1897

Now that the '97 sixty-fifth reunion of our class is recorded on the pages of college history we, the living members of the class, may sit back in our easy chairs and meditate on the events of which we were a part during our college years. And more than this; there are many traditions of the college that come to mind, happenings that preceded our coming to Hanover. These we would rehearse and hand down to the present time that they be handed down to Dartmouth men through coming generations.

Let us ignore for a time that ribald song of Eleazar Wheelock and the rum he brought into the wilderness for the educating of Indians. As we think of the early years and the growth of the College, a rather tragic scene rises before us. A large pine tree stands on a hill near the college campus. Tradition tells of three Indians who are now going back to their tribes. They are standing at the base of that lofty pine. They sing a song. The theme of the song is "When shall we three meet again." This must be more than tradition. The old pine has fallen. The theme of the song and the purpose of the meeting of the Indians has been perpetuated in an annual ritual by the graduating class who at the stump of the old pine smoke "the pipe of peace."

As we in our easy chairs think back over the events and happenings of our college years we may be tempted to paraphrase an old song to read:

"Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight. Make me a freshman again, just for tonight." While we would not go back and relive our college years. We would realize it is not the physical, but something we may think of as an inner light, a soul-satis-fying, an edification of Dartmouth Men that makes Dartmouth great. Her traditions, symbolized in men, are a help to make Dartmouth great.

In our thoughts of other days a sense of humor enters in. Classes that followed '97 missed knowing a great man, Dr. Bartlett had retired from the presidency of the college. This is the story that comes to us, Dr. Bartlett was looking forward to Thanksgiving time. He was fattening three turkeys in a pen. Several students who lived too far from Hanover to go home for the short Thanksgiving vacation also had designs to feast on those turkeys. They named the turkeys Prexy, Mrs. Prexy and Miss Prexy. The students went forth on Thanksgiving eve to get the turkeys. They could not be found. It was Mrs. Bartlett's custom to invite Hanover-bound students to Thanksgiving dinner. The students were invited to dinner. Prexy in his dignity arose, placing the turkeys on three platters. Pointing his carving knife at the three platters he said "Gentlemen, this is Prexy; this is Mrs. Prexy and this is Miss Prexy. Now which will you have?"

Prexy Bartlett was a jolly soul. He taught a course in Bible Literature. Year after year the course was the same. Each class borrowed from the previous class notes of the course. There was one phrase eagerly awaited. When that point was reached there would be a noisy "wooding up," a stamping of feet and a clapping of hands. Into this outburst Prexy would enter with a jolly laugh. At that moment he was one of the boys. The phrase was a simple sentence, but was awaited with expectation for a moment of jollification. The sentence was "All mentality has a corporeal relation."

Class Notes Editor 52 Williams St., Rutland, Vt.