The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-07-21

/ questions were asked.
Before adjourning to 60 to the Wildermuth
| for the banquet given them by the manufactur
| ers OF the city the committee on place OF meet.
ing for next year reported as unanimously in
favor of Grand Rapids in spite Of the personal
| desire Of some on the committee to have the
convention at Detroit The fact that over fifty
per cent of the directors were also furniture
| dealers, however. made this seem the wise
thing to do In view of the further fact that dur
| ing this month the furniture show is on at
Grand Rapids Besides Detroit and Grand
Rapids. Grand Ledge, Port Huron and Traverse
City also made claims for the next annual meet
ing. The matter was then tabled until this
morning, when the association voted to go to
Grand Rapids next year.
The banquet at the Wildermuth House was
all that could have been desired. Covers were
laid for one hundred nine and no one was turned
away while as usual Mine Host Fred Wilder
muth did the honors In proper shape.
The banquet over, President Knapp introduc-
ed the toastmaster OF the evening, Justice G B.
McCaughna, who prepared the way for the
| speakers who followed with few we'll chosen
| remarks delivered in his usual easy manner.
Liking himself to the hired men who brought up
the ammunition to the firing line at San Juan
hill last year, he said he was only the hired
| man and would simply bring up the ammuni-
| tion and the first case he would bring up would
| be the medicine case of Dr. Ward. though before
calling for the case he declared he could not
vouch for any of the ammunition of the evening,
only stating that it should be of the rapid fire
| kind so that the people should not be kept all
| night.
Dr. Ward, in replying to the toast, remarked
that he was little suspicious that there was
an insnuation in the toast assigned to him,
| "A Friend In Need" However, the doctor was
| obliged to admit that there were times when
the doctor certainly had the reputation OF being
| the able assistant of the undertaken and the
tombstone dealer. The friend in need is some
times the doctor, but there comes time when
the undertaken is equally q friend in media
friend at time when q friendly clasp of the
hand a silent tear, mean far more than money
can represent.
Mr.. Bennett, OF jackson, then responded to
the toast, Anything and Anywhere" Mr.
Bennett gave a few humorous points IN the
supposedly necessary traits of the ordinary
undertaken, paid his compliments to Owosso
entertainers and his respects to the Intellectual
efforts Of the past to obtain legislation. The
funeral director himself, he said, however,
should. be aman OF great tact and sympathy
Mr.. Van r. Pond was then introduced to
respond to the subject, "Our Guests" and he
promptly paid his compliments to the toast
master In words so sharp that the assembled
guests looked up as though there might be a
chance for the undertakers II the speaker and
the toastmaster should get too close together.
He then traced the treatment received by man
through his life at the hands OF the doctor the
minister, the undertaken and finally the lawyer.
He complimented the guests, however, on the
progress they had made In the last fifteen or
twenty years And every step In advance In
their profession is step In the advance of
humanity, and said, I'VE are proud to welcome
you as sympathizers with humanity"
Rev. G. Fl. Hanks then, in speaking OF 1.-THE
Middle Man." remarked that he was glad they
we're all sinners-because II they were not they
wouldn't be on this earth. He was glad he had
been invited, but was at a loss to know what TO
say. The middle man should first be man,
and afterwards minister. While he should be
as sympathetic as q woman he should still be
strong as man. He should be generous to all.
He could not wish the assembled guests great
and abundant prosperity, as q minister once
unwittingly did In the case OF an undertaken,
but he could and would say, "God bless YOU"
The toast "The Ladies" was assigned to Mr..
John A. Dick of Detroit, and after congratulate
ing himself that he had not been born woman
and therefore obliged to listen to him at this
occasion, he gave q few amusing anecdotes suit
able to the occasion and closed with the protest
that his wife had insisted that he should go to
bed before the time which the clock even then
indicated.
1.-THE Wooden oyercoat" was the subject
assigned to Mr.. G. M. Ranger. OF Battle Creek
who spoke In serious way of the necessity oi
| . o. NJ olap IN
the conduct of the business, but related some
very funny experiences in which he had invol
UNFAIRLY taken part
The last number on the program was a recita
tion by Miss Maude Gates, entitled, "A City
Girls Views of the Country" The selection
was well rendered and brought down the house
after which the toastmaster with fitting re
marks closed the program and bade all goot
, night.
The officers elected this morning for the ensu
, ing year are: President, II. Il. Lewis o
Hershey secretary, George II. Weed, Of LAX,
Odessa; treasurer, G. f. North, Of this city
Besides the officers, the following we're elected
members of the executive committee: M. II
Knapp, OF this city; ]. w. Mathewson, OF Man
celona, and G. G. Merritt, Of Greenville. TIL,
latter gentleman and Mr.. d. w. Farley, o
Battle Creek, we're also elected national com
mittee men.
The convention has been complete success
, the number being even greater than was ex
! pected when the fact that in northern Michigan
and in the upper peninsula another sinila
association was holding its meeting on the sam
dates, and the furnitare exhibit at Grand Rap
= ids was taking others away. The attendance
reached over ninety, among whom were two o
3 the charter members Of the association Mr
w. w. Bennett. OF Jackson, and Mr.. Koch, o
I Grand Rapids, also the only woman undertake
and member of the association, Mrs. Richards
OF Dansville.
: Great credit for the success Is dSe TO thu
president, Mr.. M. II. Knapp, and to both firm
5 of funeral directors in this city, Knapp
Q Smith and Woodland, North Jennings.
large amount Of credit is do also to the manu-
facturers who devoted much time 10 the work
particularly To Messrs Robbins, Estey an,
z Tooley, and perhaps most of all TO Messrs
:. Frank and Fred Woodard, who made ever
! arrangement for their enterIainment at tn
5 casket factory. 1t was no light task but al
/ worked with will and work was well done, s.