1916
Our 53rd reunion still makes the news. The "Mascoma Weekly" for September 10, in an article headed "Dartmouth Class of '16 Gathers at El Nathan," pictured the "fine century and a half old meetinghouse . . . authentically and beautifully restored by the Brandages," and groups of Balmacaaners on the lawn. "Only one crisis occurred.... Mr. Brundage had lowered the watermelons into the well for cooling by means of intricate basketry, and one melon got away." But it was retrieved.
Typical of reunion extras enjoyed by many: Driving up-river on Wednesday, SallyGammons and the Evanses had a memora- ble overnight visit with Dorothy and JohnButler at their lovely old farm in West Brattleboro; and on Saturday, with John Ames, shared the hospitality of Parker Hayden at his Vermont hill farm at Tunbridge.... To escape Cincinnati's heat, the Gumbarts left home ten days early only to find southern Canada even warmer. Returning via his brother's summer place in Rhode Island, wrote Hugo, "Ginny and I finished our 3,000-mile trip with a 580-mile run on the last day, and collapsed on our terrace with a couple of Scotches. No more long trips." ... Kay English hospitably provided transportation up and back for Ev Parker, TogUpham and Betty Wilson, after which Betty planned to spend a month visiting old friends all over the East on her way home to Florida. . . . John Ames topped off with ten days visiting young and old friends around Newfound Lake and in Maine. Also, "aside from the deer we saw en route to Tunbridge," wrote John, "I saw humming birds; a woman whose left eye was brown and her right, blue (she was selling Gravenstein apples); red squirrels gathering butternuts; a pileated duck of some kind; old cemeteries, and magnificent, clear landscapes. It was all relaxing and good therapy." Amen.
Fletch and Marguerite Andrews were diverted from Hanover by the arrival of their great-grandson, following two previous great-granddaughters. . . . Hiram and LauraMcLellan stayed a month in Colorado Springs, where they enjoyed a visit from Ev Parker; then they visited — in Midland, Mich., their older daughter and her family who had recently moved there from Atlanta. "Both our two grandsons" winced Hiram, "beat me at golf." The old pro must be slipping....Bill and Ruth McKenzie, sending regrets to Jim Colton on August 25, said: "We are leaving in the morning for a month, flying to Copenhagen and points east." Irving Wolff had "an obligation to stay in Aspen. Sorry." In September the Fred Davises, Russ Leavitts and Hobey Bakers all returned to their winter addresses in Florida. As of October 1, Bill Biel announced their removal from New York to California — to reside at 2220 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, and with law office at Beverly Hills. Hobey Baker made reunion. We missed all you others.
Many shut-ins appreciated being remembered from Hanover. Leslie Leavitt, PhilNordell, and both Arthur and Marion Marsden (October 1) are recovering well.... In sending the family's thanks for the Class' tributes to Ben Moxon, Everett Moxon 1919, in an eloquent letter, bespoke his pride in the older brother who led him to Dartmouth. "Many of you," he added, "will remember Ben well when he worked daily with Jim Hagerty in the Grill, picking up the 'slips' as the more affluent held them high in the air for delivery to the chef." We do indeed remember.
Dan Dinsmoor did us all a favor this week by phoning Linus Murphy at Glendale (835 Cumberland Road, 91202) and bringing us up-to-date on our modest classmate. Dan reminds us that Linus was not only a captain of aviation 1917-19 in the A.E.F.; he also received the Croix de Guerre with two palms, the Legion d'Honneur, was wounded twice and was hospitalized for five and a half years after that war. Long a resident of California, he spent the greater part of his career with the Alemite Lubricator Company; attended several class luncheons in the era of Jardine visits to Los Angeles but that was before increasing deafness and less than robust health tended to keep him closer home. Now he enjoys reading John's Balmacaan letters and looks forward to renewed contact with Ollie Frederiksen of Munich, who was his roommate during all his three semesters in Hanover.
Speaking of medals and modest men: desperate for news, we recently pressed the ever-cooperative George Smith to the point where - but let George speak for himself: To your plea for news, I enclose a recent clip from a sheet published by the French equivalent of our G.A.R. or American Legion. This will produce something of a laugh among people like Ed Kirkland and George Dock, who know how liberal the French were fifty years ago in passing out Croix de Guerres to American ambulance drivers. The occasion was the presentation to me of three other medals to which it was found I was entitled: 1) for serving in the Verdun sector, 2) for having been a volunteer (weren't we all in 1917?!), and 3) a European campaign medal. With the U.S. campaign medal and the C. de G. of fifty years ago, this made an impressive row of five - which I've had framed and hung, and past which I try to steer every newcomer to my house.
I'm a bit lonely at the moment, as my daughter and her four kids have just left after a three months' stay. During that period, one granddaughter spent a month in London taking dance lessons, and one grandson - a Princeton freshman combined with a roommate to buy a Mig in London and scour every country in Europe except Spain and Portugal! They expect to sell the Mig in Princeton at a profit. The other kids and their Ma took daily riding lessons here (at prices a fraction of the U.S. level).
It must be something of a record in these times to be a hero to both another country and to one's grandchildren, but that's our George.
As we close this column, a first-in letter from Roly Wass wins for him the freshman year picture of his Sigma Chi, which EdnaMarble thoughtfully turned over to me with other memorabilia of Hobey's. He adds:
Kay and I spent most of 1968 in and out of the hospital. So this year we decided we deserved a vacation - we went into the Northwest by way of Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone Park, Glacier Park, and then on to Castle Rock, Wash., where our daughter lives. Drove four thousand miles and thoroughly enjoyed it. Best wishes to all.
Secretary, Box E, Swarthmore, Pa. 19081
Treasurer, Singletary Ave., Sutton, Mass. 01527
