The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-09-10
HONORED SIR THOMAS.

banquet OtfcU SOunpblNnSuAo' ~ sHS
Oft.Defeated Chalienger-Sting of
Defeat Laved In Golden Wine Amid
Outbursts of Eloquence at Waldorf
Astoria.
Sir Thomas Upton was the guest
OF honor of the Society of Pilgrims OF
the United States at banquet given
in his honor at the Waldorf-AstOria
in New York Friday night.
No formal speeches had been ar
ranged but the following were called
upon: Geo. T. Wilson, Sir Thomas
Upton, Gen. Joseph Wheeler, Gen.
Henry c. Corbin, Col Henry Wat
terson, ex-Gov c. S. Thomas, OF Col
orado, and Gen. A. E. Bate. The
Earl of Shaftesbury, commodore OF
the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, and
Colonel Sharman-Crawford were also
present. The health of Sir Thomas
was drunk i'll champagne.
When the ices were served q process
sion of walters marched in to a pop
ular air, bearing trays crowned with
gilded harps, full-rigged models OF
Reliance and Shamrock and easels
with figures of yachts. Later women
began to appear in the boxes, among
them the Countess of Shaftesbury
and many others who have been Sir
Thomas guests on board the Erin.
Geo. T. Wilson, who presided, ad-
dressing Sir Thomas, said that his
attitude had struck Il responsive
chord in every heart.
Gas a loser, said he, you are a
corker. You will ever have the ad-
miration, love and regard of all
Americans.
Sir Thomas was given many hearty
rounds of cheers when he arose. He
said:
Eve are all more or less pilgrims
here tonight, and would like to feel
that ] am not Il stranger among
you. Many of my best American
friends are pilgrims and | regard it
as a great honor to be your guest.
GAS regards the cup races, we have
been beaten fairly and squarely, and
| congratulate America on having
the better boat | wish to take oc-
casion here to express my thanks for
the cOurteOusness and kindness
shown me by the New York Yacht
Club
While the speeches were all very
good that of Gen. Wheeler perhaps
struck the most responsive chord in
the hearts of those who heard him
and of Americans generally. He
said:
at is fortunate not only for him
self, but for the world, that Sir
Thomas did not succeed in the spec
ial purpose for which he crossed the
ocean. What seemed to be loss, mis-
fortune and disaster has become in
reality fortune, triumph and victory.
| Sir Thomas came to America to win
a silver cup He has won what is
even better than a gold crOwn-the
admiration, applause and love OF
the world. Anyone can be grand in
success and victory, but the world
produces few who can rise to the
height of grandeur, when their most
herculean efforts have failed in the
cherished purpose of their ambition.
''In all ages and in all countries
the ablest and strongest Of meli
| have at times been overwhelmed
with misfortune and disaster The
greatest and most successful soldiers
have lost battles, campaigns, king
doms, empires and country
| General Wheeler then cited the
cases of Washington after Valley
Forge, Lee after Appomattox, Napo-
leon, kosciusko and others. Hecon-
tinued
For months Sir Thomas has been
the most prominent and conspicuous
individual upon the face of the globe.
The calcium searchlight has been
upon him every moment, and when
he returns to our mother country he
will be welcomed as one who in the
eyes of the world has elevated the
standard OF Anglo-SaXon manhood,
and he will carry with him the ever
increasing love and admiration OIL
| the American people,