The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-03-27
ANNUAL BANQUET.

Early Thursday afternoon 1t was an
nounced that one hundred and seventy
eight b nquet tickets had been sold aud
fully two hundred people sat down to the
third annual banquet OF the Mortified
Board Of Trade at Concert hall Thursday
evening. Prayer was offered by Rev. A.
W. q. Anderson which was followed by
musical version OF the Lords prayer beau
tifully rendered by the IN sle quartette COM
posed OF Messrs. Wilson, Harris, Silver and
Bullock. Attention was then given fue
COLLATION. furnished by the ladies OF the Uni
versalist society.
After an hour spent In sampling the
toothsome dsinties Fred A. Jones, president
OF the Board of Trade, raped for order and
introduced Hon. Frank Plumey as the
POSTMASTER of the evening who called upon
the male quartette. They responded with
song entitled "The Morn" First OF
the speakers was Postmaster @. II. Rich
mond who gave many pleasant post-office
| facts and "reminiscences, Chief among the
facts were these that the receipts OF the
Mortified post-office for 1888 were $1,000,
| the same for EACH of the years 1889 and
1890 but in 1891 the receipts began TO grow
and have continued gradually to increase
until In 1900 they were SO 100. II the re-
naming three months keep pace with the
first nine months the receipts this year will
| be &c, 800 or nearly three times as great as
those OF ten years ago.
| John A. Gross, of the firm OF Gross Broth
| 0EB, Ctu1o ub4b anu uohlJ ASSlRumbub
| with the granite industries OF Northield
| This enterprise began practically in 1890
| and has now had eleven years growth.
| There are now 125 men working in this in
dustry in Northteld and their wages last
year were over 800, 900, equal In the amount
| OF wages distributed to u cotton factory hav-
ing Boz operators. He brought out, Incl.
dentally, that Barre is aow the recognized
leader in the granite industry in the world.
Prof. q. @. Brill was Introduced as one OF
the pioneers in the renaissance of the slate
industry OF Northheld. He gave very inter-
esting facts connected with IN jdern meth
DDS OF slate making. Prof. Chas. Dole, his
co-laborer in the pioneer work OF re-estab-
fishing the slate industry, gave many start
ling figures OF its Importance and Of its pos
| sibilities.
Miss Matte Johnston, president OF the
temporary organization OF the Village I'm.
| provement society, made an eloquent plea
for ts success, and for the excellent work
it could do in beauufying the parks and
| public grounds of Northheld. Joseph ID.
Dennison, Esq, OF Randolph, was the next
speaker and fairly outdid himself in elo-
quent allusion to the opportunity presented
to Mortified to become wealthy and great
in the development OF its great natural re-
source. its mountains OF slate.
The last speaker was o. W. Scarf, ESQ ,
OF Burlington, who has identified himself
with the interests of the town by becoming
an owner of stock and director of one of
the slate companies. Mr.. Scarf, always an
interesting speaker, was especially enter
tanning in his remarks. He took for his
text "What shall we do to be saved" and
elaborated the theme, applying 1t to the in
dustrial and economic conditions rather
than the moral or spiritual. In the course
of his remarks he gave selections from orig
ina poems written for the occasion, and of
ter emphasizing the fact that unity of pur-
pose and action in the citizens OF Mortified
will surely bring about the end we all de-
sire, the development of our mineral
wealth now lying dormant in our quarries
Mr.. Scarf closed his remarks with poem
entitled 1.-THE message OF the slate"
An orchestra under the leadership OF
Willard Springer, with e. Council as plan
list, rendered several selections during the
evening in most pleasing manner. The
menu was daintily printed in gilt letters on
card shaped piec % OF Dole-Brill black slate
this artistic work was done by Charles
Dole and the menus are souvenirs which
will be highly priced in days to come by
all those who have them in their posses
sion.
In front of the presi lents plate on the ia
bic W is placed an deliberately decorated cake
having upon it the motto, 10 award, - and this
motto WAS printed on u ladder rising from
foundation on which was printed North
field Board Of Trade, 1S9S-190l." This cake
was made by Mr.. and Mrs. P. j. Farms
worth.
Interspersed were two charming duets
given by Misses Richmond and Lowell, rem
dered in their usual happy manner, pro-
voking hearty cheers DR.. W. b. Mag
and j. X. Egerton of resident speakers OF
the list were excused from speaking. Hon
L. II. Brown of Rutland had promised tC
, be present but was unexpectedly detained
Hon II. W. Vail OF Randolph was present
but was excused at his request from speak
ing. Mr.. Beal of Boston, friend OF MIR
Scarf, was present, and expressed much
Dlaaaura in tbn mi "a ri
annual banquet of the Board OF Trade Wa,
unquestionably the III st pronounced sue
cess OF any, although the others had been
considered esp cislly fine, and the mana
gers have every reason to congratulate
themselves upon the growing interesting
their work az evidenced by this large, earn
est and enthusiastic gathering.
The exercises were tittingly concluded by
} tho audience joining with the male quar-
tette in singing the good old hymn Amer