The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-09
AS CITY'S GUESTS
LIBERTY BELL VISITORS ENTER
TANNED AT ISLE OF HOPE.
PHILADELPHIA AND SAVANNAH
DECLARED ny THEIR MAYORS AS
UNITED IN STRONGEST BONDS.

Pleasant Feature of the Entertain
ment of the Philadelphia Visitors
by the Mayor and Aldermen of
Savannah-MnyOr Myers Spoke of
the Friendship That Had Been
Created Between the Two Cities
by the Services of Each to the
Other-MnyOr Ashbridge Respond
ed on Behalf of PhiIadeIphia-Of-
fered John Wnnnnmaker to Sa-
vannah az RefOrmer-Liberty
Bell Party on This Morning for
Charleston.
Savannah's hospitality was enjoyed
by Philadelphia last night at Isle of
Hope, where the Liberty Bell visitors
were entertained by the Mayor and
aldermen of Savannah. A fish sup
per was given at Barbee's restaurant,
TO which some seventy-five sat down.
1t was soon after the arrival of the
cars that left the Fortieth street juno
ton at o'clock in the afternoon that
the visitors were ushered into the
dining room, which had been taStefully
and attractively decorated for the
occasion. Vines and palmetto boughs
decked walls and ceiling but the piece
de resistance was a floral reproduction
of the Liberty Bell, which swung over
the center table. This was as nearly a
counterpart of the bell as the art of the
florist could approach. even the crack
being represented. In a room above
he
hours, quarters and halves. the sounds
floating down and giving semblance of
the floral bell sounding.
Mayor Myers occupied the chief seat
at the table. At his right sat Mayor
Ashbridge of Philadelphia. Among the
Savannahians, other than aldermen.
present were Mr.. S. B. Adams, Col.
j, H. Estill. Mr.. A. Vetsburg, Mr..
Thomas Gamble, Jr., Hon. Henry Nc
Alpin. Mr.. w. W. Starr, Mr.. Lucian
H. McIntire Hon. ]. Ferris Cam and
City Marshal II. E. Dreeson.
The menu prepared by Mr.. Barbee
embraced oysters, diamond back terra
pin stew, fish, plank shad, fried oysters,
clam-corn croquettes, broiled smelts,
French fried potatoes and other dishes.
Before the service had been completed,
however, the company began calling
for speeches, and Mayor Myers made
response to the demands upon him,
speaking as follows:
an welcoming the representatives of
Philadelphia to Savannah 1 welcome
the citizens of a city with which Sa-
vannah's relations have been of a most
II kx.r1 1tff haxr
known each other favorably for a CEN
fury and half. 1t was Savannah that
instituted the first reform movement
in Philadelphia, sending there the great
evangelist George Whitefield to turn
its people from the errors OF their way.
He was a reformer of a different type
from many of his later date brethren.
He sought no Office at the hands of the
Quaker folk. He came to save their
souls and not to change their politics.
"A little later on in history we find
that Savannah again came to Phila-
delphia's rescue. but this time TO save
a newborn nation. 1t was Savannah
that in 1875 rushed forward to Phila-
delphia 5000 pounds of gunpowder, the
fruit of its first attack on the mother
country. And again in 1898. when Phil
adelphia was suffering from yellow
fever and its citizens were falling in
Savannah sent literally of its bounty
for their relief.
The bread cast upon the waters
came back many fold The generous
heart of Philadelphia has always re-
sponded promptly to the cry of need
from its sister city of the South. When
fire swept away the greater part of
Savannah in 1920, chief among those
who came to its assistance was the
Il Il.
that meant mainly Philadelphia, sent
more money and goods to the suffering
of this city than all the other states of
the North combined. 1t was a way the
Philadelphians had that they have
never lost. In 1854 when yellow fever
had Savannah in its deathly grin there
was no more generous response to its
call for relief than that which came
from Philadelphia. And when, in the
early days of 1866, the people of Savan-
nan were left destitute by the four
years of war, all feeling save that of
brotherly love was lost in the city on
the Delaware and first among those to
SEND us food and clothing stands Phil
adelphia. So in 1876. when epidemic
once more scourge6 our city, your peo-
pie gave unstintedly of their means
that we might not needlessly suffer.
These are the things that knit men
Nhdl DillQ tneln closer than
the relations of commerce can ever do.
We may forget business transactions.
but we can never forget those who
were our friends in the hour when we
needed friends. To-day we are drawing
closer together in trade connections
we have better transportation commun-
lcatlon than for years past. our peop,e
are beginning again to know that Phil
auelphia is one of the worlds greatest
marts and the future should find MS
drawn nearer together than ever in
our history.
But for what has been. for the no.
pie sentiments that have moved Phila-
uelphla in the past, / greet YOU. NOT
only IN your official capacity. but as
brothers, and toast PHILADELPHIA as one
city that has ever lived up to the high
standard of its title the City OF
Brotherly Love-"
Mayor Ashbridge then responded 70
calls and expressed the pleasure II gave
him and his party to accept Savannah,s
hospitality and appealed for closer
commercial relations between this citv
and Philadelphia. Referring to Mavor
Myers allusion TO Whitefeld, Mayor
Ashbridge said:
Many decades ago Savannah sent
truly noble man to PHILADELPHIA in
the interest of reform. The debt might
be repaid, for we have a man in the
person OF our great merchant prince
john Wannamaker. whom we might
send down for the reformation OF Sa
Vannah. either morally or politically -
rms sally was greeted with laugh