The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-04

1 who have had experience in financial
 matters of this kind can In all truth
 and sincerity praise the ingenuity and
 courage of my southern friend.
 This coming September I will have
 had twenty one years active and con
 tinuous railroad service. In September
 of 1881 I began my railroad life as gen
 eral ticket agent of the old Naugatuck
 road. I continued in this position with
 the addition a few years later of the
 duties of purchasing agent and assist
 ant superintendent until the first of
 February, 1886, when l became superin-
 tendent of the Housatonic road and on
 the first of October 1886, after the lease
 of the Danbury and Norwalk road to
 the Housatonic general superintendent
 of its main and leased lines, which posi-
 tion I held until the first of April, 1887, when resigned to become purchasing agent of the New York, New Haven and Hartford road and remained there for fifteen years lacking one month.
 So you will note my whole railroad eX-
 perience has been with roads which are now part of the Consolidated system. I
 have seen the New Haven company de-
 velop from a local road, while of great earning capacity yet of no vast impor- tance as through line, into one of the best equipped, best managed and
 wealthiest railroad corporations on this continent; hence it will ever be with 8 deep source of qualification on my part that I can look back and say that l was connected with its management during the stages of it's progress when it was making the New England rail- road situation a part of history.
 Whatever success I may have at tained in my railroad work, perhaps in the first place from an inherited taste, but mainly from daily contact and un- der the helping hands and good advice of as capable and brainy set of railroad men as this country ever produced, my old associates, and the sound instruc- tion and practical knowledge obtained from one I love. honor, and respect, above all mankind, my honored father.
 While this time and place you have set apart to do me honor can never happen again under just the same cir cumstances yet I want to assure you that when I look upon the happy and SIDlllIlR AdCtS dEbuHt dhb ICiu III each glance Godspeed and good luck shall carry with me the memory of this evening as one of the never to be forgotten and happiest incidents of my life. Now in conclusion let me say In all truth and sincerity to those around me that it will be my earnest endeavor, so to live. and so to act towards those whom God hath given me, my family, friends and associates. that they may never have cause to regret their faith in me, and when I am called hence from this stage of action and my name is forgotten by the busy world, there may be some few left behind who can hon estly say well done good and faith full servant.
 The next speaker was Judge Hall. His address was full of words of praise for Mir Bishop and he also gave an in- teresting account of the energetic work of MT. Bishops father when railroading was young in this state, and an account | of the consolidation of the New York | and New Haven and the New York, New Haven and Springfield roads. He | epuSe of the elder MT Bishops great | speech in the legislature that practical { ly clinched the plan for the first consol- | idati0n of two roads in this state, and | after giving an account of the useful life of the elder MT Bishop he spoke of . the life as he knew it, of the man they f honored last night He said that the | position of purchasing agent was one upon which suspicious could easily rest, but, he said, all during MT. Bishops long term of years in the interest of the road there never was one chance for suspicion nor one stain to mark his character.
 At the conclusion of President Halls the people sang For He's Jolly Good Fellow" and then the Hon. William D Bishop was called upon. He told a number of funny stories, and his words were thoroughly enjoyed.
 The Hon. Samuel Fessenden and the Hon. George M Gum were then called lpon Their toasts were eulogistic of Mr Bishop and contained many inter sting stories in connection with rail- 'oad men and their interests.
 General George Hare Ford, the pres dent of the Quinnipiack club, was then 'alled upon and he spoke as follows: