1900
During the fall and winter months things have been "humming" up on Rope Ferry Road and without doubt elsewhere. The immediate cause for all this excitement is that Charles Proctor has become the proud possessor of a brilliant new book on humming birds. The author is Crawford H. Greenewait, President of the DuPont Company, who for some years has made the study of humming birds a hobby. This book is extremely well done, and for its kind a masterpiece. The photography is superb, descriptions are fascinating, and the techniques used in filming most ingenious. It is indeed a book about which to be a bit heady, and the aforesaid "humming" is quite justified.
Out of Galesburg, Ill., comes the setting of a book by Jack Finney, "I love Galesburg in the Springtime." Now our classmate HaroldHolland, whose family has had a long historic connection with this town in the Midwest, comes up with the somewhat startling assertion that there are those who love it not only in springime but in the other three seasons as well. Though summers are hot and humid and winters cold and blustery, the old-timers still rejoice in Galesburg the year round. In order to get a proper perspective on such loyalty - to what some of us New Englanders might think a rather flat and forbidding spot of the earth - it must be said that Harold's maternal grandparents migrated from New York State to this area in the 1830s. They, along with other pioneer families, had their minds firmly set on establishing a town and a college. Hence Galesburg and Knox College. Then his father, a native Vermonter and a graduate of Dartmouth with the class of 1857 - incidentally this was also my father's class - some years after graduation also migrated to Galesburg, participated in its growth, endured the heat and cold, and loved it all. So you can see that Harold, now in his turn an old-timer, comes naturally and necessarily into this heritage of love and loyalty for such a choice spot on earth - the dream town of his forbears.
Arthur Virgin reports that he has no news about himself. "But," he says, "that does not mean that I spend my time in a wheel chair." Well, even that is good news. I know, however, that Arthur has many interests connected with the cultural life of the Big City. Both Arthur and Jeannette during the winter months had a bout with illness which considerably limited their accustomed activities. We trust that the northward progress of Old Sol, the warm breath of spring, the loveliness of reactivated Nature has brought our good friends a large measure of health and happiness.
Bertha Hadley, "Gus" Hadley's widow, writes from Wareham, Mass., that she is quite appalled at the speedy pace of Father Time. Part of her awareness of the fact that "time marches on" and is no respecter of persons is the knowledge that her grandchildren have really grown up, and that her son hopes to attend his twentieth reunion in Hanover this June. How true it is that in some fashion time seems to catch up on all of us. Probably it is far better that time shows to us its flying heels rather than moving for us on leaden feet.
"Vic" Salinger's widow, Hilda, is a marvel of activity for an octogenarian. She still carries on her business in Los Angeles, drives a car which she has done continuously since 1915, and last October along with her brother and his wife she spent three weeks touring New England. She thoroughly enjoyed the lakes, flowing streams, and color which California cannot match. This was the first time since 1904 she had been in New England at the season when the trees put on their colorful and shining garments. Hilda's one great worry appears to be whether the great state of California, with its scrupulous regard for careful driving, will be generous enough to renew the driver's license of a young-old lady of 82. Let us hope that the calendar years do not interfere with her accustomed activity, and that she can prove to the complete satisfaction of the responsible officials that she is still a safe and sane operator of a motor vehicle.
Jeannette Rich, widow of "D. B." Rich, is delighted to be a great grandma three times over. All the great-grands are girls, and it would seem on this showing that Dartmouth is out of luck insofar as the Rich clan is concerned. All is well with Jeannette, and that in itself is a piece of good news. Last Christmas she had a most pleasant, happy, and busy time on her visit to her daughter's home. Here an inclusive family party was staged which brought together the entire family including the great grandchildren.
Not as good news from "Cut" Terrill. His wife Bessie was a patient at a Canadian hospital for two weeks last fall suffering from a heart ailment and a mild stroke. Since her return home she has had to be handled with an hydraulic lift from bed to chair and from chair to bed again. This situation is a real trial for them all. It is a great help to "Cut" that his daughter and family, after repeated delays and much tribulation due to a shipping strike in England, have at long last returned to Montreal and are permanently located in that area. They have found a large, pleasantly situated house on Lake St. Louis only about two miles from "Cut's" home. Their oldest child Susan is a freshman at Bishop's College in Lennoxville, Quebec. Our kindly and sympathetic thought goes out to "Cut" and Bessie as they so courageously face a trying situation.
Agnes, widow of "Cal" Foss, reports a lovely visit in March with her daughter Christine and family on Cape Cod. She is in good health and spirits and says all the members of her family are doing well. Apparently all things work together for good for this loyal member of the 1900 family.
There is news from the Tuttle family of Concord, N. H. Helen, Don Tuttle's widow, writes that her son Morton is making a fine record with Lewis Shepherd, and that, following in his father's footsteps, he is vitally interested in the Concord Dartmouth Alumni Association. His son Donald is in Junior High School and active in sports. The elders tell him that somewhat less emphasis on sports and more attendance to studies is necessary if he expects to go to college. Son Donald is the only Tuttle left who might carry forward the Dartmouth roster of this family of Tuttles.
Secretary, 3 Pleasant St., Hanover, N.H.
Class Agent, 20 Chapel St., Brookline 46, Mass.
