The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-27

Int SlIlLtIS SOluhilLJS6 III AlJSlu-
ance-The Scranton Committee Did
Good Work at Toledo.
Not that it was necessary, but by
way of making assurance douDly sure
the local Letter Carriers association
had the national president, Johl NJ.
Parsons come on from New York yes
terday to enliven the interest in the
coming Natoral Letter Carriers con-
Vention, to be held in this city during
the week commencing Sept. of this
year
Mr.. Parsons was accompanied by
John +. McElroy, of Bridgeport, Conn.
chairman of the national executive
board, and James Gecr, a prominent
member of the New York city associa-
tion, and manager of the letter car
riers' band and drump corps. Mr..
Greer came particularly to arrange
for the accommodation of his music
ians, who will come here to take part
| in the parade and remain during the.
| entire week.
The visitors were greeted by large
assemblage at odd Fellows hall, on
| Wyoming avenue. in the afternoon,
! and later were dined at the West
| minister. Wilkes Barre and Pittston
| sent up good-sized delegations of their
| respective associations and there were
| present besides a large representation
| of the citizens committee, which is
| assisting the local association in rs
| preparations for the convention.
President John II. Phillips, of Local
| Branch, No. II, was chairman of the
| afternoon meeting. With him on the
! platform were the two national Of
| ficers, Mr.. Greer and Postmaster L. H.
| Ripple.
| The meeting was opened with the
| singing Of America" led by Secretary
| e. ID. Jones and accompanied by A. S.
Rowley, organist, and d. v. Reese,
| corneter.
| EXTENDED A WELCOME.
Postmaster Ripple was introduced by
| Chairman Phillips in a very compl:-
mentary manner and assigned the Of
flee of extending to the visitors a well
| come to Scranton. This he did in an
| appropriate way and then, i'm the name
| of the carriers and the citizens gem
| orally, assured President Parsons and
| asked him to assure the carriers
| throughout the country that a warm
welcome awaits them in Scranton. The
| preparations are progressing splen-
| didly, he said. The carriers are work
| ing indefatigably to make the COnven-
| ton the most memorable in the way
of entertainment the association has
ever held and they are backed in
their efforts by every man, woman ana
child in the city. When Scranton does
anything it does it well, Colonel Rip
pie went on to say, and on this occa-
sion it purposes to clearly out do
| itself.
| National President Parsons was then
| introduced His popularity was attest
! ed by the ovation which followed his
! presentation. He said he expected
Scranton to do great things when the
| convention will be here, and if SCran-
ton was reflected in Phillips, O'Mal-
ley and Jones. the delegates to the
| Toledo convention, he was positive it
would do great things.
Admitting that much earnest and
energetic preliminary campaigning had
| been done. it was nevertheless a fact,
as far as he could judge, that not
over a dozen men went to the Toledo
| convention with the expectation that
| tleN were BblllS 10 NOlt lOl EDNl IllL III
as the place for holding the next con-
vention. From the time, however, that
they set foot in Toledo they began
to be transported into enthusiastic
Scranton supporters.
SCRANTON EVERYWHERE.
There was nothing heard in Toledo,
but Scranton, Scranton, Scranton"
The first thing that met the visitors
eyes was Scranton, 1899" Every
where he turned it was Scranton,
1899" 1t became the byword of the
day and was actually used for the pass
word at meetings.
Everything was labelled Scranton"
If a delegate got up at or o'clock
in the morning he was sure to en-
counter an invitation to have his
morning smile with Scranton. If
he was turning in at 3 o'clock a. m. he
could not escape a might cap with
Scranton. Those three Scranton men
neved slept it seemed. They were ev-
eryWhere al all times. They did more
work i'm four days than it would ap-
pear possible for ordinary men to do
in the same number of weeks, and what
they did do was accomplished against
big odds. Detroit had forty-five men
ON the ground working for the honor.
Chattanooga and Baltimore sought it.
Scranton, however, won 1t. The dele
gates said to themselves "if the town
is represented in those three men we
want to see it" and they voted TO
come here,
Referring to prospects for the con-
VentiOn, President Parsons stated that
he believed it would be the largest
and most important convention the
association ever held. He was i'm Phil
adelphia last sunday and received as
surances there that not less than 1000
carriers would come to participate in
the parade. New York is already col
tlecting assessments TO provide a fund
for bringing its delegation here. A
meeting Of the Lehigh Valley Letter
Carriers association, embracing Beth
lehem. Easton, Allentown and Philips
burg, n j.. was held on the last Sun
day in January 60 discuss the question
of attending the Scranton convention
All over the country the same interest
is manifest.
BENEFIT TO-THE CITY.
The benefit a city derives from a
letter carriers convention was aptly
illustrated by Mr.. Parsons. In olden
times the postmaster was the chief
gossip monger of the community. AT
his office all the news of the day cen
tered and was distributed. Everybody
came to the post office to talk it all
over" The free delivery system has
caused this destruction TO descend to
the letter carrier. He is the only post
master known to the many ON his