1913

Most of us at times yearn for the good old days. Work can be monotonous. Our class poet, "Rus" Powers, put it this way:

When the cares of life confound you; When you feel the blues around you; That's the time to ponder for a while. Think of days when Fate was kinder; Let each dark and grim reminder Vanish in the. sunshine of a smile.

Leave the dear old world behind you; Take a trip upon the good ship fellowship, That anchors in the port of Dartmouth Days.

The main item of interest before the war was the glorious sth, but contention arose as to when. Some preferred the conventional 1918, others suggested a delay of a year so that it might coincide with the 150 th anniversary of the founding of the College in 1919. That was the year that Eleazer loaded his oxcart with that famous tripartite load and started for Hanover. But other events interceded and there was no formal sth. Informal get-togethers did occur; for instance, one took place at the Dreyfus Hotel in Boston, when the management furnished a dinner with a cabaret for entertainment. Eight courses for $1 a plate. Drinks extra unless you surreptitiously brought your own.

Before that time the good old U.S.A. was relatively tranquil. Europe was in turmoil, but there were those who had a desire to help. Frank Cushman was one of them. He had just graduated from the Harvard Dental School, so he joined a contingent which went to Europe to help ease the suffering of the wounded as they were brought in from the battlefield. The need was great. In 1914 there were 150 dentists in the British army. In 1915 there were 15, and three of them were from America. They did yeoman service, and many a Britisher and Frenchman could eat because they were there.

Our classmates were doing many things in many places. For instance, Dave Adams and Carl Shumway were in the north country, Dave atop Mt. Washington, manning the ticket office, and Carl at the Glen House, seeing to it that the hotel was properly managed. In those days communication was haphazard. In fair weather, Dave and Carl could chat by the use of mirrors; dull days they resorted to letters.

That was the time when one John Joseph Scarry was looking after the interests of the Standard Oil Company in Java. His job required travel in the wild country, where he had to put up with the discomforts and dangers of the tropics. But let him tell about it: "The trip back (from somewhere), or 18 miles of it, was made in a Royal Barge consisting of two boats lashed together side by side with a table and benches and a peculiar canopy overhead. Six paddlers furnished the power, and a man to serve food and drinks completed the crew."

This is an appeal to those of us who can still wiggle to send "items of interest" to the secretary, so that the next issue of the MAGAZINE may contain news of the living, both men and women, sons and daughters, and grandchildren, even unto the fourth generation.

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