1897
As we come back in our thoughts to the College for another year, we recall that from our campus in simple, wise and memorable words President Eisenhower gave to the world the warning, "Don't join the book burners." He also advised the graduating class, and with them the young of America and the rest of us as well, to have some fun. How keen the simple sentence: It's fun to break 80 (at golf), if you haven't improved the lie in the rough to do it. These two statements rang around the world. I am glad that at Dartmouth these simple paragraphs were chosen not for politics, but to become a guide for the thoughts of the young in connection with freedom of mind and honor in little things.
Now, as we turn our minds back to the campus for the new college year, we are saddened by our class losses Eddie Carr, Harry Chase and Loren Moser. All three of these were classmates with outstanding personal charac-teristics: Carr, the keen wit of our class, a brilliant and successful lawyer, much beloved by many friends; Chase, the man of high professional skill, great personal charm and the ever-generous giver of self to the sick and the needy; Moser, a man of self-study, taking enough of life's labors only to the middle point of life, and after this the use of leisure for his remaining half. His son writes of him, "Speaking for myself, I wish to say that no finer man or more loving and considerate father ever lived. I am blessed with memories of a father who's retiring but full and helpful life would be an inspiration to any son."
We can turn our thoughts back to him in our student days with a great deal of pleasure. I recall his kindly smile and his instinctive ability to be right with no effort. We of the smaller group must try to come closer for the years ahead.
I had a fine interesting letter from Rowe telling of his new home in Warren, N. H.; also the interesting incident of having received the gift of a chunk of the old College Bell which in our time called us to chapel and classes. He has had this bronze metal from the old bell, destroyed in the fire, cast into a small bell about three inches high. Brainard also writes that the old bell was cast by the father of Paul Revere. I hope this small souvenir bell can eventually be housed in the College Museum along with "Gov"Tenl's skis which are properly marked as the first known skis used on the campus. He also writes about a visit with Dr. Butterfield, brother of our classmate "Butter," at Weathersfield, Vt., where the Butterfield family lived, and he also speaks of paying a visit to the family lot where our classmate was buried.
A round-robin letter reached me this early summer; one from "Sib" complaining of my lack of duty in not printing all of several poems by Christy. Who is he to say all or nothing when I quote? He sent me an elevenpage letter and maligned me for using it in part only, forgetting that when a careful author quotes, he keeps his own reputation in mind in handling over-malicious or explosive blow-out kind of phrases not in good taste. It took me three days to paraphrase his diatribe and use it in such a way that Eisenhower could wisely say at Dartmouth, "Don't join the book burners." I would not have dared to use the U.S. Mail to quote "Sib" in full.
I had a sweet letter from Mary Rollins Butler thanking me for the Dartmouth plates I sent her for a wedding present. She also gave a full endorsement to the matrimonial status. I feel sure these two happy young people are true lovers. How proud "Pa" would have been to have known that our little Mary could write me so frankly of her love for her aviator husband.
Henderson wrote me of his careful thoughts and of his years of service. We can all remember his beautiful simplicity of statement in the cemetery when we gathered to pay our respects to the memory of Dr. Tucker and John Poor. The more we learn of each other the more we feel our class inner values.
John Meserve in a careful letter tells me of his difficulty with the stairs and also of his reaching 80 years. Says the weather is typical California - warm and sunny. Then he makes a boner writing, that "we do have at long intervals a few earthquakes but we don't worry, nothing so terrible as those twisters in Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire and Mass." John will be interested to know that I own 100 acres of woodland shown on the land records of Barrington as the Meserve Lot. I cut off the pine timber four years ago, selling the saw logs only, and now due to the demand for pulp wood and the newly developed gasoline saw my leftover scrub growth is so advanced in value that it is worth nearly as much as the pine after 60 years of growing. The deed to this land from Meserve heirs has five names of the Meserve family.
"Temp" sends me a poem which I quote in full. My guess is that this effusion won't outshine the great poems of the past, but it does have a friendly ending.
'Alas! Alas! The ninety-seven climbers The would-be poetic rhymers After ringing down the curtain Have started up another refrain. So let's do it with a bang For our good old friend, Bill Ham."
"Gib" sends me a card from Jackson, N. H., telling me he has spent three days in Han- over on his routine visit to the north. Said he has always been drawn back to the College.
My work with the boys in baseball has grown far beyond my expectations — 31 teams are now playing in uniform, 30 of them on four privalc fields which have been built un- der my direction — backstops and dug-outs and most important the homerun fences carrying $4000 worth of advertisements. Our advanced junior league has just finished an invitation tournament which brought here at our expense similar age teams; one from near Hanover, called the Twin-State League. Our own team wearing the Howland colors .won. Sargent Eaton '11 is president of Howland's and "Reg" Horton '27 is vice president. I am planning for ten more teams next year and two new fields. Two of my best players now 16 years old have been invited to a tryout by the Yankees. Sound off, 1-2-3-4.
Secretary, Treasurer and BequestChairman, 886 Main St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.
