1914

The beat of distant drums - Seminoles! Drams throbbing an advance invitation for the annual Sno-Bird party in Florida next March - the signal started by "Gus" Fuller who lives at Belleair and avers it is one of the prettiest towns in Florida. "Gus" has just returned from an eleven-week "family inspection tour" which took him into Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey. All well.

Colonel C. A. Edson - "Carroll" to you —retires this month from the Social Security Administration and will probably be found in Syracuse. Carroll and Hazel, however, plan a six-month 'tour of America including visits to their daughter and four grandchildren in Massachusetts and with their son David (Assistant Comptroller of Dartmouth) and two grandchildren. Carroll is still an ardent camper and also spends a lot of time climbing the distinguished Edson family tree for genealogy.

George Boggs, our dyed-in-the-sap apple grower, reports from Nova Scotia that he has an excellent crop this year both as to quality and quantity. If what I saw of George at Hanover in October is a guide, "an apple a day — or several million a year" keeps the medics and the creditors away!

Myron Files has, among many other desirable attributes, "a great and solid courage." He's remodeling an old Cape-Cod house in Northwood Ridge, N. H.! Knowing our ex-professor of English at Tufts, I suggest extra supports under the bearing partitions. Books are heavy, Myron!

"Ducky" Drake, one of the good workers for 1914, tells me that he's partially retired from his large practice of general medicine in Weymouth, Mass., but still retains his interest in church, school, and town affairs. He's been a most outstanding member of his town for many years.

"Dutch" Burnham, retired four years ago as Vice President of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, writes from Sewickley, Pa., that, despite the lure of warmer climes, they plan to continue in this elite suburb of Pittsburgh. He strikes a familiar and understandable note when he says "our prosaic and quiet life is broken only when our daughter Barbara comes for a visit with one, two, three or four grandchildren. Those visits are necessarily short, otherwise we'd go crazy. So I play golf, pool, bridge, checkers, and the market - to prove I know nothing about it."

Gordon Sleeper arrowed in to the Interim Reunion — he's always on the wing all over America — and told us of his tree-farm in northern Vermont. Sounds ambitious and we'll have more from this modest insurance tycoon in a later column.

If you hear somebody shaving at three in the morning, hurry to the nearest bookie and lay a bet it's Dr. W. W. Washburn of San Francisco. Bill and "Tensie" pleased us greatly with an overnight visit in October, on the way from Hanover to his ancestral farm at Putney, Vt., and the distinguished surgeon actually roused himself from "the draperies of his couch" to use his Palmolive Shaving Cream at that rather unusual hour. Bill has retired as Chief Surgeon of the Southern Pacific Railroad and Chief of Surgery and Trustee of St. Francis Hospital, but still sees some surgical patients. He's greatly aided in his outstanding practice by his son Edward, Dartmouth 1945, who apparently is emulating his father's illustrious career. The handsome Washburns have three children, two boys and a girl, and one grandchild. All's well.

Walter Humphrey has scored again! Visiting thousands have admired and chuckled at his masterful murals in Thayer Dining Hall. Now, having seen the sketch of his seventeen-foot mural for the New York Dartmouth Club's new quarters in the Commodore Hotel, I can say we all have an added incentive for visiting New York. Nobody can beat Walter in "cutifying" the Indian maiden, with her well-rounded accessories and postage-stamp aprons — and nobody approaches "Walter Beach" in dispensing in his paintings a wry good humor and risible allegory. Be sure to see it on your way home. Your wife will think you got that extra dividend!

Question: Who is Panjandrum of Paperdom? Answer: Rufus L. Sisson Jr., who is a distinguished Paper Consultant (having sold his own flourishing paper mills), a trustee of Vermont Academy, and Clarkson College, and "first citizen" of Potsdam. "Rufe" said he'd send along some pictures of "the day before many yesterdays," and, characteristically, did just that. This one's a beauty! Sisson, Engelhorn, and Beer, the "Trough Committee of 1914," just after dunking a few luckless 1913-ers as a reprisal for cutting "Hank" Lewellyn's hair. We thought we had problems in those days! Rufe spends his summers at Northport Point, near Traverse City, Mich., and says "We would love to see any friends who come near and we can guarantee a good golf course, and comfortable beds - unless the beds are already occupied by twelve grandchildren and parents."

Clyde Buckley writes from Needham, Mass., that he and Polly just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with their two sons and wives. His oldest grandson is in his second year at University of Maine.

Peterborough, N. H., is now the home ofFred Campbell and, not surprisingly, he likes it. He's lived there three years in a comfortable village home, amid many retired folk who prefer the winter rigors of New Hampshire to the tax rigors of some other states. Agreed!

"Wag" Green's good letter came from Southhampton, Long Island - Gin Lane, no less! He sold his highly successful family enterprise in 1955 and now divides his time, after long summers in Southhampton, between America, Europe, and all over the world by plane. From what "Wag" tells me of the delights of Hong Kong, Torquay, Africa, and way stations he has visited, there are compensations for even a partly transplanted Texan.

1914 learned a long time ago that FreddieDavidson and Efficiency are synonymous. That was proved again in Fred's organization and "follow-through" on our Interim Reunion in Hanover in October. It was "good to the last drop." Meetings, tours, lunches, dinners (one with 1913) and a memorable cocktail party at Mart Remsen's beautiful new home in White River Junction.

Here's the roll of delighted and grateful attendees: Shields, Little, Sleeper, Warren, Bowman, Gregg, Aborn, Davidson, Hands, Humphries, Floyd, Boggs, Sisson, Remsen, Grant, Drake, Snow, Jenkins, Emerson, Piane, Smith, Bentley, Robinson and six welcome guests — 49 pleased people - including understanding and cooperative wives.

December birthday congratulations to: Cole, Curtis, Davidson, Dellinger, Donovan,Edson, Emerson, Gardner, Hallett, Hoyt,Littlefield, Pooler, Welsh, Wheelock. As the Scotch beautifully say — "Lang may your lum rick" - long may your chimney smoke!

"Johnnie" Hazen, another "Prince of the Papers," writes regrets from Holyoke, Mass., that he couldn't be with us for the Interim Reunion. But he did manage to get to Hanover for the slithering splashes of the Brown game - says it was the best water-polo game he ever saw played on a football field. "Johnnie" reports one grandson, another John Hazen. We hope he is - in every way!

"Sig" Larmon, perennial and powerful donor to Dartmouth, has dipped into his family strong-box again! The Boston Globe reports a gift of $6500.00 to Dartmouth's Forensic Union - a donation for the encouragement of intercollegiate debate. "Sig" has long been a strong supporter of this cause and this outstanding gift recognizes the high quality and value of this activity at Dartmouth.

Secretary, Farwell Lane, New London, N. H.

Treasurer, 165 Marlboro St., Wollaston 70, Mass.

Bequest Chairman,