The Portland daily press., 1880-12-16
PRESENTATION.
Honors Paid to Retired Business Man

A few months ago Mr.. Samuel Rolfe, well
known as an old and established druggist of
this city, retired from business to enjoy the
fruits of long and busy life. His fellow
craftsmen, with whom he was always a warm
friend, resolved that his retirement should not
pass by unnoticed and hit upon plan to both
surprise and honor the friend for whom they
had so much respect. Accordingly last evening
| they met at the store of Mr.. Edmund Dana
and proceeded in a body to the house of Mr.
| Rolfe, accompanied by Chambers band. After
reaching the house and being admitted, DR.
Loring, who acted as spokesman, stated that it
was rather an unceremonious way to enter a
gentleman's house, and called upon Mr.. Ed
mund Dana to explain. Mr.. Dana did so as
| follows:
1t gives me pleasure. Mr.. Rofe, to respond
to that call and will state in few words the
object of this visit to you at this time. 1t is to
congratulate you ON the successful close of fifty
| years of your business life as an apothecary.
| 1t is to show you by our presence here tonight
| that we respect the man who, by his indomlta-
| BILE will, industry and energy has made his life
success Fifty years ago it required strong
| and self-relant man to perform the duties OF
| an apothecary. From year to year new obser-
vationS and new deductions have been made;
| colleges of Pharmacy have been established;
| associations, National and State, formed, until
| we stand now second to none in practical Phar-
macy, and nearly all the growth of the last
| fifty years. During all these fifty years, Mr.
Rolfe, you have had the opportunity to witness
the constant changes occurring around you.
Pharmaceutical chemistry and practical Phar-
macy were among all those years contributing
their share to the alienation of human suffer
ing, prolonging life and rendering still greater
the destinies and possibilities of our race
When you engaged in the business of an apoth
ecary there were few precedents to follow, few
landmarks to guide, and we hope this evening
| to listen to some of your experience during
those fifty years.
In reply Mr.. Rolfe extended to them a
| hearty welcome, and in short speech
gave history of his life as an apoth.
ecary, from fifty years ago the Both
day of last April, when !. he undertook his
| first job in pharmacy, that of mixing pare
| goric, to the present time, how he first en-.
| tered as an apprentc e with a Mr.. Durgin on
the stand now occupied by Geo. c. Shaw &
| Co., and the trials he encountered after
| entering business for himself, being burnt out
once and meeting with many difficulties, but
| by persevering had surmounted them ALL
| The company then retired to another room
where, in the name of the druggists of Port
land, Mr.. II. Fl. Hay, in well made speech,
psesented Mr.. Rolfe with group of Rogers
statuary entitled "The Charity Patient" Mr.
Rolfe expressed his thanks, saying that it
would always be to him a reminder of the
friendly relations between them.
| The guests were then invited to the dining
room where tables loaded with everything te
tempt the appetite were waiting and to which
ample justice was done. The remainder OF
the evening was spent socially, excellent music
being furnished by Chandler, and the gentle
men then retired to their several homes.
The success Of the affair was due mainly tc
the untiring energy and excellent, manage.
ment of DR.. Loring, who or iginated the plan
and who did much towards its execution.