The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-03-15
THE CLUB BANQUET.
County Mining, Railroad, Business and
Professional Men Dine and Talk
Cana Presented Mr.. holland


Mems Club of Pennington at the ST.
Francois Hotel last Tuesday night was
one of those pleasant affairs promoliYe
of good fellowship, bringing together
as il did number OF gentlemen from
different parts of the county represent
ing some of the large productive en-
terprises which have made st. Fran
co.'s county famous These gentlemen
were invited guests Of the Business
Mems Club, aud dreary as was the
day preceding and stormy the night Of
the banquet, the guests from out Of
town showed their appreciation OF the
courtesy extended them by their pres
encc with few exceptions, and the eX.
CcptiOns were those who were away
from heme. Among the guests were
the genial and popular Superintendent
Of the Doe Run Lead Company, Mr.,
+. 7. Graves; Mr. +. b. Kirby OF the
Federal Lead Company; Mr.. f. j..
Thomure, General Manager Of the NJ.
K. & b. T. railroad; Mr.. Robert Sell
Tors, of the Bonnie Terre Farming &
Cattle Company; MIR. II. A. Guess, Of
the Federal Lead Company; Mr.. Hugh
Logan, of the Ely Walker Shirt Fac
Factory, andDr. VIM. F. Kuhn, Super.
intcndeut of State Hospital NJ. 4
1t was about ten O'Clock when the
banqueters were assigned to places at
the we'll arranged tables in the large
dining hall Of the ST. Francois. It is
said that some men live to eat and
that others eat to live, but whichever
end Of the observation one may take,
there can be no question that eating is
an important function and that every
body with healthy digestion exer-
cises his happiest humor on q well
Iardered stomach. No one appreciates
this fact more keenly than the genial
host of the ST. Francois, Mr. Ed. T..
holland, and the menu prepared under
bis special direction aud the service
were all that could be desired. We
will refrain from taxing the guessing
faculties of our readers with the puZ-
zling French names on the menu card I;
suffice it to say that the viands were as
palatable as the names were unpro-
nounecable to the strictly American
tongue aud simple when you came TO
know for what they stood. Without
regard to courses hungry man would
make quick work of the meal, but
served in courses, some twelve of
them, it was two hours from the time
the banqueters were seated before the
smoke of incense from the fragrant
weed filled the dining hall, and "the
feast of reason and flow of soul"
held sway.
Then il was that that skillful direc-
to- of postpraudial diversions, Hon.
Edward A. Rozier, awoke from an
absorbed contemplation of his material
surroundings, waved the wand OF the
POSTMASTER and transported the thor.
oughly good.natured company from
corpOreal matters to the more exalted
sphere of the mental and spiritual,
Now, we don't know whether il was
an oversight or premeditated wicked
ness on the part of the committee hay
ing the banquet in charge that is re-
spOnsible for the condition with which
the banquetcrs were brought face to
face. Ordinarily toasts are arranged
for such occasions and persons AS
signed TO respond and given some hint
of what is expected of them. But
nothing Of the sort here. everything
was impromptu. The tOastmaster,
with a relentless glee that he seemed
TO enjoy amazingly, began to call for
after dinner speeches, suggesting to
his victims that each one could choose
his own subject. There was no evad-
ing his eagle eye, for, avoid his gaze
as one might, even to the turning of
back to him, he interpreted it into
Il modest appeal to "Please ask me
to say something; | am just burst
ing with pent-up eloquence," and
MIR. So-and.so would hear his name
called and the next moment, amid
the clapping of hands, he would find
himself standing target for all
eyes. He would perform his part, re-
sumo his seat for the next victim, and
be rewarded with generous, good
natured applause calculated to make
him feel satisfied with himself and
restore his mental equilibrium. Some
Of the best speeches were made by the
invited guests, and sentiment of
coed fellowship and public spirit ran
through them all. 1t was enjoyable,
and it made US feel good to have so