Great Falls tribune., 1889-07-17
TIMELY TOPICS.
SPEECHES BY MEssRs. WEBSTER AND
PUTNAM AT THE BANQUET.
Mr.. Webster Makes Terse Address on
the Growth of the Cataract City
Mr.. Putnam Speaks on
Montana WoOl.

The speeches of Messrs. Webster and
Putnam at the recent banquet were es-
pecially noteworthy. Mr.. Putnam of
Boston read poem which he composed
for the occasion. 1t was worthy Of a
townsman of the modern Athens and was
received with much applause.
Mr.. Gentlemen, the kind
words spoken here this evening concern
ing Great Falls have filled us with sense
of pride. We certainly feel very much
pleased with the fact that any guests
within our borders feels SO nicely about
il, feel that we have a nice town and nice
surrounding country, and we feel more
pleased that that 1t is expressed in such
nice language. We have in our midst a
gentleman who has grown up with the
town, who is looked upon by all as open
hearted, obliging and willing at all times
to advance the interest of Great Falls,and
who will respond to the toast, "Great
Falls, the Cataract City, sitting like a
queen on the banks of Broadwater bay,
the peer of any two year old in the world"
I have the pleasure Of introducing the
Honorable @. NJ. Webster. Applause.]
Mr.. Webster-My friends and our hon
ored guests, 1 feel very much like getting
up and upbraiding our toast master for
not complying with my wishes, as the
evening is advanced, and excusing me
from this toast; but he has been so over
kind as to do me more than justice in
his kind Introduction that do not see
how am going to get out of it. After
listening to hun and to the noble founder
of Great Falls, after listening to Mr.. Sta
Int 10 ahar OF
speech in regard to the place which he
has seen for the first time, after sitting
and listening to the master eloquence Of
our gifted Major Maginnis [applausel
hardly feel that can say anything that
will add much to the occasion. Mr.. Glib
son or Mr.. Collins might naturally have
been called upon to respond to the toast
of Great Falls because, as | am fully
aware in taking retrospective glance, it
is less than five years ago that they sat
upon that lonesome hill now, believe,
called "Strawberry Valley" or something
like that, and listened to and took part in
the plan which ultimately developed into
Great Falls. Less, or rather little over,
three years ago it took 81 hours to come
from Helena by coach. came into
Great Falls when there was scarcely any
thing to be seen; and can scarcely real
ize as l sit here tonight how much has
been accomplished in that time, far more
than my friend, Mr.. Dickerman, and my
self pictured to ourselves in our young
imaginations as we came along on the
road here. have heard it said that this
was a stown Of wind, water and future"
True, we do have little wind. 1t is
enough to keep the flies off from Great
Falls. [Laughter.] If some of our friends
IN, T fhav
had, little of our water it would be a
great blessing; and If you know of any
town in the country less than four years
old that wants to trade Futures" send
them right around and we won't trade.
Laughter. As 1 sat here tonight and
looked over at the Rocky mountains,
lighted up by the rays of the setting sun,
reflected q little bit, perhaps, upon what
might be the glorious prospect Of Great
Falls, and in that, believe the whole
state of Montana Is interested. thought
how much there was in store for us in the
next few years, now launching forth upon
statehood. thought that Montana might,
would and should be proud of her Helena,
of her Butte and her Bozeman and her
LiWngston-1 cannot go up the whole
llne-proud Of them all; but I believe
that we have right to claim, and be-
lieve that we will not have to assert our
claim, some Of Montana's pride. [Ap-
plause.
am not going to undertake to tell
about Great Falls, because am afraid
that some of my friends here that know
up on it, they would not get back to Hell
ena tomorrow; and l am not going to try
to sell any lots, either. Uaughter) l
will say that If your enjoyment Of this oc-
casion is as sincere and as heartfelt as
your welcome is to the citizens of Great
Falls, it will be unlimited. (Applause.)
Mr. Collins-The next toast is "The
wool buyer" have the honor Of intro
ducing one Of the best known of these
gentlemen who are in the market buying
wool, Mr.. F. H. Putnam, who will ably
represent that class. call upon him to
do honor to the occasion. (Applause)
Mr.. Putnam-Mr. President and Gen
tlemen, it is with reluctance that rise to
respond to this toast, especially as have
been SO hopelessly advertised as q
Kicker Perhaps | am. Although
wool buyers are not given to talking very
much, they do good deal of thinking
and they act Now, in the face of such
an assemblage as this and following such
eloquent gentlemen, naturally feel q
little bit shy; but there is one thing OF
which l would speak, and as personal
representative of class of men who from
year to year travel from the Gulf OF Mexi-
co on the south to Puget Sound on the
north, the buyers Of wool, am wei!
qualified to testify to the truth whereof
speak. refer to the kindly welcome
and genial hospitalities of the Montana
people to the strangers within their gates
Nowhere in this broad land of ours is II
excelled. (Applause) Gentlemen, the
Montana wool has made name and repu
tation for itself among manufacturers
which are second to none. (Applause:,
1t is not alone that you have the nutrl
tious grasses, the pure water and tht
glorious climate necessary to the produc
tion Of excellent wool; but the primary
fact seems to be that at the head OF thl
vast industry you find men.of business
and intelligence, (applause0 men who's
foresight and judgment have suggested =!
them the methods of breeding and hand
ling which have combined to produce TN
wool which is now commanding twenty
three cents pound at home. But this
perhaps, does not refer much to the WOO
buyer, manly to the wool grower. zap
plause.)
Capt. Merry of the Helena Journal re
sponded for the press. The speaker ha'