The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-15
oomp1IMENr4Rr nANQUgr.

L' .. O. Banqueteu di opaths N Siis'i" piOn's.
 The forty-second annual reunion of
 the l.. S. O. was rendered as a com
 plimentary banquet to Hon. N. D.
 sperry at Sparks & Champnion's cafe last evening.
 At coffee toasts were in order, Charles A. Belden acting as toastmaster. The l first address was made by Prof, Ben
 iamin Jepson. In his address he said:
 MT. Chairman and Comrades: As my
 eye rests upon the headlines of our pro- gram this evening l am thrilled with the
 sensation which l cannot describe.
 I find myself asking this question.
 Can it be possible that the company
 surrounding this board is holding its
 forty annual reunion? Can 1t
 be possible, dear comrades, that we
 have shared each others joys and sor- rows for forty-two years? Is there any
 things like it in existence? Who knows
 of another organization that has been
 maintained intact by the original mem-
 bers for nearly half a century?
 Impossible as it might seem we have
 only to look at each other to be com vinced that great changes have taken place since we first organized around
 the old tub in Temple street. Where are the red tops and olnderwigs which were wont to be regarded as beacon lights in the paths of Croton?
 Four decades have passed and the headlands of the fifth are already dis oernible. Surely ours is a great priv ilege, and 1 am only surprised at the ahS q y1,O within easy call.
 l can well remember at the approach of each successive decade how we fam cied somehow that we had almost reach ed the limit of our experience. I remem- Der how we looked forward to the cele- bration of our tenth reunion as an event of extraordinary interest. It came in the eventful year of '63.
 Tonight our reunion takes the form of a complimentary banquet to one who has been associated with us from our earliest organization. As an engineer in the fire department he was with us in the days when we manned the brakes of old Croton. Later at ban quet in the old depot saloon, when our lamented brother Stevens, gave us the title of our present organization, he was with us. Through the days that tried mems souls he was with us. As I remember him in the old days it was not a difficult matter to understand his political utterances. He stood then as he stands to-day, a champion of human rights and a defender of the old flag. During the last quarter century he has made himself almost indispensable to the New Haven public, and has attained a national reputation in the manage ment of one of the most important and intricate branches of the public service, and now recognizinfi his eminent fitness to go higher the people of this con gressional disrtict have with unparal- led unanimity elected him to represent them in the congress of the United States. Brother Sperry, in behalf of this brotherhood, I bid you God speed MT. President and brothers of the L. 8. O., give you this toast
 Our distinguished brother and con- gressman-elect, Nehemiah D. Sperry, May his days be long in the land. and may his honors and public usefulness increase with his years.
 The Hon. N. D. Sperry, in whose hon. or the banquet was given, spoke next. He spoke of the pleasure it gave him to meet so many of his old friends. Af- ter his introductory remarks he devot- ed himself principally to the question of the currency. In his remarks he said:
 q sincerely hope that the times are not as perilous as many would have it appear. We have lived for a long time under a national banking system, and l do not propose to so vote as to take away the security which Is behind the bills in your pocket An amend ment of the present laws may be wise after careful consideration. I sincerely ohpe there will be no extra session of congress. I hope there will be wisdom enough in the present congress to frame laws suitable to the relief of the peo- pie"
 Among the other speakers were Hon. w. W. Lee of Meriden and Hon. Joseph Tees of Manitoba. A number others of those present responded to lasts.
 The following named were present last night from this city: Assessor c. | A. Baldwin, George R. Bill, George H. Coe, Howard G. Ford, Hamden J. F. Goodrich, Professor B. Jepson, William Jepson, J. H. Lanfare, J. T. Lines Charles Loomis, Captain F. M. Loveioy, | John Mccarthy, Lennon Northrop, J. | J. Osborn, Hon. A. w. Phelps, Judge l R. S. Pickett, Benjamin Rawling, | Frank Seward, Levi w. Shew, Hon. N. | D. Sperry.
 From other places: Edwin W. Judge, | Hon. w. w. Lee, Menden; George Osborn, Bridgeport; Edson San ord, Meriden; Hon. Joseph Tees, Mani .oba.
 Letters were read from H. J. Board | nan, Asheville, N. G.; Dr. S. P. Bur lick, Philadelphia, Pa; Captain s. E. Jhaffee, Birmingham; William B. Park nson, New York city and Nelson l.. Stow, Chicago, III.
 The other living members not present, which completes the list of surviving members, are:
 Hon. w. P, Addison, Maysville, Mo-; V. B. Abbott, Columbus, O.; w. T. 3aggott, Meriden; William Ballard, Brooklyn; Allen D. Baldwin, New Ha- yen; Richard T. Barton, New Haven; ). M. Bassett, Birmingham; A. T. 3lakeslee, Northfield; Rev. Edwin Bod veil, Topeka, Kans; D. l.. Bradley, Jew York; Luther S. Burwell, Cali ornia; Captain M. A. Butricks, New Haven; Captain Sidney E. Clark TTnfteH |