The Greeley tribune., 1905-08-10
MIXED HIGH FINANCE WITH
GASTRONOMIC PLEASURES.
Wineless Banquet Starts Flow
of Oratory-Good Talks in
Financial and Indus
trial Topics.

was held here last Monday and Tues
day. and now about 100 tinanciers
from all over the state are spreading
the news that Greeley is the finest
convention city in the entire west.
The visitors were we'll entertained
and they said so. Whatever benefit
the convention may otherwise have
been to the members the inner man
was satisfied and the social features
in connection with the gathering
were also fully enjoyed.
There was but small attendance
at the opening session in Elks' hall
Monday morning when President D..
l.. Brush of this city called the con-
vention to order, but Il constant in
fux of strangers during the day, and
upon the evening train by Tuesday
turned the convention into hum
mer, at which it was said more en-
thusiasm was displayed than at any
previous gathering of the association.
Morning Session
After invocation by Rev. o. A.
Petty Monday morning, ex-Mayor III.
C. Watson, in the absence of Mayor
Franklin j. Green, welcomed the
visitors. He was responded to by
B. N. Freeman, president of the
Colorado State Bank at Durango,
who warmly lauded Greeley and her
citizens and their thrift In building
up such town and country.
The annual address of the presi-
dent was also delivered at this ses-
sion as was also the annual report OF
Secretary Treasurer GordeI Jones of
Denver.
To roll call each delegate was re-
quested to respond with brief out
line of conditions in his particular
community. In this connection j.
NJ. B. Petrikin reviewed the condi-
tion in the sugar industry and the
potato business here, as we'll as the
banking business.
In the afternoon Senator W. A.
Drake of Fort Collins, spoke on the
sugar beet and sheep feeding indus
tries, and John T. Burns of Denver,
told how to turn sunshine into cash.
Then followed general discussion of
the subjects above mentioned
Real Estate Loans In the Bank
ing Business, and Country Banks
Surest Asset" were topics spoken on
by Il. j. Dobell of Castle Rock and
James P. Miller of Lafayette, re-
spectively.
At the close of the afternoon ses-
sion the social features began to
crowd in upon the delegates. The
first OF these was smoker in the
Elk's club rooms, and then car
riage drive about the city.
While the gentlemen were enjoy
ing the things mentioned, the ladies'
were engaged in 'chatterbox re-
ception' at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles H. Wheeler. Here they
we're also entertained by the singing
of Mrs. Kate Norcross- and
others.
The Banquet.
At 8 p. m. the annual banquet
was scheduled to open, but it was a
few minutes past nine when the big
double doors of the Oasis dining
room swung open and the 150 people
marched into the room to the STIR
ring strains of march from an or
chestra hidden in the hallway behind
potted plants. -
The dining room was without
doubt the handsomest thing of the
kind ever seen in the city. The
long tables were spread in the form
of Maltese cross, with smaller
tables placed in the open spaces
between the points. The guests
literally sat in a bower of sweet peas
and other cut flowers. The big iron
pillars were first covered with a
white crepe paper and then garlanded
with sweet pea flowers of assorted
colors. The walls were also fes-
tooned with flowers, and huge vases
upon the tables presented beauti-
ful color scheme with their burdens
of the colored beauties. A~vwax
candle In handsome candle Stick
burned at practically every plate,
besides the big arc gas lamps, and
the room was lighter than day in
every part. This part of the work
was planned and executed by Mrs. c.
J. O'Connor, wife Of. Landlord
O'Connor.
The ten course banquet, of which
the guests partook for about two
hours, was probably also the best
ever prepared in Greeley, and the
fact that Manitou water, was the
strongest beverage, did not seem to
make 1t any less enjoyable to, the