The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-25
VERMONT STATE NEWS.
THE STAR THAT MEYER SETS.
vermonts Sons In Chicago and Brooklyn
Remember their Birthplace,

yermonts Sons In Chicago and Brooklyn
Remember their Birthplace,
The Sons of Vermont residing in Chicago
held their seventeenth annual banquet last
week Tuesday evening at the Grand Pa
cifc hotel. Two hundred fifty business and
professional men, with their wives and
daughters, filed the spacious dining room,
and the affair was one OF the most sue
cessful in the history of the society. Hon.
Lewis Ii. Bisbee, the newly-elected presi-
dent, opened the after.dnner exercises.
He urged that the society should keep open
house during the Worlds FAR, and enter
tain all Vermonters who visit the city, pre-
sumably considerable OF an undertaking.
The press Of the state was represented by
G. I. Walters, If the st. Johnsbury Repub-
iiCan and L. 2, Thayer of the West Ran
dolph Herald and NelCS. The Grafton was
by General w. w. Grout on " The intiu-
ence of the New England character abroad"
THR third annual banquet of the Brook
lyn society of Vermonters was held last
Wednesday evening at the Pouch mansion,
on Clinton avenue. Previous to the ham
Quet, the society gave Governor Fuller and
Lieutenant Governor Stranahan reception
in the parlors of the mansion. Mrs. Fuller
received the guests in the ladies' parl0r
She was assisted by Mrs. Stranahan, Mrs
Julia G. X Dorr and Mrs. Il. ID Benedict.
Robert d. Benedict, president OF the asso-
citation, sat at the head of the banquet table.
On his right were Governor Fuller, Colonel
N. T. Sprague, Mayor Body of Brooklyn
and Surgeon general ID. y. Webster OF the
governors staff. At his left were Hon. Ed
ward j. Phelps, ex-minister to England,
Congressman III. Henry Powers OF the first
Vermont district, Lieutenant-Governor f.
8. Stranahan. Hon. G. G. Benedict, collector
OF customs at Burlington, and Adiutant-G len
sral T. s. Peck.
In his opening address President Bene-
dict expressed the hope that whether the pro.
posed union OF New York and Brooklyn be-
came fact or not, the two cities would soon
know only one society OF Vermonters, meet
ing in alternate years on each side of the
river. Colonel X. j. Kimball the secre.
tary, to whose untiring labors the success
Of the event was largely due, then read let
ters OF regret from President Harrison, ex-
Senator George +. Edmunds, Senator Proc
tor, Senator Justin S. Morrill,, Ex-Governor
Farnbam and others.
The toasts and responses were as follows
Vermont, our Mother State, " by Governor
Fuller; 1.-THE statesmen of Vermont" by
Hon. e. j. Phelps OF Burlington; Yer
mont in the past" by Congressman II,
Henry Powers of Morrisville "The city
of Brooklyn" by Mayor ID. A. Body
The press" by Hon. G. G. Benedict OF
Burlington. Mrs. Julia c. K. Dorr of Rut-
land read poem appropriate to the occa'
sion.
In speaking for the statesmen of Vermont
Mr.. Phelps said: :" We are here as Vermont.
ers, bound together by brotherhood that
never will be broken. l don't know how OF
why it is that in this time of fraternity we
find Vermonters more closely bound to-
gether than the children of any other state
wish some philosopher would explain why
the inhabitants of mountain country are
bound more closely to it and to one another
than any other people. There must bt
some reason for this, and the mountains are
the only cause apparent. There are certain
qualities you always find in a Vermonter
Among them is firmness, staunchness--tha,
makes success. We have long line o.
statesmen. There is much difference be
tween a politician and a statesman. l
takes more than 1870 degrees to go from tn,
top to the bottom of that circle Laughter
1t was long line Of for the most part, un
named men who made Vermont. They hat
small advantages, but from their lines W,
have deriveda the tradition that has bull
up the state of Vermont. / am pleased to
night to see the innovation of having 81
many daughters of Vermont here tonight.
Among the guests, besides those alread,
mentioned, were many well-known men an,
women OF Vermont.