CLASSMATES: PREFACE "THERE'S life in the old Class yet," so writes our classmate Hutchins, and while no one exemplifies the fact better than himself, the following report, I think you will agree, bears him out and shows the Class as a whole still in active life in spite of this being our forty-fifth anniversary. But alas! with what fast thinning ranks! The past five years have been a disastrous period for us and the stars in our records have rapidly increased. Twelve men have left us amongst those who received their degree with the Class, and two of the non-graduate members. But we still have left only two less than half our number, and our children far outnumber the original membership of the Class. We have reached the stage when we are looking perhaps with greater pride and interest on the achievements of our descendants than upon our own, and in the replies to the Secretary's circular there was a manifest tendency shown to dwell upon the former. In the war, in which we also as a nation are now involved, several of our sons are already taking an active military part, and it will be found in the following pages that one at least of our number bears a military rank, and many more are undoubtedly doing their part, even if our records at present do not show it. The part which our sons are taking became of so much interest as replies were received, that I made a further effort to get all the information I could and the report has been held back partly on this account. A desire was expressed by one of the Class to know the number of our grandchildren, but this information I cannot give as I do not possess the address of many married children of deceased class-mates. Anyone further interested might estimate the number by taking an average of those reported. I don't think race suicide will be found to be a characteristic of the Class. To those who are prone to dwell on our advancing age I would quote Dr. Johnson's reply to his friend who met him with the reminder, "We are old men now." "We are sir, but do not let us discourage one another." With best wishes for your health and happiness and for your boys who are to fight for our protection. A. L. LINCOLN, Secretary. September 10, 1917. |