The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-27
ITS TRIENNIAL.
The Maine Charitable Mechanic ASso-
ciatiOn's Festival.
A LARGE GATHERING SHARED THE
EVENINGS ENJOYMENT.

| of James Watt-After Dinner Wit and
Dow, Major T. P. Beals, Col. f. N.
Dow, DIR. F. 81. Gerrish and Rev. Matt
s. Hughes-A Letter from Mayor In
graham.
The twenty-ninth triennial anniversary
of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Asso-
citation was celebrated at the Mechanics
Building last night and was opened in
the library room by President Smith.
The president referred feelingly to the
late Edward H. Elwell (who had been
SO prominent a member) and read brief
history of the association and then in
troduced the speaker Of the evening in
the person of Thomas B. Merrill of the
firm of Quinn & Co. Mr.. Merrill read
an admirable paper upon the ''Life and
Works of James Watt, the Great English
Mechanic" He began by referring to,
the ascendency of brute force in the
Middle Ages and deplored the faot that
even today Boston nourns more over the
poet-patriot of Amesbury and the great
papers devote more space to the record
of Nancy Hanks than the achievements
of electrical experts. The life of Watt
was graphically sketched and his inaugu-
ration Of steam engineering and its
mighty results earnestly eulogized, the
speaker claiming that England's great
ascendancy in power and wealth is di-
rectly due to Watts wonderful mechan-
ical ability.
The company then adjourned to the
dining hall above where it's full strength
was then revealed for every table was
filled. There were about 300 present.
Among the Prominent Members
who sat down at the head of the table
with the president were Gen. Neal Dow,
Col. Fred Dow, Maj T. P. Beals, John
Sparrow, and ex-presidents E. Fl. C.
Thomson, M. A. Blanchard, A. H. Waite,
Nelson Tenney, N. E. Redlon, G. 7.
Bailey, Joshua Emery and George A.
Harmon. The invited guests were Rev.
HIATT. S. Hughes and DR.. F. H. Gerrisll.
Prayer was invoked by the Rev. Mr..
Hughes and the usual bountiful repast
was enjoyed.
President Smith then introduced Mr..
Elliott c. Mitchell as postmaster for the
evening, who began the exercises by
reading letter from the Massachusetts
Mechanic Association, expressing regret
that it could not be represented, and
also letters of regret from the secretaries
of the Bangor and Worcester County
(Mass.) Mechanic Associations. He
then, in a very appropriate manner,
called upon
Gen. Neal Dow
to respond to the first toast s'The Maine
Charitable Mechanic Association" Gen.
Dow made the statement that there was
not member present who belonged to
the Association when he joined it Ct
years ago. He contrasted it's condition
at that time and today and also the diff
ferent status of the mechanics of then
and now, ascribing as the reason for
their immense advance in material pros
perity and social position, the abolition
of the liquor traffic and the consequent
sobriety of the people. Nobody once
thought said he, that we were not to
see liquor on the tables tonight. Now it
was matter of course that it shouldn't
be here
He was proud to say that this associa-
ton was the first institution in the state
or county that on such occasions had no
intoxicating drinks.
The Haydn Quartette sang charming
selection and the postmaster called up
ON
Major T. P. Beals
to respond to the toast ''The Mechanic"
The speaker devoted his earnest remarks
to the American mechanics as connected
with the Worlds Fair at Chicago, and
finished with euiogy of our city, and
his belief and hope that more could be
done for it's prosperity than has been
done, if there was more vim displayed
for the purpose. He was glad to see the
interest displayed in this old Mechanic