1901

In a letter to Johnnie Ward Alma writes that her late husband George Sunderland would have been so proud to tell him that his grandson Philip Sunderland, an outstanding student, is entering Dartmouth this fall and has made the freshman football team. You, Alma, should have every reason to be proud of him. Johnnie hopes that you are successful in adjusting yourself to life without George and that you keep in good health.

Jim Kimball and Bea are both well and having a good time. They ride, play cribbage, and bridge. When Jim is asked how he is, he says "Well, I'm better than some." He enclosed a picture taken about 1915 which he thinks shows Cap French, JohnnieWard and Bea at their best when Bea was an enthusiastic member of the class.

Deacon Hildreth tells me that he had a tough time for a long while. In January '62 he had an attack of the Asiatic flu and went to the Lowell General Hospital. Later in August of '62 he returned to have a stone removed from the bladder; was in and out of the hospital until December. Was glad he had Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Alice took over and did practically all of the Town Clerk work. This summer he is better and has been sawing up dead limbs from the trees for firewood and mowing the lawn.

Your secretary received the annual reports of the Town of Westford, a 6 by 9 150-page book done by offset printing process for which Alice did all the typing. Nice work. Alice. Deacon was re-elected Town Clerk for another three-year term. He is now in his 48th consecutive year. A record he thinks for any Massachusetts town clerk. We should all be proud of our classmate's record.

The postcard sent to Harland E. Cate created a crisis in his life as he had planned it. What follows tells about it. "Oh why did I get this assignment? Didn't you know that I was the worst correspondent in the universe plus which I vowed when I retired fifteen years ago that I would never again take on a burdensome task, serve on a committee or do anything I was requested or even commanded to do? That to me defined an enjoyable future. Now I suppose I must yield to pressure and scrap those lovely intentions.

"I live here in Cape Cod all alone for the last three years with not even a cat for companionship, do all my housework, cook my meals and take care of the yard. Fortunately I enjoy good health, never felt better in my life.

"There's a Dartmouth Club on the Cape but when I go I'm the oldest man there and I'm reminded of the story that Eric Foster used to tell. He said in the old Saxon days when the lord of the manor celebrated with a big feast he would locate the most aged and decayed character in his domain, set him up in a corner of the banquet hall as a horrible example of what faced them all unless they met a glorious death in battle."

Secretary and Treasurer 750 Burlington Ave., N. St. Petersburg, Fla. 33701