1916
Back in the salt mines at the Pentagon after a wonderful seven-day bask in the Daytona Beach sunshine, along with Betty and another couple, I find myself on another of those night watches that gives me a chance to write these notes ...
We left Washington in a cloud o£ dust, afraid someone would cancel my liberty, and towards the end of the three-day drive we located Stew Paul and Mrs. Paul at their retreat on Lake Weir outside Oklawaha, Fla. Stew has an ideal place, with his handful of acres around it planted in citrus, a big house with a porch about half the size of Alumni Gymnasium, on land that slopes down to the Lake and Stew's private little boathouse, with an outboard in it. He sits on the end of his wharf, with a fishing pole fastened to the boards on either side of him, and waits for the fish to bob his floats. If they do, he hauls them in, if they don't, what can he lose? It is really a charming and restful place, except that Stew has been so busy planting trees, painting, and doing a lot of other chores, that he has had little time to rest, but has lost some weight, looks fine, and is happier than a seagull with an eel. And Mrs. Paul is just as happy with the place, if only son Bob could stay home and live in his room overlooking the lake. Bob got back from Brazil and stayed long enough to change his shirt before taking off for Korea and Japan. We departed after a pleasant visit, with a big bag of juicy grapefruit that lasted all during our stay at Daytona. It will take a newsletter for me to describe our trip, but suffice it to say that those California boys would have enjoyed that Florida sunshine.
Jim Shanahan took a couple days off from Manchester and was at the Inn for Washington's Birthday. Anybody else there?
Remember Herb Babcock '14, cheerleader our sophomore year, who reported by megaphone Bud Whitney beating Mike Dorizas at Penn? Well, Herb, a good pal of 1916, is Vice President of the Hooker Electrochemical Cos. of Niagara Falls. I thought you'd like to know about it.
Jack Little, who writes little to me, sends a note that his ex-roommate Gene Chase, had written The United Nations in Action. However, I had already reported this item of news, and can't do anything more with it till I read the book. Jack says his present roommate, who was born in Texas and "thinks she is related to Gene through the Connecticut Huntingtons, drove me to tell you this." Jack states it was minus 11 degrees in Buffalo Feb. 9, but he has a new overcoat from Minnesota quilted with fibreglass "that is warm like anything." We look for Jack to come to Washington this spring.
A short note from the "Fletch," thanking me for his birthday card, and giving me a word of encouragement in this dour age. Also one of the same from Dave Shumway in East Aurora. Dave says he sees Olin Smith "quite frequently. He is a pillar of the Presbyterian Church here in East Auora. I haven't seen Ernie Frey in about a year."
From Shorty Hitchcock, the altitude man from Altadena: "I enclose a clipping from the Pasadena Star News which recounts the impending marriage of Lew Howell's daughter. Her picture shows a resemblance to Lew, I think. I saw him last summer disembarking at the Capistrano Beach Pier from a deep-sea fishing boat that he had been out on." (Down, perhaps, Shorty, but not out, I'm sure.) "The local Dartmouth crowd gather at dinner next Tuesday night. If I am to be in this area I may go. I've been holed up in bed for a couple of days with a fine cold and incipient flu. Not good, but one does catch up with one's sleep, though. ... Had a letter from Hap Ward recently, the first in two years." The clipping Shorty refers to shows the really beautiful face of Miss Mollie Howell, and announces her engagement to Mr. George Washington Hall Jr., a Yale graduate.
Erwin Gifford, Society Editor of the NewYork Herald-Tribune, sends me a clipping with a Greenwich, Conn., dateline, announcing the marriage, on February 17, of Miss Margaret Blatchford Leavitt, daughter of Professor and Mrs. Leslie W. Leavitt, of the American University, Beirut, Lebanon, to Mr. Zivojin Petrovich. Margaret attended Vassar and was graduated from New York University, '50. She is on the staff of the City and Country School, New York. Mr. Petrovich has a master's degree from Columbia University in businee
administration and is with the New York branch of the Bank of America. Hiram McLellan writes that he was in Washington briefly last Thanksgiving and took a train out for Wilmington to attend the wedding of his son to Miss Barbara Holt whom he had met the preceding summer in Vermont. They are now living in Farmington, N. M., where he is working as a geologist. He reports he has a grandson a year old, of whom he appears very proud. Sorry his schedule through Washington did not permit his giving me a chance to talk with him.
"Abe" Lincoln was recently elected Treasurer of the Fall River Cooperative Bank. Abe has been a director of the bank for 28 years. He being a modest guy, Elizabeth, justly proud of his advancement, sent me a clipping from the Fall River 'Herald of January 26, thus entitling Elizabeth to one of our hem-stitched holly wreaths with self-detaching rim, which we award to all the wife-correspondents of this column. Thanks, Mrs. Lincoln. Incidentally, she says: "We were practically packed for a five-week auto trip in Florida when this turn of events took place. We had hoped to say 'Hello' to you folks when going through Washington on our return, but now will have to postpone it." Tough to miss a trip like that at this time of year.
A letter from Pete Cleaves says he has been corresponding with Nat Harris and that Nat s son, a West Point cadet, called on him in Philadelphia at the time of the Army-Navy game. Charlie, Nat's boy, graduated with high marks at Gulfport, Miss., Military Academy, where he made quite a record as an athlete. He was slated for Dartmouth, but somehow was influenced to go to West Point, and Pete reports Dartmouth could have used him in athletics. Pete got a date for the kid after the game, and gave him the old Dartmouth welcome, and Pete believes the choice he madefor Charlie was all right, since the young ladyhas since been at the big Christmas dance atthe Point.
Larry Hayward phoned me from the northside of Washington en route back to Andoverfrom Daytona Beach, the day before I departed for the same spot. Why do these guyscall me after they leave Washington? Larrygave me the dope on the weather, fishing, etc.at Daytona, and was on his way.
In the Pentagon the other morning I hadbreakfast with none other than John Ames,who is an early bird on his job. We had a fewminutes to talk before rushing off to our respective niches.
Marion Jardine McGregor, one of Alec's married daughters, who lives in Arlington, Va., told me over the phone that Alec had postponed his trip to Washington, and was still in Tucson, Ariz., on March 1. We hope to have him here at Dartmouth House before too long. Incidentally, Marion has measles in the house.
How about a spring re-union for you 16-ers within reach of Hanover this spring?
PRIZE GRAPEFRUIT, grown at his place on Lake Weir, Oklawawa, Fla., are shown by Lt. Gen. W. S. Paul 'l6 (r) to Class Secretary Stirling Wil- son 'l6.
Secretary, Dartmouth House, 8608 Broad Brook Dr., Bethesda, Md. Treasurer, 27 Concord St., Nashua, N. H. Class Agent, 97 Mayfield Ave., Akron 3, O.
