1887

The secretary has met with excellent replies to his letters, as far away as the states of Washington and Idaho. Thinking that his father and the grandfather of John Dana Bell might have been in Washington at the same time, the secretary secured some very interesting historical data on the leading place the Bell family have among New Hampshire statesmen; in fact it is probable that no other family has been honored more. This is what our classmate writes:

My grandfather, Samuel Bell, born at Londonderry, N. H., in 1770, Dartmouth class of 1793, moved to Chester, N. H., in 1812; Judge of the State Supreme Court, 1816-1819; Governor of New Hampshire, 1819-1823; United States Senator, 1823-1835; died in 1850.

So much for the high progenitor of the Bells' of New Hampshire, and then:

James Bell of Exeter, son of Samuel Bell, was United States Senator, from 1855 to the time of his death in 1857. Charles Henry Bell of Exeter, filled out a vacancy as United States Senator, from March 13 to June 18, 1879. He was then Governor of New Hampshire from 1881-1883. He was a graduate of Dartmouth, 1844. He was a nephew of Samuel. He died in 1903. Samuel Newell Bell, also a graduate of Dartmouth, was a member of the 42d Congress, 1875-1877.

John Dana states that there were others who made their mark: "I hardly ever refer to my family, unless someone tries to lord it over myself by telling of their ancestors."

He was also a graduate of Exeter. "I never expected," he writes, "that I would spend the greater part of my life in Idaho." One may easily imagine what would have been his share in the Bell tradition of statesmanship had he remained in New Hampshire! John Dana has already begun to plant his victory garden.

Another very interesting letter comes from "our Dan," bringing to mind a very amusing episode. As we all know, he claims to live in a "lily-white suburb," Scarsdale. Because of his recent election as secretary of The Lawyers' Club of New York City, for the fifteenth time, the local paper headlined his name as,

"A. Emerson Hadlock." He was much disgusted, since he hates anything which is seemingly, "putting on dog."

Many years ago, after attending a Dartmouth-Columbia football game with Dan and Sydney Junkins, and being heavily dined by the latter, it was great happiness to be invited to spend the night in Dan's sumptuous home in the "lily-white" burg.

In the smoking car, there were a pair of orchid-decorated maids with escorts, and two bottles of gin! With much dignity, Dan declined to share. I, having learned their destination was Scarsdale, announced this, and Dan said it could not be possible. However, they alighted there with us It was a decided blemish on the "lily-whiteness" but Dan's purity was untarnished.

Secretary and Treasurer Bath, N. H.