1889
The many greeting cards and letters from classmates and members of our Class family group received by your secretary during the Yuletide Season were deeply appreciated. They are an inspiration for him to carry on and make renewed effort to maintain unbroken '89's record to date of having had its Class Notes appear in all issues of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE since 1914, when David N. Blakely first became our Class Secretary and thereafter gave the splendid service we enjoyed until his death in 1942.
The former Nancy J. Davis, granddaughter of Prof, and Mrs. Edwin B. Davis of New Brunswick, N. J., whose marriage to Richard W. Keating occurred last February, is now living with her husband in St. Petersburg, Fla. Mrs. Keating is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Davis of St. Albans, Vt.
In Helena, Mont., the possibility of establishing a natural outdoor amphitheater in Warden Park, named for the late O. S. Warden of Great Falls, many years chairman of the city park board, was recently suggested by the board. The park embraces about 97 acres.
A Christmas letter sent to Alec Nelson at his new address in Costa Mesa, Calif., has been returned to your secretary by the postmaster there with a statement that addressee has moved and left no address. The hunt to locate our missing nongraduate classmate is again on.
In 1942, when the present incumbent became Class Secretary, there were 22 living graduate members and eight living nongraduates. Today there are six living graduate members and two nongraduates.
Boston, like other old cities in the eastern part of our country, has streets bearing names that have an interesting and ofttimes littleknown history. Such is one of Boston's shortest streets located on Beacon Hill directly behind the State House. Recently it has been improved in appearance and brought into greater prominence by construction work done on the rear portion of the State House Annex, bordering on the street, and its adjoining grounds. The name of this short street is interestingly linked with a daring exploit of William Eaton, a graduate of Dartmouth in the Class of 1790. Late in the 18th Century the United States and Tripoli became involved in hostilities that grew out of raids on Yankee shipping by the Barbary pirates. The situation became so intolerable that the United States decided to use harsh methods in dealing with the matter. For such action the Government officials decided that William Eaton - powerfully built, standing well over six feet, with a fighting, tempestous temperament - was just the man for the job. Largely in consideration of these qualifications he had been appointed American consul at Tunis in 1798. Eaton took charge. When he discovered that the rightful Bashaw of Tripoli had been displaced by a scheming brother, he hunted up the rightful Bashaw, Hamet, and pursuaded him to lead the revolt. Then Eaton sailed to the United States and talked the matter over with Thomas Jefferson, then President. Jefferson promised that the Navy would assist. Rejoining Hamet in Egypt, the two recruited about 500 men and about six marines from the American ship Argus.
They started across the desert from Alexandria, March 8, 1805, and arrived outside Derne on April 26. Eaton demanded entry and supplies. The Governor of Derne refused. The day following, the American war ships arrived off the harbor. Eaton advanced with his troops, scaling walls, taking advance positions. Hamet, the rightful Bashaw of Tripoli, charged with his cavalry. The ships gave artillery support and landed supplies. At 4 P.M. that day, April 27, 1805, William Eaton ran the Stars and Stripes above the Governor's palace. Derne had fallen. Returning to the United States William Eaton was received as a hero, especially by the Massachusetts merchants who had suffered heavily at the hands of the Barbary pirates. In commemoration of this campaign the short street in Boston immediately behind the State House on Beacon Hill was named Derne, as the name of the town in Libya was then spelled.
Secretary and Treasurer 108 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 8, Mass.
