Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-05
BUSINESS MEN DINE AIT ELTON
Ioastmaster Coley Was the Life of te Gathering Interesting Address By Judge Gaynor-Dr DInsmore, Mayor Ihoms.
 Father Curtin and Congressman LIley Spoke.

Tn0 tenth annual banquet or the Waterbury Business Mems associa- tion, held last evening at The Elton, surpassed even the anticipation of the most enthusiastic members. More than 200 of the citizens of this city who are making the name of Water bury known all over the country as one of the busiest cities of New Eng land, and who are ever on the alert to make 1t more thriving, commercially and otherwise, were present and listened to some excellent addresses by speakers of national repute.
 Right here let it be said that the arrangements for the banquet were of the best and the committee should receive the credit which 1t is due for introducing the novel manner of placing the tables. Right from the beginning the merrymakers were in a jovial mood, because each group of busincss men were at their own table and du ing the evening felt right to home. This is commented upon at this pol 1t because 1t undoubtedly us much a anything else made the member enjoy last nights banquet as they sver enjoyed one in the past.
 Althol yh the repast was of the kind tha one would almost compel a person D eat whether or not he 50 desired, tls speechmaking was of the same quail " and it certainly was rel ished by tie men of this city. Al though the visitors had highly inter- esting tOpicj and delivered in very impressive manner, yet it is safe to say that the local takers were almost as much appreciated. Especially must this be said of Charles A. Col ley, toastmaster, who enacted the role in most ideal manner. In MT Col ley Waterbury has a man who for 1 speaking ex tempore and in sending J forth witty and humorous remarks one will have to go long way to surpass.
 Waterbury has heard much of Judge William J. Gaynor and nat urally anticipated something better than the ordinary last evening. As the justice just at present looms up very conspicuously in New York and all over the country because of his rigid honesty and reputation of ster- ling quality. his remarks should be we'll considered. The speaker. who is not an orator, slow and deliberate in his delivery, is very emphatic. He certainly gave the railroads of this country an unmerciful roast and endeavored to impress this point upon his auditors that President Roosevelt is remarkable man and is fighting corporate interests in the proper man. ner.
 Erwin Wardman, editor of the New York Press, the man who aided con- siderably in having Charles B. Hughes nominated and elected gov crnor of New York, had an address which touched upon muck raking and muck making. It certainly had the right ring in 1t.
 Rev Charles Dinsmore, D. D., Ralph N. Blakeslee. who made the opening address. Mayor Thoms, who arrived late. but in time to deliver a few impromptu remarks. Rev Jere- miah Curtin and Congressman George L. Lilley, none of whom, with the exception of the first, was sched- uled to address the gathering, never theless were ready with brief remarks when called upon by the toastmaster.
 It was about 10 o'clock when Ralph N. Blakeslee, president of the association. introduced Postmaster Colley. after Dr Dinsmore had com pleted saying grace. MT Colley spoke in part as follows:
 Tt has been said that the differ ence between an optimist and pes simist is one cocktail. But the au- thor of this remark must have re- sided in a no-license town, where by reason of long continued habits of self-denial, the mind is easily affect cd. And so, gentlemen, having en- joyed the cocktail we shall expect value received, and from time to time during the evening shall look for indications of high degree of op-
  fer to the clergymen present, who would refuse cocktail in public, and yet I have known gentlemen of the cloth who as a concession to the spirit of hospitality and good fellow ship. would accept the cherry. All we ask of them is to bear up as we'll as they can. Certain 1t is that my personal acquaintance with the hab- its and dispositions of several good citizens here tonight Is such as to lead me to believe that in their case one cocktail would be like a fly speck on the face of the moon, and that their capacity Is such that they will never become wholly optimistic until after they have reached state of ob- liyion.
 We are liable. however. to mis- take the significance of the term, and the landlord who reduced the rent of his tenants 90 that when they refused 10 pay him he would not lose SO much was not an optimist. but a philan- thropist. We are all of us expected to be optimists tonight. more par ticularly in regard to the promising future of the city of Waterbury. wherein the prosperity pot continues to boil, and the One Minute Interview column continues to roast.
 At this point I wish to say a few words in regard to the Business Mems association, under whose man. ,yement we are enjoying the affair x this evening. About year ago a correspondent of a local newspaper