1916

Gran Fuller has been appointed Commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration's new Zone I operations. For the past two years he has served as the assistant chief of the Field Section of the Property Improvement Division of the FHA. Congratulations to our genial Gran.

Postscript to the Harvard game: George Dock tells me that his son Don, who was mentioned in this connection in the Januarynotes, did not drown in the gridiron ponds of Soldiers Field, or even in the yeasty brews of Stuart Street, but saw the whole pleasant (sic) game.

According to Bill Brett, director of the U.S. Mint, if you haven't got change in your pocket you just aren't trying. He has put out more than two and a half billion coins this past year - eighty per cent more than in 1958 and close to three times as many as in the year before that. Bill says that New York is a half-dollar town - his men take an armored carload of these coins out of New York each week. "Perhaps they tip bigger there," surmises Bill, in trying to account for this. Baltimore is a nickel town, using up nineteen million nickels in a year, three million more than the much bigger city of New York. Could this have something to do with slot machines?

From Johnny Pelletier comes the observation that in recent months the name "Balmacaan Athletic Club" has been appearing in print —in the '16 Newsletter. He rises to inquire if by chance this could be that social organization which twice during undergraduate days journeyed to and from Lake Morey via the B&M without a single fatality, and whose only athletic feat was to roll the kegs from the cooling waters of the lake. Johnny expects that after all these years there will appear embellishment, exaggeration and even boasting of that wonderful aggregation, but never —no never (sez he) can you pin the descriptive term ATHLETIC on that motley crew. He is all for returning to the commonplace and using the original, plain title of Balmacaan A.C. in all its affairs. What say the brethren? He also tells me that he attended the Penn game at Franklin Field, in 85 degree heat. You weren't any hotter than the Penn team, Johnny.

And speaking of the Balmacaan A.C., a member of one of the later classes writes me that he had wondered these past forty years about the origin of that famous institution, and that I would be interested to know that its fine traditions were carried on at least into his time. He recalls having attended at least two of their instructive and moralbuilding sessions. In one he found himself in a most embarrassing predicament of his own making and in the other involved with a very large, muscular and myopic member of his own class. I sought the details, thinking that it would make a good story. It was a good story all right —but not for these proper columns. He remarks, however, that the Balmacaan A.C. was truly a hallowed institution and that all participants of those years should read Leigh Rogers' historical account of its foundation.

Your correspondent was rummaging through his Mem Book (remember those famous contraptions?) and came across this poem by the German poet, Heinrich Heine (17971856). The card was labeled: "The Dartmouth Outing Club — Tract Number three- The Club owns seven mountain cabins."The poem seems especially appropriate inthis fiftieth anniversary year of the DOC.

I WILL CLIMB UPON THE MOUNTAINS

I will climb upon the mountains Where the quiet cabin stands, Where the wind blows freely o'er us, Where the heart at ease expands.

I will climb upon the mountains Where the dark green fir trees grow; Brooks are rustling - birds are singing, And the wild clouds headlong go.

Then farewell, ye polished ladies, Polished men and polished hall!

I will climb upon the mountains, Smiling down upon you all.

Class Notes Editor, 7 Swarthmore PL, Swarthmore, Pa.

Secretary, 4808 Broad Brook Drive, Bethesda 14, Md.

Treasurer, 15 Ravenna Rd., Boston 31, Mass.