The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-06
Most Interesting Address al
Commercial Club Banquet.
BY F. HOpxINSON SMITH.
Ne Told Of tha Old Southern Oarkey Of
Slavery Days, and Spoke In the OlaIsct
Of the Bond Man.

II would be hard to conceive more
successful occasion or a more delightful
evening in which solid enjoyment was the
rule than the annual banquet of the com
mercial club at the Narragansett hotel
last evening The nrst since the recent re-
organization of the club
President George l.. Shepley presided
and upwards OF 100 members ana Invited
guests were present. The dinner was
splendid one and the entertainment. con-
ssting of most interesting address by
+. Hopkinson Smith whose topic was
"The old Plantation" and short speeches
by President shepley, Or, Faunce and
Major c. A. Stott.
Coed fellowship reigned supreme ana
the event was one that bespeaks the re-
turn Of the Commercial CLUB to the high
plane II occupied a decade ago when 1t
was one OF the strongest social organiza-
tions In the city.
The company sat down TO the banquet
shortly after o'clock and for two hours
course followed course, I'LL the cigars
were lighted.
Seated at the head table were President
George L. Shepley. with the speaker OF
the evening, f Hopkinson Smith on his
right and President Faunce on his left'
James Il. Field c. c. Harrington. Judge
Brown OF the United States court. Major
c A. Stott. formerly Of the Sixth Massa-
chusetts Volunteer Regiment OF Lowell
George VI Robinson and Joseph Davol IL.
ii. Comstock and William H. Ballou.
At the other tables were K. >. COM
stock, Herbert y. Fenner Arthur Ii.
Watson. Henry Breyoort Kane. Edward
s. Clark Edward q. Buckland. Il. Frank
A NfA a. at.rtnf ha I'll
Frank II. Comstock, T. l. Rogers George
r. Allen, George W. Lanphere, Walter III.
Stearns, jeffrey Hazard, A. Curtis Ting
ley. w. o. Blandlng. Charles b. Hum
phrey. +. w. Allen. +. ID. Livermore. Eu-
gene +. Phillips, Fred s. Peck, Lucian
Sharpe. Prof, Mcdonald, ]. Herbert Fos-
ter, George w. Parks, Richard ID.
knight. Or. Earl p, Hawes. Theodore w.
Foster, l.. Sweet, J. w. Croker. Albert
a. Baker. T. l.. Bauer. r.. Il. Comstock
L. w. Colwell, j. +. Lestrade, George w
Williams, f. b. Williams. Edward +.
Child. william Gammell. II. A. Hunt,
James s. Kenyon. Former Governor ID.
Russell Brown, Or. James r. Sullivan.
Michael +. Dooley, Joseph Il. Fletcher,
Frederick Hayes and the newspaper men,
OF ABSORBING INTEREST
Mr.. Smiths address was OF absorbing
interest and for an hour and half no
held the closest attention OF his hearers,
and few gatherings have been more 6riis @
born and spent his boyhood days on an
old Virginia plantation. Ills Iather was
a slave owner and his early years were
passed among tho loyal people OF bond
age OF the class that is fast passing
away. lie grew up among these people
and his earliest and most lasting impress
sions were gained by intercourse Hlth inc
best Southern serving people OF 90 years
ago.
President shepley, in introducing Mr..
"a L., hnF Ia
when we meet people who can talk with
US sympathze with us, and there is
sense Of companionship between US. IL
was my good luck TO meet on board snip
a man who was engineer. builder, con-
structor. author and poet, and, my
friends. with all of these he was
simple good fellow. IL gives me the
greatest pleasure to- introduce my friend,
Mr.. Il. Hopkinson Smith.
The speaker in opening said he would
speak OF subject which was very near
his heart and ranged about the wall OF
the room were representatives OF the race
OF which his discourse dwelt. In pre-
senting some OF the salient features OF
lie that was fast becoming extinct no
would. he said bring hack into the flesh
types found only in the South.
/ hope TO bring before you more clear
ly by illustration, said he. than by an
abstract discussion OF my subject the
points wish to emphasize. We have I'm
The South several dialects, with several
subdivisions OF even these, and nowhere
IS there so many dialects. all distinct To
the practiced eye, and all known ana
located There are 10 dialects among
the Southern negroes. he declared, d.
Nided into four great divisions: The
Georgian. the Nirginian, the Louisianian
and the Kentuckyian.
In Illustrating tho dffeFancein the dia-
lects he gave several humorous illustra-
lions of dialects in various parts of tho
country. The Georgian dialect he said,
is unique. and Northern writer's have
never mastered il. Continuing, he said
QUAINT nIAII,fvr
TO Joel Chandler Harris. among the
few. belongs the distinction of bringing
90 us the quaint dialect OF tho Southern
negro. II has fallen to the lot Of Thomas
Nelson Page 10 bring TO us i'm all his
simplicity that picture lof old Uncle
Remus Pare and Harris have done
their work 50 well that we hold them
among the few who have reached nigh
and plucked their palms from the top. "
'Marse Chans' and several Uncle Re
muses.. Born south OF Mason and DiN-
on's line my father q slave holder II
was my privilege 20 met a considerable
number of these quaint characters.
Mr.. Smith gave many anecdotes or the
race. and told Of the countless acts or
duty performed by individuals. telling OF
one old negro hand. himself an old man
or 20 years. going every Sunday morning
TO "A plantation several miles away. where
his father was still alive and wash and
shave the old man. keeping this UP until
the death OF his father.
Another anecdote told was OF the en-
trusting OF a packet OF very valuable pa
outbreak Of the war. and his close guard
ianship Of tho same until happier days. 7
never disclosing his secret. his mistress
having died. even 10 the family when
fruitless search was made for them.
This devotion was not all on the side OF