The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-25
MEMORY Of POET BURNS
Tossted at the Banquet Of the Gale
doniaas 10 Wyoming House.
SONG, SPEECH AND SENTIMENT
Clausman Thomas Russell Had the Toast
Of Houor-Larss Number Of Repro
sentative Scottish Citizens Pres
eut-Soms Of the Addresses.

The members Of the Caledonian club
Of Scranton with their wives and
friends last night celebrated the one
hundred and thirty-seventh anniver-
sary Of the birth OF Robert Burns. the
immortal poet Of the Scots, by a ban
quet, toasts and music at the Wyoming
House.
Unusual good taste had been dis
played in the arrangement Of the dim
ing room. Seven tables SO placed as
10 suggest the figure of q maltese cross.
supported.in addition to various tempt
ing dishes Of the culinary art, potted
palms and blossoms along the walls
and over the windows We're the stars
and stripes and hangers of red. white
and blue. An engraved likeness of
Burns was draped with flags at the
South end of the room. The whole
suggested good cheer and attractive
ness and was u silent but strong invi-
tatiOn to enter into the convivial spirit
OF the evening that anyhow was devel-
oped from the beginning.
1t was 915 o'clock when terminated
an Informal reception in the parlors on
the second floor and the company en-
tered the dining room where the ban
quet was formally opened by w. Scott
Collins. chief of the Scranton Gale
domains. and Rev. DR.. James. Mcleod.
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Invoked the divine blessing. The eX-
celent menu was as follows:
Blue Points.
Consomme Clear.
Queen Olives. Celery. Mixed Pickles.
6rOiled Salmon. Potatoes Parisenne.
Young Turkey Stuffed, Cranberry Sauce.
Mashed Potatoes. Green Peas.
Roman Punch.
- Broiled SQUAD on Toast.
Chicken Salad au Mayonnaise.
Lady Fingers. Maccaroons. Angel Cake
Fruit. Mixed Nuts. Layer Raisins.
Cheese. Water Crackers.
Coffee.
Names Of the Banquctters.
About the tables We're NJ. II. Dale.
Alex Dunn. jr., James Cranston, Thomas
Brown, II. W. Brown. c. Ben Johnson,
John FitZsimmons. James b. Skeoch,
r. s. Colvin, Alderman w. S. Millar. c.
+. Pryor, Mr.. and Mrs. r. w. Palmer,
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel McCracken. John
Borthwick, Frank Simonds, Mr.. and
Mrs. Alex Meldrum, James s. Lawson.
Louis Allen Osborne. Chief and Mrs. w.
Scott-Collins, DR.. James Stein, Miss
Ruby Graham, Mr.. and Mrs. Alex Dunn,
jr., David Peckens Mr.. and Mrs. Will
lam NJ. Gray, of Dover. n. j.; Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas Russell. Rev. DR.. James
Mcleod. Robert McKeenan, DIR. I. +.
Everhart. Robert +. McKenna, John
Nelson, Daniel Williams. Mr.. and Mrs.
McCullech, Wallace Moir, j. G. Grant,
3. g. Kerr, A. A. Patterson, John Nc
Williams. John Simpson. Miss NJ. Lewis.
Clarence Balentine. Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
w. Rankin, M. ]. Coyne, Miss Katie r.
Reardon, Mrs. ID. B. Thomas, James
Moir, Miss Carrie Sailer Miss Lydia
Sailer. Moses Morgan, Miss Moir, David
cranston, Douglas Harvie, Miss Kate
Davis.
When the last course of the menu had
been served, grace was said by DR.. Nc
Leod.
The toasting was briefly introduced
by Chief w. Scott Collins. Then was
sung one of the many excellent vocal
numbers Of Scotch song which inters-
persed the programme; it was that roll
licking song, "There Was a Lad Was
Born in Kyle" by Third Chieftain r.
w. Rankin, which served to bring out
- oAS"t uSai Vi OCotCu eUlnuSlaSn1 Inat
lasted until good night" was said.
THE Memory Of Burns" the toast of
honor. was responded to by Clansman
Thomas Russell. whose patrioatic and
fervent utterances were as follows:
Tho Memory Of Burns.
We have met tonight in what I might
call double capacity. First Of all we have
met as Scotch folks, far away from our
native heath, but yet with hearts burning
for that heath which no distance can di-
minlsh or time destroy. We have met proud
or Scottish history, and of the magnifi-
cent specimens of manhood Scotland has
enriched the world with. We are proud
or wallace and Bruce, of John Knox and
chalmers, OF Gladstone and Roseberry.
and to come to our own day, We are proud
or Barrie, and McLaren in what they are
doing In their books to illustrate the
noble types of Scottish life and character.
But secondly, and chiefly, we are proud
that We meet tonight--and prouder we be-
come every year-to celebrate the 18th
anniversary of the birth of Scotland's
greatest poet-nay, l might say, of the
worlds greatest p0et-Robert Burns.
remarked just now that We become
prouder of Robert Burns as the days 20
by, because more and more we are becom-
ing acquainted with the extraordinary OBJ
ing any greatness at all. We have got 20
know more fully how severe was the physi-
cal work he had to engage in while work.
ing as a ploughman on his fathers, and
afterward on his own, farm; We have got
to know how disagreeable and uninviting
was the religious state of the country in
his time. and which brought from him that
remarkable production 1.-The Holy Fair"
and other poems of a similar nature. We
have to investigate these and many other
things, before We can properly realize the
greatness OF the work Robert Burns ac-
complished in giving to the world such
marvellous and beautiful poems as he did
poems which exhibit an intimate knowl-
edge OF science. nature. and history. and
which expose, with deadly scorn, every
thing that favored of sham and hypocrisy.
The Failines Of Burns.
Now, you will not get me to say one WORT
about the failings of Robert Burns. The
time has long gone by for any one to do so.
AS the miner gives little thought to the
dirt he was surrounded with during his
search Tor treasure, after he had found his
nugget OF gold, SO the faults of Robert
Burns should be obliterated in the bril-
liancy Of his work and in the everlasting
pleasure he has bestowed. and Is bestow-
Ing on mankind. We all regret the life of
our national poet was such q stormy one
that severe toll, poverty and misrepre-
sentation was SO much his lot; and yet 1
do not know IL we do right in -regretting
any such thing. As the storms of Nature
have their good uses, cleansing and invig-
Grating, SO these storms in the life Of
Robert Burns had their good uses. too
TO many of these storms In his life we are
indebted for. some of his finest poems. For
instance. If Burns had not followed the
somewhat arduous work of q ploughman
would the world ever have enjoyed that
tender sympathetic poem about the
Mouse? tI tt4
Wee, sleekit. cow'rin. tim'rous beastie
o. what q panics in thy breastie! =