1894

This month's column must begin with a word of deep appreciation to members of the '94 family who have expressed sympathy with this writer on account of the death of his wife, Bessie Louise Merrill. Perhaps it is enough to say here that whatever has been the success of a '94 Class Secretaryship for 62 years has been in great degree due to her and she became deeply interested in the men, women and children who belonged to the family.

When Ben Welton undertook a thing he carried it through with unusual thoroughness. This was true of his filling out the questionnaire which was sent him for information that could go into Phil Marden's booklet known as "Fifty Years After." It will not be amiss to quote Ben's account of what seems to have been the most interesting period of his life, namely, when he was engaged in important work for the city administration of New York. Here are two enlightening paragraphs:

1902-1913 Examining Engineer, Office of the Commissioners of Accounts. Compensation from $2200 to $4500 per annum. Engaged upon examination of municipal contract work. In charge of physical laboratory, testing of cements, oils, coals, etc. Calorific tests of refuse (samples covering period of a year) to establish basis for design of first refuse incinerator erected in this country. Investigation and report on operation of Highways and Sewers Bureaus, Borough of Manhattan, resulting in the removal of Borough President Ahearn by Governor Hughes. In charge of similar work in the Borough of the Bronx and the Borough of Brooklyn, resulting in the removal of Borough President Haffen by the Governor. All of these Borough investigations were conducted by the Honorable John Purroy Mitchel, then Commissioner of Accounts....

During 1910 and 1911 engaged in reorganization work, particularly in the Bureaus of Sewers and Highways, Borough of Manhattan, at the request of the Honorable George McAneny, President of that Borough. This work resulted in a 50 per cent reduction of former force, 100 per cent increase in output and 40 per cent saving in expenditure. Member of the Budget Committee two years. Engaged in preparing municipal exhibits.

Word from Mary Welton is to the effect that she has sold the house and the furniture of their Vermont estate. She has been spending the summer with a Randolph friend whose husband died not long after Ben, although now and then she has visited Arthur and Ann Stone and has become very much interested in the service which Arthur is rendering the north country as its leading surveyor.

Health notes: B Smalley is slowly recovering from an operation which while serious didn't prove to be as serious as expected.... Fred Bushee's brother George (Williams '92) writes: "Fred is still courageously hanging on. He is able to be home with a good nurse."

The larger family: Sumner H. Babcock (husband of Catherine Jones) has been named President of the United Prison Association of Massachusetts. That organization provides social services for former prisoners.... New address for Mrs. Eleanor A. Palmer (daughter of Arthur Adams) is Box 133, Middlebury, Vermont... . Mrs. Jean Faires (daughter of Decker Field) hopes to come on next June to her 35th Reunion at Lasell Junior College and to make contact with '94 friends then.

Greatest '94 Event of the Year: The RoundUp at Woodie Parker's Howard Johnson Restaurant in Portsmouth, N. H., October 3. Look for account of it in November issue.

Word has just been received of the death on September 8 of our classmate Gibbon, whom we all affectionately called Gibb. Full particulars and an In Memoriam article will appear in the November issue.

Secretary, 74 Kirkland St., Cambridge 38, Mass.

Treasurer, 60 Maple St., Somersworth, N. H.

Bequest Chairman,