Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-11-29
Maine Society Dlnner IN New York.

II
Last Friday night, Nov. 1s, the SOM
and daughters, and the grandsons an6
granddaughter of Maine who live In Oh
near New York had their annual dinner
at the Manhattan Hotel, one Of The
largest and finest hotels in New York.
About hundred and fifty of us sal
down to dinner at eight o'clock, rather
an unreasonable hour for Maine people
who are accustomed to dine at noon, but
there is no accounting for the length Of
style to which we Maine farmers will &c
when we move to the city, and take to
wearing low cut evening vests and patent
leather shoes.
The dinner was long and fine-many
courses and all of them good. The music
was furnished by a so-called Neapolitan
Band of five or six men musicians play
ing mandolins, and they rendered music
and funny ''stunts" that may have been
all right for southern Italy, but which
were very much out of tune with the
spirit of celebration Of the Old-fashion-
ed life in Maine.
The after dinner speeches were all
very good.
Major Holman F. Day, author of "Pine
Tree Ballads" and other books, made a
capital speech, interspersing 1t with
Maine stories and with his character
istic poetry. Hon. w. w. Stetson,
Superintendent of Schools in Maine,
made perhaps the speech of the evening,
and when he told of the self-denial of
parents in Maine in order that their
children might receive the advantages
of education, be held the audience in
enthusiastic and sympathetic interest.
Ex-Mayor Body of Brooklyn, DR..
Lyman Abbott and A. Augustus Healy
paid glowing tributes to their native
state.
In lighter vein we had many stories of
Maine life, some of them attributed,
with more or less accuracy, to Seth Samp-
son, Uncle Scion Chase, Uncle BradiSh
Turner and Ezra Stephens. All of these
distinguished characters seemed to be
well known to the New York audience.
As always at these Maine gatherings,
there was a considerable number of Ok
ford Bears in attendance, and ornament
ing the centre of a prominent table at
which a number of them were seated
was stuffed bear, symbOlical of Oxford
County. No one seemed to know how
the bear got there, but if | were to
exercise my Yankee privilege of guess
ing" should guess that it got there
through the assistance of Kimball G.
Atwood, formerly of Buckfield and now
of New York City.
At this table of Oxford Bears noticed
Mr.. and Mrs. Atwood and Mr.. and Mrs.
John Lewis Childs, formerly of Buck
field, and with them was John Bur-
roughs, the celebrated naturalist and
author, and it is enough to say that he is
as charming as his books, and Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles l.. Case, Paris Hill. At
other tables there were MesSrs. Burbank
and Woodbury. of Bethel, DR.. and Mrs.
Abbott, Mr.. Abbott formerly of Farm
ington and Mrs. Abbott formerly of
Waterford, Mr.. and Mrs. Albert Davies,
Mr.. Davies formerly of Waterville, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Davies both now Of Paris
Hill and New York, and the Secretary of
the society, Mr.. Charles Il. Kilbourne,
of Waterford.
| hear that the next entertainment OF
the Maine Society is to be an old-fashion-
ed kitchen dance with a specially i'm
ported Maine fiddler who is to do the
fiddling and calling in the old-fashioned
Maine style. have heard that pure
sweet cider and doughnuts will be pro-
vided for refreshments in contrast to the
somewhat elaborate dinner that l have
just told you about, and that ample pro-
vision will be made for those who do
not dance.
The Maine Society in New York seems
to be fulfilling its purpose in bringing
Maine people residing here into closer
in these very pleasant re-
unions.
Yours truly,
A TRANsPLANTED MAINE FARMER.