New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-23

- t,a FIRST wear cost the lives of half their num-
her: who thus dared and endured TOT hoery OF
conscience the freedom OF man, the glory or
s,eir Maker. a festival in their remembrance
cannot recur again too surely or too loyousiy
IL IS the same dinner. at which the best cheer
and thought and speech OF America are never
wanting, and IA which our townsmen Tor years
have taken pride. 1t is the same society, with
All its TRANQUIL changes. our treasury is gradu-
sIly enlarging-at the annual meeting the vest
ed and cash assets reached new high record
Our charities have been fully maintained, ano
not a few households have been made brighter
our membership "a we'll maintained. nuctuating
above and below the number Of fifteen hundred
and scrutiny is exercised with regard 10 candi-
dscies for election. ! believe our membership
fairly represents IL stands, element sec
ond 10 none for intelligence and character ana
q power that makes for good We are TOLD thht
IN the section from which IL is derived. the
colonial stock is now in the minority. 'But In
those dear old States that masterful strain VIII
hold its own AS surely the Saxon words or
the English language though outnumbered ten
fold by accretons from all other tongues con-
tiDue and viii continue, 20 give that peerless
speech its strength and tenderness. surely
Will the conviction. the self-denial the morals
the independent mind OF the anGestTaI oI seS
dominate the life and law OF New-England, ana
the New-Engand spirit will survive wherever
its countless inheritors shall betake themselves
TOLL OF DEATH is MEMORABLE.
The toll Of Death is memorable. and we have
lost a member for every one that we nave
gained. The advanced age OF our members Is
still notable Their days have been long enough
in the land TO Justify the belief, as or olo that
they were children of the promise rms year
the average longevity was increased by the
years OF Curtis Judson. our oldest member. VINO
died al nnety-three, and of J. NJ Curtis. VINO
reached the age OF ninety. The octogenarians
were z NJ KINGSLEY eighty-six; Watson E
Case. eighty-three; DR.. Egbert Guernsey, eigh-
ty-one. and that fire old man and artist, long
president Of the Academy OF Design. I. w
Wood, who died at the age OF eighty. having
bestowed upon HIS beloved town of Montpelier
an art gallery rich with his own portraits and
with his UNIQUE copies from Old World master
pieces. Il is 10 Mr.. Wood that we owe the
painting Of the seal OF society. In a list
OF twenty-three members including these, who
passed away between last New Years and No
Vember 10. and whose ages are recorded, there
are also five septuaRenarans and ten seXage-
rarians. leaving but two Of younger years This
may serve TO explain the experience OF a vet
eran American resident Of the Isthnus Of Pana-
Tna-who. like some other Panamans has been
visiting what our exiles called Gods country
the incidents that have caused him to shorten
measurably the long and prophetic beard which
he had grown during his forty years survival
of fever cocoanut tipple and revolutions galore
at Colon and Panama His heart was rather
warmed than otherwise by the excamations of
two schoolboys on the day Of his arrival. one
OF whom said: Gee! Look at Rip Van Winkle!"
To which the other replied. NO; it's Santa
Claus getting ready for the holidays He even
felt hattered when old friend. Mr. lockwood,
the photographer. induced him to have his pict-
ure taken as Lear SO It went on until last
week he heard a Waldorf-Astoria cabby sing
out friend Hello; There goes old Dowiet'
That shaft struck home. and when the pal
responded, Bet you he's one OF them Pilgrim
Fathers that have big dinner here next week"
he betook himself 10 the first steamer to Pan
ANA
That age seemed all too young for us to lose
the manly and faithful leader. my immediate
predecessor in Office. whose taking off seemed in
g way as untimely that Of another ex-Presi-
dent whose death II was his own lot 10 dwell
upon in this hall three wears ago tonight. The
name OF William Earl Dodge. inherited from
rather who had made II synonyme for integ-
rity and benehcence. gained International honor
through the sons career. I knew our late Presi-
dent from my school days. and under the most
intimate affirm public
judgment of him. high ii was. did not over
rate his sterling worth. Averse from debating
the course Of others, he was sensitiveiy con-
scientious as to his own. throughout his life
he steadily advanced in taste and culture and
lovely and OF good report. Every drop of his
blood was from the New England fount and
he chung 10 the ancestral faith as to a birth
ilght, bOt as ne grew older broadened IL. be-
came a man who kept apace with the though.
and knowledge OF his time. Mr.. Dodge had I'm
ah eminent degree that delicate considera e.
ness which is the surest trait OF a sentienra n
whateVer his creed or race. Add to this his de-
Notton 10 the best In art letters and the conduct
OF life his patriotism. distinguished from the
nrSt his earnest work for The hetfcrrnapf oF So
cial conditions. his pride as to the calling
wherein no credit and name stood higher
man his own. and you have a citizen indeed
me POSITIONS conferred upon him by this So
cetN were especially gratifying TO one who nv
seniority and natural right was the head on one
OF our strongest New-EnRland clans Through
Out ms rising terms Of executive Office nerio5
OF six years-he neglected 10 DUTY and his tao+
and judgment were unfaiIins The strain n, +.Is
- 80 ao'eu 10 MS responsibilities elsewhere
oio upon MS falling strength. but he persevered
70 the end. and retired with the affection and
plauoits Of all his Official associates. N''N
"MAFFLOWER CONDESCEND4NTg
The year has not passed without rumors tha+
go riiiI POI laht II true Even the fact that a
snip by The name OF Mayflower bore tba pr
srlns TO America has been challenged on tba
score mat no stateTent TO this effect Is 70 he
louLo IN bradtord's memorial. II this uAre a
sufficient reason for striking the vrinso7,a v a
IRON the rolls, what a world of sentiment y. +.
some 70 waste! History written would in
such case recall the plight Of the American
woman at Strauord-on-Avon who said "a bs-
telIow tourists at the Stratford railway station.
TO think that IL was from this very nIatforr,
that the immortal bard departed Iybanayar -
went 10 London There seemed some reason
for the alarm manifested hv tsa socist,, vi
ls SAID TO deem Itself our Upper House-tbat Of
The Mayhower descendants or cordescend-
5nts-until research made il clear that Goyernor
aS .ays hlssen DESIGNATED the pilgrim ship
te MaSno"er, IN q land record made at
plymouth within three years after the land
lhg. This trouble happily over new agitators
a.Ise 70 revive the ancient heresy concerning
Plymouth Rock. A learned iconoclast has actUI-
any asked permission to read paper before the
New-England Society. showing that the frst
aanclng vas made al the creek near by and not
~ the rock itself. He has been officially warned
nat Plymouth Rock is the shrine Of all good
New-Englanders and that. in any event II ha .
been so long the symbol Of what was heroic de-
voted and enduring that il is and will remei1
ne cornerstone OF the New-England Society in
me cry or New-York- Another cause for dis
quietude was the report of the engineer of the
charles River Dam, who has discovered tina I
boston and Its suburbs are sinking at the rate
81 an eighth OF an inch year. But Mr. Reid's
tribune ofhce poet, in contemplation of the
Prospective loss Of the city which offspring
OF It's own suburbs has declared to be state Of
ihiho' consoles US by pointing out that
When Boston sinks into the sea
10 seek a new profundfty.
WIEN culture lives with man more.
The Sacred Goldfish down below
VIII tell Is all We ought TO know
T.,