The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-18
SPEAKS.
Natives of Maine Hold a
Reunion.

Name owned HORTICULTURAL hall last
night. Her sons and daughters crowd
ed around the festive board, eagerly
they listened to the praises of their ma
tive state as they fell from the lips of
the speakers and as they listened, Time
turned backward again in its flight.
and made them children just for the
night, the odor OF the woods greeted
their nostrils, the green of the grass
gladdened their eyes. the song of the
birds was sweet to their ears, and over
and above all, came back to them the
grandeur and the freedom of their ma
tive state, making their eyes sparkle,
their hearts beat more quickly in the
pride of the birthright.
1t was the 18th annual reunion and
banquet OF the local association of the
Natives Of Maine, and about 200 sat
down to the banquet. Hannibal A.
Johnson, president of the association,
by Mayor Dodge and DR.. John c. Ber-
ry, the address of the evening being de-
livered by Gen. o. O. Howard
President Johnson opened the after
dinner exercises with few brief re-
marks, and introduced Mayor Dodge,
who responded to the toast, THE city
of Worcester" He paid a glowing tri-
butte to the secretary of the navy, John
d. Long, Maine boy, who, he said,
had led the navy into the front ranks
Of the Ioauiac af tba r,,nrlJ
DR.. John c., Berry was the next
speaker responding to the toast, "Our
native state" He paid a tribute to
the bravery of Gen. Howard and in
stanced as the bravest performance in
the generals career, the time when he
started on his campaign against the
Apaches. To one of his captains, who
demonstrated against his apparent
recklessness, the general replied in the
words of the scripture: For whose
ever will save his life shall lose it, and
whosoever shall lose his life for my
sake, shall find it."
In part DR.. Berry spoke as follows:
The man whose character is such
that he can respect himself will be re-
as for the dear old state, we cannot
think of her too often or too highly.
Her wooded hills and rugged mountains
combine to make the old state the best
/ or earth, While to us, her sons are a
little nobler and Drawer, and her daugh-
tiers little. fairer and more gentle than
the rest of mankind, save of course,
people who happen to live in Massa-
chusetts which, as everybody knows,
D art. Of hC to-. ;t...,t
of Maine. God bless our noble state.
and God bless her sons and daughters
| tonight, wherever in this broad land
or i'll the wide world they stand for
temperance, for righteousness, for civil
ization and for peace.
! Gen. Howard was the next speaker,
the subject of his address being 'The
American volunteer" He sketched
the course of the typical American vol
unteer throughout the civil war, and in
closing, said in part:
our young friend next beheld Sher-
mans men marching at rs miles day
from Raleigh to Richmond, redeemed,
| and to Washington forever relieved.
The words were not said, but the mean
ing of them swelled every heart, pene-
trated to every home in the land, the
Union is ours. and fairly won! SlayeE
ry was dead, and the goddess of liberty
forever enthroned on the capitol of the
nation. 1t was worked out by our
young friend and his comrades; COM
rades from various chimes and of diff
ferent views: an accomplishment syn
thetically condensed for the benefit of
the human memory into the work of
the American volunteer
1T is over 30 years since he was mus
tered out of the United States service.
Let us take a look at him as he now
appears. He does not seem so tall,
rather thin of flesh, a little STOPPING in
the shoulders, his hair and beard much
sprinkled with gray, and he halts in
his gait.
Near the time when / met our young
friend again, after the years had
elapsed, he and l received an invita-
ton to a banquet in Philadelphia on
the birthday of our most successful
general, U. S. Grant. 1t was given
by the Union Leagle club of that city.
and [ assure you it was a remarkable
time. Union and Confederate officers
Of high rank We're invited to meet there
the 9th Of April 1893, to do honor to the
memory of our patriotic hero, the ac-
knowledged leader of leaders in the sal
walton of the land. Longstreet, Alex
ander Malone, Latrobe, Confederate
volunteers, facing our volunteer and his
comrades. From north and south they
took hold Of hands, tears and gladness
mingled in their faces as they repeated
together the pregnant phrase of Grant
which ne said at the wars close Let
us have peavei"
The Union leaguers cheered and
cheered as speech after speech was de-
livered glorifying Columbia prosperous,
Columbia uniting the hands of her
children, Columbia blessing her unique
essential perpetual institutions, Column
bit holding aloft a new copy of the
Stars and Stripes. Columbia with
cleaning eyes and fervrent patriotic
songs, pointing to the number "A. the
present galaxy, Columbia bearing the
emblem of the unbroken number. the
enlarged union Of states. Amid a forest
of flowers, more than so men Of Phila-
delphia, the very best types of Ameri-
can manhood sealed anew the peace
and union Of this land in their shouts of
joy at the spectacle of north and south
Joining hands and hearts in fraternal
promise.
Owing to the lateness of the hour
Rev. Almon Gunnison, d. D., who was
to have responded to the toast, THE
commonwealth Of Massachusetts" did
not speak Chafin's orchestra fur
nished music and vocal selections were
rendered by Mrs. Alma Collins Hub,
bard and c. s. Stoughton. A dance
followed the banquet.
Those seated at the guests table
were: General Howard Mayor Dodge
and Mrs. Dodge, President and Mrs.
II. A. johnson. Rev. DR.. Gunnison
Rev Leo Boone Thomas. Mr. and Mrs,
]. K Brown, Mr.. and Mrs. BENJAMIN
]. Dodge. Mr.. and Mrs. f. w. Perkins,
Miss s. F. Glidden. Mr.. and Mrs. O. w.
Norcross, Mrs. William II. Coe, Mr.
and Mrs. j. K Greene, DR.. and Mrs
John c. Berry
WEATHER REPORT.