1914
The Dartmouth administration has always favored the admission of any properly qualified grandsons; so about 75 years ago in February, when a few unbiased grandmothers exclaimed on seeing the newborn babes - "Oh, how beautiful. He looks like a Dartmouth man" - all the omens were favorable! So birthday congratulations to these February babes who made it way back in 1910. Barsaloux, Burleigh, Colby, Dillingham, Crandall, DeWitt, Gilbert, Griffith, Harrison, Howe, Kittredge, McDonough, Marceau, Overton, Shields, Smith, P. W., Stillman.
Chuck Kingsley, the sharpshooter of Port Washington, N. Y., opines "only the most unscrupulous of press agents with no regard for truth and little respect for modesty would characterize me as an outstanding authority on firearms. If the fame of the famous class of 1914 is built of such tenuous stuff, it would best be left unsaid." Well, Chuck, we know better and the opinion still stands regardless of your self-abnegation.
A note from our friends at Brown University in good old Providence, R. I.: "Just a note from a Green Mountain Boy to let my friends in the Brown Alumni Association know that Dartmouth's beautiful Hopkins Center has become a hub of the cultural and social life in Hanover. It is operated with a touch of genius and I wish that Brown could pick up the designs of Hopkins Center and build a similar structure on College Hill." The operating genius of Hopkins, of course, is Warner Bentley, distinguished also for his membership in 1914.
Clyde Buckley, who came out of the hospital last May, reports that he lives in Westwood, Mass., with his son, not in Westfield. He says he does not welcome whatever his illness was because "we cannot prevent growing old, but I do not welcome aging 10 years in a few months as I did." We agree that the natural process of geriatrics is sufficient unto the day thereof.
Now here is a very welcome addition to the ranks of our contributors! Gordon Piatt writes from his hill-girt fastness in Highgate Springs, Vt., that he is "the editor and whole works in getting out a monthly publication for the Northern Farms Cooperative in Montpelier, Vt., and the Northern Dairymen's Association of Augusta, Me. This erudite and important publication is called the "Northern Milk Producer."
And a new hobby emerges! Gordon makes and sells Champlain Driftwood lamps in his home workshop, hunts duck in his own marsh, fishes for bullheads, and traps muskrats. A few summers ago three other descendants of Ethan Allen, with their own hands and tools, restored the 85-year-old Union Church in Highgate Springs where they hold summer services for wise people who flee to the cool, invigorating climate of that favored section. And just to keep more activities sizzling, Gordon is president of the Hishgate Springs Protective Association, dabbles in real estate and writes fiction. Gordon closes his welcomed note with the question - "How am I doing?" We'd say you're doing darned well!
Ted Main writes from Tustin, Calif., that he and Marian are living temporarily in that town during the serious illness of their 13-year-old grandson. We have a very heart-warming note from Marian in which she tells us that the prognosis is not so grim as we were led at first to believe.
If you want to interview a selectman of East Wakefield, N. H., a member of the School Board, a successful farmer and a happy grandfather and, oh, yes, the school bus driver, you might get in touch with C. L. Kingsford—"Doc" to you. It is all wrapped up in this jocund person. Sixteen Kingsford descendants occupy two places in this N. H. town, one group in the old farmhouse 30 feet away from where Doc holds forth. He reports that his oldest granddaughter, Karen, expects to present the Doc Kingsfords with their .first great-grandchild. It will probably be either a grandson or a granddaughter. More details later.
Gordon Sleeper writes from Newport, Vt., that they have 4 dogs. 2 Welsh ponies, and 6 grandchildren - this listing not necessarily in the order of importance. They have recently discovered a large pond on their land and, by dint of much hard work, have dammed the thing (choose your own spelling on this word) and raised the level of the pond so that they can raise ducks and outguess the onslaught of the beaver whose depredations have caused serious inroads on this labor of love. We are still hoping to get up to Newport when the Sleepers are in residence so we can cart away 50 or 60 full grown pine trees or spruce from Gordon's tree farm. We expect more than the usual wholesale discount.
Sherman Saltmarsh is busy farming at his place at Bow, N. H., and he still manages a fishing trip to the Maine woods in season, largely to provide trout luncheons for "the assembled faithful" in Boston. This is one of Salty's activities which has now moved into the realm of Dartmouth traditions.
Jim McFate, the able and elongated manager of the Hanover Inn, has just been elected president of the American Hotel Association. his august post will not prevent Jim's jovial ribbing of another president, Martin Johnson Remsen, of whom you may have heard.
Do you need a pair of America's lightest weight handcuffs in your daily routine? If so, you might write to John Piane, who is a principal in the Massachusetts company that makes this exterior decoration. We are told that this device is favored by police departments all over the world, but not particularly beloved by some of the people.
We think this is worth quoting - "If you're careless enough, your present car may last a lifetime."
Mrs. Ralph Barke writes very interestingly from Fergus Falls that their daughter Barbara is living in New York City, married to Harland Blake, a member of the law faculty at Columbia University. Their second daughter Phyllis lives in Philadelphia and is married to John Gilbert, a partner in the prestigious accounting firm of Haskins and Sells. Their son Arthur graduated from Annapolis and is now a lieutenant-commander and executive officer on a Polaris submarine. Corinne also writes that she and her daughter Barbara were happy indeed to be made so graciously welcomed at 1914's 50th Reunion.
The 1914 trek to Florida is well underway!
"Lives of these lads just remind us We could make some months sublime, Leaving this damned snow behind us Basking in a summer clime!":
Batchelder, Humphrey, Fahey, Lawrence, Tilton, Hazen, several others and possibly DeWitt and Dunbar. Charlie Batchelder requests that all 'l4ers who plan to sojourn even briefly in Florida write him immediately so that he can arrange some rump reunions. Charlie's southern address is: 17715 Gulf Blvd., Box 326, St. Petersburg 8, Fla. In the same envelope, if you haven't already done it, you might encolse that check for class dues!
Johnny Warren in Wrentham, Mass., tells us that Larry Kingman and Fern pleased the Warrens greatly by stopping in for a visit and that they would be very glad to have any other '14ers follow this sociable example.
Howie Curtis has merged his Palmer National Bank with the Third National Bank with assets of 150 million dollars. Howie becomes Chairman of the Advisory Board of the merged banks.
Mrs. Rugar Young says she is "trying to grow old gracefully." Her main hobby is their son Burbank, his wife, and their 3 children. Burbank, after 4 years as a Marine pilot, advanced studies at the University of lowa and then 2 years of teaching, has settled with the Corn Products Company and now lives only 7 miles away from Gramma Young. Paul Marceau, the son of FranzMarceau, is in the same department with young Burbank.
This won't surprise you. Herb Austin has been traveling again! The last recorded venture was to South America and the Mediterranean. Herb has the kind of job that many youngsters would like - 2 or 3 trips a year of 6 months each!
There is good news from Ellsworth Buck. He is so well recovered from his recent illness that he and Connie spent the holidays in Puerto Rico. From there they rambled to the West Indies and in February landed in Hawaii for a couple of months.
A FEW WRONG OPINIONS:
When Harvey wrote his thesis that the human blood circulates, he was called by his contemporaries "a lunatic."
In 1787 Lord Stanhope of the British Admiralty opposed an award for a steamship because he said they couldn't possibly work.
In 1907 the Admiralty rejected the Wright Brothers' request for an award because, in their opinion, airplanes would never be practical.
When the Liverpool Railway was proposed, the objection was raised that passengers traveling at the excessive rate of 15 miles per hour could not breathe.
"Fat Herman" Goering boasted that no British airplane would ever reach Berlin.
Your class secretary can write a news column every month without your help. 1914 has an enviable record of publishing news from classmates. Won't you please help by sending on any little news item about you or your family. We need this urgently to continue what we like to think is a good record.
Now for the Dartmouth Quiz.
1. We have had 12 presidents of Dartmouth. How many can you name?
2. Is any member of 1914 mentioned favorably in Hill's excellent "The College on the Hill"?
3. What Dartmouth president was said to have preached sermons "so close and pungent that his audience would be melted to tears before they were aware of it"?
4. Was Dartmouth College ever in Vermont?
5. What befell the papers which Wheelock claimed were worth $5,000 to Dartmouth College in 1784?
That's all for this time. Please send in some news.
Secretary, Farwell Lane, New London, N. H.
Treasurer, 17715 Gulf Blvd., St. Petersburg, Fla. 33708
Bequest Chairman,
