The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-21
It WIS A FITTING CLOSE
TELEGRAPHERS, BANQUET AT THE
RYAN WAS A BRILLIANT
FUNCTION
GOVERNOR LIND A SPEAKER
James b. Reid, Mayor Gray, of MIN
neRpOIis, and Mrs. John Cos
tellO Also SpOke-Banquet
Was a Great Success.

As far as the telegraph system Of
the United States is concerned, likewise
! the history of that noble art, telegraphy,
an epoch has just passed In st. Paul. or,
more properly. in this country with St
Paul as the center.
The banquet at the Ryan hotel last
night, in the parlance of any man who
Is an old banqueter, was the best that
ever happened Four hundred people
were in the hall. and all Of them feeling
happy and enjoying themselves. The
low sweet music. of Won Suppe, Bach,
Czibulka. Brahms and other famous
musicians or composers was waited over
the head of the seekers of pleasure.
Laughing voices were intermingled with
! the music, and all the while spirited con-
/ versations and witty reparteeS were pass
ing from neighbor to elbow neighbo".
/ The local committee, who had in charge
the entertainment of the guests in the
name of the fair city Of st. Paul, was
determined to do justice to the occasion
and the determination was carried out to
the letter. Many who attended the ban
quet said afterwards that they had nev-
er seen anything TO compare with 1t.
No need to tell of the banquet proper.
1t was like all banqaets, only better.
The menu could not have been more sat
isfactery.. 1t goes WITHOUT saying that
everyone did justice to the occasion.
Speaking ffguratiyely, when the hour
glass had only few sands left, the real
programme began. 81. P. Hail was chair
man and POSTMASTER. and he proved
himself a master hand In the business.
No sooner had he taken the floor than d
, ticker was heard. 1t said
What hath God wrought?''
Applause followed, but it was not as
it should have been.
What" said Mr. Hall, ''you don't
seem to recognize the first message that
was ever sent over the wires. My
friends, we are here to have a good
time tonight, ard we are going to have
il. That is very evident. We are all
old Timers tonight. except the ladies'
it would not be just and tIIe to call
them old Timers and when that is said
enough said. 49,
Old Timc IS a liar,
We're twenty tonight. 49,
''Ailew me to introduce to yeu Gov.
Lind
GOV LIMBS REMARKS.
The governor spoke, IN part, as fol-
lows:
.nr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentle
observation-disclosures is the first condition CT
; progress Transmission of knowledge
and news Is another cenditian. 1t was
not 50 very long ago whsn we transmitted
informa ton by word of. mouth or by let
/ tiers. Now we have biography. Some
thing may happen in Europe tonight and
tomorrow we will read. it in the pa
pers. In my judgment telegraphy is one
of the grea test instrumental.t ties of civil
| ization. We could not run cur trains
without telegraphy; nor could we print
newspapers mean newspapers that
amount to anything. T~f7-
Il would like to say something in COM
pliment of the tetegraphers here 20
night. but [ have been giving compliments
all day and 1 am afraid that my stock III
trade viii soon give out. Let me say
this. however, 1 know of no profession
or .trade-I hardly dare to cali your busi7
ness a profession here where bootblaci1s
and everyone else are called professors
where tI-ere has been so much advance
ment as in telegraphy. And a remarka-
bic thing about this advancement is the
fact that the workers in your calling
have been instrumental in this St. Paul
is delighted that it has had this chance
to show its hospitality to you, and we
hope we will soon have. the chance of
again welcoming YOU as
The next 10 be introduced by the toast
master was the weird famous tciegra-
| pher, James B. Reid, Voc. as Mr. Hail
said, was a co-worker OF Samuel E
Morse, Everybody in st. Paul knows
| Mr.. Reid by this time. He was the first
| general superintendent appointed by
| Morse, and he has q record behind him
| that would make any telegrapher feel
proud. He is a kindly appearing old
gentleman, and hale and hearty in spite
of his eighty-tWo years. His speech in
part follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: 1 am glad I
am not In the place of Gov. Lind to-
night. I am not running for any politi-
cal office, and 1 have perfect liberty to
say just what 1 please. 1 am glad l
am here tonight l enjoy a banquet like
this, especially when so many friends are
around. Too little we see of the bright
side OF life, too prone are we to plod
along rugged path toiling from day to
day, chasing vain phantoms, without
even giving a thought to social pleas
ures, pleasures that keep us in touch
with our friends and associates, and dis
peis cynicism and meroseness, and give
new life, new hopes to those who are
weary ana worn, lazy or Istless.
Il take great interest In the proceed
tngs here tonight. but nevertheless am
here somewhat in a different spirit than
the rest of you. Most of you are young
All Of you are good-leok ng. 1 an among
you with a sort Of feeling that it NAV
probably be for the last time. l feel that
this is farewell for me, and it makes
the occasion somewhat sad.
L differ with Gov. Lima somewhat In
what he said about telegrpaf1y. Telegra-
ply today is what it was when Morse
made his discovery. Practically the only
difference is that now we get sounds
where before we got marks
Morse was a simple, kind-h aarted man
He lived In simpleness and honesty. When
he came across the sea in 1892 he had a
CONF ersation in the moonlight one night
On the boat, and that conversation led
to his wondrous invention Beneath tae
shining moon he worked his problem out
Felegraphy may be a great power In
civilization. l don't gainsay that but It
mas come upon me of late that there is
higher and greater power. When I
was twenty-five years of age a book was
presented to me. and one of its sentences
read:
. If you would be mighty, be kind
Remember that there is a Master
above US. The sweetest verse in the New
Testament is:
g Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self"
Then in a neat little side speech he took
out the large key of ST. Paul that had
been presented to him. and begged to re-
turn it to Miss Nellie Hope, who, he
said jol1ingly, had been out riding with
him during the afternoon.
Mayor Gray, Of Minneapolis, was next
called upon, and he spoke entert ainngly
on tte rela ton of tho tal+ss-f nj, to tho