'I thought it decidedly clever.' He argued with me for a few minutes until he discovered that you were seeking informa- tion to give credit to the author. Then he abruptly came through with a real movie gangster growl, 'See here, boy, you don't know anything about it. See?' The threat was so thinly veiled that I've made no further inquiries, and, as Robbie says, I know nothing about it.

"His adverse criticism whether genuine or not, was shared by a Harvard friend of mine to whom I innocently showed the circular. His comment was, 'Well, of course, written in the vernacular common to graduates of your, college, it probably can be interpreted only by Dartmouth men. It doesn't mean a thing to me.' My weak come-back was to repeat the old story of the late Oliver Wendell Holmes who once related to a fellow Harvard alumnus a favorite story of his that was coldly received. 'Wasn't that good?' asked Mr. Justice Holmes. 'No, it was decidedly vulgar,' was the disgusted reply. 'Well,' came the quick retort. 'Thank God, my tastes are low.'

"However, the illiterate appeal evidently did produce results. Gene Sewall came across the political border to add to the joy of the evening. After a few whirls on the Copley Plaza Merry-go-round he had a wonderful inspiration for a set of murals, which if ever produced will make all other 'Muralists' (an 'o' for the 'u' will be equally appropriate) hang their heads in shame. Abenaki Indians, pop-corn, buttermilk, a solitary Maine republican and a bumble bee in flight inharmoniously grouped in a fantastic setting is the central theme. Speaking of bees, Gene told Robbie and me confidentially that he was planning to take up breeding as a hobby.

EARLY AMERICAN DRINKS

"Harry Ham was another who responded to the appeal. He produced a friend whose name I could not learn, who persistently sang the praises of Michigan. However, he generously toasted 1904 with individual glasses of hot buttered rum. As Pete and Matt still observe the temperance pledges made in youthful days some surplus drinks were sent up to the head table, to our Carl. At first we were a bit peeved at him, as he sat among the intellectual royalists in stuffed shirt and white studs and apparently ignored his lowly 'Klassmaits.' (I don't know anything about the authorship of that word.) In due time, however, he did come down to greet us and was quickly forgiven.

"As a matter of fact Carl didn't have much distance to cover, for we 1904 men were grouped with the Rip Van Winkles of the 19th century so near the speakers that we hardly had to cup our hands behind our ears to hear most of the speeches. To offset the shock we experienced when we discovered that we were sitting next to the oldest living graduate present, we had Elmer Brennon, whose youthful appearance does not change, and his son, who might pass as his brother. The discussion, too, at our table demonstrated that we are still up to date. Under pressure Pete admitted that he is no longer a New Deal Democrat; he claims to be one of the seven Free Trade Democrats now living in the United States.

"The football pictures, explained by Earl Blaik were all too short; the speeches were good and not too long, and the big thrill for us was the bestowal of the annual accolade upon Carl Woods for his efficient services as President of the Alumni Council.

"On the whole it was an enjoyable evening for the 1904 group present. It is to be regretted that more of the Boston men didn't respond to the 'deer Klassmait' appeal, written, as I promised Robbie, by I don't know whom."

After all it was my good fortune through an unexpected and unexpectedly prolonged visit to Boston to sit in the Copley balcony after the Dinner was over with Florence Jackson and my daughter Deborah and enjoy the entertainment. The speakers were Dr. Angell, recently retired from the presidency of Yale and our own president. There will be more details of the remarks in other columns, but I want to urge all of you to go out of your way to hear Dr. Angell. You don't need such suggestions about Hoppy's talks, they both lived up to their previous high mark.

There is going to be more Class trouble. A clipping and picture recently sent me from the Boston Transcript develops the fact that Pen Moore is a synthetic grandfather. I have an idea that the regular run of grandfathers of whom we have many will want to take some action about this which is very definitely an infringement of the rules governing their guild.

ALUMNI FUND RECORD FOR 1937

no contributors (100% of graduates),total gifts of $2,087.11 (96% of objective).

RALPH E. SEXTON, Class Agent

CONTRIBUTORS

1904 Aldrich, Oscar J. Andrews, Herbert M. Austin, David S., 2nd Bartlett, Edwin R. Benner, Bancroft Blanchard, Philip S. Bolster, Arthur S. Bowles, Amasa Boyle, Bernard L. Breen, John Brennon, Elmer G. Brewer, Robert D. Brotherhood, James S. Brown, Robert R. Bullock, Matthew W. Burdett, Owen L. Callman, Herbert Charron, Arthur I. Chase, Harry W. Cobb, Percival B. Cronin, John W. Dailey, Michael A. Darrow, Paul E. Davis, Charles E. Doonan, J. Frank Drew, Hedley G. Durgin, Linwood S. Edgerly, Ferdinand B. Egbert, Edward H. Favour, Paul G. Fellows, John H. Fiske, Robert C. Fletcher, John S. Ford, David E. Foster, Amos P. Freeman, Fred B. Gale, Arthur P. Gibson, Lester H. Gray, William R.1 Hall, Henry M. Ham, Harry H. Hamblin, FYank S. Hardy, Francis H. Hastings, Alfred B. Hatch, Jared P. Herman, Earl L. Hill, Albert L. Hinman, Burritt H. Hobbs, Don P. Holton, Harry I. Johnson, Harry B. Kimball, Arthur W. Kirker, John H._ Kneeland, William A. Lampee, Charles I. Laskey, E. Philip Leddy, Charles J. Leverone, Louis E. Lewis, George A. Lockwood, Charles M. Logan, Donald B. Mac Keen, William D. McKennis, Herbert McKnight, Charles F. Maguire, Peter J. Marshall, R. Eliot' Mathes, Maurice E. Maynard, Cloyd T. Morse, Henry B. Moseley, Robert B. Moulton, Gilman L. Mower, Penfield Muchemore, Harrie L. Nolan, John H. Norton, Daniel C.2 Perkins, Wayne A. Perry, Louis I. Phelps, O. Draper Rix, Malcolm W. Robinson, Edward K. Roby, Harrison G. Rolfe, Hayward P. Rollins, D. Sidney Root, Frederick J. Saben, William M. Sanborn, Bruce W. Sanderson, John F. Sewall, Arthur E. Sexton, Ralph E. Sharpe, Howard G. Slayton, William H. Streeter, Thomas W. Sturtevant, Mills Torrey, Harry K. Tubbs, Charles M: Turner, Leigh C. Walker, James C. Watson, John H., Jr. Webster, Leon W. Weston, Charles J. Whittemore, Wilfred D. Willard, Ira O. Willis, EdwardSS3.3 Witham, Myron E. Withey, Morton O. Woodbridge, Charles K. Woods, Carl F. Woodward, Guy E. Young, William A. 1 Memorial gift from Mrs.Gray.2 Memorial gift from Mrs.Norton.3 Memorial gift from Mrs.Willis.

Secretary, Waterville Valley, Waterville, N. H.