Putnam patriot., 1908-04-24
Pack to My Native Heath

Mir. Postmaster, Invited Guests, Friends and Citizens of Putnam. In acknowledging the courteous in- vtation of your Committee, through Mir. Arnold, to be here this evening, I stated that l am not a public speaker and would only say few words, but reading last week that l was on the list of speakers concluded to write out what l have 10 say and read same, hardly daring to trust myself to say II all without doing SO.
 First. l desire to extend my most sincere thanks for this invitation and assure you that 1 hold same in high apprceiation It is great pleasure to meet 90 many with whom l had very pleasant and friendly associations years ago when | was frequent yisi- tor here. and whom 1 have met oeea ~iouaily all of these years past, and friend ships formed To remain to tie end
 Al the start desire to most heartily congratulate you on fhe object ot tllIs meeting l am mol familiar with how many organizations of this nature yon have in Connecticut that you arc aBeut Co form here in Putnam l And ii the Commonwealth ti Massachusetts there are fifty. Forty=eight in the last Annual Report issued October. 1907, and one organized and one revived since Of these, forty are in cities tnearly twenty of which represent Trade Associations m Boston, and ten i'll towns III the State. think that in every one of the places where an Association has been organized good degree of success and prosperity has followed and l congratulate you my friends that you are about to form such an association here. Take the Massachusetts cities and towns all Of these years past, you will ind where they have a Board of Trade 1t has been strong factor in it's growth and progress I will refer especially to only one and that al Springfield, which had for its able and efficient secretary for some years MT Frederick 5. Sibley, son of our friend. Sheriff Sibley of this County. and 1t has been very instru- mental in developing the city and its business interests. and as many of you know. Springfield has had large de- gree of success and prosperity all of these years past, and il has had the strong and hearty support of its busi-
  the same to be successful iii any com munity
 ! do not know when the first Asso- citation was organized in Massachu setts. but the Massachusetts State Board of Trade had it's f7th Annual Meeting in October. 1907, and l con ciude largely 1T the past 7e years and iet me predict they wil2 increase all over as years pass on, and more rap iiiy than IT the past
 You caa see The results in the en- terprising Borough of Danielson al. ready apparent by ifs new industrial buildings and additional business II teresfs that have come since. and this aIl if fem years. Those of you who Lave served ia your State Legislature or are familiar with same, wsll know that when anq legislation is pending the influence that comes from busi- ness men's association is A strong factor 1T shaping same.
 | I have known mofe or less oi Put nam from my boyhood days in my native town of Ashford. when is was 1 first called Pofnfrei Depot. later of the efforts 10 make il 8 town. and which were successful in ISs5. and my first time coming here was in sso3, then i9