1909*

One Robert Burns, a member of the class of 1909, came into my office one afternoon and said that there had been a great many aspersions cast on his ability as a fisherman and questions as to whether he ever did catch a fish. He said that he wanted to settle the argument once and for all so he brought in a picture and also the following affidavit signed by the Bailey Island Tuna Club and the captain of the boat. He did tell me that he caught some blue fish as well, but you will have to take his word for that. I am somewhat of a Tuna fisher myself, but must acknowledge that this year I did not get one so I will certainly grant Bob the palm; whether Holmes will do the same or not I do not know.

We had the best turnout at the night-before-the-Harvard-Game dinner that we have had for a long time. Following is a list of those attending:

Mary Rogers, Gordon Weinz, Harry Burroughs, Dick Locke, Dutch West, Clark Saville, Freddie Reed, George Adams, Cad Cummings, Hal Pratt, Dan Watson and Joe Worthen.

Phil Chase, Herbie Hawes, Ed Chappelear, Chet Brett, Plum Leighton, Sandy Hooker, Mickey McLean, Bob Burns, Art Burns, Art Swenson, Jake Mason, Mike Farley and Sam Bell, Bernard Scully, Bert French, Russ Pettengill, Allen Newton, Walter Brown, Ralph Wight. Having succeeded in getting this turnout, we now want all to turn out for the Alumni Dinner on February 4. As you know, Joe Worthen is president this year and we want to show him that the crowd is back of him. So put that down on your calendar before I start to get after you.

Harry Burroughs' son, who is playing quarterback on the freshman team, attended the Class Dinner. Other members of the class who also have sons in the freshman class this year are Sandy Hooker, George Hinckley, Eliot Howard.

Clarke Saville and Bob Burns are reported to be deep in defense work in conjunction with their regular jobs.

Mark Smith, who for the last sixteen years has been with the Tariff Commission was in Boston this past week looking for promising young graduates to go into the Tariff Commission work. Mark has been doing some most interesting work in connection with the Reciprocal Tariffs for England and South America. He is chairman of the committee which passes on the final drafts so that a good deal of responsibility has been placed on him in the last few years in connection with this Tariff work. His wife, Alice Hansen Smith, died in July and this was so much of a shock to Mark that it was several months before he was able to go back to work. Now, however, he is in the midst of the struggle again.

Sid Thompson is also doing important work in connection with the taxation of lands in the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Taintor Parkinson is doing some interesting work in radio in which he is specializing in connection with the Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Curt Sheldon recently sent me the following information regarding lobster which might rank with some of the stories that Bob Burns and I tell on fishing. However, Curt invites us down to see what is left of the lobster as you will see from the following. "This summer, the Sheldon family spent its vacation on the shore of Chilmark Pond, Martha's Vineyard. Across the pond and over the sand dunes was the the south shore and the Atlantic Ocean. One Sunday morning we awoke to find the Fannie S, a dragger out of New Bedford, high and dry on the beach, having come ashore in a thick fog with no breakers. During the day the Captain of the 65 foot fishing boat, which had 20,000 pounds of fish aboard, sent over to our cottage a little present to the lady who sent the crew a pot of coffee. The present was a sB-pound lobster. After I had located an old fashioned wash boiler and steam cooked the lobster for an hour and three-quarters we served it to some of our friends who knew lobsters and they said they had never eaten any more delicious lobster. One claw was put away in the icebox for another day. This claw weighed four pounds and out of it we obtained two and one-half pounds of solid meat. Not to be outdone by the Captain, the crew sent over to us a 12-quart pail half filled with deep-sea scallops, out of the shell, and on top about 50 butter fish in cracked ice. We had assisted in getting an early call through to the Coast Guard and that evening we were all very happy to see the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence haul the fishing boat off the beach. The next morning she docked at New Bedford and saved the cargo of fish, although the Captain had expressed his conviction that she would never float again. If you don't believe the story about the lobster go down to the cottage and see the remains nailed on the wall in the garage."

"808 BURNS AND HIS EVIDENCE"

Secretary, William Filene's Sons Cos., Boston, Mass. Treasurer, 16 Wall St., New York, N. Y.

BAILEY ISLAND TUNA CLUB of Orr's and Bailey Islands Giant Tuna Caught by Bob Burns Weight 487 Time 1 hr. 5 min.. Tackle: Rod Montague Lure hake Location Gully Date of Catch August 16, 1941 Weather Reel Penn Line 54 Thread Boat Nancy Attested by: Jesse Johnson (Signed) BAILEY ISLAND TUNA CLUB Date August 16, 1941 Capt. Jesse Johnson