The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-04-03
Was the Feast OF Good
Things Served
At the Commercial Club Ban
quet. Wednesday Evening.
Food For Thought. and Fun Fol
Thinkers.

There was a large attendance
Wednesday evening, at the CONNER
cial Club banquet in Pythian Hall.
Three long tables were filed their
full length, both sides, with the bust
ness and professional men of the
city.
The Ladies of the Lutheran church
spread a banquet that has never
been excelled. if equalled, at these
meetings. Substantials, delicacies,
and deserts, were provided with a
bountiful hand, and the unanimous
vote of thanks that was given them,
came from the heart.
President w. C. Huston presided as
toast master, and kept the wit of the
speakers and sympathetic crowd ef-
feryescing and bubbling over.
The speeches throughout were ex-
cellent, and the flashing wit kept all
in delightful humor. And through
the whole program there ran flow
of information that showed the won
derful progress and bright outlook
of our city, and the prominent part
and the great work the Commercial
Club has done and is doing to keep
up our pace
Prof. ]. w. McKinnon in speaking
on the benefits of education AGENT
tuaed the fact that our greatest dis
coveries, improvement, and. enter
prises. are the result of careful,
methodical culture, on practical
lines, that has developed the wonder
full brain power of the world.
Rev. Frank Snyder and Mr.. L. j
Hook, of the German Baptist Com
mittee were called on to give few
facts about the coming annual meet.
ing of their church to be held here
the last week in May.
Both gentlemen were satisfied that
Bellefontaine could and would handle
the crowd that would be here, to our
credit, and they expect, if the wealth
er is favorable, from 10000 to 80. .O0C
people. Mr.. Snyder said that the
Committee, until it came here, had
little. idea of selecting Bellefon-
taine, and had practically decided
upon another place, but came here
in response to our invitation. They
were captured by the business like
way in which they were received
here and the courtesy shown them,
saw our advantages, and unanimous
ly changed their minds. "They came
they saw, and were conquered
They were also influenced by the
liberal terms of the Big Four, which
will be big factor in taking care Of
them.
c. L. Horton, of Cincinnati, whit
came to the meeting as represent
ative of the Big Four, spoke of the
preparations which that road would
make for handling the big crowd
and said they had never handled th'
Representatives of any denomina
tion with whom they had less trouble
or were better pleased, saying the,
could always depend on their wore
and agreements. His remarks wer,
facetious as well as instructive ant
satisfactory, and he had frequen
rallies with other speakers. Incl
dentally, he said the Big Four wa
going to run switch into the Silve
Lake grounds, and expected to maxi
that popular resort.
DIR. Covington, speaking of our nev
industries, said. that the events o
the past three years, showed tina
every one of our new enterprises wa
doing a good business, paying goo
dividends, and that it was unneces
sary for any one in Bellefontain
who had money to invest to send
to New York to put it in turf invest
ments, or to st. Louis to put it il
corn deals. The hit drew forth
round of applause and hearty laugh
ter.
President huston said that whei
the Commercial Club was organizes
only teree years ago ther
was invested less than $500, 900 i
manufacturing, and 1873 men employ
ed (outside the railroads and railroa
shops.l Today these investment
} reach s155, coo, 495 men are employe
. and all but five per cent of the cap
J tai invested, is Bellefontaine money
Mr.. G.. W. Bartholomew spoke o
the unique position our city holds i
the matter of municipal franchise:
showing that it was ahead of all tn
cities in the State n this respect
and brought out the fact that on
, gas. electric light and water work
, plants could be sold within 20 hour
if we wanted to dispose of them, fo
enough to pay off all our municips
4 Indebtedness. He showed that ou
gas costs us less than half what tn
average of other cities are payinl
5 as shown by reliable published stati
e tics.
= DIR. Whitlock being called upon
: tell why Defiance failed to get ii
:. German Baptist meeting, made
: facetious reply, bristling with W
:, and good points, and showing his
:, deity to Defiance his present re:
l. dence, while highly complimentir
/ Bellefoutaine and her citizens.
Mr.. A. Jay Miller spoke for the ne
l. electric line, and said they wou
q have several cars here to hand
N the crowd during the German Ba
If tist meeting. His speech was n
N only up to date, bu one of the latei
10 Rev. S. A. Greenawalt closed t