Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-03

served
for thirty-one years. q 1t goes for the mere
saying that our presbytery has the model
clerk, am sure may ay. in the denomi-'
tors go, stated clerks go ron forever; SO we
dare express the hope that you may go on
4 for long time to come.
| Righteousness ana Civic Virtue.
'.As citizen of this by no means mean
| city for nearly fifty years, you have grown
| with its growth and strengthened with its
| strength in your influence as a factor for
righteousness and civic virtue. It might
appear that my profession might have a.
| tendency to warp my judgment and infiu-
| ence my conclusion, and that my warm
| heart was tempting me to excess In the
| honoring words I am saying to YOU Such
! an opinion is disclaimed, IL 1t should exist
In any mind, by one fact. There is dis
| tinguished layman of our church who is
unable to be present tonight, who, in send
| ing his regrets, added these words: 'Ex-
plain to DR.. Bittinger the cause of my alb
| sence; convey to him my concentrations
and assure him of my profound regard,
know of no man in the city of Washington
who is more worthy of the honor which
Presbyterians and other good citizens are
| uniting to manifest to him November 2.
| 1t is a proud record for any man to have
that which DR.. Bittinger has made in his
| long career in this city and in his ministry.
| His has been an unselfish devotion to his
church and his fellowmen. We do our
selves honor in paying homage to his USE
| full public and private life
Il know of no word 1 might utter that
would more correctly express the sentiment
| OF this entire company of friends, met here
| to do you honor after your more than
| eighty years of life.
But words are not always the best We
| hicles in which to convey affection. Words
| may be forgotten. They have been known
| to say what was not So So we some
times have to turn to other forms of ex-
preston, which would say through eye and
touch what can never pass away. In view
| of this fact 1t has seemed good that our
words at this time should be put into per-
manent forni-not in printers ink for that
might fade OUTPUT in some artistic shape
which will always convey it's message to
you while you remain, and may afterward
| be handed on to after generations as re-
| minder of you and your impress upon your
| fellows as an impulse and inspiration to
| noble citizenship. and especially a call to
devotion to Jesus Christ and His cause.
ALI Have Voice.
Now, art takes various FORMS It has
been known to be bound into book, use
full as an authority on church law and a
! guide to action. But such a remembrance
at our hands might seem too much like a
| recognition which you had hewn out for
yourself. So we have fallen back, or, per-
| haps more correctly, agreed upon a form
of expression in which every one could
| have voice, and no one speak louder than
| others; a form of expression which voices
| the sentiment of every one, for what we
are about to present you is just what its
name imports-a cup Of love. We do not
counsel you to use 1t as drinking cup,
only as you may imbibe, from it's size,
| copious drafts of our love for you. We do
not want you to place 1t In museum but
keep it where you can see it every day. so
| that while not engraved upon it, yet in the
| language of the poet or some one else:
When it you see you will remember u.s.
1.-The history of such a cup cannot give.
7 hos cal hot cban
and handled that when it was offered by a
host to his guest, the guest had to take
hold of 1T, and was thus prevented from
ESta bling his entertainer We have no fears
of being SO treated by you. The only stabs
you are capable of giving are those OF
kindness and affection These we trust
that you may long be spared to WELD, that
our city, and especially our beloved church,
may profit by your genial presence, your
wisdom and your help.
DIR. Bittinger. l, on behalf of your
friends, present you this loving cup"
DR.. Bittinger's Response.
In response DIR. Bittinger said if he might
indulge In an Irishism he would thank DR..
Alexander for his reminder SO gracefully
and eloquently expressed, that the guest OF
the evening is eighty years old. Perhaps
you thought" he said to DR.. Alexander,
that in fitness of things and from manifest
appearances such reminder was neces-
sary, especially as I have come to my
| period of life so gradually, almost imper-
ceptibly, and without the many infirmities,
bodily and otherwise, which characterize
old age, not excepting some peculiar to the
ministerial professionally bronchitis and
blue Monday
''It is indeed tr ue'' he added that I have
grown old-if not gracefully, yet without
any serious break in either bodily strength
or mental vigor.
Socrates said" continued DR.. Bittinger,
cit is pleasant to grow old with good
health and good friends-much more If the
good health be prolonged and the good
friends multiplied" He added that he is an
octogenarian, but he recently became one
only since the 10th of August last-and is
still of ruddy countenance. But limited as
may be my experience, he said, Il am
thankful to say that it is a happy expert
ence, the happiness of which is greatly in
creased by the presence of many of my
friends on this to me, memorable occasion,
and their generous expressions of conf
dence and love, especially when accompa-
MED by this beautiful testimonial in the
form of a loving cup; and what in response
shall / say?"
Dr. Bittinger said he knew well enough
what he felt, but there are times in the ex-
perience of all of US, he believed, when the
| feelings of the heart are too deep, full and
strong for utterance.
It'll 1 can find words adequate to the
proper expression Of the feelings of my
heart let me say" he continued II am
| deeply, tenderly touched by this new ex-
| hibition of your kindly regards, and will
love long life itself shall last.
Having lived, he said, for the greater part
of his life in Washington. it may be pre-
sumed that he has seen many and varied
| and striking changes, He had seen the city
emerge from what might be called a ham,
| let of 10000 inhabitants to the present time.
when the population is 100000. In local
paper short time ago, he said, in writing
of the monument proposed to be erected to
L Enfant, Washington city was spoken of
by way Of ridicule as city of magnificent
distances and described as great sprawl
| Ing mysterious monster. without form or
definition. So that the wonder might be
| pardonable whether L'Enfant wrought un-
der the prophetic inspiration of genius OF
| merely reproduced some disordered fancy
| of the night.
| BE this as it may" he continued II am
a living witness of the erection of nearly
all the public buildings and monuments
which now adorn our streets and parks. 1
was present in the city at the laying of the
cornerstone of the Washington monument
| in 1S4S and also the cornerstones of the two
wings of the Capitol the orators of the oc-
casions being, respectively, Robert c. Win
throp and Daniel Webster
Other Features Of Growth.
DR.. Bittinger then described other fea-