1912
Summer activities of additional classmates have been reported.
Last June Connie Snow spent two weeks in the Maine woods with son Dick and a guide. They did the Allegash River run, 100 miles by canoe, taking off from Moosehead Lake and ending up at Fort Kent with a half dozen portages and miles of "quick water," as they call the rapids. They also had some good trout fishing. The following four weeks were with Les Snow and their respective families, or parts of them, at the old Snow home at Rochester, N. H., which has been kept open since the death of their mother in August, 1948. Connie plans to return there some day when he gets too old to paddle a canoe.
From the Republic of San Marino, dated September 5, Syd Clark makes his periodic interesting report:
"I wonder if perhaps the last time I wrote to you was from Honolulu, last November? If so, I probably had not then lunched with HuskyDeMeritte but toward the end of my stay we had a good noon together in one of Honolulu's garden restaurants. It was nice to see him, after so many decades. I seem to be a long way from Honolulu now. This summer has been one of the busiest, most interesting-exciting of my long travels. Mardi (my wife) is with me. We've had six or seven marvelous weeks in Holland, ditto in Switzerland (both countries for the purpose of writing new travel books when I get home) and to La Gaume in Belgium and down here for Nat'l Geographic magazine articles. We're going down-Rhine by the Nederlands Stoomboot Rederij this week, Basle to Rotterdam, and then I'm off to Stockholm for another article, after which we re-meet in Holland and are going together to Paris; and with a Boston couple on a final jaunt to Rome and other points; finally returning by a Holland-America liner to New York—and Sagamore Beach, Mass.—for a winter's toil catching up on writing. This tiny republic of San Marino (38 square miles; 12,000 inhabitants) is in a weird cross-current now. Its government has gone Communist, and is called by the opposing Italian press 'our little Czechoslovakia.' It has also gone bankrupt, for the first time in its 1600 years of history, and is 200,000,000 lire in debt. To try to get itself out of the hole it has sold out to a gambling syndicate from Genoa, and a flossy Casino has just opened on this primitive Rock. It seems a weird thing— and is a weird thing. Such sophistication just doesn't belong here; and the more pious Catholics are fighting it furiously; but the Commies are firmly in the saddle—and they want money—any kind of money, even the most bourgeois-capitalistic. I guess they would eagerly welcome 'Marshall-Help' money if they could get it and save face; but they have been shouting so long that the whole thing is a Wall Street plot to enslave the world that it's a wee bit awkward to turn around now and beg for some of the gravy! Anyway they can't have said gravy as long as the present men are in power. Yesterday I learned that the said government had reserved my room here (in the Republic's only hotel) and that I'm its honored free guest—to which I said a firm 'Nothing doing, please.' That's about the last thing I would want—any sense of obligation to the Commies in power. They're a curious lot. I was asked to come and talk with the Minister of the Interior (no, Exterior) yesterday. I was told please to come at ten o'clock precisamente. Being most curious to talk with him, I showed up exactly at ten. He kept me cooling my heels for two hours. (That's the way we show our power, don't you know?)—and then he lectured me about the glories of San Marino and the vast success of the Casino venture. But I was in the Casino on a Saturday night. At the five roulette tables all guests, with few exceptions, were cautiously playing the minimum stake (30 cents); and in the Dancing-Bar there were three musicians, one bartender, exactly no cus omers at all. It was the most forlorn gayspot I've ever seen—that dolled-up empty "Dancing." Well—l'll sign off— since this isn't my article on this Republic. I do think of home things and home ties and home classmates of tener than I seem to indicate; and I always kid myself that 'very soon' I'll take time to show up at more dinners, reunions, etc. Meanwhile—my best to you and any '12 men you may encounter. May we all have lots of 'granite in our brains!' "
Following the visit that the Boss Gellers had with Lyme and Chris Armes at their Northwood, N. H. summer home, which Lyme reported in his last issue of the BillBoard, Boss stopped en route home to visit their children, but did not get to Hanover. Lyme says that it was the hottest and dryest season that they ever had at Northwood and the heat and the fishing were the worst in 40-odd years.
Mark and Marion Snow took a week's trip up the Great Lakes in July from Detroit to Duluth and returned on the ill-fated S.S. Moronic. (Fortunately they were not on its last fatal voyage.) The last week in September they were in Chicago attending the session of the Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. They attended the wedding of Harold Baker's daughter Nancy on September 10, remaining for the reception. Mark can hardly realize that 35 years have elapsed since he was an usher at HaroldBaker's wedding in Chicago.
Jim Steen was a delegate from his Lodge in Mamaroneck, N. Y. to the Elks' Convention in Cleveland in July. He had a visit with his old buddy Scott Rogers and reports that Scott is liquidating the business of his Hudson automobile distributorship.
Queechee French, with Mamma and the dog, Junior or Skippy, spent their vacation again at Bar Harbor, Me. calling on three squires en route, namely, Bill Shapleigh of Portland, Hal Fuller of Hancock, N. H., who was out, and Lyme Armes at Northwood, N. H. Queechee says that physically they are all developing the fourth dimension—mentally sound.
Mort Kyle spent the summer at his home in Plymouth, Mass., as usual with some boating and fair fishing.
On October 8 Joe Richard's daughter Nancy will be married to James McKinley of New York City. Nancy graduated from Middlebury College in 1945 and has been with the American Airlines Overseas.
Art French has again become a grandfather, with the birth of a son, Bruce Davis, to Art's second son, Charles '42, who is employed by Westinghouse and lives in Buffalo.
Jim English suffered the sudden death of his brother Robert, Middlebury College '18, who died of a heart attack on July 7 after 31 years of service in the Dupont Company at Penns Grove, N. J.
Al Miller has been on the sick list for almost a year, but is feeling fine now. He was at Hanover when College opened with his son who is starting his senior year and first year in Thayer School.
Dick Plumer has become a member of the faculty of Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla., has sold his residence at North Miami, and has a new address—Concord Lake Apartments, 306 Lakeview Avenue, Orlando, Fla.. where he will be until he can find a satisfactory house. He will teach courses in corporation finance, business law and later possibly a course dealing in investments and a seminar in advanced economics. Dick writes, "One of the best features about living in this area is the frequent visits during the winter by classmates and old friends from the North. I sincerely hope that any '12er who visits Orange County will make it a special point to get in touch with me."
Lloyd Bugbee has been honored by having a school, now under construction in West Hartford, Conn., named after him. For 30 years he was Superintendent of Schools there, having retired two years ago.
Jim Oneal is now the grandfather of five, his son Bill having become the father of another girl on August 1. He now has a boy and two girls. Jim's daughter, Brema Jane, has two children. Jim expected to be in Philadelphia for the Penn game with EddieLuitwieler.
Chip Harrington writes: "Still living in Fort Washington, Pa., as you can see. Son Dick '38 is living in Swathmore, Pa., about 28 miles from us and we have a chance to see our two-year-old granddaughter about once a month. Saw Ralph Whitney last month and had a nice visit with him and Leeta for about 1½ hours."
Fletcher Clark is rounding out 27 years as Town Moderator of Middleborough, Mass. His son Edward '52 spent the summer in Europe with a French family under the guidance of "Experiment in International Living," which is a plan for having college students live in foreign countries and learn better to understand them and their problems. Fletcher says "I hope better to appreciate their blessings when they get back to the U. S."
As doubtless all read in the press, DocO'Connor retired as President of the American Red Cross, effective October 1, and was succeeded by General George C. Marshall.
Harold Mosier received some publicity in connection with the Congressional Investigation concerning the B-36 bomber program of the Air Force, when he testified regarding conferences that he and Glen Martin had with the author of the Navy Department report that was later repudiated. Harold is the Washington attorney for Glen Martin.
Bud and Barbara Hoban have a new trailer in which they will embark for the South or West in November.
RESIGNS AS RED CROSS HEAD: Basil O'Connor '12 ended his national chairmanship of the American Red Cross on October 1 when he was succeeded by General George C. Marshall. The photo above shows him at a surprise party in July when he received the Five Year Service Award from an attractive member of the Red Cross national staff.
Secretary, 120 Broadway, New York 5, N. Y.
Treasurer, Court House, Dedham, Mass.
Memorial Fund Chairman, Box 521, Troy, Pa.
