The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-18

|
ing resulted when he came in con-
tact with the conductor. But he fails
TO give the name of the conductor, or
explain why this what-ever-itw was came
| in contact with him. Perhaps it was
trying to steal a ride"
Touching upon the high points of
the speech of Judge Porter, Mr.. Nc
Neal said that he didn't believe word
OF the jack-rabbit story. He said he
was something of a liar himself" but
Porter beat him at his own game.
When they could get their hands
on a jack rabbit in western Kansas
during those days" said Mr.. McNeal,
they ate him. instead of sending him
off somewhere with a message. When
SllaS Porter lived in that country he
ate jack rabbits until his knees bent
the wrong way when he sat down.
He used Judge Porter for target for
several minutes finding flaws in all
he had said and holding him up to
scorn.
Returning to the serious for a mo-
ment, Mr.. McNeal told of the occas-
sion when, as a student of Oberlin col
lege. he saw the first public demon
stration of a telephone, which was
conducted by the inventor, Prof. Elisha
Gray ''It was in the year preceding
the first Bell patent" said Mr.. Nc
Neal, "and 1 have always felt that
Elisha Gray was robbed of an honor
which should have belonged to him.
Continuing, Mr.. McNea1 spoke of the
unlfnllGu
phony, and suggested that in time
mortalS may be privileged to call up
departed friends in other spheres and
ask them the time honored question
concerning the temperature.
McNeaI Given a Surprise.
Mr.. McNeal was followed by Frank
P. MacLennan. These two have spent
the last few days on a speaking tour
through Kansas, Oklahoma and Mis-
souri,, where they discussed advertising
with various ad clubs. On these occa-
sions, Mr.. MacLennan invariably drew
Il position on the programme just pre-
ceding Mr.. McNeal. and being thus left
defenseless and not permitted to close
the case was made the subject of many
of Mr.. McNeaPs verbal attacks.
By happy fortune Mr.. MacLennan
had been given the position of vantage
on last nights programme, through OF
course the innocent and accidental ac-
tion of the programme committee and
proceeded to take advantage of the sit
uation.
Mr.. MacLennan said in part:
"Mr. Toastmaster and Fellow Wire
Workers For in this age of the tele-
phone we are all on the line and we are
all busy on the wire.
''Now this subject, High Frequency
Currents, while technical and alb
struse, to the outsider, is really a sim
pie proposition to any one a member
of the faculty of the Topeka College
of the Telephone established by Prof.
MCNedI, 9TOI. Dawson, 1TO1. Mills ana
myself about a dozen years ago in this
city.
Now this phrase. High Frequency
Currents means, especially to man
as do, that high currents come fire.
quent and frequent currents come
high W. s~--.s
I'VE are all proud of this college of
ours and proud of the alumni. Among
the graduates of our institution are:
The well known experts here this even
ing Theodore Gary of Macon, Mo, and
Mr.. Hemphill of Topeka, Mr.. Meyer of
with the crossed wire seal down in the
corner"
1.-The retiring president of the or
ganization. Billy Nelson, graduated
years ago. I then had him trained so
he would tell me all he heard. He
was then a reporter. Since then, I
have learned that he told me many
things he didn't hear. Now he hears
everything and tells nothing.
Your president has said in his ad-
dress that what you need and must
have is moral and financial support.
4 take it that that plutocratic state
who has spoken before me is
here to lend you his financial support
and that 1, poor as Tom McNeal says
1 have been, am here to aid you in that
moral uplift which you say is so essen |
tial for better service and which would
prevent the melting of the wires on the
part of irate subscribers who unthink- |
ingly send hot words to innocent CEN
tral.
This man McNeaI will bear watch
ing.
This man you have selected as a |
speaker has been following me |
around a great deal lately and he al |
ways manages to speak after me. He |
always has it in for me- and L can
never answer back.
You notice he attacks the previous |
speakers and says nothing or only mild
pleasantries about any man who is
icism of John Dawson and his vicious |
onslaught on Judge Porter this even !
ing in connection with the latter's we'll |
authenticated jack-rabbit messenger
story.
Last evening he followed my re-
marks at the Sunfiower banquet given |
by the Kansas City Ad club on the |
fourteenth floor of the Commerce |
building. and by the way one man said |
he thought that was about as near +
heaven as the Mail and Breeze man
would ever get.
This, gentlemen, is the first oppor-
tunlty l have had at a dinner to speak !
after Tom McNeal, and you have no
gram committee who, inadvertently of
course, did me this favor.
If you could have heard the abuse
that this fellow Scotchman of mine
huileu at my unprotected neaQ last
evening, because he knew having al
ready spoken my tongue was tied. you
would have called me up over the long
distance, probably with reversed
charges, and telephoned me your SYM
pathies.
He said I had been so poor and
poverty stricken that I looked like a
Now what do youe think
Of that, before a fine, large, intelli-
gent audience upon whom 1 had ap-
parently made a good impression. and
thinking that my past had been bu-
ried, to be resurrected on that gala oc-
casion and be called a manikin.
don't suppose that any of you know