1900

My report in the March issue of the MAGAZINE, gathered from a Christmas letter of Clarence Paddock, was over optimistic, and so I regret to announce the sad news of the death on January 9 of Pearl Breck Paddock. She had suffered a serious operation in July and apparently never recovered from its effects. Her passing is a hard blow to the family by whom she was much beloved. The class extends to Clarence, his children, and grandchildren sincere sympathy in this break in the family circle.

At its recently held annual meeting, the Milford Cooperative Bank reappointed BenPrescott as attorney for the bank. Early in February Ben was compelled to spend two weeks in the Nashua Memorial Hospital. He was suffering from a bad cold and his doctor feared pneumonia. Fortunately for Ben the infection cleared up and at the end of two weeks he was well enough to return home. His wife's sister, Amber, who has lived with the Prescotts since the death of her husband, now looks after the affairs of the household, and so Ben is not left alone. That is certainly a happy situation for him.

Arthur Virgin and his wife Jeannette live, during the winter months, in New York City. Their apartment at Sutton Place looks out on the East River and commands a good view of the U.N. Building and Plaza. They have the pleasure of watching busy traffic on the river, and of enjoying some of the advantages of big city life. Arthur writes that there is a constant stream of boats of all sizes plying up and down the river. If Arthur had lived here in the 1840s he might have seen the famous American clipper ships sail out of the East River for the far away ports of Cathay, Araby, the Spice Islands, and other far ports of call. However, in that event, Arthur would not have been a member of the class of 1900 at Dartmouth, and we are all glad he did not see that distinguished shipping era.

Agnes, the wife of Calvin Foss, is still living at 415 St. Johns Place in Brooklyn, N. Y. She writes that she is in good physical condition for one of her years, and that her two married daughters are well established. She also speaks graciously of the life-long loyalty of her husband to Dartmouth and the class of 1900. Let us pause a moment in silent memory of Cal and all those other men of 1900 who have passed away, and their enduring loyalty to class and college.

Jed Prouty's wife, Linda, tells me that her daughter Phyllis has three very fine children. The two boys, age 14 and 16. have been registered at Dartmouth for ten years. Linda is hopeful that they possess the necessary ability to meet the stiff entrance requirements of Dartmouth and be able to enter the college their grandfather so dearly loved.

Harold Hastings sent me a Christmas card with a picture of snow conditions last year - it might well be duplicated this year — in front of his house at Mansfield Center, Conn. Somehow it reminds me of Whittier's poem "Snow Bound." Harold, on his way back last July from a very delightful six weeks' visit with his son Lem and family in California, visited relatives in Nevada, some thirty cousins of three generations living in Minnesota, and friends in New York City. It was all a happy and joyous jaunt. In November, however, he had an experience which was quite the opposite of this. He had to undergo a serious operation at the Hartford Hospital for the removal of a blood clot. At this writing Harold is recuperating nicely under the watchful eye of his doctor-nephew, David, who lives nearby. Well, Harold, good luck and may you be in fine fettle for our sixtieth next year.

An item about Loring Dodd, delayed I know all too long, concerns his activity as contributor on art to the Worcester newspapers. He writes a column of art comment and criticism for the Worcester Gazette, and "profiles" of fine arts celebrities, guests at the Worcester Fine Arts Course. These profiles appear each month in the "Feature Parade" column of the Worcester Sunday Telegram. One of Loring's deep and pervasive interests is the theatre. He and his wife are members of the Theatre Guild which puts on ten plays a year, many of them Broadway hits. They also motor to Boston to attend the good plays which appear there. He says too that he has a full dozen of fat volumes containing programs, pictures of actors and actresses, and other memorabilia which he has been collecting since 1900. Loring and his wife spend much time reading aloud the best of the new books and rereading some of the choice old favorites. Since his retirement Loring is certainly leading a sparkling life full of interest and abundant intellectual activity.

Secretary, 3 Pleasant St., Hanover, N. H.

Class A gem 34 Carruth St., Dorchester, Mass.