The Republican journal., 1905-03-23

SO lOydlly Sloou DS Tile CIuD SluccalIS lHcep-
tion.were present, together with many new
corners, including several who are now resi-
dents of our native city.
There were eighty-one people present and
it was by far the most enjoyable time we
have had, there being, as Mr. Crawford
aptly put it, ''much of wit, much of:wisdom
and much that was truly artistic" all COM
bined with fine dinner, as the following
menu will show.
Green Turtle, a la Baltimore
Celery Olives RadlsneS
Filet of Turbot, Toulouse
Julienne Potatoes
Roast Turkey, Cranberry Sauce
Duchess Potatoes Caulifiower en- Cream
Copley Salad
Chicken Croquettes, French Peas
Sultana Roll Macaroons
Roquefort and Cream Cheese
Toasted Crackers
Cafe NOir
The Club has been extremely fortunate
this year in having for its President one Of
the most prominent men in Boston, Mr.. Geo.
p. Field, who has shown great interest in
the Club and it was chiefly through him
that Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. A. Quimby were
prevailed upon to come up expressly for
this occasion. During the reception Mr.
Field had hearty welcome for everyone
and fairly radiated good humor and hospi-
tality He also made an ideal toastmaster
and the members of the Club think them
selves fortunate in having Mr.. Field as
President for another year.
In opening the post-prandlal exercises
Mr. Field extended a greeting to all and
then passed to a review of what the State of
Maine. Club hoped to accomplish, and adj
vised all to Join it who could. He.then in
tloduced as the chief speaker, Mr.. Qumby,
who arose amid great enthusiasm and made
a characteristic address which was often
interrupted with applause. We give the ad-
dress in full, as follows:
Mr.. President and Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Belfast Club AS my remarks are en-
tirelv impromptu ! have taken the pre-
caution to have them typewriter and have
brought them with me, for outside OF col
lar button there is nothing more elusive
aud harder to find than an impromptu re-
remark, after you have once lost it. | have
also copyrighted these remarks, and any
other speaker infringing on them will be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
We're a stranger to look in on this gather
ing he would hardly realize that he was
gazing at room full of natural born Maine
acs unless perchance, he stopped to hear
what | had to say, when he would be GER
tain that at least one lunatic had escaped
from his keeper from the incurable ward.
When received an invitation from your
worthy president to attend this meeting of
the Belfast Club did not fully read it, SO
intent was | to accept it, fearing that there
might be "a string on it," and it>~would be
Later on, when | read it carefully and
found that | was expected to make a few
remarks, didn't wait till tonight to make
them, but made them then and there, and
they were of sucha character, and so fervid,
that were l to pass them around here l
should need asbestos plates to serve them
on, and you would not have to use TObaScO
sauce on them. There is a maxim that one
"cannot get something for nothing" and
while as a rule, maxim is as incorrect as
weather bulletin, still there is one maxim
land it is State of Maine one, too,) that
YOU can always depend on, and that is
Hiram Maxim and his rapid firing gun-but,
as was about to say, | think | will come
as near 10 getting something for nothing as
anyone ever did when accomplish the feat
of swapping my remarks for this enjoyable
occasion.
As look about NE and see so many ia
miliaY faces it makes me feel somewhat at
home. Possibly it may be in my case like
that of the late Geo. i. Moore, who used to
edit the Belfast journal. He was sitting in
his Sanctum one day when the door opened,
ana gushing young lady came in. Step
ping up to the editor She said, ''How do you
do, Mr.. Moore? | see you don't remember
me-but nc matter, there are great many
know me, many of whom | know not
which. AS Gear cut grammatical SEN
tence, this hardly has its equal. 1t really is
a classic.
We are here, as understand it, to meet
each other in "A friendly way and talk about
Belfast and old Maine. our native State, the
best State in the CAion the spine Tree
State, 50 called because there is picture
Dt pine tree on our coat OF arms, which is
really about the only pine tree left there.
We natives may often pine to go to Maine,
but We don't go to Maine for pine-we know
better-we 90 to Michigan or Oregon.
would ike, however, to have asked the de-
Signer OF our State seal why he put such
scrub pine on it, for at that time there were
pines that were worthy of the name. If
you will carefully examine the seal, you
will see that on the lett side stands farm
er, and on the other a sailor, and between
them, pine tree, tie top of which does not
come up to their shoulders, which would go
TO show that either the pine was very small,
or the men were very large. That Seal-and
possibly ths Sc OF other StateS-S open to
criticism. | have studied it good deal,
and always find some new discrepancy in it,
In the first place, you will see the sun d.
rectly overhead. In the seventy-fve or
eighty years l have lived in Maine never
caught the sun i'll that position and never
heard Maine accused of being over the
equator. Then there is a sailor out in a
pasture, evidently miles from the sea, with
an anchor at his feet that would hold four
hundred ton vessel. | always wonder how
in the world he got that anchor there, and
what he intended to do with it, | do not
want TO be fault finding, bat it often seems
To me that art and aliegOry ought to be put
III some home for tie feeble minded and
not be permitted to roam about loose impos-
ing on the public as they do. You have only
20 look at some Of the alleged works of art
n our parks and public buildings to see
the truth of what | have said If an artist
makes ii little blunder he calls it art, if he
makes an awful one it is allegory, and it is
all right-that settles it.
In Belfast in my early boyh0od lived
good old Unitarian minister Soon after
the separation of Maine from Massachu-
sets, IA person holding very strict theologi
cal views undertook in public place to
orner the minister, and get him to express
his views on the then much talked of doc
trne OF total depravty. Putting on very
doleful expression he said, "Mr Frothine
ham, do we not live in dreadful State ?"
Utterly ignoring the purp0rt of the cues
ton, he very quietly replied, swell, Pm not
that fhn,,