Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-05-23
THE PRESS BANQUET.
A square meal TO the Press Gang-The
Alden Factory - Scene of Festiv-
ity-DrIed Fruits and Dry
LiquOrs-A NOtewOr-
thy Sunday Din-
neE.

According to previous announcement
the dinner to the members of the
press was given Sunday at the AL
den Factory by Mr.. George B. Davis,
manager of the establishment. Mr..
Davis has been In charge of the Alden
interests in this section tor over a year,
but last season being a short crop, he
did not operate the works. This year
there is every evidence Of an immense
fruit crop and Mr.. Davis gave this
dinner as kind of grand opening for
the Alden Fac tory of Los Angeles.
PRELIMINARIEs.
The spacious factory was ornament
ed with flowers and evergreens, and on
the tables were arranged samples of
fruit, vegetables and meat dried by
the Alden process. The guests spent
over an hour in examining the list of
articles of food in trade packages
spread before them. The collection
comprised in part Bartlett pears, da m- :
son plums, blue plums, green cages,
Anglode plums, Washington plums,
apricots, Fellenberg prunes, raisins
| (6 varieties,) cherries, peaches, cur
rants, blackberries, STRAWBERRIES, ap-
piles, grapes, potatoes, onions, toma-
toes, pumpkin -four, peas, beans, corn,
beets, squash, mutton, ,clams and beef.
The respective merits of the various
dried commodities were carefully con-
| sidered. as the visitors tasted every
thing from strawberries to onions, and
| satisfied themselves of the excellence
of the Alden Dryer. When discus
| sion became particularly warm over
the relative merits of dried fruit and
vegetables, trial of the wine that
cheers but does not inebriate always
facilitated an early and agreeable de-
cision. The time thus passed pleas
antly until o'clock when
DINNER WAS ANNOUNCED.
The tables groaned under the weight
of good things and the hungry guests
groaned with anxiety to commence
the practical test of the excellence of
the Alden products. At the head of
the table sat our friend, d. Freeman,
who presided with eminent dignity
and carved with the greatest precis-
ion for the guests. At the foot of the
table sat Mr.. Ayres, of the Erpress,
while about forty other invited guests
crowded the hospitable board. 1t was
pleasing to see the assiduity with
which Mr.. Davis piled his guests with
good things. Nothing could exceed
his good nature, and everything was
supplied from dried apples and onions
to splendid dessert, washed down with
champagne, sauterne, and claret.
THE TOAsTS.
These were necessarily informal
and were introduced by Mr.. r. ID.
Pitt proposing in few spicy re-
marks "The Alden Works, may they
be extended all over Southern Califor-
nia." This was responded to by Mr..
Davis, who alluded to the great work
already done and the great field still
open. In conclusion he assured those
present that there was no limit to the
capacity of the Alden Dryer, that
many articles not now dried would
soon be in shape to be shipped dry to
any part of the world
Mr.. Spalding, of the HERALD, then
proposed the health of "George b.
Davis, the enterprising manager OF
the Alden Works" }" which was drunk
standing.
President Freeman in few we'll
chosen remarks introduced "The Press
"a pnblic necessity, and the safety OF
the nation.n
A response was made by Mr.. Gard
ner, of the HERALD who thanked the
President for his courtesy to the mem
bers of the profession present and gave
brief statement of the duties and
powers of the much abused profession.
"The City of Los Angeles, the Sec
ond city of California and commercial
metropolis OF the southern section"
was the next toast and was responded
to briefly and po ntedly by Ex- Mayor
Toherman.
The next toast was "Anaheim, our
sister city, may she soon have hel
Alden Factory" responded to pleas
antly by Mr.. Athearn, of the Ana
helm Gazette.
After few moments, passed in de-
sultory conversation, motion to adj
journ was carried. A parting toast to
all the Alden products, from onions to
peaches, was drunk in sparkling cham.
| nanna AMI the nleas sad and well filled