The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-09-12
UNIQUE AND WITTY.
ADDRESS OF WELCOME DELIVERED BY
REV. M. H. NORTH
To the North Carolina State Dental
Association at the Twenty-seventh
Annual Session HeIdin Morehead
City, June 25th, IooI-Tribute to
the Noble Men Who Adorn One of
the Most Useful Professions.

We publish below the address of
welcome to the North Carolina State
Dental Association at the twenty
seventh annual meeting in Morehead
City in June. 1t was by Rev. NJ. H.
North, pastor of the Methodist Epis-
copal church in that place, and aside
from its merit as most admirable
paper of the kind, the fact that Mr..
North has many friends in Henderson
gives local interest to it and we are
sure the address will be read with
pleasures:
AS some of you have doubtless
never visited our town before, | will
give you just word as to the geogra
ply and inhabitants of Morehead
City. This is comparatively new
town, having been largely built up
since the war. There are so far only
three sides to it. On the North it is
bounded by Calico creek, on the South
by Bogue sound. and on the West by
the ''wire fence" and the United
States. 1t has population of more
than. fourteen hundred and is now
growing rapidly. 1t willnot be neces-
sary for me to tell yon more of the
citizens than that they are independ
ent. warm hearted Southerners. And
it is as spokesman for these that |
come to greet you today. From a
child / loved to answer the door-bell
and to welcome even stranger. 1t
always gives promise Of something
new, and brings with it thrill of
pleasure SO it is with this old time
feeling that l open the door to you
this morning.
What shall 1 say TO you or Of you on
this the first day of our annual festi-
val9 | have nothing but words of
praise for the laborers who come to
this week of well-earned rest There
is scarcely body of men "a Metho-
dist conference always eXcepted) that
l would more gladly welcome than
this Society. Let me rejoice with you
in this one fact, that there are no
political considerations to hamper
YOU in these sessions, There is no
Office in your power to bestow upon
another, neither do you seek for
spoils at the hand of any party leader.
You stand or fall because of that
which is within you, and if you ever
reach station of power it is because
of personal merit, and by personal
merit it is held.
do not fatter when | say that it
would be hard to find a more sober,
intelligent body of men in the State.
Familiar with the worlds best litera-
ture, lovers of peace, lovers Of home,
always found at the post of duty, they
will be numbered among the repre-
sentative citizens of our common
| wealth.
The dentist is a cheerful man, and
it is we'll that he is, for be must hold
communion with the sad. A man of
nerve, of self-control, of sympathy,
| he is indeed servant of mankind,
| for he ministers unto their necessi-
ties. As | meet him after office hours
| there is not the least suggestion of
shop about him. but instead he is the
| genial. largehearted townsman. You
may always count on his taking III
legitimate pastimes, and on lending
his support to the development Of
| the natural and social resources of his
community.
The dentist is pre-eminently man
of the city; he may spring up in the
country, but does not often flourish
there; but wherever you find the pave
| ho top
the business block, there you will
find him in all his glory with the sign
| over the doorway, "Office of DR..
Blank, second floor, front" His
brother, the physician, must seek out
his patients in all kinds of weather
from the crowded city or in the thinly
settled country district, but our
friend, the dentist, has but to spin
his web and the victim comes of its
| own accord.
With every i'll that visits the body
| of man there CONES also measure
of sympathy from his fellows, except
in the cases of dyspepsia and tooth
ache. People laughingly declare that
| YOU could not die with these even
| though one should make the effort.
They tell you furthermore that the
soothing terms of the dentist are not
expressive of real sympathy, and that
he is a friend only for what he can
get out of you. Well. say that if he
| can get that old tooth out of you that
he is friend indeed.
If I were Raphael and wished to
paint the picture of misery, | would
take as my model the fourteen-year-
old lad with the quivering, pulsing
nerve, with the swollen cheek leant
forward in his hand and look OF
despair upon his face. And as com
panion piece to this l would make
another picture and call it joy
NV model would be this same boy as
he descends the stairs from the dental
office one hour later, and thrusting
his tongue into the vacant space,
thereby forfeiting forever the golden
tooth, he exclaims in language be-
tween a sob and a laugh: .'1t's outt
If he is called benefactor to man
kind who causes two blades of grass
to grow where only one grew former
IL, what shall we say of him who
gives to the body surcease from pain
and supplants the frown by smile
In consideration of such services
rendered to humanity there are &C,
corded to the dentist greater privi-
leges than are usually granted to the
common race of men. As for in
stance, they supply their own mouth:
with bread BY foreibly taking from
the mouths of others, yet no one say:
them nay; they are constantly hurt
ing the feelings of their neighbor:
and think that no apology is neces