1897
This month three letters which have come to me are so interesting that I hardly have to think up something to recall recent items of interest or to draw on the nostalgic memories of the glorious days back on the college campus.
Frank C. Johnson and his wife cutting the wedding cake at their 50th anniversary, standing under the pictures of three prior generations of Mrs. Johnson's family, and with them a son and grandson making three generations of Johnsons, all Dartmouth men; and three generations of Mrs. Johnson's family, one picture showing Mr. & Mrs. Samuel M. Durgin, Mrs. Johnson's grandparents at the time of their Golden Wedding anniversary June 20, 1865. The house was built in 1815 and occupied by six generations now. When we think of these six generations, we must turn the calendar back nearly to the start of our Nation just'after the time the Constitution had been made definite, and we got stuffy enough to fight another war with England and lick them. Frank Johnson and his family are of and a part of New England. He has been a school man all of his life. Had plenty of fighting to do along the years—one scrap stands out in which he licked the brass of the Army who thought that they could educate their kids without any ante to pay the bills. "Yaas" licked the brass with one hand. Officially, as secretary of the class, I am extending through the MAGAZINE congratulations on his 50th anniversary.
Judge Winfield Temple, whose office is in Temple Building, has practiced law for 49 years in his home town. Been active in politics and a Judge for a long time. Has two sons, both Dartmouth men, associated with him in practice. Temple will qualify as a New Englander and a Yankee even if he did argue 16 to one and carry the banner for William Jennings Bryan awhile back. Temple's letter is so well written that I feel sure that if "Clothespins" could ever have seen it it would get a very high mark for paragraphs, subjects and brevity. I would hate to be in wrong and be in his court and expect to get an indefinite ruling which could be overturned. When we come right down to it, it is a little difficult for us to figure Temp out as a Judge sitting on the bench for 20 years. Would like to have his picture in wig and robes to see how he compares in looks with the old guys who puffed themselves up and powdered to add to their dignity. If any of you fellows have a picture of Temp in robes, I would like to record it. Perhaps at our 55th we could provide the proper regalia for Judge Temple. Our class has pro vided three judges: Keating, Sibley, and Temple.
Loren Mosher has disqualified himself as a Yankee and become a vagabond, brushing off the dust of New England to live in the new part of America and like it. In his letter of one page he takes occasion to blow about Phoenix. I am glad he did. I thought Phoenix was a sort of whistle stop. Had no idea it had paved streets and shade trees. Always thought the Phoenixers were mostly shivery folks who Went there to get "het up with 105 In the shade and the rest of them gamblers taking money away from the rich shivery ones. (Had to have Loren tell us about this metropolis. Kind of Sounds like a boom town the way it is growing and the way he tells it. If Loren has one of these new glass fishing rods and a new spinning reel, he can stand on his damp porch and cast for trout in the Little Colorado River and shoot wild turkeys sitting in the rocking chair on his front lawn, and send a good retriever to "fetch" his dinner and not walk a step. If he has a deep freeze, I'll bet he has deer meat all the year round. Hope Loren won't resent my mentioning the deep freeze. It's a touchy subject these days all over Washington and all the way out to Kansas City. Ain't heard about any Phoenixers getting any for nothin' yet. Loren's letter came to me before the Phoenix gal got the first prize for pulchritude in Atlantic City to become Miss America. Probably she is a neighbor of Loren's. "Auntie" Lewis used to call all folks in Montana his neighbors. "Pa" tells about riding across the ranch with him when the sheriff hailed him to tell about arresting a horse thief whom "auntie" knew. "Auntie's" only comment was, "I'm sorry, Spike was always a good neighbor."
Here we have three successful classmates. Johnson who has worked for about a half a century within about 50 miles of his present home. Temp who has also had a firm anchor in his own family soil and Loren who's walked all over God's "hebben." Told me once he had been in every state in the union.
Three interesting letters follow: "Dear Ham: Having recovered from the celebration described in the enclosed cutting, I am sending it to you that you may select what seems essential for your column. We returned from Texas July 14, having been with our daughter there all winter. Her husband, E. R. Gilliland, was asked by the Bureau of Standards to establish an experimental radio station in Puerto Rico and direct the same. He is now there having the station built on the Ramey Air Base and expects to be able to get away any time now and take the family back with him. They are now with us. Our son and his family were with us for the celebration but he had to return to Richmond to complete his study for a presentation of the telephone company's case before the Utilities Commission as they are asking for an increase of rates. His son returns to Dartmouth this fall for his third year. He makes the third consecutive generation of Johnsons at the college. Can any '97 man beat that record or equal it? With best wishes to you for continued support in a difficult job and my appreciation of your efforts, I am, Cordially yours, Frank C. Johnson. P.S. Oh yes, I was elected chairman of the Boscawen Old Home Day Committee for 1950. JohnPoor was best man at our wedding. Did you know that Joe Ryan is now retired and living at Brattle St., Cambridge?"
"Dear Bill: I am conscious of the fact that I wrote you last March that I perhaps could write something about 'this man Temple' during the summer vacation, but I fear I am a good deal like the one who said 'Don't do today what you can do tomorrow.' As to my history and that of the members of my family, most of it is contained in the Class History which Pa Rollins compiled in 1942 or thereabouts and 'he who runs may read.' I have always felt that the men of '97 were fortunate in the great teachers we had at Dartmouth; to name a few: Wells, Colby, Adams, Worthen, Emerson, and Emery, and the great thinker and leader, Pres. Tucker. After leaving Dartmouth, I studied law in a Marlborough office for a year and then went to Boston University in 1898, completing a three-year course in two years and commuting daily. Here again I came in contact with great teachers and, as I look back, I can truthfully say that the instruction there could not be surpassed in any similar institution of learning.
"I always think of what Bolser used to say when we were training for the half-mile run: 'Just remember the fellow running against you is just as tired as you are.' So in preparing a case for trial, I try to meet any points in argument or evidence the fellow 'running against me' may advance. I have always tried my own cases so far as I could without injury to my client.
"After admission to practice, I started in my own native city and, with the exception of five years beginning in 1918 when I also had a Boston office, have continued my practice in Marlborough for a period of 49 years. My two sons, W. Leroy, Dartmouth '23, and Richard S., Dartmouth '30, are associated with me and we believe we have the confidence and respect of our fellow citizens.^
" 'Stubby' Wells was considerate and kind enough, at the suggestion of Pres. Tucker, after the memorable chapel debate, to call me into his office one afternoon and straighten out a few points in my thinking. By the way, I will now let you in on a secret. I wrote the arguments of those on my side on the, great question, 'Resolved: that bimetalism is the best monetary system for the United States.' That little song you fellows composed and sang when marching into the Chapel as the last bell was sounding, 'The honest little dollar will be there,' stood unimpaired until 1933, when the dollar was devalued, the gold withdrawn from circulation and buried in the ground somewhere below the Mason-Dixson line. Remember how Pres. Tucker simply and quietly said, 'Gentlemen, the rally is tonight'?
"During the past 52 years, since 1897, I have had many and various experiences, both legal and political, which I have enjoyed. I have also been deeply interested in Chamber of Commerce work, in securing new industries for our city and maintaining a steady industrial payroll. As a Special Justice of the local court for the past 20 years, I have sat from time to time in some of the adjoining District Courts, a work which I have also enjoyed.
"August 21 Mrs. Temple and I celebrated in a quiet way our 48th wedding anniversary at our summer cottage at Lake Boone, Hudson, where we have been for the past four months. We have been going there now for the past 14 summers. Here we have enjoyed our summers and, with the frequent visits of our small grandchildren, Dickie and Teddy, sons of Richard, are really renewing our youth and looking forward, without wishing time away, to our 50 th.
"There are two things I dislike to do: one is to sell tickets and solicit money; and the other, to talk about myself. If the foregoing does not comply with your legal demands, I would suggest that you don that sheriff's uniform and seek a writ of mandamus from the Superior Court of Grafton County, N. H. Yours, Temp"
"bear Bill: Will write something about myself and hope you can at least make a complimentary report in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE. Before writing too much about myself I will brag a little about Phoenix which is not a desert due to several dams which supply our water, also with streets mostly paved and lined with shade trees. Our population has practically doubled in the last ten years and is now about 250,000.
"My wife and I spend our winters in Phoenix where there is no snow and mostly shirt sleeve weather. The summers are quite hot so we spend about six months at our cabin in the White Mountains 8500 ft. elevation on a five acre tract mostly wooded, one mile from Greer and 250 miles from Phoenix.
"Our son, a technician at Radio Station KOY, is married and lives in Phoenix with wife and son.
"May add that we are about 500 ft. from the Little Colorado River where trout fishing is good and we often see deer and wild turkeys on our place. Sincerely yours, Loren A. Mosher
THREE DARTMOUTH GENERATIONS: Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Johnson '97, Roger D. Johnson '25, and Roger D. Johnson Jr. '51.
Secretary and Treasurer
886 Main St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.
