1909

I hate to admit it, but it's been a foul day in the Garden Spot and in the big city of Cleveland. A fellow townsman and I change off driving back and forth to the Aurora station. The week I drive, I leave the jalopy sitting at the station. This day, when we got off the train, looking forward to our cheerful Aurora firesides, the damn car wouldn't start. It had been raining all day and the condensation from the damp atmosphere had got to the spark plugs. Art Mowl, who runs the local service station, came over with his tow truck, tried putting oil around the plugs, but no soap. So he towed me to his garage and there, after trying several remedies, the motor got going. It was after 8 P.M. when I rolled into the house. I did have sense enough to call the wife from the Erie station. That saved me from explanations as why I didn't get home on time.

It's kind of a relief when the holiday season sneaks away and the household gets back to normal. This season, my son John, his wife, the grandson Steve, and the new granddaughter Leslie Ann, drove on from Mt. Tabor, N. J., to be with us for over Christmas. We didn't see much of Leslie, as she slept most of the time and she isn't much of a squawker. So our family was together for Christmas for the first time since 1942 when John entered the Armed Services.

I tried to get my friend, Charlie Truman, on the wire Christmas eve, but there was no answer. So I called him again Christmas night. He said it was raining in Hanover. Charlie is looking forward to the reunion next June when he'll see a lot of his old friends from '09, '10, and '11. He said that Big Chief Black Bear, the violinist from Lebanon, and Dusty Godfrey, the accordion player from North Thetford, vowed they'd be on the job so's we can have more of that high class music. It'll be good to see those guys again.

What cooks about reunion plans is anybody's guess. The only news to date is that it's been definitely decided to have the reunion the first half of the week following Commencement, which would fall on June 13, 14, and 15. That way we'll get a choice of dorms and there won't be a lot of congestion. DEPARTMENT OF THIS AND THAT: Long time no hear from good old Al Newton, but he came through with a couple of items the other day. Says Al:

"Walter Brown, the Banana King, is about to retire, after many years with the United Fruit Co. He plans to leave Boston and take up permanent residence near New York. What we lose here in Boston will be gained by the fellows in New York, for Walter was always present at our functions whenever possible.

"Here is a coincidence. While this sheet was still in the typewriter, who should drop in but old quick-hitch Spauldy, the fire chief from Peabody. He is still in the fire alarm racket and from all appearances seems to be doing pretty well at it. I showed him this letter about Brownie's retirement and he made the remark, 'Hell, I expect to retire at 90,' and he looks the part."

Al posed a question. He asked me if I knew what the smallest hen house in the world was, and then said he couldn't send the answer through the mails, that he'd tell me at Hanover next June. What a guy!

Classmate Dutch West got into the news when he gave to Dartmouth an oil painting titled "London Tower and Bridge" by J. M. W. Turner, scene painter who heralded the impressionist movement in English painting. It will be placed permanently on exhibition in Carpenter. Dutch's address is given as El Rancho Grande, Rillito, Ariz., but he usually holds forth at his old stamping grounds in Maine during the summer months. See you at reunion, Dutch. Thanks to Mike Farley, who eagle-eyed this item and sent it along with holiday wishes.

A letter from another Dutch, in this case, Thorn, the Tampa real estate ball of fire, said that Leon Craig Marshall stopped into his office to say Howdy. "I don't remember when I saw him last," said Dutch, "but he looked pretty much as I remembered him, after we had visited for awhile."

Leon was down there for his health after a second coronary, pneumonia, and a mild stroke. Dutch comments,

"Of course, after four months in the real Garden Spot, he will return to the hills of New Hampshire much improved. Leon waited until 1945 to get married and caught himself a cute little parcel who makes an excellent nurse and chauffeur. They are planning to attend the delayed 45th and wanted to know would I be there. Come to think of it, I might."

(And come to think of it, son, you'd damnhappy better be, as Charlie Truman wouldsay.)

Dot Chase, the spark plug of the '09 widows,has taken up winter residence in Clearwater,Fla., where she'll do a lot of bowling on thegreen, basking in the sun, and taking thingsgenerally easy. She sends on a card from MaeCarroll, who was visiting her son in Honolulu:

"It is a beautiful place. Bob has a lovely home here. He and his wife just had another son, making three sons and two daughters. I love it here and would like to live here permanently, if all my family could be here and if Fred were not buried in the East. One of my daughters is with me. We had a wonderful time in San Francisco. Some of Fred's friends in the Bank of America entertained us royally, and some Bank of America people in Los Angeles are planning to see us on our return."

A note from Bunk Irwin from down Floridaway:

"We are planning on getting to Hanover next June, though it's going to be hard to leave Wisconsin fishing, but we both want to see the place again before I lose the other eye, which, thank the Lord, is in darn good shape."

Bunk's little woman, Blanche, was getting over an attack of virus.

And with these few words, we'll say so long till next month. Maybe there'll be enough news piling up so's we'll be able to get the 1955 Diddings on the road.

Class Notes Editor. Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio

Secretary and Treasurer, Sandwich, Mass.

Bequest Chairman,