Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-02-02
The Maine Press Association Meets.

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The last week in January is marked
by two things-one, the annual meeting
of the Maine Press Association, thu
other, a big storm, usually snow storm
though once in while it rains. There
is once in ten years or so an exception
to the storm clause of this rule, but it is
the exception which serves not to prove
| the rule, but to emphasize 1t.
This year things happened strictly &C
cording to schedule, heavy snowfall
coming Tuesday night, and the associa
ton meeting in Portland on Wednesday
and Thursday. The Oxford County
members were an hour late in getting
away from South Paris, and twenty
minutes more was lost in getting into
Portland, but we found that the Grand
Trunk was not so badly tied up as the
Maine Central, and the passengers over
the latter road were later than we were.
On arrival at Portland, number OF
the passengers who had not before seen
it took the opportunity to make hasty
inspection of the new Grand Trunk
station. 1t is elegantly finished, and is,
inside and out, one of the prettiest
OuliulngS IN Maine.
Arrangements had been made to ac-
commodate the members of the associa-
ton at the Congress Square and West
End Hotels, and the Oxford County
members, and good proportion of the
others, went to the Congress Square as
being nearer to our headquarters at the
CITY Hall. knew that the Con-
gress Square was good house, with a
good name, but | didn't realize how
good until my friends began asking me
where stopped, and when told them
got the invariable response, not only
at home but in Portland, Congress
Square! Why, you're putting on style,
aren't you?"
An attractive feature of the house is
its dining room, which is on one end of
the upper floor, and is "all windows" on
three sides. As you sit at table you
have an outlook over wide stretch of
city, harbor, island and mainland.
The meetings of the Press Association
were held in the common council room
at the city building, and four sessions
on Wednesday and Thursday were very
busy with business and discussions.
Charles A. Pilsbury of the Belfast Jour-
nal, one of the best newspaper men in
the state, retired from two years term
as president, and was succeeded by Jesse
III. Ogier of the Camden Herald. Ogier
is one of the younger members, an eX-
ceptionally good presiding officer, and a
general good fellow. f. w. Sanborn of
the Norway Advertiser is first vice
president, and naturally in line to be-
come the head of the association two
years hence. Joseph Wood of Portland
was elected secretary for the thirty-third
year.
lit was unanimously decided to make
the summer excursion to the worlds fair
at st. Louis. as it was thought that that
the best possible opportunity
for pleasure and education combined.
The literary exercises on Thursday
afternoon comprised paper written by
Ex- Mayor Boothby of Portland on 1.-THE
of the Newspapers to the Prog
ress and Development of the State, an
essay by F. w. Sanborn of Norway on
the topic, "Boy Wanted and poem
by Frank II. Colley of Old Orchard,
The Song of the Pines" 1t was
varied and interesting programme.
In an interval of the sessions the
Maine Weekly Publishers Association
held a meeting and admitted a number
of new members, besides transacting
other business.
Outside of the facts above stated, there
is little in the proceedings of the aSsoci-
alton that is of interest to the general
public. The meetings are devoted part
" to the transaction of routine business,
and partly to "shop talk"-or talking
business. There was no fixed programme
for the discussions at this meeting,
yet undoubtedly the conference of those
engaged in the same lines of work,
formal or informal, in the
meeting, after adjournment, or in the
hotel office, gives all new ideas and
brightenS and freshenS old ones. have
been a member for eighteen years, and
could have ill afforded to drop out of
my life either the pleasure or the profit
that have derived from attending the
meetings.
Formerly no discussions of business
topics were put down on the programme,
and the sessions were almost ex-
clusively devoted to routine business
and sociability, so that the association
was sometimes styled collection of dry
bones. Even under these conditions,
publishers who were attending their first
after having been short-sighted
enough to stay out for years, have ex-
pressed their surprise at the advantages
to be gained from membership, and their
regret at having stayed out so long.
Several of the members went TO Bos-
ton Thursday night, to attend the meet
ing of the New Hampshire Publishers
Association which was held in that city.
Those of us who were unable to go to
Boston returned home feeling very well
with the session.
For me there was but one fly in the
ointment. SOMEBODY carried off my over
shoes, and left in place of them another
pair The substitutes are in fully as
good condition as mine, but they are
built ON a plan more stately and mag
nificent by a size and half-and that is
saying good deal for them. The fellow
who carried mine off may never feel the
sting of conscience, but | have the
of thinking that my over
shoes will probably pinch his toes.