1909

March came roaring in around these parts with a heavy snow about fifteen inches deep in the Cleveland area and over a foot in Aurora. It paralyzed most forms of transportation except the good old Erie which ran pretty much on schedule, carrying the hardy commuters from the Garden Spot into the big metropolis. After wading through slush up to the ankles all day, and anticipating a pleasant ride home, we didn't get an engine for an hour and a half, and there we sat in the station stewing and fretting. It spoiled the whole evening and when I finally got home I got a good bawling out from Lana, the glamour puss. So the next day I said, "To hell with going into Cleveland, I'm going to stay home and get the snow off the tin roof," which I did. The sun came out brightly and soon put the snow in its place. Ere long spring will bust out in all its glory and everything will be hunky dory.

I had figured that about the time I'd be writing these notes for the April issue that my two women folks would be back from California, but now it looks as if they'll arrive about the time this appears in print. The lawyer who's handling the wife's aunt's estate said he thought everything could be cleaned up around April 1, hence the delay in the homeward trek.

Report from Secretary French

Secretary-Treasurer Bertie French has come through with another report of what's what in the Boston area. Thanks, son. You may take over at this point.

"On February 17," writes Bertie, " '09 was represented at the Boston Alumni Dinner at the Statler (adv.) by Cad Cummings, MikeFarley, Inge Fearing, Bert French, OllieGreenwood, Jim Hitchcock (one of his patients must have paid up), Plum Leighton,Wallie Ross, Clark Saville, Howie Spaulding,Gordon Weinz and Joe Worthen."

That's all Bertie said about the gathering — no further chit-chat about what some of these guys were doing. There was the glaring absence of good old Al Newton, who rarely misses such occasions. How come, Al? were you under the weather? And what happened to Curly Catharin and B. Matthew Scully?

Bertie continues: "Harold Clark has had himself a busy fall and winter attending to duties imposed by being chairman of the Bourne finance committee and chairman of the school building committee, in connection with the erection of a new building to cost about $650,000 (Where, Bertie?). During the summer he tutors in Latin or other subjects as desired.

"The Class has sent a donation to the fund being raised to erect a plaque in honor of Dr. Bowler. How many of our Class remember at our graduation how '06 celebrating its third reunion, decided about 2 A.M. that they were the chosen ones to lay the corner-stone of the new gym, organized a band with dishpans, etc., for instruments, laid the corner-stone, and then carefully brought it back to the Inn, so that it might be placed in the section reserved for 1906?" Many of us, most likely, had completely forgotten that incident. Got any more such, Bertie? Shoot 'em in.

Bertie reports that only 83 (less than half) of the toothers have come across with their dues for this year. He urges all delinquents (the adult variety) to come through with the five bucks pronto and before the Secretary-Treasurer meeting in Hanover which convenes around May x. He would like to make a creditable report. Get those checks coming in, men.

Dot Chase, the spark plug of '09 widows, hasbeen sunning herself down in Clearwater, Fla.,but she still finds time to think of ways andmeans to keep the widows interested. Shewrites:

"Too busy down here just doing things of no purpose - no problems. Everybody over 65 is here just to escape! I'm beginning to believe I'm in that group. Some of them are interesting, and they give parties (150 people at the last one) with tables ladened with turkey, beef, and other provender. They don't all sit on the green benches, but in time most come to it. It's really a beautiful spot. The orchid trees are in full bloom and azaleas are very colorful. I'm getting to be a real lawn bowler and can repeat all the alibis."

Dot had ought to team up with Bunk Irwin. He's hot on the lawn bowling.

Sandy Hooker, who's spending his retiring years in his boyhood town of Bradford, Vt., has got the Vermonter dry sense of humor. Over the ham and eggs the other morning, Lillian, the wife, was making conversation. "That new couple next door," she said, "seems to be very devoted. He kisses her every time they meet. Now, why don't you do that?"

And Sandy comes back, "I don't know her well enough."

Informal Reunion Gains

If we want to put a little oomph in promoting a reunion in Hanover next June, it looks like it'll be a pipe to put it over. The main thing is to overcome the fundamental inertia that seems to possess many members of '09. Ned Ford expresses the right spirit in a letter that he wrote:

"I think it is a swell idea to get together next June, and a mistake to push our 45 th to 1955. Too many of us pass on in a year:-Harry Burroughs whom I roomed with in Manchester, N. H., way back in 1910; Harold Pratt who was here with Gladys only a few weeks before he died; Bob Stone who always dropped in once or twice a summer.

"I manage to keep busy. Am president of Marshfield (Mass.) Historical Society, but that isn't very strenuous — am on a couple of town committees, and look after the Winslow House next door - all goat feather jobs."

C. E. Dunbar, who hails from Manchester,N. H., says he's definitely interested in a Junereunion. The only drawback might be thathis wife has been ill and they don't dare makea firm commitment until they see how herhealth is. We hope it'll be all for the betterby June.

Dot Chase is urging '09 widows to get interested in the reunion. That'll help keep their Dartmouth and Class ties alive.

A note from Gladys Morawski, the widow of Freddie, indicates that she expects to remain in South America for this year and will return to the U.S. sometime before next Christmas to be closer to her son Peter and her grandchildren, who are located in Aurora, Minn.

Note: This is the month that the Alumni Fund campaign starts. Let's get our contributions in early and as big as we can make them, so's we won't be contributing to an ulcer condition for Class Agent Ralph Byron Clement. I'll be with you again next month with more news, if there is more news.

Class Notes Editor, Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio

Class Agent, 18 Spirea Dr., Dayton 9, Ohio