The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-01-27
IN HONOR OF T. c. PLATT,
4 NOTABLE BANQUET TENDERED
 HIMIN ALBANY.

cluding Many of National Fame-The
 Other Public Men.
 Albany, Jan. 26.-Hon. Thomas c.
 semblage of prominent republicans
 gathered from all over the state. The
 occasion was the banquet rendered to
 the senator-elect by the New York
 State League of Republican Clubs.
 President Colvin and a special com
 mittee had been working for weeks to
 make this a splendid success and they
 succeeded. Harmanus Bleecker hall
 was the scene of the festivities. A
 temporary flooring had been. construct
 ed from the stage over the orchestra
 seats, upon which rested the many
 banquet tables with a seating capacity
 of 990. There were fifteen hundred
 seats reserved for spectators at two
 dollars seat, but not more than three
 hundred were present. The wives of
 the prominent guests and of the state
 officers occupied the boxes on each side
 of the speakers table.
 The interior decorations and arrange
 ments were gorgeous and elaborate.
 The speakers table stood upon a rais-
 ed platform, resting upon the stage,
 and seated fifty-four. Fourteen tables
 extended over the orchestra circle, and seven more to the rear of the main ta-
 ble. The decorations of the festivities
 were extremely tasteful. The decora-
 tions of the hall proper were a com bination of bunting, flowers, vines, tropical foliage and colored electric bulbs. Broad streamers of national colors hung from the dome to the bal comics. From the prescenium arch the state coat of arms was displayed, sur rounded by American flags.
 Draperies of silk and groups of shields and ancient armor were arrang-
 ed before the boxes and around the bal cony rail. Variegated trailing vines dropped from the posts supporting the balcony, intermingling with silk ban ners. Curtains of silk and lace and lambrequins of American colors adorn- ed the large windows, and everything was arranged to harmonize with the sylvan scene which was set on the stage, at the back of which the Stars and Stripes of the American flag were represented In colored lights The en- frances to the stairways and banquet tables were hung with evergreens palms and ferns, partially screening from view the band stationed in an adjoining corridor.
 This was the first occasion where la- dies were in attendance at such large banquet and their presence added
 much to the gorgeousness of the scene There were separate tables reserved for the congressman from this state, for the legislature for state officers and heads of state departments, and
 the members of the republican state
 committee, nearly all of whom were present. The guests began arriving at 6 o'clock, but the banquet did not com
 mence until shortly after 1. The speak CTS and guests took their seats at that
 time, walking to the banquet tables in
 pairs in this order:
 Thomas c. Platt and President Col win, Governor Black and Treasurer Barnes, General R. A. Alger and
 George w. Aldridge, C. M Depew and
 F. B. O'Dell, jr., D. D Woodmansee and
 Frederick Easton, William Pitt Kellogg
 and E. A. MacAlpin, I. Sloat Fassett
 and E. A. Merritt, Rev. !. R. Crosser
 and J. W. Totten, General B. F. Tracy
 and -, General Stewart l. Wood
 ford and General H. E. Tremaine, Louis F Payn and C. A. Hess, Frederick S..
 Gibbs and w. J. But1ing, Frank His-
 click and Edward Lauterbach, Frank S. Witherbee and Rowland B. Mahaney, Colonel Griffith and Cornelius Van
 Cott, J. B. Senner and J. S. Whipple
 - Crosby and G. A. Willard, c. E.
 Topping and c. N. Woodruff, John w.
 Herbert and George E. Green, William
 smythe and Maurice Eckstrom J. Ry-
 der Cady and w. A. Smythe.
 MT. Platt took the center seat facing the body of the house, and next to him
 was State Treasurer Co1vin. The other
 pairs arranged themselves on each side
 of the guest of honor. Other guests seated at the table were the presidents of the leagues of republican clubs of other states. The speakers were Sena- tor-elect Thomas c. Platt, Governor 1 Black. ex-Senator William Pitt Kel- Iogg of Louisiana, President D. D. | Woodnlansee of the National League of | Republican clubs, Lieutenant Governor Timothy I. Woodruff, General R. A. AL 1 ger of Michigan and Hon. c. M. De- pew
 The guests table extended across the hall in front of the stage between the i priyate boxes The combination pro- gram and menu card prepared for the occasion was a most artistic piece of engraving. Upon the outer cover there : was an excellent portrait of Senator | elect Platt. Tn the upper Jeff hand l corner there was a. small American flag | with 2. blue streamer on which was | inscribed the letters 'R. l.. U. s" The inscription was a gracefully de- signed invitation to attend the banquet rendered to the senator-elect
 Among those who sent letters of re- | sret which were printed in the menu {! card. were the following:
 Vice Presiden-elect Hobart, John H. Ruck. executive secretary of Connecti- l cut: Governor Roger Wolcott of Mas sachusetts, F. W. Lippitt of Rhode Island. Josiah Grout, governor of Yer mont. Governor Powers of Maine. Sen- 1 ator Allison of Iowa, Senator o. H. : Platt of Connecticut, Senator Eugene Hale of Maine, Senator w. P. Frye of Maine ex-President Harrison. eX-Sen- .,,. I-4r,,rpds r R F'aTnswGrth rrls-