The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-27

Greeted by scores of friends out
under the big trees on the lawn at
their beautiful home in Puna1ou. Mr..
and Mrs. Benjamin F. Dillingham; cell
ebrated the fortieth anniversary of
their wedding yesterday afternoon.
Nearly two hundred guests were pres
ent, including the ex-Vice President of
the United States and Mrs. Charles
w. Fairbanks and their daughter,
Mrs. Timmons of Indianapolis. Mr..
and Mrs. Dillingham; were assisted in
receiving by their children and grand
children, all of whom were present ex-
cept Walter. who is on the mainland.
Those present were Mrs. Walter F.
F'rear, wife of the Governor; Mrs.
Marion Dillingham; Erdman and hus-
band, and Harold Dillingham;, his wife
and child.
The celebrants were the recipients
not only of warm congratulations from
the guests. most of whom were of the
oldtime families of Honolulu, but also
dence. A very happy feature was the
presentation of an address signed by
those now living who were present at
the wedding ceremony forty years ago.
The address was presented by Judge
Sanford B. Dole and Mrs. Walter
Weldon, as a committee. The address
was as follows:
ITO Benjamin Franklin Dillingham;
and Emma Lowell Smith Dillingham;,
on Their Fortieth Wedding Anniver
sary.
Dear Friends: Representing the
guard of honor which escorted you up
the aisle of the old 1ow-roofed Kau-
makapili church for the solemnization
of your marriage forty years ago to-
day, we, who are able to be present,
congratulate you upon the achieve
ment of your forty years of married
life, and tender our good wishes that
you may have many more happy an
niversaries of that happy day
Some of our number are unable to
be present on this occasion because of
residence in distant lands, because of
illness and because of death
s.We rejoice with you in the gains
of your life together, the noble fam
lily of children and grandchildren, the
happiness and harmony of your mar
ried life, the good influences which
have come from your home, bringing
to this community moral and social
good, and your distinguished successes
in the field Of material enterprise. In
referring to this latter subject we feel
that we are right in attributing a
prominent portion of such success to
the wife, for we are assured that in
the ups and downs, the hopes and
fears. the financial crises and desper-
ate emergencies and the final accom-
! plishment, the wise counsel, the brave
| Nope and the good cheer of the wife,
have been essential and vital to the
success which has been reached. So
we include you both in speaking of
| this experience of your married life.
with very conspicuous leadership
| in enterprises in different parts of the
! group, we would refer especially to
! the field of such enterprises on the Is
| land of Oahu. We remember well
| when the building of the Oahu Rail
road and the land enterprises con-
| nected with it were first contemplated.
How, without money and without
| credit, this matter was pushed from
| day to day, from month to month and
| from year to year, with little encour-
agement from the public, with little
financial aid; step by step was gained
and the railroad finally constructed
| from Honolulu to Eva; the success OF
/ which financially solved the whole
| problem of the greater enterprises
| which have been built upon that be-
! ginning. Then credit came, and finan
| cia1 assistance, and the road was ex
| tended step by step and sugar plan
| tations promoted. and established with
successful skill and diplomacy, until
the road was completed to its present
| length, with great sugar plantations
along its way, giving it abundant traf-
| fic and great prosperity. The sugar
| plantations were an afterthought. II
was Mr. Dillingham's first idea to
colonize the lands connected with the
railroad and thus give business and
| patronage to the road. 1t was per-
haps too early for such plan, and
| the sugar plantation feature was later
adopted and has been carried to the
success at present existing.
I'VE congratulate you both upon all
of this and rejoice with you that, as
eagerness for the activities of life
wanes, you may enjoy the substantial
rewards of the skill and perseverance
and courage which have been dis
played.
ITO you beyond all others belongs
| the title of The Makers of Oahu
| the pioneers of the splendid progress
| that is blessing thousands and whose
future development no one can fore,
| cast.
Forty years! The chosen number
| of poetry and romance. Forty
| thieves, would anyone say, that have
! come and gone, stealing away some
| of the treasures of your lives that are
| pnf