St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-17
THE BANQUET.
The Eve of the Anniversary APP
propriately COMMUNICATED.

Inc Eve OF the anniversary APP
propriately COMMUNICATED.
Normania hall was brilliant last
night for its dedication, and while un-
der society of people once foreigners.
the decorations visible both from with
out and from within gave the observer
the idea that it was purely American
organization that had spread them. and
most loyal citizens of the United States
who were iniating their new edifice
into usefulness on the eve of a
national day. For within, lighted
ND brilliantly by the electric
lights were displayed at every possible
point the stars and stripes. while the
colors of the motherland were displayed
with them tremendously. both to the
eye and the sense. From without the
streets at the corner of Twelfth avenue
and Third street South, were bright
with the light as it shown through the
flags at the broad windows. Within
the whole building was Illuminated
throughout the four floors. The first
floor was the banquet hall. Here five.
long tables extended the length of the
angles at the upper end of the
hall. and here the honored guests of the
evening were seated during the ban
Quet hour. Beautifully arranged bO-
Quets made the tables especially pretty.
The most beautiful of these were the
three ornamenting the head of the table
and composed largely of dainty tinted
roses. trimmed with Smilax. The sec
ond floor of the building is devoted to
an opera hall and very pretty room.
The fourth floor is divided into many
apartments. These two, with the gal
lery of the opera house, were brightly
illuminated. and here, during the early
part of the evening, the guests were re-
ceived.
At about $50 O'Clock the company,
composed of about 400 guests, formed in
line, and to the music of Danz's orches-
ira. filed to the banquet hall below.
As they gathered about the banquet
tables, President Olson, the POSTMASTER,
took his place at the head of the table.
with Gov. Merriam to his right and
Mayor Babb to his left.
Throughout the evening the inspiring
music from the orchestra floated out
over the heads of fair women and brave
men. A splendid banquet had been pre-
pared, and it was served in the most
pleasing manner.
1t is extremely doubtful if in all the
world outside of their native land a
finer body of Scandinavian people could
come together than the one that were
seated about the banquet tables at Nor
mama hall last night. Certain it is
that no place away from that old
country could they be more at home
than in the new temple which they
there dedicated to social enjoyment to-
gether.
POSTMASTER Olson called order early
in the evening, when six of the twelve
courses had been served. He spoke but
briefly, touching on the hall that they
were dedicating. the day on the morrow
that was dear to all OF their hearts, and
then he announced Gov Merriam as the
first speaker with the toast mime
sofa"
Gov. Merriam began, when the ap-
plause greeting him had died away, by
saying that the toast assigned him was
always an agreeable topic and one on
which he loved to dwell, but he said he
growth of the state. but that he would
call attention to the fact that the state
owed great amount of its prosperity
to the foreigners to whom the state had
opened her gate. He said:
Of all whom have come to our state
none have done more for her prosperity
than the honest. law-abiding and thrifty
Norwegian. He eulOgiZed the land of
the midnight sun, saying that its people
were of character that made it most
easy for them to harmonic themselves
with ideas of Americans. He spoke of
this being the centennial year of the
Inauguration of the first president of
the Republic, and spoke of how it was
to be the most prosperous year, and the
year in which the first steps were to be
taken in many directions for her ag-
grandlzement.
The governor met with hearty ap-
plause, and when he was through the
banQueting was continued for short
space.
At the close of another course Mr..
Olson announced the toast. Sweden
and Denmark, saying: while we are
proud of our old fatherland we are not
between the motherland and this new
home" Col. Hans Nelson, secretary
of state, responded. saying: st is
very remarkable occasion when the
Swedes and the Danes gather as the
guests of the Normania society in the
center of the Western continent" He
spoke of the time years ago when
the two races were but small and
insignificant tribes. He spoke of
their spread and their progress through
out the world. He spoke of the Scan
dinavian people as the originators of all
great things. He said that an Irish
friend of his in st. Paul had said that
every red headed Irishmen was the de-
scendant Of the Scandinavians and he
thought equally it was true that every
light complicated American. every sandy
whiskered, goteed American, with a
look at the governor was more
or less connected with the race This
brought down the house. and after
patriotic finale the gentleman closed
and the physical repast continued.
Mayor Babb was called on for a re-
spouse to the toast of 1.-The Northwest
ern Metropolis" He made a short
speech, saying many bright things about
Minneapolis. and calling out laughter
several times during its duration.
The other toastS of the evening were:
'sOur Robust Twin Brother, st. Paul.
Hon. G. A. Lommer: The Press" w.
E. Haskell: ''Normania Hail." Judge
Lars NJ. Rand: 1.-THE Scandinavian
and Their Relation to Lib
eral Education" Prof. Breia; 1.-The
Ladies'" Judge Dobbin.
Among the guests were: Gov. Mer- |
Ram, Mayor Babb, Col. II. Mattson, sec
rotary of state; Prof. Breda, N. II. !
Gjertson and wife, A. j. Blethen. w. |
Haskell and wife, DR.. Bendeke and |
wife, Lars NJ Rand and wife, 81. o. |
Peterson and daughter, Henry Gjert- |
son, John Struck and wife. AdOlph |
Bierman, revenue collector, st. Paul: |
Judge Larsen, Eau Claire; John Of |