The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-01

iioSe Interesting IMAM any ever ASarQ at
a Colby commencement dinner, two ads
dresses of particular interest being, one by
Joseph Colby. son Of Gardiner Colby, for
whom the college was named, who paid
his first visit to the institution, and the
other by the veteran diplomat and states
man j. a. NJ. Currie, himself an Exon
federate soldier but whose allusion to
Colby's dead heroes whose names are in
soribed on the tablet in Memorial hall,
was one of those flashes of eloquence
which are as thrilling as they are rare.
After. the dinner, which was the best,
SO one alumnus said, which had ever
been served in the hall, President Butler
called the attention of the company to
the words which they were to hear from
some o. those who had gathered there.
Before calling upon those who had been
invited to speak, Mr.. Butler made few
remarks upon the condition of the college
and the problems which confront it today.
which he said were of unusual difficulty
and which called for the utmost wisdom
to solve "The institution has outgrown
it's clothes,' he said, land what is more,
these contracted garments hamper it SO
that it cannot do the work..which it ought
to do He bore testimony to the earnest
work and unity of purpose of the board
of trustees and assured the friends of
the college that its interests were safe in
the hands Of it's members.
The, first speaker called upon was Gov.
Llewllyn Powers who, while not an alum
nus of the institution was a student in
the college for a time.
: Gov. Powers was given hearty ova-
ton when he arose to speak. He thanked
those present for the cordiality of the
greeting and expressed his pleasure at be-
ing able to meet and greet the faculty and
trustees of the college. 81 cannot come
here,' he aid, 'but my mind goes back
to the time when 1 had the good fortune
to receive part Of my education here,
and can only regret that was unable
or thought at the time that I was unable
to complete the course. was especially
gratifed in hearing the exercises this fore
noon and know that the college is doing
excellent work
The Governor, in an earnest way, which
showed that he meant it, thanked the col
lege for the degree which had been con-
ferred upon him.
sit WILL" he said, stform new bond
between myself and the college, and a
new incentive if any is needed to that
sincere love which feel for the institu-
tion.''
Hon. Robert o. Fuller of Cambridge,
a member of the board of trustees who
followed Gov. Powers made the wittiest
speech of the afternoon. "What is loyelier
than day in june" he said as he arose
and glanced out at the leaden skies and
mist ladened atmosphere, and the remark
put the company in humor for what fol-
lowed He said he had long wished to
know what it was that made Maine so
prominent in the councils of the nation,
and he had discovered the answer on the
bill of fare of the Phi Beta Kappa dinner
and had found the same thing on that
which he had seen today. 1t was
sNative tongue"
In the course of his remarks he faced
Sam Osborne, the famous colored janitor
of the college. Mr.. Fuller said that in
the titles which had been conferred by the
college, one faithful servant had by some
strange oversight been forgotten.
Dr. Butler interrupted the speaker to
say that Sam was called and considered
the first officer of the institution.
81 know" said Mr.. Fuller, "but have
a title which I propose to confer upon
him. We have the grand old man of Eng
land, and propose to call this faithful
servant, the::Grand ol6l SAM"
The broad smile which had been grow
ing broader and broader upon the face of
the aged darkey now developed into a
suppressed, but prolonged chuckle, and
his curly head shook with merriment
while the applause almost raised the roof
of the building.
students may come and students may
go,'' pursued the speaker, when quiet had
been restored, presidents may come and
presidents may go, but Sam goes ON for
ever,'' and the applause was renewed.
President Butler here introduced Joseph
Colby, of Newton Centre, Mass, as the
next speaker, and all eyes were involun-
tarily turned to the son of the man who
gave Colby University it's name, and who
was the one person above all others who
made possible the gathering here today.
By strange coincidence the gentleman
as he rose stood beside the mammoth oil
portrait Of the great philanthropist, which
hangs upon the wall of Memorial hall,
and an opportunity was afforded of COM
pairing the features of father and son.
While the close relationship of the two
men does not strike one at first, closer
study shows the same lines of dignity and
benevolence traced upon the younger man
that his father bore
Mr.. Colby is an easy but not an
eloquent speaker. After expressing his
pleasure at being able to make this his
first visit to the college, he devoted his
remarks mainly to "reminiscences of his
father, and he could not, of course have
chosen a subject which would have been