1912

At the time of this writing, while the cold north wind is blowing down the bay from Brunswick way, our convalescents all seem to be on the up and up. Lee White was able to make the trip to the Norwich Inn early in August when he managed to meet up with Roy Lewis and Randy Burns. Lee isn't 100 percent yet but we're pulling for him. Edith Waterbury is already on the golf links again, or was before the November snow fell at Green Bay. As far as I have been able to learn our esteemed Class Chairman, Doc O'Connor, is back on the job after a flirtation with the hospital. Some one asks, when is he going to let up?

Elmer Bloom has returned to Peoria, Ill., after a summer at Scituate Harbor, Mass., made interesting by the presence of the younger generation plus a bout between dog Snooky and a prowling skunk. HenryYiets spent his leisure hours at East Booth-bay, Me., this summer writing a history of obstetrics and one on Civil War medicine. Dud Redfield has now issued his card carrying the ominous word "Retired," and in addition, "No Address, No Phone, No Business, No Money." White Plains may still be found on the map and I'll bet Dud would answer the phone if you called.

If Henry Bailey Stevens goes on the stage again impersonating one of the Secretary's distant relatives without giving due and proper notice of the same, proceedings will be taken. The author of' the play, "Dover and Its Friends," Henry appeared as the leading character in its premiere performance at Dover, N. H., on August 17 during the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Society of Friends of that city. I am certain he did full justice to that famous Quaker, lohn Greenleaf Whittier, wearing the tall beaver hat, tail coat and whiskers characteristic of Cousin John.

The snapshots of our 51st continue to come in. Except for two objections they could be reproduced in this news column, 1) they are almost always in color, and 2) they are usually pictures of Fran and Stan. The latest comes from Ned Richmond with apologies for being so "dilatory." Excuse - "Busy summer. Guests, correspondence, research, and funerals." He recently escorted his wife Lee and her 96-year-old father to Buck Hill Falls for a little change. We await more information on his research.

Our peripatetic classmate, Syd Clark, blew in recently with wife Mardi from a lO1 weeks' jaunt through parts of Europe. Before he gets out another book will quote his latest.

We flew by Icelandic Airways to Hamburg, stopping for three days in Reykjavik. What an extraordinary little capital that is, heated almost entirely by natural boiling water which is pumped up, stored in huge tanks and piped all over the city!! Illiteracy just doesn't exist in Iceland and the culture quotient of that 70,000-inhabitant city is high. We saw "II Travatore" done in the local opera house in Icelandic, by local talent, and it was a smooth performance. Our Icelandic host was a gay bird, took us to two or three night-clubs and had Mardi (aetas?) dancing her heels off, for the first time in years.

From Hamburg we went to Holland and then up the Rhine by the Europa, one of two new 200-passenger 'river liners' of the - grip your chair - Kohn-Dusseldorfer Rheindampfschiffart. (Shucks, that's nothing after taking Wah-Hoo-Wah Adams' course. Ed.) Splendid modern liners they are and we had five memorable Rheine days from Rotterdam to Basle - which was our take-off point for four weeks in Switzerland (new book coming up). Then to Germany and Austria; Holland and Belgium; France.

A feature of this gallivanting was the Eurail pass ticket, which I bought for each of us. For $15O you get a 2-months, first-class pass (1 month $110, 3 months $180) to all the railways of Western Europe (Continental), 100,000 miles of travel, which includes all the de luxe name trains; also the Rhine and Danube steamers; the Swiss lake steamers; the outsized Scandinavian ferries; and various special motorcoach tours. You just board any train at all and wave your card at the conductor. You can live on the trains day and night for 60 days if you wanted to be that dumb. I think it's the greatest bargain in travel I ever knew; and it makes sense, as it might not have a few years ago. Since Europe became so prosperous tens of thousands of new cars clutter the roads every month and the going is as bad on Sundays as here. That's something new under the European sky; and to avoid it and hop trains at will, improvising your tour as you roll, is a real relief. We saw highway tie-ups miles long.

Now Mardi and Syd are loose again through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, with Sagamore Beach sighted for Thanksgiving.

This is the month when Lyme Armes' 11-11-11 Club holds its annual. An organization with no constitution, no by-laws, never holds elections, has never accepted a new member since World War 11, and never stays out late o' nights, it meets only at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month. Lyme is the author of the so-called Hinky-Dinky History of the U.S.A., published in 1958 but subject to additions from year to year as Lyme holds the editor's prerogative. He also holds the title of Vox Humana, Boston Left, Northeast Mounted Cod & Cabot District, Guild of Former Pipe Organ Pumpers. This organization, now "late, lamented," comprised all who in their youth had ever pumped an organ in the loft of a village church. There were literally thousands such. The final meeting of this austere body was held in Boston at the Parker House in May 1938. One Fellow Pumper even flew from Denver to participate in the "shortest parade in parade history" and an evening banquet with hymn singing.

Secretary, 136 Steele Rd. West Hartford, Conn.

Treasurer, 4 Bank Building, Middleboro, Mass.