The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-08-21
THE BANQUET.


banquet, served in two large tents-one
of them seating 2400 people, the other
11OO The banqueters began to crowd
in through the guarded entrance, imme-
diately after the arrival of the President
and his party.
THE TENT INTERIOR AND THE SERVICE.
The decorations of the tents were
particularly handsome. W. d. Lane of
Rutland had been at work upon them
for two days. and the appearance of the
finished work was very fine. The tent
poles were entwined with golden rod
and gladioli of all shades. On the
tables bouquets of gladioi were placed
every few feet. On the presidents table
the decorations were most elaborate
Along the front of the platform were
ported plants and fern, At the front of
the presidents place at the table was a
high epergne filled with pink and La
France roses and smilax, and around it
was a wreath of smilax. There was
another epergne in front of Gen. Ayers
place filled with phloX, Drummondi,
asters and roses. There were bouton-
niels of cut roses at each plate. That
for the president was dark pink.
Over the center of the table where the
president sat were two large flags.
In the big tent were laid 2400 plates.
The presidents table, $50 feet long, was
on a raised platform that extended along
the south side of the tent. The tables
for ticket holders were across the tent,
at right angles to this one. The annex
tent was located toi the south of the
main tent. Here plates were laid for
400 people. To set the tables, required
enough crockery to stock good-sized
store. There were in all over 10000
pieces. The hollowware used in the
main tent was hired for the occasion
from the Abram French company of Bos-
ton. 1t concluded 10000 pieces of crock
cry and 5000 pieces of silverware. The
service at the presidents place included
pieces of rare def and Sevres china.
The crockery and other ware in the side
tents was owned by the caterers, T. d.
Cook IL Co. of Boston. G. F. Burleigh,
representing I. ID. Cook & Co., had been
here several days completing the arrange
ments. Mr.. Cook himself came up on Tues
day with Auguste Maijear, his head
cook, and George Roberts, his assistant,
about go walters The food was Ooked
in Boston and shipped here in two re-
frigeratOr cars.
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SEATS.
At the tables in front of the State
table were seated the visiting organiza-
tions and other invited guests. Two
tables on the left were occupied by the
knights Templar. Next came the
Vermont National Guard, then the re-
ception committee, and next. near the
center of the line, was the press table.
The two tables next in line were occu-
pied by the Rhode Island and New
Hampshire delegations. Next came the
Massachusetts, delegation at two tables,
then Vermont guests at three tables,
and the Patriarchs Militant at the two
tables on the right. On President Har-
rison's right was seated Secretary Proc
tor, and on his left was Gov. Page.
Among others at the Presidents table
were Col. w. G. Veazey, n. ]. Phelps,
Rev. Charles Parkhurst, Gen. o. o.
Howard, ex-Gov. Prescott of New
Hampshire, Gov. futile of New Hamp-
shire, Gov. Russell of Massachusetts,,
Adjt. Gen. Dalton, President Barrett of
the New Hampshire Sons of the Ameri-
can Revolution, Gen. Russell A. Alger,
DIR. w. S. Webb, Gen. Alfred, Gen. j.
G. Mccullough, Commander Wood
ward, Adit. Gen. Peck, B. B. Smalley,
Gen. A. S. Webb, ex-Gov. Farnham, ex-
Gov. Ormsbee, ex-Gov,. Pingree, Col.
Aldace F. Walker, Attorney General
Miller, ex-oov. Rice of Massachusetts,,
Col Albert Clarke. Senator Morrill,, E.
B. Sherman of Chicago, II. W. Bruce of
Kentucky, Senator Calling, Congress
man Stewart, Congressman Grout, Con-
gresham Powers, Russell Harrison,
Private Secretary Halford and others.
HARRIsoN's SECOND SPEECH.
President Veazey raped the tables to
order, after the lunch had been thor
oughly discussed, and the speech making
began. President Harrison was first in
troduced and received perfect ovation
from the large audience. He then said:
Mr.. President and Fellow citizens:
Whatever temporary injury my voice has
suffered was not at the hands of Yer
mont. New York is responsible. In
Albany l spoke in the rain to large as
semblage. Perhaps if it were worth
while to trace this vocal infirmity, l
might find its origin at Cape May, for
think l started upon this trip with the
elements of a cold, that has to some de-
gree marred the pleasure which had
anticipated to-day. But, notwithstand-
ing what my friend, Col. Veazey, has
described as the 'dilapidated" condition
of my voice, will respond to his re-
quest to say word to you. knew that
Col Veazey had been put in charge of
the transportation lines of the country
but l did not expect to find him in
charge of what the boys used to call the
'cracker line" 1t seems that his capac-
ity for usefulness in the public service is
so great and so diversified that you have
called upon him to conduct the exercises
of this magnificent occasion. He is a
most excellent interstate commerce COM
missioner an honor to your State, and l
have no criticism of him as president of
the day, except that he calls to much
attention to me. This scene, these
tables, so beautifully and so tastefully
spread, was one full of beauty when we
entered, but it seems now to have taken
on some of that "dilapidation'' which
Col. Veazey ascribed to my voice. | am
sure if the supplies gathered at Ben
nington to-day had been here in 1777, that
struggle would have been much more
obstinate; but, my fellow citizens, there
much in this occasion that is full of
instruction to the strangers who, by
your hospitable invitation, have the
privilege of meeting you. Wherever
men have been Born within this
galaxy of great states which makes the
greater Union, there is respect and
honor for the New England character.
1t has been a source of strength to the
nation in its development in material
things 1t has furnished to literature
and to invention some of the largest
contributions; but, more than all this,
it has done a great work for all the
states, and especially those states of the
West and Northwest in which its enter