1897

The members of the class who live in and near greater New York had a reunion at Redding Ridge, Connecticut on September 16. Present were Tully Thorne and son Charles, Billy Ham, Dr. and Mrs. Parson Folsom, Rev. and Mrs. Bacon (T. H.) and the secretary and his wife. Guests were Pres. Ralph Jenkins of the Danbury Teachers College (D. C. 1914) and Mrs. Jenkins. Billy told stories of the exploits of the "Ships Crew" in 1896-7. Some of these tales have not been told before and though in this refined age they seem fabulous, all can be documented. As an example the hub cap of the Hanover town hearse now serves as a paper weight on the desk of a great industrial captain who later served Dartmouth as a trustee.

A week later the members of the class who live in central and western Massachusetts held a reunion at the hotel Bancroft in Worcester. Fourteen were present, including A. W. Brown and the Sibley, Ward, Temple, Johnson, Chris tophe and Butterfield families. Erdix Smith was kept from the meeting by illness and Heald by pressure of duties incident to his work as state Supervisor of Teacher Training in Agriculture for Massachusetts. Missing were Parker, town selectman in Pepperill and Meehan, hotel proprietor in Southbridge, and Coombs, farmer and father of eight children. These conferences are designed to bring together the men who live too far from Boston to attend regular roundups.

A. W. Brown has been a teacher and tutor for the years since his graduation. He has now retired and lives in his home town, Leominster. There he has many intellectual and personal interests.

Sumner Sargent, after many years on the front line of Congregational pastorates in rural New England, has turned to commercial activities. He has a store in Newburyport. He reports it a moderate success' if he keeps it for six days in the week and attends to it the seventh. His health and courage are good. Son Theron is employed in Amesbury. Brainard Rowe, the friendly man, makes his travels include calls on Sumner. Other classmates should be equally friendly.

Thyng has spent a number of months in charge of the New Hampshire building at the Eastern States Exposition grounds in Springfield. His home is in Brentwood, N. H. He has two sons; both graduates of the University of New Hampshire.

Ham has work of an unusually interesting nature. His firm in war days built hundreds of houses in Bridgeport to meet the emergency needs of this munition city. These are one and two family houses with a few apartments. Ham is responsible for the rental and upkeep of these houses. He is a landlord on an extensive scale. As a hobby and life interest he is a close student of colonial home industry. Some of his tenants have a like interest. Ham has found, restored and built, looms and spinning wheels. He has relieved the tedium of the founders by built-in motors. In his atelier he creates artistic designs. He has rediscovered the secrets of farm dyes from bark, roots and vegetables. He even raises sheep, white and black, and for linen has his field of flax. By every step he makes cloth, substantial and attractive. His own clothing is all home made and is as proudly worn as was Great Grandsir' Ham's on town meeting day. His studio and workshop has been visited by Owen D. Young and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Sanborn, the wise doctor of Topsfield, is slowly recovering from his illness of last spring. He has helped install a young doctor that the people of the town may have constant care while he reserves his strength for the more serious cases and for the needs of families that he has long served.

Secretary, State Capitol, Hartford, Conn.