The Portland daily press., 1878-12-31

his Speech Specches-Financial
Condition of the Society.
NEW YORK, Dec. 30tb, 1878.
No social entertainment takes place in New
York in the course of the year, comparable in
attractiveness to the dinner of the New Eng
land Society. The number who can participate
in such festival is, unfortunately, very limited
because there is no hall in the city that seats SO
many as are always anxious to secure places.
The managers have been trying their best for a
long time to enlarge their accommodations.
They have been accustomed to engage Delmon-
leo for their host because he had the best
room that was available and could squeeze in
by the strictest economy of space 220 persons
They have for years been importuning Mr.
Darling and Mr.. Griswold, proprietors of the
Fifth Avenue Hotel-both members of tile So
ciety, by the by, the former Vermontsr, and
the latter native Of New Hampshire-to throw
open their grand dining room for this imposing
celebration. Hitherto these gentlemen have
stubbornly refused to yield the point; they in
sisted upon it that their guests would be in
convenienced by the irruption and they didn't
want the care and bother of making the neces.
sary preparations. But this year, whe her be-
cause they were tired of saying no, or whether
for the reason that they were at last brought to
realize how wrong it was to reject an organiza-
tion of which they formed part and which
had become by universal admission "the chief
head of the corner, they were persuaded to
waive their objections. Their decision gave
great satisfaction, for besides that the change
made places for quarter more guests, the sons
OF the Pilgrims had long felt that there was
something incongruous in their celebrating the
landing of their forefathers at a French res
taurant, albeit Delmonico is thorough cos
mopolitan and of so catholic spirit that no
one continent is broad enough to claim him.
oo oiisrtso pisss sari-e been oota,neo, rno
success of the dinner which occurred on the
23d inst, the 22d falling on Sunday, was per-
fectly assured. For that matter there could
have been no failure whatever premises had
been chosen. There is one day in the year
upon which all the emotions of love for, and
pride in, his ancestry are kindled iato flame in
the breast of the genuine New Euglander, and
as there isn't much opportunity till after night
fall for giving forcible expression to his feel
ings his heart is full of the subject when the
band begins to play the march which is the
signal for the procession to move from the re-
ception rooms to the grand banqueting cham
Der. This apartment of imposing dimensions
and tastefully decorated with flags and flowers.
presents wonderfully fine appearance when
the seats are all filled by sach a company.
There are in that assemblage many of the lead
ing minds Of the country in matters of COM
merce, finance, invention and enterprise of
every kind. The Presid ent of the Society, a
native of Maine, son of that grand old sboli-
ZIONIST, Gen. Appleton of Portland, who was
one of the earliest and most steadfast advo-
Gates of liberty, is fair type of the race of
which he is q representative. He came TO New
York about thirty years ago and got a
situation as clerk for watch making finn.
The house he was employed by imported all
the goods they dealt in from Europe, princi-
pally from Geneva. He was presently admit
ted as partner; the firm embarked in the bus
mess of watch making in America; the great
factory at Waltham was erected; the undertake
ing through good management and rare skill
thrived prodigiously; importations grew less
and less and finally ceased altogether; expor-
tations followed; they continued to increase;
now this admirable industry is so firmly estab-
lished that as good watches as there are in the
world are turned out by the American Watch
| Company. These things have been accom-
| plished within score or so OF years, by three
immigrants from New England, Regal E. Rob-
| bins, Henry A. Robbins and Daniel r. Apple
ton, all of whom are still in the prime Of vigor-
Gus manhood and as exemplary men in private
| life, as they are capable in the management Of
affairs. 1t is altogether suitable that gentle
man of this stamp should be at the head of the
| New England Society, in the metropolis OF
| America, the honor could not have been more
worthily conferred.
| Among the audience were Cyrus w. Field
the man whose restless energy led to the mar
vellous achievement of laying the Atlantic
! Gable, and Hugh McCullocb, who when Sec.
retary Of the Treasury mapped out the course
| which If it had been perssvered in would have
brought about specie payments several years
l ago, and spared US the great rsvulsion of 1873
| which was the penalty of violating the laws Of
| finance, which are as old as civilization and a:
iuexorable as fate.
| 1t was notable company Of strong m en-
| who had made or were making their way il
the world, in various avocatons creditably anC
usefuly-the younger portion of them full o.
| hope and confidence in the future, the elder
serenely rejecting upon the vieissitude
through which they had passed unscathed and
wearing the easy smile of satisfaction which
reveals the consciousness of being on COED
terms with fortune. As general rule th
people who attend such anniversaries are we'll
to-do in worldly sense. Your Yankee will
rarely 60 to the house of feastiDg unless he il
in humor to take his full share in the revel
| If things go wrong with him for while h
prefers TO stay at home and wait till he ha
| conquered difficulty and got into fourishin
| circumstances once more. The expense of tn
entertainment is not absolutely undeserving Q
consideration in the mind of a frugal ma
reared in the practice of the economies tina
prevail in the Eastern States. The price Of
ticket is ten dollars, and that sum does not in
| clude wines or cigars. A man may get off wit
less than fifteen dollars for the evening, but i
is well to calculate on that as the probable cos
There is no evening in the lifetime of an
member whether he be the most parsimonious
the most lavish when he will evince as lltt
concern about the expense as he will on tn
> eyentful night 1t is the one period of ii
. year when he sort of ''lets himself OUT wit
the fixed purpose of shaving a good time" r
gardless of cost and without any very strict o
servance of ceremony.
AS to the matter of guests the princip
: attraction of this particular occasion grew o
q of the presence of Senator Blaine. This ge
= tleman has been invited at least dozen 90
! oassiva tir,es. ha has often made condition