The Cairo bulletin., 1909-02-05
Keys Of City Of Cairo Presented
To Visitors BY Mayor
Geo. Parsons
President StotIar CongratuIates Members On The
Prosperous Outlook Urges Conservation
OF Timber Interests Hoo Hoo
Concatenation Tonight

Probably three hundred Lumber
men We're gathered at Armory Hal
yesterday Afternoon when President
f. NJ Stotlar, Of the Southern Illinois
Retail Lumber Dea;ers Association
called the organization TO order foe
its twelfth annual meeting They
were a good-natured. prosperous look
ing lot of men, and it developed that
they could be very much in earnest
also in the consideration of serious
things, for, although the session did
not begin till about o'clock, a
great deal Of work was crowded in
to it.
Address of Welcome.
The first order of business was a
greeting by Mayor Parsons, who was
introduced by President Stotlar. The
mayor spoke as follows:
Mr.. President and visiting Lumber
men: The City of Cairo greets you
and extends most cordial welcome
to you within its borders. Primarily
you were invited here by the Lumber
men of the city, but they were most
heartily seconded 0y the entire. peo,
pie of Cairo
asked Mr., Langan II would be
permitted to occupy the entire after
noon in extending this welcome and
he seemed to be so overcome with
such a suggestion that it required
very careful treatment to restore him
to his normal condition. On that ac-
count it seemed advisable to me to
submit in writing the few words
have to extend TO you. as | was kindly
informed that three to five minutes
would be all that | would be permit
ted to consume Of your valuable time
1t would be very ill-adyised for me
10 attempt to discuss the Lumber bus
mess in the presence of an audience
like this. whose entire time is devoted
TO that one line of business, and from
the appearance of those present il
would seem that you have all been
most successful in your undertaking
But | do want to remind you that
Cairo is great Lumber center
hardly second 10 any in the country
and when that has been said. It
means the whole world. Great as is
the Lumber interest here today.
there is stlll room for its enlargement
and It is a pleasure 20 me to be able
TO state that very large industries
have recently appreciated the import
ha.
cluded arrangements Dy which they
viii engage in the lumber and manu-.
facturing business in the very near
future, and still there is room for
more. trust you gentlemen will ap-
preciate this statement and take adj
vantage OF it. to the extent at least
of verifying what | have said.
It is not extravagant to say that
the very near future will place Cairo
in a commanding position with the
whole world as a shipping point. In
making this statement have In mind
first the completion of the Panama Ca
nal and second the Improvement oil
our International Waterways which
has advanced so far that no congress
now will dare to turn a deaf ear to !
the friends Of these improved inter .
nal Waterways. This means that Cal F..
10 will b. at the head Of the Deep
Water Navigation during the entire
year. or practically so. as the Missis-
sippi river freezes up from Cairo 4
north. and the Ohio generally freezes
during the winter months beginning
at a point not far above Paducah.
My three minutes are mp. but If you
will agree TO restrain my friend Ian
gan for a moment longer I viii at /
tempt 10 prove to you my sincerity
as the chief executive Of this city in
extending to sou a most cordial wei
come by turning over 10 your Prpsi-
dent the KEYS Of the city fpresenteI
six big keys IS inches longl viii al
NIT you 20 all privileges and pleasures
that are TO be- enjoyed here. and
viii suggest that at the conclusion of
this meeting your President find some I
way Of disposing Of these KEYS. 50 4
that hereafter you can enjoy. as yod /
do now. the unrestrained privileges
and pleasures which the City Of Cal
70 is always glad to extend 10 you
The mayor presented President
StOtlar with a bunch of hinge wooden
KEYS az the keys Of the city. amid
much amusement President st0tlaF
accepted the keys IN 3 feE words 4