The Lambertville record., 1898-12-07

holder was thus humoreusly sci forth
At the head of the table was Presi-
dent Prall, ON his right the guest of
honor Surgeon McGill. with Eieutcn-
ant Pursell of the l. S. Navy, the only
invited guest outside of the club, ON
his left, followed by Treasurer Geo. w.
Massey and Secretary f. NJ. Wilmot.
At the other end of the table was the
chairman of the dinner committee,
Mayor w f. Wagg, hanked by the
other members Of the committee, W.
/. Hayhnrst, Il. Il. Reading and s. \.
Finger.
At each plate was huttonhole ho-
quot, which soon adorned each Q's left
breast. At the head of the table was
beautiful floral piece representing the
Resolute, with her namc marked in
flowers, and lnrge cartridge shell
from the Qaeeola, Lieut.. pursell s. com
mand during the war, held beautiful
roses. Other floral decorations, with
pyramids Of fruit, completed the np-
pointmenis OF the beautiful table.
MEM
:, oySters, mlf >hell Quairoa toast
Roast Turkey, Cranberry Sauce Celery
ch,dhe hasasd sd Brown fStatoes oh olsss
Fancy Cai.es Wine deiatine. Fruit Punch.
Club House Cheese. Assorted Nuts
Fruits Coffee Sogars
Whom the Q's were hungry no more,
and the GENIAL smoke was curling mp
ward, President Prall welcomed the
guests Of the evening in an appropri-
ate manner. in which he said in part
FEtLhw MEMBERS or THE %: /
assure you that ii gives me great plea
sure ON your behalf to extend to our
honored member and only warrior,
Surgeon MeGill of the Naval Reserves
of New Jersey, and SO lately IL part of
the glorious American Navy, II most
hearty and curdial welcome to our
board here tonight, and to Il renewal
Of his social and hnsiness relations
with us, and | wish to congratulate
you, sir, that during your absence from
us, ON tho high scaa and in the tropics
III midsummer. You have So entirely
escaped the dangers Of the sen, Of shot
and shell and dread disease.
When Othello poured the story Of
his adyenturesand his dangers into the
willing ear of Desdemona, MS We shall
| hope later in tho evening TO hnye YOU
relate TO us the stories of your war
time experiences, she fcelingly told
him that she "loved him for the dang
ers that he had passed, and so think
that the dangers through which you
| have passed have made for you n new
and warmer place III our hearts, and rs
the only representative of the 20" in
the "Ilundred Days War, we had II
! speoial interest iii You, and | assure
| you thnt the movements of the Rcso-
lutc were watched with great interest
by MS all
Never before i'll any war has the in
dividual been brought so prominent
ly to the front, and never has individu-
al action and individual merit been SO
promptly and so checrfuIly recognized.
But to attempt to mention tho heroes
of the war would he to cuumerato
names that are almost household words
with usall IT has been truthful
Y said that I" He is bencfactor Of his
race who causes two blades of grass to
grow where one grew before, SO the
surgeon who preserved the health of
the men entrusted to his care and en-
abled them toremain the effective men
behind the guns, did hispart andren-
deaed as effective service as though he
had shoHldcred muslet or welded II
sword
1t is also my pleasure to welcome
with us tonight to our board and our
good cheer, Lieutenant Purscll of the
United States Navy, and though, SIR
b., Il
outside the Club membership, ! assure
you that our latch string hangs invit
ingly out aud we are honorcd by your
presence with us, and we welcome you,
with Surgeon McGill as representa-
tivcs of our small but fast growing
and glorious American Navy, not 80
long ago almost subject of ridicule
by the marntlme nations Of the world
but now n subject of wholesome respect
by them all, for from the eventful
morning when Dewey sailed into the
harbor Of Manila until the destruction
of Cervera's fleet at Santiago, our Am
ericnn navy has accomplished wonders
and, III the van with the Army and
American diplomacy, has crowned us
with honors and made every American
feel rs never before that he is the peer
Of any man.
| am happy to state that not single
far page of the history Of the war has
been marred or dimmed by any account
that while the Resolute was on the high
seas and subject 10 its dangers as we'll
as those of war, that her surgeon over
deserted his ship. But, on the contra
ry, when Cervera made his memorable
dash from Santiago amid the roar Of
cannon, the shriclsing Of shells, and
amid dangers falling thick and fast, -
and when the Resolute suddenly found
that she had urgent and pressing bust
ness elsewhere, it stands to the credit
of the good ships surgeon that he
stuck nanfully to his ship and went
away with her.
trust that our friend the Lienten
ant will kindly pardon personal allu.
sion 70 memorable incident Of the
war with which the American public,
and especially his friends here tonight,
| are 80 familiar that it will only require
brief mention on my part
At critical period Of the war and
when the whereabouts Of the Spanish
| fleet was unknown, and the Osceola
was conveying transport loaded with
American troops to the Cuban coast, a
| strange and apparently Spanish man
of-war bore down upon them. A brief
examination showed the commander OF
the Osceola that he could not hope to
successfully engage the stranger, but
without moments hesitation he ord
cred the hawsers to be cast loose and
signalled the transport to proceed with
all possible haste on her way, and the
| Oseeola turned back to engage the en-
emy, like Leonidas with his Spartans
in the pass Of Thermopylac, with only
the hope that their ineyitcb BILE destruc-
tion might be postponed long enough
10 enable the transport to make her es-
cape. The heroism of the act was az
great rs though the vessel had been
other than the nowly-acquired New
Orleans, the appearance Of which, OF
course, the Lieutenant was not famil-
lar With, and it is certainly no reflec-
tion on the Lieutcnant's bravery that
tradition tells rs that during those
| trying moments his hair suddenly as
sumed the perpendicular and refused
! TO be cOaxed back to n normal positiOn