St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-16

dress of welcome was made by the pres
ident of the evening, Hon. b. ID. Har-
ris, who paid deserved tribute to the
pioneers of the Vermont press and
gave a cordial welcome to the assOcia-
ton and their guests in behalf of the
citizens of this village. The address
was choice in language, gracefully de-
/ livered and warmly received.
On behalf of the Vermont press assO-
citation, the president, A. n. Swain of
the Bellows Falls Times, made fitting
response, in which he made very
pleasant allusious to his early life, a
portion OF which was spent i'll the
beautiful town where we were then
quartered.
In speaking for '"The state of Yer
mont Lieut.. Gov. Ormsbee confessed
that he was embarrassed by the mag
nitude of the theme, and by the fact
| that in the company there was but one
opinion upon the subject. The pride
of Vermont is her children. The names
of Senator Edmunds and Minister
| Phelps were received with great APP
plause. The speech concluded with
an earnest appeal to members of the
press to care for the educational inter
ests OF the state After music by the
orchestra Hon. @. @. Benedict of the
Burlington Free Press was called upon
to respond for ''The Press" The
speaker was able from his own eXpe-
rience TO testify to the progress which
| the press of Vermont had made III this
generation. Both in the number of
papers and in the extent of circulation
it had doubled within the last thirty
years. Referring to the Lieutenant
| Governors remarks on education, Mr..
| Benedict said that the press was al
ways ready to do its full share of work.
The apparent increase OF lillteracy was
due not to IA degeneration among our
New England population, or to the
weakness of our public schools, but to
the increase in the foreign population.
"The Judiciary of Vermont" was
well represented 10y Judge Veazey of
Rutland, who spoke wittiiy in regard
to the power of the press. The crown
ing evidence adduced to prove its pow
Ell is the fact that no instance is re-
corded of one who has received an in
vitatiOn to n press banquet and has
been able to resist. In conclusion
Judge Veazey called Speaker Batchel-
der to his aid to finish his speech. In
responding Mr.. Batchelder paid Il glow
ing euIOgN 10 WollldnhiHu.
Rev. j. X. Bartlett of Mortified, be-
ing both an editor and clergyman,
was evidently the one to respond for
"The Clergy" and by several well-told
stories showed that the presence OF the
clergy was not calculated to throw any
preternatural sOlemnity over the festal
gathering. He acknowledged the uni
formly kind and generous treatment
and willing aid which the clergy of
Vermont receive from the press.
The institutions and people of "Brat
tleboro".received felicitOus recognition
from Hon. j. NJ. Tyler, whose remarks
were continually interrupted 10y APP
plause, and especially his illustration
of the (supposed) favOrite cumulative
method of reckoning newspaper clrcu-
lations.
At this point in the after-dinner pro-
gram Misses Howe and BrasOr OF Brat
tlebOrO saig IA duet which was received
with Il storm of applause.
''The Public Schools of Vermont"
was responded to by b. f. Bingham of
Brattleb0ro. He said that he was the
oldest teacher of public schools in Yer
mont, and he loved the work. Mr..
Bingham spoke for several minutes i'll
au earnest and forcible manner.
The program was happily finished
by ex-Gnv. Proctor who spoke to the
concluding toast, "The Ladies'" and
kept his auditors in IA prolonged uprOar
of laughter by his telling points of true
mother wit.
At the close of the regular program
the irrepressible Atkins undertook to
rally Col. Hooker politically when he
found the ready colonel loaded as usu
AL At 30 the ''gOOd nights" were
said and the company broke up.
Thursday morning most of the party
saw the sun rise for the first time this
season, rs the order left was to be
"called at L." and at 4.45 the train
started for New London on the Sound.
OF the trip thither and what occurred
there we cannot do better than con
dense the excellent report made for
the Boston Journal by Charles 5.
Forbes, one of the party:
The Central Vermont management
and the New London Northern railroad
cOurteously furnished a special train
of four fine passenger coaches tor the
ride to Long Island Sound 1t was a
merry aud happy lot of excursionists.
At Palmer the party breakfasted and
then continued to press on to the sea. !
Arriving at New London the party
embarked on the cOmmOdious steam |
boat Block Island of the New London
steamboat company. The ocean trip
of 40 miles to Block Island was most |
enjoyable, the day being perfect and
the sea calm. The party spent the at
ternoon in carriage drives about this
quaint old place, inspecting the light
1 10,
came into harbor and purchasing the
weapons of the swOrd-fish, walking OH
the beach and gathering moss and
shells, etc.
The notable event of the association
while on the island was the cOmpli-
banquet rendered the assOcia.
ton and its guests by Mr.. Nicholas
Ball, proprietor of the Ocean View hO-
tel, and which was arranged by Man
ager Marden. The spacious dining
hall. was deliberately decorated with
hags, bunting and flowers. Over 200
plates were spread for the occasion.
The menu cards contained on their
covers the gilded imprint of the Yer
mont state seal and an impression in
blue of the Ocean View hotel.
Besides those already named rs pres
ent at the Brattleboro gathering, the
persons occupied seats at the
table as guests Justice S. F. Miller of
the United States supreme court, and
Governor Fl. c. Harrison Of Connecti-
tut. President A. \. Swain presided
md the banquet was a most elegant
)ne. Rare exOties exhaled their fra
Irance from beautiful sea shells, and
he choicest delicacies were served
IN mother of pearl and half shells of
he finest tints. Operate gems were