1909

Howdy, folks. We'll open up this month with a little poem titled.

The Return of Spring

Spring is a season all its own: It welcomes back the birds who've flown To warmer climes, escaping Winter's chill, Returning with their songs that thrill. It brings the blossoms and the flowers The warmth of sunshine - golden hours The chance to drowse beneath a tree, And many wondrous sights to see.

Spring puts an end to Winter's woe, The dreary days of ice and snow. New thoughts, new hopes, new dreams Are born. The face of Nature beams Upon her children as they seek The woods and fields — a bubbling creek To share the joys such contacts give, And feel again it's good to live.

That's the way we felt in Hanover after, what seemed in those days, a long, tough winter. Winter, however, wasn't all bad. It was pleasant to sit by a friendly grate fire in those spots that had fireplaces. Some of the dorm rooms had 'em. Remember? Skiing was just coming into its own. Some of the guys skinned their noses and other parts of their anatomies learning the art of staying upright on those long wooden runners. Snow-shoeing was indulged in by some of the lads and, of course, skating was popular. It was just after our time that winter sports began to be organized on a broader basis.

Renting sleighs from old Hamp Howe was a popular pastime, with trips to Lebanon and other nearby villages the objectives. I'm afraid Dartmouth students didn't have too good a reputation in some of those places. A bunch of 'em were what we called "lady killers." One case in point was the lad who drove over to Lebanon on a Saturday and picked up one of the local dames. Her kid brother, who was looking on, came running to his mother yelling, "Ma, I just saw Elsie gettin' into a sleigh with a Dartmouth student, and she's goin' to get her's, Ma." Of course he meant he'd probably kiss her, which wasn't an unusual procedure, even in those days.

Dances at G A R hall, the Firemen's Ball in Lebanon and White River Junction. Other dances that ran almost to dawn. Square dances were popular, as well as waltzes, two-steps and fox trots. The barn dance came into being during our college days, and the way they hopped around you'd think they'd shake the floor loose. Traveling shows would hit that neck of the woods every so often. This gave the boys a chance to heckle the actors. The Glee and Mandolin Clubs would give their winter concerts, and once in awhile students would organize impromptu vaudeville shows.

A lot of the guys would sit around rooms and do "beefing" as we called it. Sometimes discussions would get pretty deep. Some of the boys I enjoyed having discussions with were Tom Uniac '04, who was still in Medical School during our time, Count Joe Donahue and Greetings Norton '08, my old roommate, Dutch Schildmiller, Danny Watson, Knuck Kennedy, Norm Catharin, Al Newton, Cad Cummings, Reggie Bankart, George Burns, Freddie Morawski, Sawny Reagan, Bunk Irwin, Clark Tobin '10, Rollie Hastings '11, to name some of them. All of 'em great guys.

The winters seemed long, at times, but as I look back we managed to pull through every year that we were in college, and none the worse for the experience. Maybe the break-up of winter was the worst part - the days of mush and slush. I don't recall that we had duckboards in our time. Maybe we did.

Suddenly, spring would break with all its glory. I can think of no more pleasurable feeling than spring in Hanover, with blue skies, warming sunshine, the activities on the campus, hikes around the countryside, the waking up and stretching of old Mother Nature. It was such a spring day when we, as freshmen, got up early one Sunday morning and had our class picture taken in the Bema. To this day I have the one I bought, framed and hanging in my bedroom. Most of 'em you wouldn't recognize today, but what a swell bunch they were.

Alumni Fund Days Are Here

April and spring also mark the opening of the Alumni Fund campaign which will be enthusiastically pushed right up to the end of June. Ralph Clement has completed six years as head class agent, doing an outstanding job all six years. In 1955 he accomplished the seemingly impossible job of engineering a perfect score for '09. So he has a big hand due him. (Loud applause from his classmates.)

Now, Gordon Weinz steps into the picture. He's another good man who has the respect and confidence of '09ers. Gordon, retired since last year, had an unfortunate accident this last winter, falling on the ice and breaking his shoulder. Last report was that it was coming along to the point he figured he'd be all set by the time his Alumni Fund activities begin.

Details of '09's progress will be carried in the "Diddings," also such words of wisdom as messages from your head class agent. At this time, Gordon suggests that you men get in your contributions as early as possible and make 'em as large as possible.

Let's get behind Gordon and give him good support.

Appearing in this issue are a couple shots taken while Inge Fearing and his little woman, Helen, were in Hanover during the Christmas holidays, for their second year in a row. Last year it was 24 below, but this year, from the pictures, the weather looks to be quite moderate. You wouldn't think it, but the shot of Inge with George Liscomb '07 and Dick Southgate '07, was taken during their stay in December. Looks like a spring day. Inge says, "I sure recommend the idea of spending Christmas holidays in Hanover." Sounds good, son.

We been having marshal trouble in Aurora. Art Hall, who's been marshal since 1942, said he didn't want to do no more road work, so they cut his salary from $325 a month to $200. This caused a ruckus among sympathetic villagers who held an indignation meeting at the town hall. Upshot was that Art got raised to $225, but resigned as marshal and was made a deputy marshal. So Aurora's looking for a marshal. I wrote a letter to Wyatt Earp out to Dodge City, Kansas, suggesting that he apply for the job, now that he's got Dodge City cleaned up. Aurora'd offer him a real challenge. I'll let you know what he says, if he ever says it.

So long, folks.

Inge Fearing '09 (center), in Hanover for the Christmas holidays, met two '07 men: George Liscomb (left) and Dick Southgate, who died suddenly last month. See '09 class notes.

Class Notes Editor, 141 .Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio

Secretary and Treasurer, Sandwich, Mass.

Class Agent, 21 Walden St., Newtonville 60, Mass.