Islands to San Francisco. I could have made it in five. but I stopped off at Niagara Falls, Chicago and Denver. I had a grand visit with Mrs. Edith Barnum O'Brien in San Francisco. I never received a heartier welcome than was accorded to me by Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien. They are such a happy family that they just make everyone else happy in their presence. Mrs. O'Brien seerned pleased to visit with some one from "the dear old Normal," as she expressed it, and I was equally happy to se some one I knew.

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California is the land of grapes and big trees. have come to the conclusion that I never ate real grapes until I came here. In no other state do they raise such sweet grapes. My school is in the midst of what they call "gold excitements." All the way from Carson City south and across the boundary line down to Death Valley prospectors have lately been finding gold and silver in abundance. Gold is found in hard quartz. In many places enough lead is mixed with the silver to pay the expenses of mining the ore.

The scenery is grand here. Mt. Montgomery in the east 14,000 feet high rises grandly from the face of the plain nearly 9000 feet. Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the United States excepting Alaska, can be seen by getting on a high point. The former is five miles away and the latter is eighty. This is prairie made into a garden by irrigation. It is wonderful what the West has lone by irrigation. In Colorado, what now are the richest peach orchards in the world, were made by irrigating land which was but a few years ago a desert waste. In other states they have done as well.

What is most remarkable here to me is the plainness with which one can distinguish objects at a great distance It makes objects appear near but very small. They tell a story of an Englishman who thought he would walk out to a mountain before breakfast. It proved to be so far that he did not get back until nearly supper time. That taught him a lesson; so when he went out again and

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came to a little stream just wide enough to step across, he pulled off his coat and shoes and jumped in to swim across. He was determined not to be deceived the second time.

I am delighted with my position. I have a good school, not a large one, however, but the pay is good and my pupils are bright. Yours truly. O. H. HILL.

Mrs. Lena Sabin Yonker writes: "I send my greetings to the Normal Magazine and trust that the new editors will be very successful in their undertaking. think it is an excellent idea."

Dear Magazine:

St. Marys, Pa., Oct. 9, 1905.

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Enclosed find my check for which please credit my account with the Normal Magazine. The Magazine is all right and is enjoyed each month by Mrs. Lynch and myself. I must admit, however, that I belong to that already too large class who enjoy reading the Magazine, but never contribute to its pages. Hoping to visit the Normal in the near future, I am, Sincerely yours,

J. J. LYNCH, '92.

Dear Editor:

The first number of this year's Magazine arrived this morning reminding me to "settle up." I enclose my check which pays my subscription to June, 1906. As usual the Magazine is full of good things and is the golden link which binds my affections to past traditions. With best wishes for greater usefulness, I am yours, FRANKLIN B. TAYLOR.

in P. N. S., Dartmouth College.

If you can't cheer up, try and cheer some one else up by your Christmas greetings.

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ALUMNI JOTTINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Niles of Chatham visited the Normal recently.

Mr. Harry Manley, '05, has organized an old fashioned singing school in South Colton.

Mabel O'Brien is teaching at West Cranberry Lake this year.

Miss Martha Benson is at Massena this year.

Miss Charlotte Crowley who was at North Ferrisburg, Vt., last year, is at Croton-on-Hudson now.

The law office of Michael H. O'Brien is at 16 Court St., Brooklyn, N. Y.

Miss Winnifred Tompkins is teaching at Hornellsville, N. Y.

Mrs. James MacArthur, nee Miss Sadie Rutherford, is living in Thompsonville, Conn.

Mr. Jesse French, who completed his course at Middlebury College with honor last year, is now at Thompson, N. D.

Ida B. Clark has changed her address from Fort Collins, Colo., to German Hospital, St. Nicholas Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.

Prof. Stansbury Norse, who had charge of the Art Department here for several years, now has charge of the Art Department in Lombard College, Galesburg, Ill. We extend congratulations to Prof. Norse upon his delightful field of labor.

Dr. and Mrs. Leon Samson (nee Anna Chandler), both of the class of '00, visited the Normal recently. Dr. Samson completed his medical course in the University of Vermont last June, ranking second in the class of 48. The rank is given on the standings earned in the work of ir years, and to the five students having the highndings, special diplomas are given. We are glad of Dr. Samson's success in college, and extend wishes for continued success in his practice.

er

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Mrs. Mary L. W. Norris, nee Miss Mary Wood, a former teacher of elocution in the Normal, after spending some time in Tallapoosa, Ga., has returned north and is visiting in Belleville, N. Y.

Miss Eleanor B. Briggs has gone to California.

Mollie Reeve McEwen has been ill for some time with nervous prostration but is slowly recovering. We are pleased to note her two boys are good youthful Americans. Harold, aged 9, finished his lessons with a satisfaction which bubbled over in this announcement: "I am the President of the U. S." Merrill, his four year old brother, bound not to be out-done, shouted, "I am your Uncle Sam."

J. J. Lynch is Supervisory Principal of the Public Schools of St. Marys, Pa.

Miss Sarah Isham, who was at Orange, Cal., last year, is at Santa Clara, Cal., this year.

Mr. Wm. Hatch is at 135 Monmouth St., Newark, N. J.

Mr. Amos H. Gleason, who has been at Abercrombie, N.D., for some time, is this year at Minnewakon, N. D. Miss Edith Bower Parker, '95, is living at 40 West 128th St., New York City.

Mr. Thomas Sheehan, who was at Wickes, Montana, last year, is now at Silver Star, Montana.

Miss Minnie L. Benson is at Norwood, N. Y.

Mrs. Jennie Erwin Drake, of Dolgeville, N. Y., is spending some time with friends in Potsdam.

Edwin A. Merritt Jr. has again received the usual Republican vote from this assembly district, thereby giving him another term in the councils at Albany. Mr. Merritt has become so prominent that there is considerable said at to his being elected Speaker of the Assembly to succeed the late Speaker Nixon. The New York Sun recently spoke of his accomplishments in the following pleasing way: "Probably the man in the Assembly whom nature has graced more than any other wit' attribute of leadership is Edwin A. Merritt Jr.,

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the son of General E. A. Merritt, so long prominent in the councils of the Republican party in the state. Mr. Merritt is a graduate of Yale College, a lawyer and a business man. He has seen four years service in the Assembly and is as popular as he is forceful and able.”

We note also that Charles F. Murphy has again been elected upon the Republican-Municipal Ownership ticket in Brooklyn to be one of its representatives in the Assembly. Mr. Murphy made a good record last year and we are pleased to congratulate him upon his re-election.

E. F. McDonald of the State Department of Education visited Potsdam recently inspecting the new order of things.

H. H. Fay and F. L. Cubley were recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Potsdam Clothing Manufacturing Company.

Dr. Wm. W. Wright, '95, of Philadelphia was looking up old friends in town recently Dr. Wright has been the past year in a large hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and is now looking up a permanent location

He

Prof. Allen is the person all smiles just now. went hunting on a recent Saturday and before his guide and he had been out two hours he had bagged as fine a deer as one could wish for. It tipped the scales in Barclay's market when brought to Potsdam at 195 pounds.

The three candidates for school commissionerships in Westchester county, N. Y., were all elected. Mr. John Rockwell in the first district, re-elected. Mr. Charles Cheney, in the second district, made a good fight and received about 1200 majority. Mr. Herbert G. Covey, who last time won out by 30 votes, this year carried his district by over a thousand against the same candidate. Normalites about New York seem to be holding their own.

Frederick P. Close of South Colton, who studied law in the office of Charles A. Murphy of this village, has recently received notice from the State Board of Law Examiners, that at an examination for admission to the bar, held at Syracuse on the 19th day of October, he was one

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