The Portland daily press., 1897-08-05
VENERABLE CUNNERs.
Closed Their Delightful Annual Reunion
Yesterday.

cape Ei1zaDetn, Aug. 4.
There are few social organizations in
deed that can boast of the record of
Venerable Gunner Association and Pro-
peller club of this city that for ffty-two
We without single break have cele-
brated their anniversary by an outing
somewhere on the shores of the Atlantic
and which has now just passed the fifty
second milestone of it's existence and
success" has once more been written of
another of the unique outings OF this
most unique of organizations.
The annual outings of the Cunners are
looked forward to of course with immense
interest by those fortunate enough to be
members while very large number OF
people watch each year to read In the
PRESS the chronicles of the doings of
this august body of citizens which has be-
come one of the illustrious and time
honored landmarks of Portland life
The one thing the Venerable Gunner
venerates loves, cherishes above all others;
seeks and always finds, is enjoyment. 1t
is said that only Gunner can know what
the acme of earthly enjoyment is and
when one has spent an anniversary with
them at the spacious home of the club on
Long Point. he Is ever afterward warm
advocate of this theory. That this fact is
most true is best evidenced by the fact
that membership in Cunnerdom is always
intensely sought, and there is always
big list of applicants praying for entrance
into the mystic ties of finship of the sub
marine, sea-salted, weather stained, bait
proof aggregation of Venerable Good
Fellows. This can only be when a
vacancy occurs by death or removal. The
Cunners this year have adopted common
pollock into Cunnerdom in the person of
ex-Mayor John f. Sawyer of Deering,
who is now one of us. He has been
weighed, found ample and transformed
and still lives.
The ceremony Of his incoming was the
principal event of this meeting. 1t was
inspiring, touching, pathetic, warm and
uplifting, Especially the latter).
The environs of the ceremony were
weird and rocky None of those who
heard the solemn vows of initiation
caught up, echoed and re-echoed by the
vast caverns of the rugged shore will ever
forget the terribly thrilling impression
produced. Human words cannot protray
he scene. Only the eye witnesses and
Sawyer can ever know the sensations.
The solemnity of the function was so
lasting and oyerpowering that all
thoughts Of any temporal amusements
were dissipated for the rest of the evening
and as the last chant Of the chorus of re-
generation to Cunnerdom died away the
company sought their touches and that
sweet, restful slumber which only Cum
ners separated only by board partitions
can enjoy.
Only once during the whole sleeping
night of 10 hours were the sleepers dis
turbed, and that was when the midnight
Pullman somehow got off the track and
went through the house, but it was soon
over.
Did space permit columns could be
written of the doings of this great occa-
sion, but after all it would be but meagre
satisfaction. Words cannot portray and
only aoGual participation can give an
adequate idea of what it is to be Gun.
er.
NOTES.
The keeper of the light house and
Neptune were in today for lunch.
George Thomas and his bosom friend
Cuckoo have been daily callers.
Venerable Shaw has now passed his 50th
anniversary.
Secretary Leach was struck with an
idea today. Quick application of Kinds
Cream relieved him.
On arrival at the club house the
weather vane was tied down due east and
we haven't had a mosquito.
The camp is named after the late Henry
S. Edwards Of Boston, for long time a
dearly beloved member of the V. C.'s.
John Miller Of Melrose, Mass, Gunner
lied In As and in evidence ever since has
been the life Of the party. He's a little
younger than he was in the forties.
These officers have been elected by the
Venerable Gunner Association:
Coanmissary-Charles H. Tolman.
Vice ommissary-Samuel F. Bearce.
TIeasurer-Leander W. Fobes.
| Secretary Converse o. Leach.
| Foreign experimentation Ross
Potato Slicer-Edward P. Staples.
Flremen-George W. Way, Aurelius S.
Kinds.