Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-24

The banquet to the engineers at Hotel
Lafayette drew near its close, so far as the
gastronomic part was concerned. about
II 80 O'Clock. and then the feast of good
things gave way to tie flow of soul and
amid the popping of the festive and in
spring corks, the bubbling wit and elo-
quence of the company broke forth and
the following toasts were drank and re-
sponded to. Hon, W. w. McNair aud Judge
Flandrau officiating as toast masters:
ToAsTs.
l. The American civil engineer The
pioneer and perfector of our civilization,
he marshals the forces of nations to con-
quer natures obstacles. Response by D.
J. Whittemore, Milwaukee.
,. The engineer corps of the United
States army. While its motto Is simply to
try, its practice IS always to accomplish
Response by VIM. ". MetcaIf, Pittsburg.
,. Steam, that wonderful agent which has
increased the power OF man hundredfold
solicited nations, brought continents to-
gether, and introduced the remotest cor
ners of the world into familiar intercourse.
Response by John LaWlOr, Prairie Du
Chien.
I. Commerce, the system that enables
men to fulfil their highest terrestrial des-
tiny-that of contributing to the happi-
ness of each other. Response by Z. D.
Meier, st. Louis.
5. Minnesota, while its enterprise fur
nishes a grand field for the labor of the
engineer, its lakes supply an eIysium for
his recreation. Response by John ".
Bennett.
6. Electricity, formerly known as fire
from heaven, it has now become familiar
companion by whose magic influence
thought put its girdIe round the earth and
darkness banished. Response by Chas. E.
Emery, New York.
Hon. W. D. Washburn opened the exer-
clses of the toasts in few we'll chosen and
complimentary remarks to the engineers.
and then called upon Judge Flandrau as
the toast master of the evening, who an
nounced that he had banquet for the
mind in store and called upon John Whit
temore, of Milwaukee, to respond to the
first toast.
Not long ago a man came to me who
said he had son that was wrong in the head
and whom he tried to get into an insane
asylum, and seeing that we wanted a man
to head party to the Black Hills, he
brought him round because he was just
the man we wanted. Well, civil engineers
are human beings, and the people of
Minneapolis and St. Paul have treated US
as such and a good deal better. ask all
present to imagine what the American
civil engineer has accomplished ia this
great northwest, and to consider that
what they have done here, is but sample
of what they have done all over the world.
And what is true of the native
is no less true of the foreign engineer.
I sb 70 5o417 If %ba
engineer. A young man once applied for
a position on a railroad, understanding
that it was the great civilizer. He wanted
to go onto the engine, for he knew that
was what made the substructure valuable.
He went on until ne became superintend-
ent or road master or engineer on a rail
road leading into Chicago. By and by he
became general manager of new road
and is member Of this society, Charles
Paine, its president. Applause.
The second toast was responded to as
follows by John Lawlor:
Few but such prophets as Watts and
Stephenson and Fulton comprehend the
wonderful mystery Of steam at its birth.
The engineer has always been hard upon
the heels of nature and has forced her 10
give up her secrets for the good of man
kind. Steam is the courage of capital,
the Neptune of the sea, the heiress OF the
land. There is nothing the genius of man
and steam cannot accomplish. It is the
bearer of civilization; the locomotive pre-
cedes the wagon and the pillow. Steam is
the spirit of commerce. 1t knows all the
languages Of the earth. It is the herald
and the guardian Of civilization.
The next toast was responded to as
follows By Mr.. Metcalf:
The best young men in the country.
those first II attairments, are appointed to
the engineer corps. In war we know they
are first, On the front of the light, and in
peace We know they are first, as they come
IN contact with us. We find them civil en-
gineers and men OF the first rank. The
government trusts them, for it trusts them
implicitly with appropriations of millions.
They are model for all young engineers.
The next toast was responded to by
Meier
Commerce is the life b God of the young
giant of our civilization. 1t pours your
surplus wealth of golden grain as
q fructifying stream throughout the world.
Il is the symbol of the progress of the
great northwest. To it we owe the OBJ
portUnities for the labors we delight in
We build its highways, its mills, we save
and our end.
The next toast was responded to by F.
R. Delano
Minnesota is the girl we are proud to
introduce to you gentlemen of the board
of engineer. This is elysium-a dwelling
place for happy souls after death-a place
after death furnished with sweet lakes,
Astounding game, etc.
Now, gentlemen, here is where we 90 to
when we die-here in this North Star
state. If you cannot come now, come after
you die, and you shall have all the bene-
fits. Bound by river ties to the four quar-
tiers of the globe you are on the dome of
the continent. You are in the heart of its
civilization.
The next toast was responed to by
electricity. The value of electricity in the
future,Rs now,will be not so much the force
itself as the medium of transmission. 1t
is the power on which we must ultimately
depend.
The closing speech was made by John
W. Bennett, of DEVILS Lake, few ap-
propriate and choice remarks, and the ban
quet closed-a pronounced success by all.