Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-26
PRESIDENT TAFT DESIRES
NO OFFICIAL DINNER.
Plan Will Be Dropped-SpriagfieId Wants Him to Stop There-Hospi- tality Committee Meets.


 tality Committee Meets.
 A communication has been received by the officials of the celebration through Congressman Higgins, states Chairman E. A. Tracy of the executive committee, to the effect that President Taft desires that there be no official dinner such as is planned to take place or Monday evening. July 5. This de- sire, MT. Tracy said. will mean that the dinner planned for that night will be dropped from the programme. It was to have been a large affair with about two hundred present, but will now be given up.
 Springfield Wants Taft.
 The fact that President Taft is to be here on the fifth of July has caused Springfield men to get busy and try and have him stop there for a short time on his way to Ticonderoga- They have figured on his leaving here on the fifth instead of the sixth for his trip north, their idea being that he will arrive here the fourth instead of the fifth. He will leave Washington On the afternoon of the fourth and arrive here on the fifth early in the morning, being taken by the Central Vermont from New London to Yantic, where there will be an official reception and he will be the guest of Winslow T. Williams. He will leave on the morn ing of the sixth for the north.
 On having him stop there, the Springfield Union on Tuesday said: The Springfield men who are plan ming for the Fourth of July celebra- tion have what looks like a good chance to get President Taft here as one of the features of the day1
 President Taft and his party can- not reach Ticonderoga by any more convenient route from Norwich than that through Springfield.
 It has occurred to a Springfield man that 1t may be possible to get the president to stop over in Springfield half an hour, and address a crowd in the railroad station, or in Lyman street. The exact time at which the president will be due to pass through Springfield is not known, nor is it definitely known that his route will be over the Boston & Albany, but a little quick work by the committee in charge of the celebration will soon as- certain these details. It is thought that the president might be constrained to make Springfield one of his stopping places even though his route be diff ferent from what is expected The chance to get him here for even a few minutes on July 5, when there will be 50 many features in celebration of the day, is too good one to be allowed to pass unnoticed.
 Secretary F. T. Broadhurst of the executive committee of the Independ- ence day association Tuesday wrote to Congressman F. H. Gillett to ascertain the presidents route, and whether it will be possible to get him to stop over here few minutes.
 Hospitality Committee.
 At o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Buckingham Memorial there was meeting of the hospitality commit tee, at which Chairman L. R. Church presided, and there was a good sized attendance. From the committee on boarding places and lodging houses it was reported that there are from 30 to 7e in the city available for transients.
 A committee was appointed, consist ing of A. H. Chase, H. D. Rallion, R. c. Jones. G. L. Bidwell and John H. Ford to request the churches to open their vestries on the days of the eel ebration for the comfort of the visit DTS.
 There was much discussion regard ing the caring for the many visitors who will be here in the way of pro- viding meals or seeing that there are places enough where meals can be ob- tained, as well as entertaining the sol- diers of the coast artillery corps and the regulars. midshipmen and biue- jackets. It is hoped that local ar engagements can be made for the fur nishing of the rations for the sol- diers, the expense to be borne by the committee.
 The matter of having barrels of ice water about the city at convenient places was discussed and, will be de- cided later.
 General Holiday in Montville.
 Cochegan camp. No. 93s6, M. w. of A., of Montville, received an invitation to join Ionic camp of Norwich on the occasion of the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of that town. Action will be taken on the invitation at the next meeting of the camp, which will be held on the first Wednesday evening in June. It is expected that this date will be a general holiday in the town and that all members of the order will go to Norwich.
 John Mason Monument.
 There has been a meeting called of the John Mason monument association for this week for the purpose of talk ing some action regarding the fixing up of the monument before the anni- versary. The association was organ fZed previous to the celebration of the bicentennial of Norwich In 1859, when $500 was appropriated for a monument for Major Mason. one of the founders Of Norwich. The cornerstone was laid September ', 1859. but it was not until 1871, in January, that mon