1931*
This is one of those rare months when the Class Secretary's job changes from one of worry as to what he is going to say and where he is going to find things to write about, to one of worry for fear he will not have space enough to include all of the up-to-the-minute reports he has received. However, if we can't get it all in this issue, we promise to include it next month. For want of space and because the editors of this good magazine have for the last two months sent us back the overage of material we have sent in, we will cut out the trimmings and present the news as concisely as an insurance salesman's style makes it possible. (My wife tells me that no insurance man will ever answer a question or give an explanation with just a "Yes" or "No"; for some reason or other there must be a long description and then a remarkable hedging. I guess she ought to know—she's lived with one for six years now.)
The most recent marriages, which have left the nuptial columns rather lean the last couple of months, include that of Johnny Gilmore to Mary Frances Warner. Johnny and Mary Frances are living at 1717 Twentieth Street, Washington, D. C. Ken Anderson, of the Provident Mutual here in New York, and Lydia Young Addi- son of Columbus, Ohio, were married in Westchester on October 14. Ken and Lydia have been touring the country before returning to Westchester to live. Johnny Sullivan, one of 31's M.D.'s, and Catherine Josephine Ryan were married on the 27 th of September in Boston. Their engagement was previously announced in our column and we are mighty pleased to welcome them to the staid old group of married people. They will make their home in Cambridge. Bob Dickey reports that his cousin, Thad Smith, was married last summer, and his present address is 20 Lynde Street, Boston, but after the first of December he and his bride will move into their new home in Winchester. Bob and his wife have bought a new home in Wilbraham where Bob is with the Monsanto Chemical. Our final marriage takes one more off the list of reported bachelors when Jack Davis, of Passaic, New Jersey, who is with Botany Worsted Mills, thought he ought to straighten us out as to the fact that he was married to Jean Farjion back in '37. I don't know how we ever overlooked this, Jack, and I don't blame you for being upset when you heard .you were listed as a bachelor. Jack also reports a letter from Ralph Maynard in South America where Ralph is trying to close a deal on a number of Baldwin Locomotives and reports that he is being very careful about entangling foreign alliances.
Speaking of foreign countries, we had a letter from Bob Biesel whose new address is Swan, Culbertson & Fritz, a brokerage house in Manila. Bob left the Shanghai office of the Chase Bank a few months ago nd plans then were to move him to Manila. The most recent actions, however, call for his staying in Shanghai where his firm has just bought him a seat on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Bob's P.S. reads, "In spite of political uncertainties in these parts, the local market is very active and the local Chinese speculators and investors seem to have more confidence in the future than Wall Street. Whether they are right or wrong, I don't know, but their activity helps our revenue." It sure looks as though our Snooky Biesel has settled down since last we met. The last time I recall Bob was trying to negotiate from the old Dartmouth Club to Midston House next door via the stone ridge running around the building at about the third floor. We never were able to determine whether he was walking in his sleep and that was the sleeping tablet in that glass in his hand, or whether it was one of the famous Biesel escapades.
In our last column we were about to report that Dick and Midge Fisher had been in Boston for their vacation and then had returned to St. Louis, when we received a letter from Ned Kent reporting that after returning to St. Louis the Fishers had almost immediately been transferred back to Boston. Dick and Midge must know every inch of the ground between Boston and St. Louis, and while I know they hated to leave the Middle West, it is probably good to be back home.
Some time ago in New York I had occasion to look up from reading the righthand column of a luncheon menu to see Bob Lee just being seated at the table next to me. It was a rather strange coincidence to meet Bob after not having seen him for over ten years, particularly in view of the fact that I was having lunch with a chap from Cincinnati which, as you know, is Bob's old stamping ground. Bob represents the Dayton Rubber Company who manufacture rolls for printing equipment. He was recently married to Harriet Hastings. Ed Sieminski was best man, and Bob and Harriet are now living at Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Johnny and Lucy Cogswell had a vacation and headed for Chicago for their first chance to return home in over six years. Johnny threatened that the brakes were off and that he and Lucy would not be responsible for what was left of the windy city as a result of their visit, and I just wondered if that 65-mile-an-hour gale just reported out there might have been caused by the Cogswells en tour.
Chuck Robinson, reporting from Omaha, Nebraska, says that while giving me a hand with the Class Dues, he telephoned Cliff Harris only to find that Cliff lived not over 100 rods away from where Chuck and his wife live and that while they had been living that close for over a year and a half, they had seen each other only twice. (I thought New York City was the only place where you could live next door to your neighbor and not know who he was!) Chuck reports that the Omaha contingent are all planning to motor to Hanover for the Tenth and en route they are planning to pick up Jack and Grace Weisert in Chicago. Jack and Grace recently stopped at Omaha on their way to Los Angeles where they visited Bob Ryan for a few days. Bob is doing exceptionally well and getting his manly features photographed all over the place for Paramount. Beany reports that he saw Bob in a picture entitled, "Golden Gloves," which ties in with the Weisert's report. Unless I am mistaken, Bob is the only one of the Class of '31 who has had the good fortune to crash the screen. Jack also said that on his way back from Los Angeles he stopped at Raton, New Mexico and visited Parker and Helen Soule. Parker is well physically now and looks as though he could handle Ryan for a moderate stretch. Chuck says this is the first-hand dope as he and Mary also had occasion to visit with the Soules a few weeks later. We are all glad to hear that Parker is feeling better and I know he has the best wishes of everybody in the Class. Ralph Wardle, according to Chuck, has left the cloistered walls of the University of Omaha and is now professoring at the Red Menace (Cornell).
Finally, a letter from Charlie Dwyer from whom it seems ages since we have heard. Charlie is with the exporters and importers of William M. Ware & Company of Boston, handling tallow, grease, cracklings, and fertilizer materials. They had a dinner of the North Shore Dartmouth Club at which Prexy spoke and where Charlie saw Russ Woodward and Al Rikkola. He had a couple of ales with Arnie Frigard and Ed Stokes. Ed is reported to be thinning fast on top and Charlie says that to one inebriated oldster they were able to pass Ed off as another grandfather. Next day they had a '31 dinner at the University Club which was attended by Bob Hawkins, Ranny Hobbs, Pan Kent, Mel Levenson, Frank Pope, Bernie Boyle, Dick Chase and Rollie Peterson. Charlie adds that Bernie gave the group a little collegiate atmosphere, having travelled down from Andover where he is coaching track.
As I said before, I wish the MAGAZINE could have made it possible to let this column be twice as long so that we could report on everybody we have heard from, but we are finding they are getting awfully tough in Hanover with the red pencil.
Until next issue then, I hope Santa Claus is good to everybody and that each and every one of you have a very merry Christmas.
Secretary, Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co. 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, N. Y
Treasurer, 443 Warren St., Hudson, N. Y.
