New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-07


II Is pleasant to indulge in "reminiscences these
occasions occasions, Sixty years ago this society was
sister societies Particularly that ata Of New England
10, uoh want you to understand by this that mean
societies had mission OF rs own and that mission
he s %o; Of NewYork There was
feasting on haggis accompanied by piercing shreks
Of ST. eors oya wss the Enssh Yery
year. and there was the New England Society. en-
England rum. daughter I, was felt that there
should be New.York Society. and this was the
his diary. seems to have taken a Respondent view
OF the new society He says that there would be
OF 1t. He characterizes the next annual dinner
upon the first anniversary of the foundation Of the
society as being attended by only sixty people and
as being very forced affair and gives II his
opinion that there would not be another anniversary
dinner. But in 1888 he takes a more cheerful view
OF the prospect for organization and since then
the society has not only kept up It's annual dinners
| Dlt has gone on increasing in prosperity Gap
plause)
:. And, animated by honest pride for the city which
| IT represents. the society has gone on increasing
IN power ana inuence until it Is representa- IN
churches museums. charities and hospitals you
Will find prominently set forth the names Of men,
bers OF this st. Nicholas Society (Applause)
To THE PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNOR.
| The healths of President Cleveland and Governor
Morton were then proposed by Mr.. King and drunk
| standing.
William II. McElroy. in rising to respond to the
toast of St Nicholas. warmly greeted. Speak
ing of the old saint of Myra. he said:
He is truly good and he could not be more APP
a close district And then what magnificent
mission Is his; As apprehend him. it Is his mis-
sion 10 make two rays of sunshine beam where one
beamed before II is for him to enlarge and Knit
And in ng the Of fH the $on
more influential public servant than any iaW,maker
makes happy, children. happy children make good
children good children all things being equal make
good men and women and when St Nicholas has
! filled his mission and will be trust
worthy and there viii be little need for laws, Con
ngton turned into bicycle academy.
OUR CITY"
Edmund Wetmore. on the theme OF "Our City"
made witty and eloquent speech that gained him
frequent applause. He said in part;
l deem it a high honor to be called upon to re-
ciety did not suppose that any one would be per
mitted 10 do so who couldn't hitch the frs par OF
for the end of it, Q4aughter) With graceful
cs o o. the 9 G
the island allow the rest of us to join you In speak
But when we say "our city" it's little difficult
! to tell just who does own it now. An lrshman and
quiet but irritable gentleman, VINO was soon so
disturbed by deafening racket from his neghb Sn
furiously and asked the Irlshman, who came 70 the
he rep Mei me What U me and me
just tryin' to fond out" daughter2 ,,so.,,,,
There is doubt that the Dutchmen were the first
owners. and St Nicholas the foundation saint; but.
what with the liberal Sunday laws Of your Dutch
Boston and the government OF the PATRONS APP
pearing so attractive to the Pat Rooneys and the
good living bringing over half of Europe and the
whole Of Ohio. and what with falling off in the
expectation of duchesses there's very little OF the
old patrimony left in the original hands cloud
We are sorry that this is 50. Those old Dutch;
De-
headlonS rush OF the city OF to-day They rule.
life much eas SEER they did not write letters for
the newspapers. and. like their National hero VIII
only interviewer oy their good wives They never
LEI business interfere with their dinner nor politics
OF Pennsylvania the one side. and the austerc
Purans on the othet they Opened he f ho;PS9e
would otherwise have persisted for want OF shelter.
HER HOSTS WELL REPAID
And well she repaid her hosts How many mil
ions Of children have grown into happier men and
women from the enhancing brightness OF their
first acquaintance with Santa Claus How many
hearts. in Dickenss story. has the spirit OF
Christmas Past stirred into warmth for the living
present! Who can say that in many soul fhi nG
chism Would never have efaced And the genia
good G%sP mat grey up m paa5 a 80
akin general hospitality that il bred wise iib-
refuge of the stranger and has been the promoter
and prese.ver OF its prosperity No one was ever
prosecuted for his religion or Manhattan Isiand
The Immigrant brought that in with him on on the
free list and SO long as he behaved himselt ana sn,
with 1t. He found freedom here long before the
statue ns 81 G5ep benan the of rubbing off his
ragged edges and sharp corners. and breaking up
into an american citizen and true NewYorker
The result of this process We PERHAPS i reig1rd
countrymen One might for example, possibly de-
tec S''' shade Of difference between our es,inlae
,bo
pardon something OF the spirit Of local patriots n
sugher3 But no local par% ~ our briao De
tropoIis II is tn, one place that ali the country
nave won success elsewhere come here TO enjoy
it, but whoever knew any one win settled hon
among who moved away unless from Necessity
have seen cities that surpassed our own in many
things cities with a better skyline than ours,
that look as If children of the Titans had
been playing with gigantic bui.lmg Dork' anh ie'
better docks. beautiful architecture but We
never met any men mora NOR than The bera courte,
ousi SroaG-mnded citizens that the repre-
sentatives Of this communlty-tne genuine SUBJECTS
of our patron saint tAppiause)
A HISTORY ADDS DIGNITY TO IT
Such a character is the work OF time. 1t is Some
thing TO have a city with history. II adds sense
OF dignity TO life that can never be feit IN cities
where the chief wonder is the oppressive s"llthess
of their growth and the marvellous rap1dI'y with
which they have hudded on a precptate ciVlHztt-
ton Ii Is matter OF congratuIauo: that bEoaI-
way was not wilderness twenty or nj! years as,
and that a. though the modem town mas risen over
the destruction OF the ancient one, !et ld.uIV
Iandimarks that cannot be enaced, ana names
that carry us back for two centuries or more are
nraseni remnoers OF the glories ana the romance
OF past - - ,.a.,r.
davs in the harmony of some simple numpcrs that
ran into my mind unbdden and when let me con-
iude as me Old Gramatist die. grace the exit OF
their Characters with a rhyming coupet:
Oh happy were the golden days
In Old Manhattan, t,i1gbi pIii' rea the toxin.
nd drinking no crime.
With Nicholas. that Jolly saint,
The only saint they knew
They dd not Tor 'rcforin.
When this old
The WAYS were ways Of pleasure then,
THE paths were paths OF peace.
'sccfcier'' his deadly race.
pursued 10 the police,
me only rings" were fairy rings
that grew HaTlem's plains.
s''-gente