Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-28
THE 9TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET
OF the Vermont wheel Club Held at the
Brooks House Last EvenIng---the
Speakers and Their Responses.

Brooks House Last EvenIng---the
Speakers and Their Responses.
The Vermont Wheel club enscribed an
other Illuminated chapter in the book of
bright spots" last evening, when the 18th
anniversary banquet was served at the
Brooks House. The members gathered
at the club rooms and soon after $3.50
marched in a body to the Brooks House.
The company numbered about 140 includ-
ing large majority of the members of the
club, and several invited guests. The
tables in the dining room were decorated
with carnations, and at each plate was a
bottle of Wesselhoeft spring water, extra
dry" bottled especially for the occasion by
g. II. Eddy ~ Co., under the personal SUI
pervision of States Attorney RObb, ac-
cording to the labels With each bottle
was souvenir opener tied with purple
ribbon.
The leading officers of the club, the COM
mittee of arrangements, the speakers and
invited guests, were seated at the table at
the head of the dining room, facing the
club members at the other tables. The
exercises opened with the singing of the
first verse of America, in which all joined.
The supper was served in courses, and at
intervals during the repast the Mahogany
at the head of the hall, sang selections,
largely of topical nature, with guitar and
violin accompaniment. This part of the
program was a taking feature, and many
of the numbers were enc0red enthusiast
cally.
At about 11:1j Toastmaster w. II.
Bracket raped to order and started the
flow Of post praudial ordtory with a round
of pleasantrles, ending by introducing
Robert Bacon as the first speaker. Mr..
Bacon responded happily to the sentiment
"Club Life,' treating the social aud edu.
cational side humorousy and later more
seriously. Rev. c. O. Day responded to
"1S07,n speaking especially of the great
problems of the year which remained I'M
settled. Rev. II. d. Maxwell spoke elo-
Quentv for "lSQS' as the golden period
for all of us, and of oul duties toward the
grea. problems which confront us. l.. ID.
Taylor considered our "Municipal Needs
with special emphasis on dam across the
Connecticut and city charter. DR.. Con
land made hit in his departure from the
ordinary line in his response to 1.-The
Romance of Bibomaniac.' He spoke of
the surprises in his pleasant pastime of
biblomania, and brought to light documents
alleged to have been found wrapped in a
Cuban flag in hollow log in Chesterfield.
| These documents were letters which had
been exchanged between The Junta at
! Spofford lake and the Cuban headquarters
in New York. incidentally he told the
story of The Junta's flag raising July -,
| 1897, when the cheering nectar disappear
ed from the ice cake by percolaton. W.
| II. Henley, on being asked what was new
ION the road responded with two or
| three capital stories and a poem, "Until
| the Grass is Chawn.' Principal Whita-
ker of the High school, in responding to
"HObbies,' made a plea for the abused
crank, the man of determination. single
ness OF purpose and striking individuality
| to whom we owe so much. United States
| District Attorney J. l.. Martin brought
! the speaking to a close by responding to
! "The Ladies' moving his hearers with
| his tribute to noble womanhocd and the
enduring influences of the mothers. The
| festivities closed with Aud Lang Syne by
the quartet, the young men joining in the
song as they filed out of the dining room.
! President Bracket made an admirable
presiding officer, introducing several of the
! speakers with humorous stories. Mr.
Maxwell, in turn, gave the POSTMASTER a
brilliant polishing before proceeding with
his regular response. Three or four of the
! speakers aroused enthusiasm by reference
to Cuban subjects. After the exercises
were over at the hotel many of the mem
bers gathered at the club room for an hour
or more of social enjoyment