Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1889-07-17
PUBLIC WELCOME.
AND BANQUET AT THE PARK
HOTEL LAST NIGHT.
Worthy Guests-A Notable Assem-
blage-Eloquent Speeches and
General Hilarity. ..... .s

i all the essentials Of success the ban
\ last evening was a brilliant affair.
Od company, good fare, good wines
hbined above all with genuine hearth
and wit rendered the entertainment
dfying IN the extreme. "There was
dull speech all the night."said Maj
hIaginnis, who is good judge Of ora
\. after dinner and otherwise.
|,he informal reception at the Rainbow
very agreeable. The members well
ned cordially the visitors, who spent
time agreeably in conversation, re-
wing old friendships or making new
When the banquet hour came the dele
les, the wool growers and wool buyers
embled with leading citizens Of the
IN and vicinity in the dining hall Of
Park hotel. Here the tables were ar
ced with artistic skill by Mr.. Barnes
/ the electric light which diffused a
hal glow were festooned with ever
ems, producing pleasing effect.
Hon. 7. E. Collins, delegate for the
Cascade district, who presided. said:
Gentlemen, | am perfectly at home at a
o growers banquet, but when it comes
mixture Of constitutional convention
wool growers, I am all at sea laugh
But Notwithstanding that fact, !
very gratified to have this first place
evening. No matter how the speaker
feel afterwards or how eloquent he
be, he cannot feel any prouder of the
emblage before me or Of the section OF
ntry that this assemblage represents
b | do. We will open the proceedings
evening by music. Applause.
Me quartette, composed Of Messrs.
wilkins, Wilcox, Dodson and Skinner,
b sang popular melody.
1r. Collins Gentlemen, the address of
come for the wool growers and the
Mbers Of the constitutional convention
be delivered this evening by the
pder of this city. [Applause.l We
the honorable mayor, who presides
the city of Great Falls, among us.
Ire is no presiding officer in the terri
who can excel him; but he lays aside
position for the time being to allow
man who founded this city, | almost
this section of country, to welcome
take great pleasure In introduc=
to you the Hon. Paris Gibson. ZAP
use.
WELCOME TO GREAT FALLS.
|lr Gibson-Gentlemen, wool growers
northern and central Montana, invited
ests from Helena and other towns, on
lalf Of our people l bid you most cor
welcome to the city OF Great Falls.
bplause.l ! presume this pleasant
" was assigned to me because lam be-
hing quite an old man and because |
one Of the first who drove the stakes
this townsite and predicted for it, as l
this night, high position among the
lny prominent towns of this great COM
Pnwealth. bid you all most cordial
Flcome, but my welcome is especially
Fdtal to those who have never visited
spart of Montana before, because be-
lye you will return to your respective
|mes with broader views and have a
Cher estimate Of the grand resources
N possibilities Of Montana. Applause
IIhis is historic ground. On this
ot eighty-four years. ago this month
Pwis and Clark and their brave as
clates camped. They renamed here a
ng time. They surveyed the falls OF
9 Missouri river with more accuracy
Ian they have ever been surveyed since
fact, the work done by these men al
lat time is an object Of pride to engin
Rrs and surveyors to the present day
hey wrote a description Of the severa
lis Of the Missouri, and these vivid des.
lptions will live SO long as the history o
Pis country shall last. And believe il
ould be but justice for the state of Mon
ma at no distant time to erect monu
eht to those brave men who were thu
oneers Of all pioneers in this country
especially welcome thewool grower
h this place. I think if "a banquet shoult
|e given to any class in Montana,
mould be given to the wool growers, be
Eaase they are engaged in an industr.
(aat IS one Of the most important and on
\ the most promising in this territory
here will be, this year, paid out for VOC
Pnd the mutton products of this terrltor
Retween four and five million dollars
that money will be more generally dis
(lbuted through the various channels
Frade than the money that will come fror
Pny other industry. 1t has at its hea
Fome Of the most energetic and fearles
Ren [1 in our territory. applause.
poubt whether you will find any othe
class of men in this territory or in an
other country who have met with so gel
eral success In their business as the wo'
growers of Montana; [Applausel and.
can say as a matter of pride that IN
Wool production Montana stands at IL
very head of all the states and terrltorl'
IN this Union. I see several intelligel
gentlemen here who represent Wo
houses in Boston, New York, Philade
phia, and other cities, who Will contlr
What / say, that the wool product
Montana, much more than any OF II
western states and territories stands hig
est in these markets. 1t is more like tn
Wonderful wool that is grown in Austr
liza than any that is produced
the United States. The pastoral a
vvantages that we possess here are sa
for great prosperity in tn
industry; and | feel sure, having be
engaged in the business myself lol
time and having noted the advantag
this country possesses, | feel sure ii
}he business Of wool growing will &C
6nue to increase until the production
Montana will reach in the aggregate
least 1000, 900 pounds per annum. "a
plause. The state Of California when
reached its highest limit Of production
think, produced 56,000,000 pounds
wool. Now, believe this state, with
great advantages, will equal, II 1T az
not surpass California. Gentlemen,
gives me very great pleasure to welcol
A.,Hr = r.