1915
Our travelling Cape Codder, Johnnie Johnson, has returned with a very interesting and refreshing account of his leisurely cruise through the Far East. The accompanying snap shot of Johnnie and Takanaga Mitsui represents sents the high light of the trip which can best be described in Johnnie's own words:
"The trip has been a beauty! Slow ships, few people, good sailing, interesting company - worth 10 of last year's trip and certainly more value for your money. Besides the other classmates I wrote about previously, I bumped into C. A. Vander Pyl '13 who sailed with us from Vancouver to Sydney and' there, with his daughter and son-in-law, threw a farewell luncheon for us at the American Club and put us aboard our 2nd ship. The ship was late a few days getting to Japan, so I had only 3 days in Tokyo. I was with Mitsui several hours each day of the three and we covered a lot of territory. The fact that we spent that much time together would show it was mutually pleasant and fortunately it was over a weekend. I posted him on the activities of as many classmates as I could, and he gave me a lot of information which coming as it were from the horse's mouth was of more value than much of the crack-pot stuff we have in our press. Mitsui is very optimistic and apparently and evidently disgustingly healthy. You can see that he hasn't put on as much as a pebble in weight He was the perfect host —as he had some excellent old Bourbon on ice. This was such a surprise after stewing for 2½ months on Canadian and Australian ships with warm Scotch and swamp water that I was slow in leaving him, his wife, daughter and two sons. Mitsui doesn't drink but I told him of Jack Bowler's advice to all classmates over 50- and I told him I would get Jack to write him confirming this. I know if he gets this word from Jack he'll keep in such good shape he'll be able to follow through on his plans to make Hanover in 55."
Johnnie's news of Mitsui gives us all one more thing to look forward to at our 40th! (I must investigate this Jack Bowler advice business!)
After reading the February issue of these notes, Johnnie says: "Tell Dick Clark that on practically no advance notice, we will bed him down along with any legitimate family members!" He adds that Al and Dot Livingston are expected in June.
George (Marty) Martin reports a pleasant sojourn in Florida for himself and Mae, back when February's icy blasts were merging into the bluster of March. Miami, Hollywood (Florida, that is) and Sarasota were the principal stops with a couple of Red Sox spring training games thrown in. Somewhere along the line, Marty picked up water-on-the-knee which further delayed the "back-to-work movement," resulting in an overall "loafing" period of some eight weeks practically as much as he'd indulged in over the previous 20 years. George Jr. pinch hit at the store during this lay-off with such good results that Marty is now thinking in terms of making it perennial! Marty also reports an impromptu gathering at Patten's when George Colton blew in and they corralled '15ers Meader,Barker, Clough and Simpson for lunch in cahoots with Dartmouthers Shumway, Saltmarsh, Wilkins and Aborn of an earlier vintage.
Kike Richardson is occasionally spotted rambling down the pike in his old faithful open Packard vintage of 1930 which (it is claimed) he still prefers to his '52 Cadillac! (How we hate to discard an old hat!)
Casey Jones appears in quite a write-up in the Bangor Sunday Commercial with an account of his appearance as guest conductor at the U. S. Navy band concert in the Bangor Auditorium. Incidentally, Casey says he doesn't care much for television as it hurts his eyes. Which causes one of his waggish friends to remark: "Let some swell dame turn up on TV and he'll forget about his eyes!" (I'm just a reporter, Casey.)
Chan and Dot Foster were reported out browsing over the Easter weekend, which is a pleasant indication that Dot is well on the road to recuperating from her siege of some time back. Chan was spotted in New York recently, cently, just long enough for a quick lunch with Kell Rose before heading back to the home town. He regretted he couldn't stay over for the class dinner in the Big Town. Chan seems to get around he was spotted in Hanover along mid-April.
Sid Crawford is another who inked the register at Hanover Inn in March.
Malcolm Mac Donald announces the removal of Midland Mutual Associates, of which he is president, to a new Chicago address 134 South LaSalle Street.
Eben Clough says some dumb bunnies ate all the tops off some crocus he planted last fall which proves they "ain't so dumb after all!"
Dan Daniell of Green Bay, Wis., offers several interesting items. First is the marriage of their second daughter Irene to Ensign James F. Kress on April 4 in the Union Congregational Church in Green Bay. Then, in speaking of grandchildren, Dan says: "Mrs. D and I are still 'Ohing' and Ahing' about our first one, a boy born to our oldest daughter Mrs. H. I. Tarpley Jr. (nee Virginia H.) last September in Lowell, Mass. I agree with ArtNichols, we do not have quantity, but we certainly have quality!" Finally, he comes up with this one "for the Mill": "Our fourth and youngest daughter (15 years) wants to matriculate at Dartmouth and cannot understand why only young men can attend. I have explained very definitely the reasons, but she still insists maybe it will be possible. Guess we'll have to take it up with the Board of Directors. ' Ah the lure of Dartmouth! Ash St. Clair was due back in Needham after some six weeks in England —on business, so he says. A couple of business asociates went with him, but no wives, so we'll have to take his Word for it. The Russ Rices helped Winnie bear up under the separation. Howie Wing expresses his appreciation for the cards and letters the fellows have sent him.
Shorty Gray comes up with this one (and I'll leave it to Ernie Boyd, Al Bradley and other freshman habitues of old New Hubbard that it sounds just like him):
No doubt about it I am a shiftless, good-fornothing, procrastinating bum of a correspondent but what in is there to write about? haven't been anywhere, haven't seen anybody, haven't done anything unusual or exciting, haven't made a speech, and haven't written a book. I haven't had the flu, or even a headache, or a bellyache. Every morning for two years I have caught the 8:04 bus to work at the Pentagon and every evening the 5:26 bus for home, except when I'm one of those Federal employees who is too dopey to get his work done in 8 hours. So I ask you, what is there to write about when you lead that kind of a life and like
Shorty strikes a nostalgic note by referring to sitting around in New Hubbard with that little old fat boy - (meaning me - I'm not so sure I like that word 'fat') playing cards with his pipe in his mouth without smoking it during football season.' Shorty reports a get-together with Gabe and Elizabeth Walker some time ago. Gabe's son George, who wanted to go to Dartmouth but had to settle for University of Virginia during those tight post-war enrollment priorities, has done real well. He graduated in Virginia did a two-year stint in the Army and is now Weather Man for the Government. Gabe, it seems, rarely misses a weekgetting in flying time in his own plane! Which, if you ask me, is sump'n! Shorty complains:
"No members of the Class ever come to Washington and I don't know as I blame "em I guess they're all Republicans and up to now the town hasn't been safe for 'em. I hear tell, tho', there's been a change! Art Nichols did drop in one night and we had dinner with Johnny Pendleton. Regards to all the boys."
Art Sheldon was recently honored by the Mechanics Savings Bank of Holyoke, Mass. Art has been a director and member of the Board of Investment for several years and, at the annual election held Monday, April 20, he was made a Vice President. Art's company, the Sheldon Transfer & Storage Co., of which he is president and principal owner, operates 52 big trucks and is the largest of its kind in
Western Massachusetts. Our information has it that, besides, Art is one of "the very best liked men" in the community.
A very nice "Birthday Greetings" salute appeared recently in a Chelsea, Mass., newspaper to George Dyke in recognition of his career and attainments in the paper industry. In addition to being president of Robert Gair Co., Inc. and its affiliates, George is chairman of the National Council for Stream Improvement, president of the National Paperboard Association and a trustee of the Institute of Paper Chemistry. We heartily second this salute.
I know all classmates join in expressing our sympathy to Ray (Whitey) S. White in the loss of his son Vaughn A., 25, who was killed in the train wreck near Conneaut, O., late in March. A graduate student at Western Reserve University, Vaughn was returning home at the time of the accident to spend his Easier vacation. He was a veteran of 18 months' service in the air force and worked during summer vacations with his father who operates a lumber supply business in Norwood, N. Y.
Hats off to Al Bradley, Executive Vice President of General Motors, for his gift of the Stefansson collection to Baker Library.
It is good to know that '15ers still respond to the old chant - " '15 Up." A goodly crowd turned out for the informal class dinner Wednesday, April 29, at the Dartmouth Club here in New York. Twenty-one of us gathered in the lounge for pre-dinner unlimbering and it was a real treat to see some faces that have been away all too long. When dinner was announced in the Princeton Grill, it took some doing to pry 'em loose from nostalgic reminiscing niscing to the more prosaic job of eating, but once seated in congenial groups in front of the viands, reuning again was the order of the day. Pete Cannon phoned in that his boss had made other arrangements - she had invited guests for the evening! Johnnie Johnson phoned from the Cape to wish everyone luck. Charlie Griffith joined the gang after dinner Those who traipsed in from near and far were - Gus Braun, Ralph Brown, Fred Child, Charlie Comiskey, Win Davis, Marv Frederick,' Bob Fredericks, Bob Frothingham, Wy Fuller, Carl Gish, Speed Granger, John Healy, Roy Lafferty, Russ Livermore, Dennis Maloney, Phil Murdock, Johnny Mullin, Art Nichols,' Thorton Pray, Kell Rose and Bags Wanamaker. A round-robin menu of signatures was sent to Prexy Jack Mason who wanted to come but couldn't make it. Yeah - we had fun!
Your scribe is looking forward to the Alumni Officers Weekend which, as this is being written, is about to come up in Hanover. It will be my first visit since the Reunion in 1950. Are you envious?
And so, with summer in the offing, these notes join the vacationists.and retire until fall. Along with them go the final results (at this sitting) of the Grandchild Derby which came down to the 1953 wire with the leading contestants closely bunched. In a final spurt, RussDurgin came in with his 10th grandchild a boy born February 23 - making 6 boys and 4 girls; Pete Winship's entry, thanks to his daughter Patricia of Milwaukee, and MalcolmMacDonald of Chicago appear tied at 8; and Danny Waugh next at 7. Any additions or corrections are now left to posterity!
Hope everybody has a swell summer! New addresses: Arthur Hornblow Jr., Motion Picture Producer, 822 Whittier Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. Hillman B. Hunnewell, 9 Kingston Rd., Scarsdale, N. Y.
Carroll A. Parnell, 378 Wilson St., Manchester, N. H. George D. Daisy, 26-05 Warren Rd„ Fair Lawn, N. J. Nove McC. Winters, Chamber of Commerce Bldg., Quincy, III.; 2125 Grove Ave., Quincy, Ill.
NO CHANCE MEETING: Johnnie Johnson '15 (I) stops off in Tokyo while on a cruise to the Far East to visit with his classmate Takanaga Mitsui.
Secretary, 301 East 53rd St. New York 22, N. Y.
Class Agent, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. 70 Pine St., New York 5, N. Y.
