The Washington herald., 1922-01-15
GRAND OLD Pine
OF DARTMOUTH
TO Be HONORED
Forestry Association to
Learn of Historical Pine
At Dartmouth College.

when shall we three meet again
is the way they sing on class day
at old Dartmouth college. The
pine is gone about which the song
once was sung. but it stood for
many a day. and has been nom
mated for a place in the Hall OF
Fame for Trees, which Is being
compiled by the American Forestry
Association at Washington. The
association wants TO hear from all
the old-timers. particularly the
class of 90.
Nomination is made by Allen B.
Downs, of Lebanon, N. H, who has
furnished the association with q
great deal OF data in connection
with the pine gathered from the
history OF the class of 1856. by for
mer Gov. B. F. Prescott, which was
published in 1888. Eugene Francis
Clark. secretary of the college. and
Prof. c. H. Emerson, former dean,
were kind enough to interest them
selves with Mr.. Downs in the mat
ter.
trees were set out at Dartmouth in
1852 and 1858, Gov. Prescott's his
tory shows. They We're the gift Of
the Hon. Joel Parker. The class Of
IS marched to THE Old Pine fol-
lowing an address by Asro Dyer.
Then the chronicles were read by
william s. Leonard and the prophe-
cies made by Robert Samuel. What
interesting reading those documents
would make now.
In a sketch of the old pine by
Herbert D. Foster and Henry G.
Jesup it is found that some old
time classmen do not recall the
famous tree. but others do. The
sketch in part says;
The old Pine judged from its
carefully and independently counted
LIZ rings, may be safely assigned,
according to the best arboricultur-
lists to within a year or two of
1888, for its origin.
Jacob Gale. SO. is the earliest
alumnus to report as current in his
college days. a vague legend OF
three Indians, singing about a tree
their farewell song, beginning,
When shall we three meet again?'
Former President S. c. Bartlett re-
members to have seen the story and
poem in print before he entered
college in 1882.
THE earliest "reminiscences of the
Old Pine is from Jas. F. Joy, '3s,
who writes: The "Old Pine" was
standing, of course, in my day, and
there were stories current then
about some class which graduated
just before I entered college gath
ering about that tree and singing
Aud Lang Syne" before parting
DIR. John Ordroneaux, so, says:
Under its shade / have sat and
danced on commencement day with
my classmates as did others before
my day and since. The class of so
celebrated Gen. Scott's domination
by a cannon salute from under the
pine, but were stopped by Prof.
Hubbard. whose house had been
struck by a stone put in the cannon
by some rogue without the knowl-
edge of the gunner. Rev. ]. o.
Emerson, one of "the quarter of the
class to be ministers who smoked
not-tobacco." writes: Our class of
SO had q short address and smoked
the pine of peace and sung the song
under the old Pine at this it's
final meeting."'".
On July %. 1887, the "old Pine
was struck by lightning. and on
June IL, 1892. Its main branch was
broken by a whirlwind. As IL 1t
were an old friend. the word passed
around among its alumni, "The Old
Pine is dying" Its friends tried to
save 1t In 1894. but in spite of the
greatest care it failed to replace Its
brown needles with green ones in
the following spring. After wilt
Messing its last class day. II was cut
down February 20 and ~, 1895. A
shot was found in the seventy ninth
ring from the outside. The total
height was seventy-one feet. The
stump. four feet high. is left stand
ing. and has been treated with a