1909
Another one of the old stand-by's of '09 has just passed away—Dan Watson died on January 27 from a cerebral hemorrhage. Dan always took part in all of our activities and was a pillar of strength in many organizations with which he was connected. He was Commodore of the Corinthian Yacht Club for several years, an officer of the Boot and Shoe Club, and was head of the Watson Cut Sole Company with which he had been very successful. He was also manager of the Cut Sole Department of Proctor Ellison Cos. During the war he was on the advisory board of the WPB's Leather Division. Dan was a good entertainer and loved music and was leader of the Mandolin Club at college, and even after leaving college he organized a neighborhood orchestra for the amusement of himself and his friends. He was a wonderful story-teller and always livened up any meetings of the crowd.
A solemn high mass of requiem was celebrated in Our Lady's Church, Newton, and was largely attended. A floral pillow was sent from the class and the following members of the class of '09 sat together at the Mass: AllenNewton, Harry Floyd, Norm Catharin, JoeWor then, Mike Farley, Gordon Weinz and Dick Lord.
A member of our class, Leon Morse, who we have not heard from very often since graduation, and who is located in Lyme, N. H., has apparently become quite famous in the past several years as a feature writer of the Free Press of Burlington, Vt., under the title of "Your Friend." His column has now been taken up by many other newspapers, the last one being the Gazette in Haverhill, Mass. It is a column for advice and help on family adjustments. The Haverhill Gazette has this to say about his column:
In interviews with those having difficult situations, he has given time totaling more than 7.1 years of 365 days of 10 hours each. He has come to know somewhat intimately more than 1000 homes with, the problems of each peculiar to these days of family adjustments. For the last five years he has been in close touch with summer camps having a total of 870 campers, who represent all sections of the country and nearly every stratum of society.
He believes that people in life situations, which have proved extremely hard to meet, will state their cases to one who is a stranger with greater freedom than someone who knows all about them and may divulge what has been said.
This column is not syndicated. It is a personal letter and answer department. If a stamped selfaddressed envelope is enclosed, then the one who writes in receives a personal answer. Otherwise the letter is published in the column so that other readers may have the benefit of the counsel given. If names are signed to public column letters they are never used. All communications are held in strictest confidence..
The Editor of the Burlington Free Press says:
May I congratulate you on the completion of nearly five years as a feature writer for the Free Press. Throughout those five war years, your feature —"Your Friend"—has been one of the most popular departments of our paper. Its popular appeal seems to lie primarily in the fact that each day's offering is a human interest story—one person's problem, or perhaps the problem of a man and wife or a whole family—frankly stated and as frankly answered. It amazes me sometimes how you get away with reading the riot act to some of these questioners without arousing them to murder you, or the editor. But they seem to expect it, and the other readers love it.
You have become a sort of father confessor for many of our readers. They send their problems to you as they would to their religious adviser or family doctor, although of course you never mix into medical or legal matters which require professional attention.
Frankly you have done a very good job with this feature and I feel sure that you have eased the minds of many who didn't know where to turn for advice. Keep up the good work.
Many other words of commendation have been quoted by newspapers but these few remarks will give you a picture of just how famous he has become. He is also written up in Who's Who, one of the very few people in our class who has that distinction. I wrote to Leon and had a most delightful reply from him. I must quote a paragraph from his letter which gives the reason why he was so retiring at the time he was with us in college:
Although I was old enough to have been on the faculty at the time of my graduation, I was 28 years toward senility, the fact remains that I was always terrified by the fellows and fled from them at the first chance like a mongrel puppy with a tin can tied to its rear signal station.
I am sure he has already recovered from this feeling and that at Reunions from now on he will blossom out as he deserves.
I have received the following changes of address: George R. Adams, Box 364, Branford, Conn., and 117 Spruce St., Hartford, Conn.; John C. Beebe, Route 1, Rathdrum, Idaho, Ogden Brown, 3850 Rodman St., N. W., Wash. 16, D. C., Laurence C. Chase, 15 Carlton St., Littleton, N. H., Arthur A. Hadden, 75 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago 1, Ill. Leon C. Marshall, 59 Rumford St., Concord, N. H., HowardB. Peterson, Waltham Watch Cos., and 47 Ellison Park, Waltham, Mass., Arthur ]. Sporborg, 1626 Michigan Ave., Miami Beach 39, Fla., Craig Thorn, 3107 Wallcraft Ave., Tampa, Fla., Harold Hall, 25 Midland Ave., White Plains, N. Y.
Secretary, Wm. Filene's Sons Cos. 426 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Treasurer, 16 Wall St., New York 15, N. Y.
ANNUAL NEW YORK DINNER, APRIL 16 HOTEL COMMODORE AT 6:30 P.M.
