The Portland daily press., 1897-06-23
Hustling York County Town Oh.
serves Diamond Jubilee.
THE BIGGEST KIND
OLA SUCCESS.
Letter Read From Speaker Reed-Musical
and Literary Entertainment and Ora
tion by william S. .Lassell of Boston.
ESPECIAL TO THE rREsssl

LSPEClAL 10 The fRESSel
Sanford, June 22.-The English people
of Sanford are in their element tonight,
and their celebration of the Victorian
Diamond jubilee is far and away the
biggest kind of success. Six hundred
people sat down to the banquet in
Tibbetts' hall between the hours of $50
and 7.30 this evening. Prayer was offered
before the breaking of bread by Rev.
Arthur L. Belknap, pastor of the First
Baptist church. The exercises at the
singing of the British national anthem by
the vast audience filling the Auditorium,
stage and galleries. Prayer was then
offered by Rev. C. l.. Woodworth, pastor
of the Congregational church, after which
remarks were made by William Kernon,
master oftceremonies.
He was followed by Mr.. J. Hollinrake,
secretary of the Victorian Diamond jubi-
lee celebration who spoke at some length
and in conclusion read letter that he
had received from Hon. Thomas Brackett
Reed, the able representative in Congress
of Names First district Speaker Reeds
letter was as follows:
Washington, D. c., June 22 1897.
To Mr.. j. Hollinrake, Secretary of the
Victorian Diamond Jubilee Celebration,
Sanford, Maine:
Dear Sir-I have your letter of June
14th, in which you invite me to be present
at the celebration of the Victorian
Diamond jubilee. I regret very much
that it will be impossible for me to accept
IL
honored. l assure you that all your
American fellow citizens sympathize
heartily with the good will to the Queen
of England to which your celebration will
testify.
Sincerely yours,
T. B. REED.
The stage was handsomely decorated
and draped with the American and
British flags, while at the front on either
| hand of the speakers appeared the portraits
of President Mckinley and Vice Presi-
dent Hobart. There were select songs,
cornet solos and piano forte duets with q
dialogue scene from Shakespeares Ham
let, the artists being Miss Sadie Spencer,
John Murdock, F. Lewis, John Watson,
Bentley Aveyard, Mrs. Oswald Brearey,
| Dol Wdu6fuouSC, MISS Au6 OldrhSOu,
Albert Hinton, j. E. Hutchinson, Mrs.
1. s. Farm and Elmer .. Bennett. The
chief speaker of the evening was William
S. Lassell of Boston, who was secured at
the last moment but who proved vastly
entertaining.
| He said that he had intended leaving
Boston by the p. m. train but missed il
by four m inutes. He came, however, on
the $50 train from Boston and drove from
North Berwick to Sanford, all for the
| love of woman and that woman
Victoria, the queen of Great Britain. He
devoted himself to eulogizing her and her
deeds and in the course of his remarks
said that he believed that every man ir
the United States loved a woman any.
how. He was decidedly witty and was
frequently interrupted by bursts of ap.
! plause. He WAS followed by Judge George
W. Hanson, chairman of the board OF
selectmen in few well chosen remarks
appropriate to the occasion. 1t was neal
midnight when the gathering dispersed
after one of the most successful demon
strations ever INDUCED in by the people
of this part of New England, a day the
memory of which will never be effaced.