1885*

The Secretary's annual message to the class this year was sent out as a New Year's rather than as a Christmas letter, one of the reasons being that Christmas has become such a busy time that it seemed advisable to try the change for this year at least. This New Year's letter strongly urges the importance of each member of the class sending to the Secretary every month or two, some items of class news which would reach the Secretary not later than the Bth day of each month and so be in time for the class notes for the next issue of the MAGAZINE. The Secretary hopes and believes that the class will support and cooperate in furnishing material for our class notes—let this be one of our New Year's resolutions. Replies to the letter thus far received to January 8th are from Austin, Briggs, Chase and Floyd.

It will be very sad news to all his classmates and his many other friends to learn of the serious accident which "Life" Philbrick has suffered—as he was crossing the street near his home in Hollywood, California, on December 13th, he was struck down by a trolley car, his left leg was broken in two places, his right arm and a rib were broken and he received a cut on his head which required the taking of seven stitches, he was taken to a hospital where he continued unconscious for four days; after two weeks he was able to be moved to his home where a hospital bed was set up and he is attended by two nurses. A letter from Mrs. Philbrick, dated January 9th, brings the good news that he is making remarkably good progress towards recovery, which his doctor describes, considering what happened to him, as "the eighth wonder of the age." We all extend to "Life" our sincere sympathy and our best wishes for his steady and complete recovery.

John F. Clark, who was with us during our freshman and sophomore years, and then entered business, was for many years manager and resident vice-president of the Newark, N. J., branch office of the American Surety Cos., of New York. He retired from active connection with the company some years ago and is spending the present winter at St. Petersburg, Florida, (address 216 7th St., South), and with Henry Austin and Arthur Whitcomb will constitute our Florida class contingent.

For lack of more inspiring news the Secretary would say that he still rides his forty-year old "hobby" of collecting Webster pictures of all kinds; his has long been the largest known collection of Websteriana likenesses but the former more furious riding of his hobby has gradually slackened to a slow canter and is now down to only a walk, yet he still is devoted to its lure.

Secretary, Kimball Bldg,, Tremont St., Boston, Mass.

* 100% subscribers to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, on class group plan.