1923

865 Central Avenue, K310 Needham, MA 02192

There seems to have been more interest in the old song of Abdulla, and whereas I have too little space for it, I have turned all of it over to Cap Palmer for, I hope, inclusion in the next issue of Skiddoo.

Pete Jones is as of now still in the Bahamas. He expects to be in Hanover for Class Officers Weekend. Also Cap Palmer is coming east, Bee and I will be there, and we hope to get over into Vermont to reminisce with Ike Phillips.

Dick Udall writes that he and Alma have put their Harbor Bluffs home on the market and will move into a retirement home the last of April. The place is called Pinecrest. I do not know the location. It seems about the right thing to do as we grow into the mid and late eighties.

Vince Baldwin writes of a just published book, Reaching that Peak, which tells of Sherm and Bill Fowlers's famous 24-hour hike the full length of the DOC Trail. They set out from Skyline at midnight and, when they reached Agassiz before Doc Griggs in the auto at 5:45 a.m., having covered 25Vz miles, they rousted out all the freshmen to feed them and procure cold water to soak their feet. Harry Hillman, the track coach, met them at Great Bear, after they had hiked through Kinsman Notch, to give them a rub-down. Then another freshman, Vince Baldwin, paced and guided them along the trails to Cube, where they arrived at 4:30 p.m., having covered 62 miles.

And now to continue last month's story of deviltry here is another episode in Dartmouth history:

Near the southeast corner of the Hanover Green, Wheelock built in 1770 a structure which became his home. It was enlarged in 1773 and became College Hall, housing the commons and the chapel. Unrepaired and neglected, it fell into a sorry state and students on December 3, 1789, in what was called "a nocturnal visitation," tore it down. Phillip Freneau of the New York Daily Advertizer, described the episode as follows:

On New Years Eve, the year was eightyone, All clad in black, a Dartmouth College crew, With Crow-bar, sledge, and pick ax did combine To level with the dust their antique hall, In hopes the President would build anew. Yes, yes said they the ancient pile shall fall And laugh no longer at yon cobbler's stall. And then after several more verses, the final: Down fell the Pile! aghast these rebels stood And wonder'd at the mischiefs they had done To such a pile, compos'd of stone and wood To such a pile, so antique and renown'd Which many a prayer had heard and many a pub So, three huzzas they gave, and fir'd a round Then homeward trudg'd half drunk but safe and sound.