The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-14

|
 M. Rosser, M. D.
 forgotten to build magnificent churches and hospitals and private sanitariums as we'll
 We are glad to have you here this
 morning. Your programme may not give you time in which to see our city and district, and we hope that many of you
 will remain after the adjournment of the association and become better acquainted
 with us.
 Again, MT. President in behalf of the city of Birmingham, I extend to you a ! hearty welcome.
 Mayor Drennen's speech was punctuat- ed with the applause of his listeners,
 and when he had concluded he was con-
 graduated by members of the association
 The mayor was followed by Dr. L. G.
 Woodson, who in behalf of the medical
 profession, welcomed the association to
 Birmingham In the course of his address Dr. Woodson in referring to pr. w. b.
 B. Davis. said;
 pr. Woodson.
 gro speak for a city such as ours | and to welcome an organization such as l yours, would be an honor to any man. 1 We welcome you, for the same reason that any city would be proud to well come you, because you are men whose names are famous, whose achievements
 are known, whose presence is an honor; and we welcome you because you are
 here to honor the memory ol one whose name Is dear to us-the distinguished pr. William Elias Brownlee Davis. Tt is most fitting that the tribute which you propose paying him should be paid here-for Birmingham is the birth place of your founder and the birthplace of your association.
 Birmingham, whose age might almost l be counted in months, unknown a few years ago, stands today among the cities 1 of the south, scarcely a pace behind New 1 Orleans whose people point with pride to their past of hundreds of yearsl A quarter of a century ago the city of Bir- mingham was known to few save those unfortunates whose miserable lot was cast in her deserted streets Today l am
 sure she needs no introduction to such
 men as yourselves. She has not the
 beauty of some cities, for smoke, soot and dust have discolored her buildings and
 soied her streets But it Is not the grime of ages, allowed to settle through long
 ears of sloth and inactiv.ty-it is the
 smoke and soot of progress and pros
 perity!
 We have many things to be proud of, not the least among which Is our right
 to claim the honor belonging to this city as the birthplace of the Southern Surgi- cal and Genealogical association and the home of it's founder. The organization of the Alabama Surgical and Gyneeologi-
 cal association in this city in 1886 was the work of MT. Davis. With rare in-
 sight and intelligence he foresaw .-ie use fitness of such an organization At US
 first annual meeting in 1881 it was found
 that the field was so broad, the possibili-
 ties so vast, that it could be confined to
 no one state Therefore, at that meeting | it was decided to extend invitations of
 membership to the leading surgeons and l gynecologists in the south, and the name l of the association was changed to that ! which it now bears. But even then the magnitude of the project demanded wid- CT scope. It soon became evident that
 there must be no sectionaism. North,
 south, east and west are today represent
 ed and the association, as it now stands,
 is the peer of any similar organization | in the world
 'At it's birth, like all great movements | if met with opposition and discourage ment. Few believed that the combination of surgeons and gynecologists would | prove of benefit to either one or the | other But the pathetic soul of the in |
 able to see beyond the present to the | wider promise of the future and the | splendid fulfilment has amply justified
 the wisdom of his hopes Your magnifi-
 cent association is a greater and more l lasting monument to his memory than the statue of bronze which you will to- morrow unveil The old aphorism that
 prophet is never without honor save IT | his own country does not apply to oui l distinguished dead. He did not have tt
 seek fame and fortune in foreign land But in this city, within stones throw of the place of his birth, we find hin | stepping almost without an interval iron comparative obseurity to the most honor
 ed and exalted position which the great
 est and most scientific of all profession could bestow.
 But. alas! quenched forever in endless 1 night is the blaze of that genius which | during it's short but brilliant career. cas- it's meteoric splendors, like flash o
 glory across the startled horizon of thu | medical world. All that remains of hin now which time can destroy, is claspet | in the frozen embrace of death amonf | the people he loved so well. and tht
 should the devout of every cline and