1909
Lot of stuff this issue. Maybe Editor Charlie Widmayer'll let me slop over a little on the alloted space, on account o£ the possibility of some of the material being interesting to other classes, viz. '06, '07, '08, '10, '11 and '12, all of whom rubbed shoulders with our class during our four years in College.
That story of Big Chief Meyers that was published in the '90 Biddings, seemed to be favorably received. Warren Bruner '12 had the temerity to send a copy to Shirley (he's) a man Povich, sports columnist for the Washington (D. C.) Post. Shirley devoted an entire double column to the deal. Walt Powers '06, the eminent Boston attorney and boatsman, added further fodder to the Chief's story. I quote him as follows:
"I could add that Tortes complained to Ralph Glaze about algebra. (Ralph was making a good story a little better when he spoke of the courses Tortes 'elected,' because in those days most Freshmen courses were prescribed, and Tortes had, as I remember it, no choice at all, except between the so-called classical and scientific curricula.)
"Tortes was planning to drop algebra altogether by way of protest. He had discovered that it was a phony subject, in which neither the professor nor the author of the text book knew what they were trying to teach. By persistent questioning he had forced the professor to admit that nobody knew, in the problem under discussion, how much I was. In fact, they were hoping that Tortes could find out for them. Tortes thought that was quite an imposition on him, especially having in mind the differential in educational backgrounds between himself and the professor, and the fact that the professor was paid to obtain such information and Tortes was ntft.
"In his indignation at that kind of treatment of an original American, Tortes had done a little research of his own: He had looked at a considerable number of problems in the book, and without exception, every one exhibited the same defect - ignorance on the part of the compiler of the book of the value of one of the vital factors necessary to an understanding of the case; and he could foresee that they had been waiting for him to come to Dartmouth in order to put on him the burden of making known to the world the quantities thereto- fore unknown even to learned men. He did not feel that his qualifications for the task were adequate, nor that it was equitable to expect him to tackle it, and he was intending to withdraw from what he considered a false and unjust position.
"He was, however, no quitter when it came to athletics. I have seen him pull off his catcher's mitt with difficulty, because his left hand was swelled up to twice its normal size, and was blue and quivering, and go in again to catch in the next inning with no complaint or even comment."
Al Chandler '08, now living in St. Petersburg, Fla., suggests that readers might like to know what Meyers did in football. C. Arthur (Pot) Fifer of his class will testify about this. When they were trying the Chief out for football they told him to charge through the line and get the guy with the ball and keep him down. Pot happened to be the guy on that particular play. Chief got him down all right and kept grinding his shoulder into poor Pot until the latter passed out. In fact, Pot was out for the rest of the season. Chief was never qualified for either football or baseball.
Another '08er, Francis A. (Robbie) Robinson, now a Site and Town Planner in the classic city of Des Moines, la., writes: "Well do I remember Chief Tortes (that was his name before he took on the tag of Meyers) sitting on the wall of College Hall rolling cigarets of Bull Durham with one hand to the amazement of the Freshmen passing by. Later I was induced to try to tutor him through first year Latin so that he could qualify for football... but he was not a Latin scholar nor a football player."
George Warren Grebenstein '07 was an- other of the boys who was recruited as a tutor for the Chief. "I got to know him quite well," says Greb."He caught for the 'Yannigans' (one of the scrub teams around Hanover at that time), and then on occasion he would be found playing against us. The Chief was sure a grand fellow and in a class by himself."
Greb reports that the sister of Charles Cartland and the widow of Woodbury Hough '15 was married last summer to Sam Hale 'O7 of Bar Mills, Me. You guys'11 remember that Charles was one of the most brilliant members of our class. He died in Paris, France, September 9, 1925.
Buster Brown is still in the hospital at Washington and a rough time he's had of it, fiat on his back in a cast. But there's plenty of fight in him and before too long he should be able to leave the hospital, although he'll be permanently crippled. Buster gets a big kick out of letters from classmates and other Dartmouth friends. Keep 'em coming, men. His address is 3850 Rodman Ave., Washington 16, D. C.
This is the football season and that brings us to recall the fall of 1907 when DutchSchildmiller and Mickey McLane coached the Lebanon High football team to its first state championship. Among the players on the Lebanon team were the Lewis twins, Guy and Roy '12. The Valley News, which is the newest paper in the West Lebanon, Lebanon, White River Junction and Hanover area, ran a four column shot of the team and coaches and a writeup by Marvin Midgette. Quite a deal. Grebenstein was kind enough to mail me a copy.
A letter from Mike Readey gives the information that he had just passed his 65th birthday. "It occurs to me," says Mike, "that most of our class has now reached this respectable age and, like myself, will be able to save a few bucks that we have been throwing down the drain in Washington. I suggest that you bring this to the attention of all honorable members of the class and propose to them that they consider giving a few of the saved dollars as added contribution to the Alumni Fund." A good idea, Mike. I'm sure that Class Agent Ralph Byron Clement will grab it with both hands.
A side light on Mike's activities is supplied by Guy Carpenter 'lO, who reports that Readey, master salesman, "seems to have found a pleasant hobby first-hand study of selling techniques as practiced by New York and New Jersey antique dealers. He completed a summer course on old lamp shops that rated him a fly-speckled diploma as a master snooper."
Harry Burroughs and his charming help- meet stopped at the Hanover Inn on September 9. This is a society note.
A letter from my old friend Charlie Truman says that Joe Berwick, the sandwich man, was in the hospital. I hope he's out and better. Charlie wasn't feeling too hot himself, but he was on the mend. Keep going, Big Guy, I'll probably be seeing you in Hanover along next May.
A mystery has entered my life. Some guy who sends his mail from a town postmarked Nabnasset, Mass., has written me twice now, and each time has enclosed five bucks. He says he enjoys reading the '09 Diddings, but wants to preserve his "unanimity." The signature is Joe Geiss which, o£ course, is a phony. Anyway, thanks, pal. Your good wishes warm the heart.
Your reporter has been made chairman o£ the Public Relations committee in Portage County for the Republican campaign. Port- age County is where the Garden Spot, Aurora, is located.
And now no more until the next time. How's about writing me a few letters?
Class Notes Editor, Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio Secretary and Treasurer, : Sandwich, Mass.
