1909

"Enjoy yourself It's later than you think!"

Springtime In Hanover

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.

When Spring returns it brings relief From cold and snow and Winter's grief. 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.

- J. c.

In the poem on the joys of a New England winter by Cap Pierce '06, which appeared in the February issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, good points in favor of winter were well covered. One might be led to believe that Cap was eager to get back to Hanover in the winter months, but I notice he stays right in his bailiwick of Whittier, Calif. No offense, Cap; just a friendly dig." After a long, hard winter in Hanover, plus a period of slush and thaw, all of us guys went overboard to give spring a big welcome. Heels kicked up; countryside hikes were taken; impromptu ball games on the campus; baseball took over, along with golf, tennis, and track; romance was in the air; tonsils were cleared for song; a general re-birth was evident everywhere. That was spring in Hanover, one of the most enjoyable experiences a guy could have.

Famous Dartmouth Hoaxes

Maybe the taste for fooling people is an American custom. Hoaxes are included in this category. I recall two Dartmouth hoaxes that were perpetrated by the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Chicago, both pulled off at annual banquets during the lively twenties.

Russ Palmer '10, then a newspaper man with Hearst's Chicago American, dreamed up the first one, as I recall. It seems this old geezer (a fictitious character) by the name of Gamaliel Frisbee, Dartmouth '70, had spent most of his time since graduation as a recluse in the Maine woods. He had been a friend of Major Redington '61, and at last had decided to emerge from his cocoon, so to speak, and visit Chicago as a guest of the Major. He would be in town at the time of our annual banquet which he agreed to attend and recount his experiences as a hermit.

"General" Howard Stone '04 was chosen to take the part of Gamaliel. We rented a frock coat outfit, fixed him up with chin whiskers and had his picture taken. Prints of the photos were sent to the Chicago newspapers with an outline of Gamaliel's background. The press fell for the hoax, although, had they looked carefully at the photo, they could have seen that it had been touched up. The Chicago Tribune ran a cut of the picture, and two or three reporters were on hand at the banquet to hear what the old gent had to say.

The night of the banquet, Gamaliel made a late entrance, walking to the head table on the arm of Major Redington. When the speaking part of the program arrived, it was soon evident to the news hawks that Gamaliel was a fake and they left in disgust. They gave no further publicity to Gamaliel.

Hoax Number Two. This took place during a period when Dartmouth undergrads were getting screwy ideas about life in general, something like the beatniks of the present generation. In the opinion of older alumni they were a bunch of iconoclasts. Without the knowledge of the general alumni body, we arranged to have Russ McConaghy, a Michigan Phi Gam, represent himself as a Dartmouth undergrad who was there to tell us about advanced Dartmouth thinking.

When Russ took the floor, he sure did his stuff. He flaunted all the old Dartmouth traditions, pooh-poohed the stodgy ideas he ascribed to alumni, and walked rough-shod over Dartmouth's high ideals. I was sitting up at the head table which was on a plat- form above floor level. I'll never forget the expression on the face of Henry Hilton '90, who was a partner in Ginn and Company, and a trustee of the college. He was white with indignation, and that went for others in the audience. It's a wonder Russ wasn't mobbed then and there, but the denouement came in time to forestall any bodily injury to the speaker.

Those were the days when Chicago had its most active alumni body, with leadership provided by moving spirits such as Genial Nat Leverone '06, his brother Louie '04, Hardy Walt Dakin '06, Wah Hoo Wah Ev Marsh, and Park Stickney, both 'OB, Bert Wheeler '11, Russ Palmer '10, "Secretary" Warren Bruner '12, Mac Rollins '11, Ham Gibson '97, John Redington 'OO, Heinie Urion '12, to name some of the stalwarts who helped build the local association into a thriving, enthusiatic force for Dartmouth.

A letter from Dick Merrill '08, now living a life of retirement in South Pasadena, Calif., recalls former associations with guys in '09. He writes: " '08 and '09 were, I believe, much closer in companionship than many of the sophomore-freshman combinations. Your list of classmates whom you publicize brings back a host of pleasant memories. I am glad to know that so many of them are 'on this side of Jordan.'"

Dick mentions Nut Root. He didn't know that Nut was living in Chi with his patient little woman, Ruth. Dick's son, David, who is a heart specialist in Pasadena, was called in to minister to the last hours of Nut's brother, Fred '04. The last time Dick saw Buster Brown was back in 1912. "At that time," he recalls, "we had a rip-roaring party of Dartmouth men which ended up, I thought, at the old Vernon Country Club. But about three that afternoon Buster and Stan Gibson, still in evening clothes and opera capes, called on Helen and me and the fun continued."

Dick hasn't seen Curly Blake since 1913, but they still correspond occasionally. Curly's son, Richard Malcolm, who was killed in World War II, was named after Dick and Mike Stearns. Another memory: Years ago, when he was so poor he "didn't have a window to throw it out of," he took Dutch West and Russ Pettengill, his brothers in Tri Kap, to lunch, and he hasn't heard from either of them since. Dick also informs that Chief Meyers has a wife who takes wonderful care of him.

Anent the accompanying photo. This was sent by Dot Chase whose late husband, Phil, had it in his collection of college memories. Duke Naylor, the sport in the cap with a big cigar in his mouth, was having a game with three of his brothers in C & G. Bill Patterson, who was originally 'OB but was graduated with our class, has retained his affiliations with '09. Mort Hull, also an '09 grad, elected to affiliate with 'OB. Buster Brown, whose home base is in Washington, D. C., has been spending the past winter with his Army son, Ogden Jr. in Tucson, Ariz.

Now a final word: Keep the faith, men. Do your best for the Alumni Fund and be on hand for our informal reunion next month.

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

Secretary, Sandwich, Mass.

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