From Gazette editions of November, 1961:

The Foote Memorial Shelter of the Mass. MSPCA at Edgartown needed extra pages for its guest book over Thanksgiving: The sojourning visitors numbered seventy-four, a new high record for an establishment that has seen some heavy demands upon its accommodations. Incidentally, the demand filled on this occasion shows the usefulness, not to say the indispensability of the shelter.

The guests included sixteen beagles, members of the famous Sir Sisters pack owned by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Prunaret of Natick and the Vineyard. This is the second oldest pack in the country, the ingratiating members of which have had runs on the Island before.

They were allowed to take over the cat run, with its individual houses, at the shelter, and to all appearances were well pleased. Thirty or more of the pack were left at home, but will doubtless be privileged another time.

William W. Pinney, who played an important part in the organization of the Martha’s Vineyard Cooperative Dairy in 1946 and has served as its president for many years, has sold his herd of forty-seven purebred cows and within a week or two will retire from the milk business. His decision to sell, Mr. Pinney said, was unavoidable. Though there will still be animals on his farm and the farm will be kept intact, he said he cannot longer continue with milking and other farm labor.

The purchaser of the herd is Raymond Fuller of Shrewsbury. Mr. Fuller will leave the heifers here to be raised and other heifers will probably be brought also. All but two of the forty-seven cows were born on the place, Sweetened Water Farm, named after the historic Sweetened Water Pond which is situated by the roadside — and Mr. Pinney remarked with some pride that the purchaser is impressed with the quality of the herd. A dozen years have gone into building up the herd since he and the late Arthur Hillman made a beginning.

Under the law, the president of the cooperative must be a producer and Mr. Pinney is therefore resigning that office in the Island dairy group. Mr. Pinney also said, with a smile, “You can put this in the paper, if you like,” that those who stopped buying milk from the cooperative because he was for the Regional High School, a visiting nurse, and so on, and against a Chappaquiddick marina, can now buy co-op milk freely. Mr. Pinney was referring to a phase of his career which, though he did not say so specifically, is not likely to be curtailed. Since he bought the former Clement Norton farm of ninety-five acres in 1945, he has been forceful in supporting such projects as the Regional High School and the Cerebral Palsy Camp, and many more. Not a few have been regarded as controversial, and Mr. Pinney has never modified his stand or softened his words on that account.

Two-thirds of a full page advertisement in the New York Sunday Times Book Review was given over to a portrait of a new fictional heroine — Kate Lattimer — who appears in Ann Hebson’s novel, The Lattimer Legend, this year’s winner of the Macmillan Fiction Award. “A woman as vibrant as Scarlett,” said the display line under the portrait. Many Vineyarders may have identified the vibrant lady of the picture as Diana Muldaur, daughter of Charles Muldaur, a lifelong summer resident of Edgartown. Since Miss Muldaur will appear also on the jacket of the book, her likeness will reach the literate corners of the earth.

One remembers a short story that James Thurber wrote in which Martha’s Vineyard figured significantly — an eerie piece concerning whippoorwills. One remembers how he remarked in a Gazette interview, “I love the Vineyard. There are so many nice quiet little roads that take you away from the water.” He was then managing editor of The New Yorker, but he said, “Don’t think it’s any distinction. Everybody starts there as managing editor and works his way down.” James Thurber’s death this past week moved those who knew him here and were glad and proud that the Island held him. How fortunate we have been in our visitors.

Hale and hearty, belying the fact that he escaped death by a hair’s breadth a few months ago, Samuel L. Fuller, West Chop summer resident, visited the Gazette office this week. At 85 he is actually the oldest summer resident of that distinctive community. He’s now a member of the Sixty Year Club. There is no sport which Mr. Fuller thinks the equal of fishing, especially on the Vineyard, and it was while enjoying it that he suffered his near fatal injury.

Mr. Fuller was bluefishing with Captain Authier when he was hurled overboard off Wasque, aboard his fishing chair. He was hauled back by the captain, but not before he was severely injured by the boat’s propeller. But he took it all in his stride, and although he wondered what the outcome would be, he solaced himself with littlenecks on the half shell while he awaited the ambulance. His injuries would have killed anyone but a superman, but here he is hale and hearty and fishing again.

Compiled by Cynthia Meisner

library@mvgazette.com