The Somerset reporter., 1907-02-14
Agricultural Society Banquet.


the banquet of the Somerset Central Ag
ricultural Society, at Grange Hall, Tues
day evening. 1t commenced on time,
the program for the evening proceeded
without wait or interruption and it was
completed and adjourned at the respec-
table hour of ten o'clock Like the hero
who fights and runs away, the individual
who attends such meeting, free from
delays, where very moment is profitably
occupied and where all are excused be-
fore any one is tired out, fluids himself
more ready to go again on a-simlar &C.
| casion. OF course the banquet itself,
that is the things to be eaten, were be-
yond criticism. 1t was prepared and
served by the members of Skowhegan
Grange, an adequate guarantee of it's ex-
oellence. The corps of young ladies
who served as mattresses, happily re-
ferred to by one of the speakers as "our
granger girls" were attired in aprons
and caps of uniform design, and by their
attractive appearance and by the skill
and dispatch with which they discharged
their duties, added not a little to the
pleasure of the evening.
Shortly after eight O'clock, G. Davis
Miller, president of the somerset Cen
trail Agricultural Society. rose from his
seat at the table and invited those pres
emit to join in a discussion of the affairs
of the organization which means or
should mean 80 much to the agricnl-
tural interests of Somereet county He
gave briefly the outline of what the or
gapization had done and something of
what il hoped to do and explained moro
fully the object of the present gathering
Mr.. Miller knew from his own struggles
that there could be no one present more
conversant with the needs of the society
and more in sympathy with its purposes
than his predecessor in Office and for
that reason assigned to Hon. :. w.
Gould, who haG preceded him as presi
dent of Somerset Central, to make the
initial speech Mr.. Gould Is one of
Skowhegan's most entertaining after
dinner speakers and his remarks on this
occasion were among his happiest efforts
He congratulated those who were pres
ent on their patriotism and treated the
Indifference of those who failed to at
tend meeting of such importance to
several witty comments that would be
| M n nd hano Ar IN thnaa 10 D u AL
the subjects of it. Mr.. Gould said he
had accepted about every job going that
no one else would take but he WAS free
to confess that of manager of an agrcul-
tural show was about the worst he ever
tackled. lie had struggled along in his
Office of president of the Somerset Gem
trail for several years and finally left it's
legacy of cares and debts to brother
Miller. He feared that neither had
grown less since his retirement The
speaker had been looking up the history
of the society to some extent and had
discovered, in the annual report of the
Maine Commissioner of Agriculture for
the year 1851, the report of Gen. Isaac
Dyer, then secretary of the Somerset
Agricultural Society. He said this re-
port spoke of the effects made by the
General and his associates to have a
good show and their complaints that
people failed to turn out TO aid them as
they should, showing that conditions
had rem ained much the same for forty
i've years. Mr.. Gould said he noticed
that Gen. Dyer enlisted for the war i'm.
mediately after the show in the fall Of
1851 and he did not doubt but that the
change from running county fair to
the comparatively pleasant occupation
of the battlefield must have been a
great relief.
Gen. Dyer followed Mr.. Gonld recall
ling some of his experiences as an off
cial of the society nearly half a century
ago. He recalled plainly that the stock
then exhibited was far inferior to that
shown at the present day and that the
| best trotter that ever won race, up to
the close of his term of office, only es-
tablished a record of 8. 04, the three
minute horse not having at that date
appeared in Somerset county. He also
recalled plainly that no oxen were shown
that would grit over seven feet.
Chas. II. Gardner and Fred +. Law
renee made short speeches but very
much to the point, on the value of the
society to the people of the county,
promising their own efforts and urging
the cooperation of others to the end
that it be made to answer much more
nearly it's fullest measure of usefullest
iD the future.
r. n. Merrill, Etq made the closing
address of the evening He claimed to
be the only one who was willing to
acknowledge that he bad prepared a
speech and had been waiting to deliver
it. His own experience on his East
Skowhegan farm furnished the basis
for much of his address and his theories
of what is necessary to make success
of agriculture showed the careful thought
which Mr.. Merrill gives to any subject
which attracts his attention. Mr.. Mer-
rill thought okowhegan Grange was the
organization best fitted to solve the
problems connected with the manage
mont of Fairview Park and the annual
fair, and that whatever was done should
be done uuder their auspices. He be.
lieved the exhibition hall, so much
needed by the society, should cost $2500
and that of this sum the citizens OF Show
! hogan should subscribe 81 900 purely in
the nature of a donation. and that it
should be possible to sell life members
shares and to secure additional subscrip-