1919

Mayor Bill McConnell of East Orange, N. J., had his picture in the New York Tribune recently in connection with a hassle he was having with the State Highway Authority. Under the heading "Nightmare on Dream Road" the article read, quoting in part: -

"Three big City of East Orange sand trucks stood stubbornly across the North Arlington Ave. exit of the Garden State Parkway today, barring the passage of any automobile. As a result, the State Highway Authority was forced to close the newest mileand-a-half section of the parkway which was opened yesterday. The closing came too late, however, for the tempers of several thousand motorists, who still smarted as an aftermath of the events that followed the opening. When the roadblock appeared across their northernmost means of exit late yesterday afternoon, they suddenly found themselves in one of the biggest traffic jams of New Jersey history. The reason for the blockade, according to Mayor William M. McConnell who ordered it, was two-fold. First, the sudden flow of parkway traffic into North Arlington Ave., already a heavily traveled though narrow street, created a traffic nightmare. Second, the city officials deemed unsafe the sideline fencing and overpass railings which the Highway Authority had provided. Within minutes, Mayor McConnell had the sand trucks in place, and that section of New Jersey's much heralded 'dream highway' was a nightmare. Traffic was backed up for miles. The Mayor came on the scene, and one irate motorist tried to take a poke at him but was calmed by another city official. A few drivers, emerging from behind the wheels, set out to move one of the trucks, but a patrolman dissuaded them. For ninety minutes the jam continued until the new section finally was cleared and state police replaced the barricades, with flares added at Central Ave."

Recent address changes indicate that Charlie Biddle is back in the U. S. at 198 Woodcliff Rd., Newton Highlands, Mass.; that Larry Milligan has moved back to Chicago and is with Earle Ludgin & Co. at 221 N. LaSalle St., and that Del Hazen has left New York and is at 74 Edgewood Rd., Westwood, Mass. Also a card from the Emerald Isle Hotel, Miami Beach, brings news that Charles Kubin, from whom we have not heard in a long time, is director of public relations for the hotel.

An interesting letter from Freddie Batchwhich your Sec mislaid is hereby quoted inpart with apologies to Fred for not getting atit before:

"Anent your query via 11/17 Smoke Signal as to why Fred and Jane Balch no show at "Woodstock. About two weeks before that weekend our older son decided, unexpectedly but no shot gun involved, to get married a couple of weeks after that weekend. While it's a lot simpler than marrying a daughter (we know about that too) a rush job for a 21-year-old kid just out of the Navy and no previous experience in getting married does put a few chores in Mom's way. Jane started worrying about being away so long; we had planned some other visits in addition to Woodstock; so reluctantly I sent off a couple of wires cancelling out our trip early that week. Come Friday was I glad I had. Dear Hazel, to whom you refer so slightingly, was a devastating girl and I do mean devastating around Philadelphia and suburbs. Haverford, where we live, was right in the middle of it. Without going into too much detail, Hazel really tore us apart. Only damage to the house was one casement window torn off but our grounds are heavily wooded, everything from small dogwood and blue spruce to oaks and tulip poplars 100 feet high. Everything from whole trees crashing, to limbs as big as small trees, flying around like match sticks in a gale. Power went off at 6 P.M. Friday leaving us without light, heat or refrigeration until Sunday night. Did you ever sit out a hurricane? Hazel was my second, and I know how much we would have enjoyed being in Woodstock knowing Hazel was romping around the assorted but helpless household we had left in Haverford. See you next year for the Harvard weekend."

Jack Reilly of the Courier-Citizen Co. of Lowell, Mass., notes:

"You never forget. Thanks for the card. It is always pleasant to hear from you and it is always pleasant to see you. These latter occasions don't take place often enough."

Our busy treasurer, Ray Adams, takes time out to report on other '19ers:

"I've been holding a little peripatetic reunion all my own recently. On a recent trip to visit the Shrine in Springfield, Mass., where I was supposed to see Bill Alderman, I missed him somehow, but had a long chat with Dana Salmon whom I had not seen since college days. He apparently lives in Millers Falls but has an office in Greenfield. While there I was forewarned of what was to happen shortly, and on a visit to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts soon thereafter found Jigger Merrill retiring as Junior Grand Warden, while Henry Holly was being installed as Senior Grand Warden. That's a combination that will not happen many times, if indeed it ever does again."

Also quoting in part from a letter from Fred Daley, our most successful Class Agent:

"This has been a busy few weeks, what with Christmas, my daughter getting married, starting off the New Year, and everything, but I guess we are settled down in the groove now. I am glad to know that you have shifted the date of the annual shindig in Hanover away from the October 15 weekend, which will now make it possible for me to attend. It should be a wonderful party, especially with Harvard condescending to come to Hanover."

Eddie Fiske, ex-seafarer and the class's outstanding curler says:

"Thank you again for your nice birthday card but I wish you would stop reminding me that every year I am getting one year older. It is bad enough when my daughters do it, without having some of my old classmates doing the same. Your thought, however, was greatly appreciated and I hope you have a very good New Year."

The Manchester (N. H.) Union Leader reports:

"Dr. Frederick W. Alden, minister of the Congregational-Christian conference of New Hampshire, has been invited to conduct a week's seminar at the 1955 Mid-Winter Institute at Franklinton-at-Bricks, N. C., January 3 through January 7. This Pastors' School which is under the direction of Dr. Ross W Sanderson, provides advanced training for the ministers of Negro churches throughout North Carolina and Virginia. Dr. Alden, long an advocate of further education for ministers will speak on the subject, "Jesus, the Pastor,' and will tell of the fruitful experiments in the use of the tutorial plan for ministers in the New Hampshire Conference. He will also outline the methods which have been successful in this state for the enlistment and training of lay leaders. He will serve as consultant throughout the Seminar and will give four evening lectures. One of the outstandingly successful projects in New Hampshire which Dr. Alden will describe in detail is the Academy of Parish Practice, which is an advanced course of study for ministers of the Congregational churches conducted at Dartmouth college, now in its second year of operation with an attendance of nearly fifty. Dr. Alden points out, 'We in New England have not forgotten the excellent training men had in the earlier days by going into a minister's home into a lawyer's office or into a doctors practice. Thus it would seem that if there are some well-trained and sufficiently prepared ministers in the southern churches, it would be possible to train and educate Negro ministers under a developing tutorial system."

Secretary, 1273 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Treasurer, 184 Summer St., Springfield, Vt.

Bequest Chairman,