1920
My Hanover and Chicago, as well as New York correspondents, seem to agree on one general subject — the northern sections of the country are having an old-fashioned winter. One mother, who shall be nameless, said that her kids were wearing long-handled underwear under their pajamas as sleeping togs. Florida is the antidote for all that. I wish you could see Gerald Starr Stone sitting in the sun getting darker by the hour and, I might add, the cynosure of all feminine eyes as he lolls about dreaming up ideas for Twenty's 45th Reunion in 1964. He wakes during the night and through the walls I hear him murmur "Economy is the watchword." His old Yankee hometown, Spencer, Mass., would be proud of him and that particular sentiment.
Adolphus W. (Jake) Gorton has finally clarified his residential status. He can be located at 3561 N.W. First Court, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Jerry and I hope to look up the old speedster before we leave these parts in early April.
Jack and Margaret Mayer spent a very pleasant social hour with the still youthful though retired Harry Worths at Santa Barbara, Calif. Jack combined business with pleasure-not an easy trick unless you know how, and brought back glowing reports of California sunshine. Incidentally, the Florida newspapers have only a low estimate of the climate on the West Coast.
My old pal and salesman extraordinary, Gugger Fiske, reports that the weather has been so cold around Boston that he froze his thumb ringing doorbells. He admonishes us to look up various and sundry unsavory characters down here which we hope to do ere we leave. Gugger still takes time out to skate, mostly on the Skating Club rink near the Harvard Stadium. He reports a recent call (social, I presume) on Scout and Alice Lee in Cambridge.
The news that Nat Leverone '06 picked up the tab for the new field house ($1,500,000) is about the most impressive word from Hanover in a long, long time. It makes a guy feel warm all over to know that there are such good folks with an abiding sense of devotion to the old Mother.
Thomas Burleigh (Tom) Davidson took on a bull (he doesn't say for what purpose) but he came out of the deal via the hospital. He is an eminent member of the bar at York, Me., where I hope to see the old slug one of these days.
An interesting letter received from HibRichter who writes as follows:
Last February Mr. Frederick Gens, Central Counsel of Small Business Administration, offered me the chance to serve as State of Maine Counsel to Small Business Administration. As I had been gradually closing out my law office in Boston anyway we moved up here to Augusta last summer and are getting settled a bit in our apartment on the high plateau above the headwaters of "Mother Kennebec" which winds around the State of Maine like a serpent. At the moment we are in the process of selling the Brookline house. During the coming years both Katharine and I hope to enjoy the country life more. We have found Augusta to be the center of recreational activities particularly in the summer with easy access both to the inland rivers and lakes of Maine or to such beautiful spots on the coast like Boothbay Harbor which looks in August just like Ba-Miah Harbor in Fort Lauderdale in February.
The job is most interesting. Most of our work is out of the Augusta office giving financial assistance to small businesses. About 95% of all business in the state is small business but growing larger in such fields as wood products, matches, small hotels, lobster fisheries, carpet and textile manufacturing, and electronics.
Hib's letter was written before the great snows landed on Augusta. We haven't heard as yet whether he has dug himself out.
Howard Pullen, heralded far and near as "the philosopher of the Chicago Division," retired after 41 years of service to the Grand Trunk Western Railroad on December 1, 1962. Some 300 old friends along the G.T.W. from Montreal to Chicago gathered to make the occasion one long to be remembered. Howard is the third generation to follow the iron rails. Howard's son David '61 followed his pa at Dartmouth and was present with his mother and sister at the big celebration. David is now clearing the hurdles at Lackland A.F.B., Texas en route to a commission, while Mary Ann is en route to Germany for service there.
On Monday of this week Brother Stone and I had the extreme pleasure of seeing off - or bon voyage or what have you, Dorothy Hamm and Hersh and Ellie Chandler on a cruise to the West Indies. Admirers of said Hersh will be happy to know that he is no less handsome than ever and I observed many a feminine furtive glance cast in his direction aboard ship. Keep him handcuffed, Ellie. We're all to get together upon their return to Florida following the cruise.
Guy and Muriel Cogswell of the late lamented Class of 1919 are just around the corner from Jerry and me. They certainly add lustre to what otherwise might be just another class. The Mel Merritts were due to come south, but, although already doughheavy, MPM still braves the wintry blasts of Boston. Work him over, Helen.
The pride and joy of Worcester, Mass., Ben and Ellen Ayres, stopped by for lunch a few days ago. Ben had seen Norm Richardson at Del Ray, which is the first news from that quarter in a longish while. Hi, Norm.
Paul Sample had another highly successful one-man show at the Milch Galleries in New York during late January and early February. Apparently the old boy has lost none of his artistic prowess.
To Ray Legg '18 I am indebted for a handsome snapshot of William P. Durkee III in ensign's uniform. Young Bill has been named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Defense in the U. S. Department of Defense - this is reminiscent of the fact that his pa spent the summer of 1918 in training at Annapolis.
Laddie Myers sent me the Chicago Tribune clipping of Ruth MacKay s final column, "The White Collar Girl," which she has written for more than 21 years. It was a touching, nostalgic piece and beautifully written "I walk away, turn back only for a moment to touch My White Collar Girl lightly on the cheek and say 'Goodby now. Be a good girl...As you know, Ruth and Don are rusticating in Door Creek, Fish County, Wis. Laddie also wrote describing the horrors of winter in Chicago. He looked out his window one morning to read — 2O on the thermometer. His endeavors to get the car started in the parking lot were reminiscent of those good old Hanover days.
Tom Ainsworth's fine boy Tommy is at the University of Virginia and doing a splendid job, too.
A breezy note from Dick Charlock, summing up the case for East versus West, seems to give the nod to the East. Apparently the old boy has lost none of his oldtime pepper.
As" these notes go on their way comes the sad news that Harry Gortner passed away on February 7 in Franklin County Hospital, Greenfield, Mass., following a brief illness. To his wife Irene and his family I extend sincere sympathy on behalf of all Twenties. An In Memoriam will be found in the latter pages of this or a subsequent issue.
Well, folks, that about does it for this time. See you next month.
Secretary 350 East 57th St. New York 22, N.Y.
Class Agent, 90 Iron Mine Dr., Staten Island 1, N.Y.
