The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-23

Ah5h Will "a <kolC ba anu
Social.
With nearly their entire membership
present, and a large number of invited
guests, the Howard Relief Company
celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of
their organization in elaborate style
at their handsome and elegantly APP
pointed club house on south Front
street last night.
The members Of the anniversary
committee had planned ex~cellently for
this occasion and they must %congratu-
late themselves heartily on the sue
cess Of the evening.
Guests were received on the lower
floor and ushered into the parlors of
the club house, which were beautifully
decorated with southern smilax, and
immense clusters of colored carna-
tiOns, placed on the mantels and On
tables placed in various parts of the
building.
The large dance hall on the second
fiOOr was utilized for the banquet,
where long, heavily laden tables had
been placed, flags of Germany, Ire
land and the United States being free
1y used in an elaborate scheme Of
decoration. SnilaX covered the walls
of the room and ca nations rested at
int rivals along the long tables. The
banquet tebles were spread down the
length of the room, being connected
by a table at which sat the toast mas
ter, members of the committee and the
invited guests.
Hollowbush orchestra, stationed in
&the balcony of the ball room, furnish
ed delightful and inspiring music, and
added greatly to the enjoyment of the
occasion.
Many of Wilmington's most promi-
uent citizens and business men re-
sponded e%loquently to appropriate
toasts, one theme being touched on
ty all the speakers, this being the he
,roic work of the Howard Relief Com
pany in the past, it's splendid present,
and hopes for a happy future. The
members of that organization have
reason to feel proud of the sincere
words of praise given to them by their
guests, who were sincere in their trl-
butes of appreciation.
In the banquet hall over the doors
were entwined gracefully the flags Of
Germany and Ireland, overlapping all
being al immense flag of the United
States. On the east wall was suspend
ed the banner of the club, and over 1t
the dates MISUNDERSTANDING fifty
years of life and service.
The b%anquettefs took their seats at
8 o'clock, a blessing being asked by
Rev. Father Dennen Of the Catholic
Church.
President J. W. Duis Of the company
then expressed an appropriate welcome
to the guests. He stated that the or
SANITATION now numbers about one
hundred members and that it's invest
ed funds amount to more than $4,000.
He recalled the services Of the COM
pany and stated that its influence al
ways had been eXerted for good, and
that now it stands for the progress and
welfare of the city.
The following delicious menu was
then served and greatly enjoyed:
Sailed Almonds. Celery.
Olives. Gerkins.
Cold Roast Turkey. Cranberry Sauce.
Sliced Tongue. Cold Boiled Ham.
Chicken Salad. Potato Salad
H. R. Salad.
Cream. Cake in Variety.
Fruit.
Coffee. Appolinaries.
Claret. Rhinewine. Sauterne.
Cigars.
After the banquet b POSTMASTER
called on many of those around the
board for responses to appropriate
toaSts, and these were all entirely en-
ioyed and applauded by the members
and their friends.
Mayor A. NJ. Waddell, in response to
the toast 1.-The BLENDING of Nations"
said that the sentiment Ias too vast a
one to be covered in a short speech. He
referred to the settlement Of this
country and the large part taken in it
by Germans, who still share in all de-
partments of u government We
have a blended population, he said,
and our ideals of civilization should be
preserved. The Howard Relief Com
pany was an old and respected organ
Ization and it should strive to live in
the future as it has in the past.
MI. NJ. Kathleen. ex-president of the
Howard Relief Company, spoke eio-
quently on the toast 1.-THE History of
the Howard Relief Company" He
said the company was formed in 1855
and it's name adopted in 1859, in COM
pliment TO VIM. G. Howard who was
chief magistrate of the city at that
time. The first engine of the COM
,pany was also named in hOonr of Mr..
Howard. The second was called THE
Dawson in honor of John Dawson,
who was at fhe time of purchase