The Goodland republic., 1907-02-08
CELEBRATED THE aEW BORN
INCEPTION or GOODLAND COM
ERCLsE CLUB
Business Interests OrgEaze and Ban
quet 60 Push GOodIand InsO
the Forefront

the FO1efrOnt.
The GOodIand Commercial club was
born under an suspicious star Monday
evening And hardly had It been wrap
ped IN swaddling clothes until 1t was
wined and dined as the guests OF the
business men Of this city. They hailed
its advent. and like the wise men OF
old, came together to eulOgize and
prophesy concerning the heir apparent
Of GOodland's commercial throne.
The festive part Of the occasion was
at Hotel GoodIand. where. after or
ganization. the business men proceed
ed in a body to sit at the banquet
table The dining room. where had
been arranged a continuous table
throughout its entire length, was IL
lumined with light and decoration.
Here about fifty were seated, and the
room was soon the scene Of a Bel
shazzar's feast while the hand was
writing on the wall ''in the balance and
Of full weight" The supper, Of deIica-
cies, viands and semi-soft punch, was
calculated to make the mind forget its
anxiety and the body its instructive
hunger.
J. Ed Stevens. toastmaster sat at
the head OF the table, to launch the
program OF tOasts and music After
the feasting. he spoke briefly in con-
graduation OF the new formed club
and then announced a song by the
GOodland male quartette, composed OF
Bower. Mr.. G. L Calvert was next in
trOduced- He spoke Interestingly OF
leaving the old home back east and
coming to western Kansas to grow up
with the country; Of the times when
two suits Of clothes would have been
luxury and more. than fifteen dol
lars an estate in money. He was here
before there was a GOOdland, and re-
viwed the fail Of other cities and the
beginnings Of the present metropolis
Of Sherman county. And at this point
he gave an illustration to show how
different parts OF the town pull against
each other which practice, he showed,
was like a house divided against it
self
Mr.. Calvert's talk started a good
fellowship feeling for pulling together.
which was augmented in the pro-
gram OF talks by W. s. Coleman, E F.
Murphy, H ". Stewart and Mayor
George Kelly. Prof Mitchell sang a
solo, and the POSTMASTER pronounced
good night upon the banquet
The organization OF the club was
held previously in the evening at Sey-
ler's hall. The meeting was called to
order by H ". Stewart, who was
elected temporary chairman and J.
Ed Stevens, temporary secretary. A
division Of ideas followed as to the
manner Of procedure in organizing.
But it was finally agreed that a part
OF a set OF bylaws and constitution
drawn up by Walter Smith and sub
mitted TO expedite organization, be
read. The constitution provided that
the government OF the club be vested
in nine directors and that the officers
Of the club be elected from the body
Of directors.
The election OF the directors was
next accomplished with the following
result: Alfred Dawson, B. F. Brown.
". A Smith, William walker, E. F.
Murphy, W s. Coleman and r. A
Kent being chosen on the first ballot
ing. Several ties were broken by a
SECOND ballot in which George Kelly,
C. J. ShimeaH were elected to com
plete the list
The entire constitution and bylaws
was then read by the secretary and
upon motion adopted by the CONNER
cial club
BY this time Mr.. Pftman Of the HO-
tel GOOdland, arrived and made the
announcement that the banquet sup
per was in readiness. A motion was
therefore made that in view Of the
fact that two Of the directors elected |
were absent that an election OF the
officers should be deferred until all
OF the board shall be able to parti- !
cipate This motion was carried and 1
adjournment followed
The GOodiand Commercial club has
q long service. It can WELD a mighty /
power in the commercial future OF this Il
city and accomplish by the united sup
port Of the business interests what 4
would be impossible for individual \
hands to do. George Kelly said in
MS remarks at the banquet that Kan
sas City would not have had the first
great convention hall in that city with
1ut a commercial club, and after it
vas destroyed by FIRE the only power
1n earth that could have re-builded IT
n ninety days and put II in readiness
.Or q national political convention, was
he Kansas City Commercial club. He
aid that this was one Of the greatest
OF our generation and
hat example may be emulated to a
iegree in some way OF other to make
zoOdland the most important city east
md west from Denver to Topeka
Walter Smith, who did much toward
getting the business men to subscribe
-Or the banquet and organization Of
he club. was iii Monday and could not
be present at the festivities, but In
OF his work he was elect
ID a director. and. It IS understood win
be made secretary Of the club II
such an Organization should have a
motto, It ought to be:
The watchward is to al. advanced"