Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-05
CANE PRESENTATION
At the Hall of tho knights of st. George,
Yesterday.

at the Hall of tho knights or st. GEORGE
Yesterday.
At tbs regular meeting ofthe Knights OF
st. George, at their new hall, yesterday, o
most pleasant event occurred, it being the
prssentstion to President 7. S. Riley of
fine gold headed cane. The presentation
speech was mads by Mr.. Hadlich, and was
as follows:
Mr.. PREs1DEYT-It affords me extreme
qualification to address you to-day in be-
half of the Knights Of St. George, who de-
sire in this public manner to express their
high appreciation and love for you, and
their sincere appreciation of your general
conduct whilst you have been q member,
andSof your official conduct whilst you have
been President of this Society. AS this is
the first general sssemblsge of our Society
in this new hall, we thought more fitting
time or place to extend our compliments
would perhaps not soon present itself
again. You, thought, yonr eminent ability
and fair aud impartial rulings, combined
with your smisble disposition, have
won the hearts and best wishes
of all your brother Knights.
When We first called upon you to fill the
position which you now holdin oubsociety,
your qualifications were as yet unknown,
but aa time rolled on and your term of Of
fee expired your record had surpassed the
most sanguine expectations of your most
enthusiastic admirers. Your brother
Knights, realizing this, as soon as practic-
able again elected you to fill the highest
executive Office of this society. You are
now serving your second term as our
President, which alone is signslly proof
of our great confidence in you as our
leader. Yet we are dissatisfied. We wish
to speak to you and tell you how grateful
we are for the many kindnesses you
have performed toward furthering the
aims and interests OF our society
Indeed Mr.. President we fail to find Ian.
guage to express the feeling of high
regard and love we have for you. There
fore We must satisfy ourselves by this al
most mute action.
The hearty interest which you have CON
tinuslly manifested in the welfare of this
our little organization and the love and
respect every member of it has for you has
prompted them to present to you, through
me, this gold headed cane, as slight token
oftheir mutual and increasing admiration
and esteem for yourself, and Of their graft
tude for your labors in their behalf. We
ask you, dear cir, to accept it as freely as We
offer it. Whilst We extend to you this cane
we cffer up prayer to God, that you may
never have occasion to bring il into active
service, but that it may faithfully serve il
coming years to imprint in your memory
photographs of the faces you see before
you to-day, and as You glance them o'el
in future years, you may occasionally zee
q vacant char caused by the death of some
brother Knight; may this token then serve
to polish your recollection 80 that you may
at that time see the knights again, as yor
see Them to day. also may it serve yor
as faithful reminder of the many pleas
ant hours spent in connection with the
early history of the Knights of st. George
OF Wheeling. W. Va.
Replying, President Riley expressed biz
thanks as follows:
| pENILEhEN AND
To say that I am surprised would be but g
mere index to my real feelings at this mo
ment. This beautiful cane was not neces
cary to convey TO me your appreciation
and approval Of my conduct while have
been your President. You have long since
betrayed your feelings toward me. Ia the
meantime you have taught to grow in my
bosom a stronger and greater love and at
taobment than it is possible for you to
imagine. accept this beautiful present
with sincere thanks and assure you it shall
forever have cherished place in my mem
DRY for you.
The cane is fine ebony stick with a
handsome gold head, upon which is the
following inscription:
Presented
TO
T. S. RILEY,
Knights of ST. George
Wheeling, W. Va,
April 4, 1856.