The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-01-22 00:00:00

OLD PEOPLFB BUPPER.

In response t> a hearty invitation issued by Mr. 0
Greening and the committee, about 120 old people
assembled at the Pease-lane Temperance Hall on
Monday evening, where a substantial supper had been
provided. This excellent movement we inaugurated
by Mr. Greening three year, ago, and we are pissed
to record the Increasing soccer whieh has attended it.
After the supper had been done fall juitios to, and
Me huge plum puddings despatched, the choir sang
the appropriate hymn "Scatter Seeds of Kindness."
Mr. °aerate° said It we rather over twelve
months ago they had a simile gathering to that.
Us we thankful to say this was the third gathering
they bad been permitted to have, and he did ant know
bow heoould better iesoribe them than by calling them
"good, better. beet." (Applause.) The first wee held
on January fith. the second on January 10th, and the
third on Janaary 14th. He expressed his pleasure
&seeing resent their worthy member, W. E. Brymer,
,and the Mayor (H. Dardeo, &rut (Applause )
Speenter of the object of the master, M. •reening
said thew gatherings were carried out in most towns,
and some few years ago there was • dinner given to
the old people of Dorchester by Mr. Alfred Pope,
Men Mayor of Dorchester. Bo far as he mold re.
Inenaber, with the exception of when the Queen was
crowned, be bed only seen two such gatherings. He
believed Dr. Aldridge gave • dinner or supper, and
Mat was all the meetings of that hied that he could
tall to his mind. When Mr. Pope gave his dinner he
(Mr. Greening) thought how nee it would be if some-
one wecdd take It up and carry it on from that day.
Ho told Mr. Pope his mind on the subject and he
kindly gave him something towards the supper
that night. (Applause.) He had no doubt
the Town 0000 M would have granted the
ass of the Oorn Exchange, but, somehow or other,
Ow would rather have • place of their own. Some
debt yam ago the trustees put that plate in their
hands to use it for temperance work or similar meet-
Inga. When they first had it there were the uld-
taadeeted pews In the middle, but they obtained
permiwilon to remove them, and so he thouxht that
tree the place for the old people's supper. L rd
Albeit= ad Mr. Brims kindly contributed to that,
*Mob was No. 1, then came No. 2, and the was No.
S. The invitation was thrown out for all persons of
SO years and upwards to come to that supper. He
himself was not entitled to sit down with them, as he
wall not pi 80, but he might tell then he was drawing
pretty Ore. (Laughter.) There wee considerable
attention this year; some of three who were primal
lad year were now no more, they had passed ;
hat those who had attained to MlllOllO, age were
more in number than those who had passed amity. If
any were sitting there that night who were not gaits
an. it wtrn their own look out the/ might expect
WI- obildren to tell fibs, but not grown up people.
=teed When he asked Mr. Brylitir to preside
him there wag • little prejudice against the
end If he would kindly peel& It would tend
e,ably to remove that prejudice. (Hear, heard
Since be onteented, he (Mr. Greening) told bin let
year the place wall uncomfortably mu. aad if he liked
to have it at the 0 ms Exchange they could to so.
Bet Mr. Brynner replied, "Sn, let it be up there this
owe." He admitted he wee sorry to lose his familia&
whether big or little, for he looked upon this asa social
tewity gathering. The invit,tion was thrown out to
all, and even if the Mayor we GO he war oatitlei to
tit down with them. (Laughter.) When be asked
• Bryoser to preside he said, " Mind, I am not
gokag to take the blue ribbon up there." (Laughter.)
Now this was some of the prejudice they had to knock
away; that was not • blue ribbon meeting; it was a
meeting fog anyone, but neither for politics, or religion,
or anything of that sort, but a social family gathering
ke all over 60 years of age.
lan (Appian...) Still,
should Ur. limner change his min said he
would take it. be had got • bit of the blue all ready.
(Laughter.) He was never defeated when a man said
Le should not take it, for they were the very ones to
• tt. (Hear, beer.) He was pleased to tall them he
bad entered on his 40th year sea total abstainer, and he
sonaldsrod he we • living testimony to the power of
...4,,,,..t1pp1ane5.) He then called on the
Mayor topo
Tbs ULTon. who addressed the old people as" My
ertd.h
imials," said when twelve months ago Mr.
asked him to go to • similar gathering he
was too unwell to attend, so that was the first time he
had had the vielenre of appearing &mourn them Hs
could only say be was very delighted to see such a
✓espectable body of poor people met together that
wowing, and he was very pleased to see them so well
employed. He wan not guile 60 himself, therefore he
was not eligible to become one of them ; still be hoped
to live to be old enough to do so. (Applause.) He
was sure all of them ought to be very much obliged to
Mr. Greening for his very great kindness ioe
tting
up that dinner. (Applause.) It we principally due
him that It was such a success as it had that
evening, for although others might find the rakes of
war, and he might be assisted by a committee, the
responsibility and the labour devolved mainly upon
ggr. (keening, therefore be thought they might very
heartily congratulate him upon the success that even-
t., otppiesteed Although Mr. Grossing said he
bad not no messy as het year, he could only saw be
did not know where he would put them If he had any
mom If be hal simply hinted to him that he would
Ike to have the Core Exchange be was sure be would
very readily have granted It ; they mlOs certainly
have stowed away a low more than they could is
pas room They most all look app. It an a noose,

and he was very Owed t 0... thou all eojeyles
theamtivaa They bad had le very lolly evening, and
he hoped a good many &moor" them would be spared
to partake of that hospitality afforded them f ,r m toy
years to come. (Applause.) Gap. were male in the
ranks, but they saw there was very little difficulty In
filling them up. Io c nicluelon His Worship wished
thano all a very Happy New Year. (Lou! applause.)
Mr. W. E. Hamm, who was very warmly cheered,
ensured them at gave him very great pleasure to be
&mooed them. SOOIO time ago, when Mr. Grainiug
asked him to cocoa there, he toll him he should be
most happy. When he came and showoi him that
hall be was very pleased with it. Mr. lifooolng ha I
told them with perfect truth he prelsrred to coins
there to his own abate, and for which he had dons so
much, for be preferred it altogether to the rown Hall.
Perbanits os the Mayor had said, it would accom-
modate ever oci many more, still this we. • most
comfortable place, and It had been adorned in every
way it possibly could by Mr. Greening; and it mid a
great (Mal for him that he bad promoted those gather.
Mgt year after year. (AppLeuse) One tidal, tinw-
ares', he wished to say' he did not quite Wiwi with
Mr. Greening in one thing he said, that there might
, be some there under 60, but they did not sap's" them
Ito tell fibs, as only little boys tall fibs- Now, most of
those present were tethers or mothers, acid be
' Impreseed on them the importance of never letting
their children tell fibs. Bring them up to speak
strictly the truth, and never to say more or less; they
would than understood what it wreath respect the truth.
(Rom, Mar.) Let each of them think to therneelms
bow many people are there, whom they knew iudividu-
olly, who spoke the truth. Ile o,uld not say he knew
three individuals who always spoke the truth—not I
regularly the truth, without elm owing • word.
For instance, a man who bad killed • little bird would !
say he killed two, but only brought home one. UN
course he did not mean to tail an uotruth, but another
year he gave out that be had killed three, and so it
went on like that. Tome things did a great deed cll
harm, unison it we, checked lo inlaocy. LI Minis.°
particularly they ought to teach than to speak the
exact truth, never to thy less than the truth or m ire,
for if they said lees than the troth they very often took
people's charadas away. By spooking the simple
truth they behaved to their neighb furs as to them-
selves, which was one of the greet laws, and which
had always been tidied even in their most Blamed
Book the &mood Commandment. Lie was very glad
to be there that night' he had seen some of
them doing remarkably well, and he Gadd mg,
say when he bed come to the patriarchal age of
70 a 80 he hoped he should have such an appetite
as b• had sees those thatitight. Oirminly the ant
course wanted Meth, but the second did not, and he
sew both courses one miter souther disappear with
great rapidity. (Laughter.) And be did not think
it wanted much liquor to wash than down, for they
went down without any liquor at all--(laughter)—
carttinly without, an Mr. Greening would say,
alcoholic liquor. (Laughter.) Now Mr. Gramm/
gave him • tiosnothatet is asking him whether he
would take the Bios Ribbon. He could only ney he
did not agree with it; he said so fairly, but even if he
did not he we. still liberal enough iu his opinions to
honour everybody who had didereut opinions of their
own. (Applansa) Ho believed the Bins Ribbon
movement bad done au amazing deal of good through-
out Enslend, foe it was what the country wanted.
Them wee many men—very many—who took their
wages and drank them away, instael of spending them
on their homes. But how did sil this evil come about?
That we. what be wanted to know. Why were the
wagon spent In the publimbouse instead of In the
booms? It was became the homer of the 'amities
alaesee in England were of the most abominable kis&
kPPlatisis.) Many of the working claws in England
lived In places where pigs ought not to be, (land
ii,ipiouee.) H. had seen it in many ports, but be
would say this for this county--although they had
been very bad—he thought they would now compare
with any county in linglaud. (Rear. hear) And he
was glad to say so, for he knew what be bad done in
this direction and his forefathers before him. They
ought to do all they oould to house the poor people
for if they did not do Ito they would
them out of the publichomse. filmy of them,
came over his way and they might ask how
were the publichoutes going on in their part of
the world. He could tell them they all said
they were (obi( down-hill. He did not object
to • man taking a glass of beer, for he did not think
If he took it in moderation it did him any harm.
People ought to be moderate in everything—moderate
In their drinking, in gating, and In their actions.
Never speak against their neighbours, and be
moderate in their talking, for he believed there was
more berm done by immoderate t slung than anything
else Immoderate. When people talked immoderately.
not only of their napalms, but of their inferior., and
also of those in their own station in life, they di 1 more
harm awl sinned more against their fell owe than In
any other way. He requictsd every one who acted up
to his ornecleocs. Their firet duty whenever there
was anything tr he done in life, whether they got up
In the morning, or whether they went to bed at night.
If they did any action, let them ask this question,' 111
It right 1" He always said anyone who asked that
qoestion was sure to get aright answer from his con
science, and that wee the proper way of looking at •
thing. (Hear, hem.) He again expreseed his pleasure
at beim present, ani he could only enure Mr. Green.
ing and the committee if he mold in any way help
them or 000 duce to the complete happiness of the
poor people by coming there every you, he should
be moot happy at any time to do so. (Loud cheers.)
(Mr. (laectiat, edema's to what the hon.
member had said on the publichouse questi ,n, asked
all those present above 15 Jean, who were in favour
of Sunday Closing, to hold up their hands, and • large
number rospon led.)
Mr. W. Duane, said there was one thing they
must do before they ported, and that was to accord a
vote of thank. to Mr. Greening for the way in which
be had got up that supper, and made them all so c
foi table that night. (Amplatine.) There was • • mi.
inittaa formed, and he was quite sure—although it was
Mr. Greening's proposal—he would not have carried
it out without the abia assistance of the committee.
(Applause.)
Mr. Davie, On behalf of the committee, thanked
Mr. Diadem for the kind way in which he had pro-
posed the vote of Quake to those who had Melded In
, this noble came of temperance and philanthropy. In
I return he proposed a oordial vote of thanks to Mr.
I &yoga and the Mayor for their kindness in attend.
ling._ (Applause.)
Mr. Ccome seconded the motion, which was carried
' by acclunetion.
Mr. &yam., the Mayor. and Mr. W. Dorian thin
left. and ths choir woe taken by Mr. E. J. thy.
Toe CHAIRM•II delivered a brief sicker, and
introduced Mr. F. Mitts, who cello I fir the oldest
and the youngiat persona in the room and Mr. Seal,
aged 86, and • little girl named Wordy, about 11,
responded. They then shook hands amid load applause,
sad Mr. Mills promised them • memento of this !
pleasing event.
Addresses were also given by Mr. Gustaigu. Mr.
Moo's, Ur. Octets, Mr. Hour.. and Mr. Dom.
The Onataithe, be the course of the evening, took
mosision to refer to the abuse of the poor relief, and
mentioned two flagrant instmosii of battering relief
tickets.
. .

_
A oordlal vote of ttutuks was possod to Mr. Wood
for his doooratioos.

--Tb; following melated m carvers : &Tina,
Mr. IL Burdock, Mr. W. Darden, Mr. E J. Day, Mr.
H. Hamm* Mr. B. Mille, Mr. J. Hazel, Mr. R.
Staysail., Mr. Wo wi an 1 Mr. Bur leo ; assistance was
aleou.ten by Mrs. H. Darden,
en
Mrs. Wald, Mrs. J.
II Mrs. titayner, Mrs. Bard, Misses Basel,
Mimi *lliac, Mir Vine, and Mien Read.
Mr. Greasing, of entree. bore the brunt of the
battle, but be was ably thstited by the committee of
the Dorchester Total Abatinenoe Society, and
especially Mr. Clarke, who rendered valuable sills
looltiag up the old people.
The following "quantities " will interest the reader:
—About 1811 lb.. of meat, 120 lb.. of podding. 20
loaves, two bashels of potatoes, and liquor (not
alcoholic) eel libitum.
Besides the 180 who sat down, breed and meat and
pudding wave entiplied to 58 old and Infirm people on
Lb. ',Mowing day.
The committee sal the B sod of Hope children sat
down I. tea on Wednesday evening, and spent • very
swimmable ti_

--fb• Prinoipal donors to the dinner were Lord
Alingtort, Mr. W. B Brymer, the Mayor of
Dorchester, Mr. B. WitUttar. jun., Sir. J. llasel, L)r.
sad Kra. Aldridge, and Ilk E. J. Day.