Class of 1905
We all deeply regret the death of Rev. Owen A. McGrath on March 30, the details of which are mentioned in the Necrology section of this issue. Jim Donnelly, Bill Chamberlain, and others attended the funeral in Boston on April 3. Jim writes:
"In an order where distinction is hard toobtain because material rewards are barredand spiritual efforts, no matter how severe,are expected, he won distinction by sincere and unselfish devotion to his callingand by the multitude of good works whichhe did well."
Jim also says that his youngsters "areall still plugging along in the grammarschools, getting better marks than the oldman ever knew existed, and all healthy andapparently happy. Jim Jr. played on theschool baseball team for the last two yearsand is known among his playmates as a'football nut.' I wonder how he could havegot that way. On March 8 Mrs. Donnellyand I started for Mexico, with short stopovers at St. Louis and San Antonio, andthree days at Hot Springs, Ark. We thenwent through to Mexico City and radiatedfrom there to the various places of intereston the Mexican plateau within a hundredmiles of the city. It was an intensely interesting trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.We got just enough of the contrast between Mexican life and American life, aridjust enough opportunity to see the remains of the ancient civilizations and thecolonial Spanish civilization to make itinteresting without being boring. We alsowere interested in the various modernprojects which are under construction inthe city, and which make an interestingstudy in modern social (or socialistic)progress. We returned by boat from VeraCruz, taking a chance with the Ward Line,and being well rewarded by a fine trip ona comfortable boat. We had a day inHavana, which was also interesting, as itgave us a chance to motor through thevarious places of interest in the city and review the Cuban army and police force,which were very much in evidencethroughout the city. They seemed to haveeverything under control, which made ourstay somewhat more satisfactory than itmight have been earlier in the month. Wejust barely got back in time for me to takeup my assignment in Boston on Monday."
Royal Parkinson, advising that he and Mrs. P. are coming, adds: "My nephewfrom Utah, a fine fellow, I think, is a freshman, and now I'll suggest he get acquainted with his classmate, John Laing'sboy. Sibley's older sister died recently.They lived together, and now he is the lastof his family. I've offered to take him tothe reunion, but cannot yet win over hissense of obligation to routine. May succeedon the last day."
Percy C. Ladd (now Rev.) sends a welcome report: "Mary Elizabeth plans toenter Smith, her mother's college, this fall.She is somewhat of an authority on Arcticand Antarctic matters, this having been herhobby for years. I dare say that no otherdaughter of the class shares this particularinterest of hers. George Alden expects togo to Dartmouth the year following. He iskeen on tennis and his books. He is somewhat over six feet, but we have not foundthe right flatiron yet which will preventconstant elongation. I am pastor of theCollege Street church here in Burlington.Its constituency contains many of the faculty of the University of Vermont. Until alittle over three years ago I was in theWest, first in Illinois and then in Denver.It is, of course, good to be near the seat ofDartmouth loyalties again. We have agood Dartmouth crowd in Burlington. Mywife was Josephine Sanderson, known totwo generations of Smith people, as student and then as secretary of the ChristianAssociation, and at present director of theAlumnae Council. I am constantly jealousof the range and intensity of their alumnaeinterest. We Dartmouth men ought to havemore of it."
UNREVEALED OMNISCIENCE
As to whether he is coming or not, Bill Blatner says: "Only God knows, and heisn't telling."
Gene Musgrove's son, Donald, graduated from N. Y. University School of Education in 1934, and is teaching music in the Meredith and Holderness, N. H., schools. Geneva graduated this June from Newark State Normal School, and Malcolm is a sophomore in East Orange High.
Shirley Cunningham, writing from Bryan, Tex., says he used to see Fred Priest often when they both were in Newark, N. J. "His chief delight was in talking ofhis days in Dartmouth, and he was keenlyinterested and pleased to hear of the progress and welfare of any member of '05, ashe always considered himself a member ofour class. I believe he was on the Holyoketi. S. basketball team which won a national championship at the Buffalo Exposition in 1901." In a P.S. he says: "Went on adiet and have gone from 225 to 195."
Doc Loder writes: "Elizabeth (now Mrs.Elwell) wears crimson at the Harvard-Dartmouth game, and shares her husband's belief that the coal business willsurvive the present—and future—economicupheavals. Reasonable expectation thatVassar will graduate Mary, in spite of theinterference with Vassar's educationalscheme by Dartmouth Carnival, a few football games, and correspondence courseswith masculine institutions of higher education. Halsey Jr. graduates this year fromDartmouth just to make my 30th an occasion. And then to Harvard Law. Whilethe collection of doctors' bills might seemto some to be a large field at the momentfor the prospective family lawyer, to me itwould seem to be far from a fertile oneand not likely to be such until some futureday, xvhen the economic fertilizer is putin other than corn and cotton fields putthere on condition that the crop be notplanted, or plowed under. As to Mrs. Loderand myself we carry on." Three Loders will attend our 30th.
HOPES ARE HIGH
Joe Merrill cannot say whether he will or not, but hopes he will. Says: "I did notplan in advance to go out on the yachtingtrip at Tabor Academy, but I went just thesame. My wife, son, and daughter alsowent along. June (that's Joe Jr.) acted asone of the crew." Referring to the fact that Fred Priest had his college diploma with him at the time of his death, Joe says: "Iwill be willing to wager that 75% of theclass could not locate theirs without appealing to their wives." "June has beentaking a course this winter at FranklinUnion in Boston in boat designing. Helilies the course very much, and is planningon taking the second part of it next fall.He designed a fifty-foot yawl and madeworking plans for its construction. Nextyear he will take more advanced workalong this line together with practicalproblems in boat construction."
Joe also conveys the sad news of the death of Lillard's mother in the last week in March. He says that she was a remarkable, lovable woman. We all extend our sympathy to Lil.
C. A. Campbell's daughter, Ailsa, graduated from Conn. State College in 1933, and received her M. A. from Columbia last year. Camp, says: "She majored in Phys.Ed. and is waiting and looking for a chanceto impart her knowledge to the next generation. While in college she won her 'C'in basketball and archery, and has donewell in archery tournaments. At presentshe is doing social service work. Jean is inthe third grade and (after discussion aboutAilsa's not being encouraged to use lipstickand rouge) announced she hoped motherand daddy would get educated before shestepped out. She has just finished measlesand chicken pox I am pluggingalong on the same job; official title: 'construction examiner for maintenance,'which means that I examine and check allnew state road construction with the ideaof having jobs turned over to the maintenance bureau so that we won't have tospend a lot of money putting them inshape. It's just another checkup, but wehave found it pays to get extra checks before construction. Had a six weeks' layoff ayear ago. After driving through ice andsnow all winter, I took the wife SaturdayP.M. in the last little snow storm, andskidded into a pole. Broke three of thewife's ribs and did $150 damage to a $50car, and, what hurts most, just a splinteroff the. pole. Personally, I got out with acouple of fractures of the skull, a slightconcussion, a broken collar bone, and acouple of ribs. But after six weeks I was allset and am going strong again. As my workrequires inspection on the ground, I always walk over all jobs, and find I canfigure a return trip (after inspection) fora mile in 20 minutes, or, if in a hurry, in15, without puffing. The most importantone of the family, 'the wife,' feeds andclothes us, has time for bridge and charities, and keeps the right spirit in the home.Unless things go very bad will see you inJune."
Fat Newdick has to postpone signing the pink slip as to the reunion, but thinks it may be possible for business to take him into New England about that time, in which event a few days in Hanover may be worked in.
Dr. Tom Wiswall announces the approaching marriage this fall of his daughter, Elizabeth, to Philip Richardson of Passaic, N. J. Harriet is at Garland Junior College in Boston, after graduating from Pine Manor last June. Tom regrets that he does not see more of the '05 boys. Says the only one he sees regularly is Halsey Loder. He wishes more of the boys would drop in on him at Falmouth.
Walter Conley says that only a new job that cannot be left will keep him away from the 30th. Has been working since last May on the new Tri-Boro bridge, but the plans are nearly finished. "Very little work,if any, ahead. Looks like a quiet summer.There are many bridges to be built, butthe railroads have no money, and municipal work is dependent upon governmentmoney." (Hope he gets a slice of the five billion.) ''See Stanley Besse very frequently and also Walter Emery. Next weekFriday the New Jersey annual alumni dinner takes place, and that is always a mostenjoyable affair."
NEWS FROM THE FALCONERS
Bob Falconer and family will be there. Haven will graduate from high school inJune. He has steered a middle course between an interest in scholarship and interest in outside activities. The result is thathe is rated as the possessor of some brainsand that he has a fair amount of popularity. He is especially keen in science, andwill undoubtedly point toward a scientificcareer. Just now he is interested in consumers' research and in close touch withthe laboratories and the directors of thisorganization. He says he would like to become a virtuoso in some field of scientificinvestigation—to know all there is to knowin this particular field, and, for a fee, tellthe world what he knows. He plans to enter Dartmouth in the fall. His mother andI are looking on and incidentally conducting the affairs of a fairly prosperous parish.
On this April 7 we cannot predict who will be there, but thus far Falconer, Conley, C. A. Campbell, Chamberlin, Piatt, Vaughan, Ladd, Mulally, Haskell, Parkinson, Donnelly, Loder, Day, W. B. Small, Watson, and McClary have definitely said 0.K., while many others have expressed hopes. But of course very few pink slips have been sent in yet.
Secretary 45 East Main St., Malone, N. Y.
