1902

When I first became Secretary of 1902 and began to write letters to pry some news out of my class mates, I was dumfounded at the fact that I scarcely knew any member's first name. Almost the whole class was known to me by nickname, from "Duke" Anguera to "Beezle" Parker to "Skunk" Taylor to "Dike"Varney. I have started an investigation as to the origin of these nicknames and would appreciate any private information thereto pertaining.

I did write "Celery" Paine in Buenos Aires to find out the origin of his tasty moniker. He wrote me as follows: "As I remember it, my nickname originated in my room on the second floor of Thornton Hall, when I christened J. F. Drake as 'Duckie' and either Goddard or somebody else decided that I should be called 'Celery' in honor of my uncle, the inventor of 'Paine's Celery Compound.' " "Celery" has been in Buenos Aires in the importing business since 1907 and retired in February 1948. His hobbies were tennis, fencing, swimming and automobiling, but for the past two years, the doctor has forbidden him to exercise or ever to drive a car. He wrote me in January he was spending the summer months of January and February at Mar del Plata. No wonder he has only twice been back to the U. S. A. in 44 years. I do hope that he inherited some of the Celery Compound profits.

When I wrote "Skunk" Taylor about his nom Dartmouthiensis, he replied, "You asked me. Skunkus Americana differs from other skunks—those in other countries are listed as any of the various ill-smelling animals, as 'Zorils,' whereas the Americana does not in itself smell so badly. It is only what he ejects that is offensive. I will admit that at one time or another in life, I might have been termed a 'Zoril.'"

I have often hesitated in writing to most of you, in the now three score and ten age, and addressing you as Dear "Hoss" or Dear "Skunk," but I just received a letter from California signed sincerely, "Soap Davis." "Soap" writes that he has been in California as long as "Celery" has been in Argentina. He lives in Paradise and is in the real estate business and says he has seen five 1902 men in California since our last reunion, including Bradley and Kircher. "Soap" attended a grand Dartmouth dinner in San Francisco before the Shrine game. He says he was next to the oldest Dartmouth man present, the oldest being Ted Morehouse of 1901.

I am sure we sympathize with Carroll Davis in the recent death o£ his wife.

The pay-off on this nickname mix-up came when I first visited "Louis" Dow at his home. Everybody seemed to call him George and looked askance when I addressed him as "Louis." I walked to his desk and saw a letter there addressed to George L. Dow. When I was alone with him, I asked if his middle name wasn't "Louis." He said no, it was Lincoln. I had been four years in college with him and 17 days across to Europe on a cattle ship with him and never knew that.

Secretary, 7 Ship Channel Rd., South Portland, Me. Treasurer, 426 Tremont Building, Boston 8, Mass. Class Agent, 496 Summit Ave., Maplewood, N. J.