Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-12
PROMINENT MEN OF CITY AND
STATE AMONG GUESTS
JOSEPH SCOTT GIVES RESUME OF
HARBoR FIGHT
Thronos Crowd Shrine Auditorium at
Great Banquet at Which Presi-
dent Makes Address Ex-
pressing Appreciation
tcontlnned from rnro onel


Joseph Scott, George II. Stewart, Dr.
w A. Edwards, brother-in-law of |
President Taft and Willis H. Booth.
On the stage sat the other members
of the presidential party. At one table |
sat w. W. Mischler. assistant secretary
to the president; Charles c. Wagner, |
James Sloan, jr., r. T. Small, R. H. |
Hazard and E. a. Fowler. At the /
other table were seated DR.. J. J. Rich |
ardson, John Hays Hammond, VIII |
liam Hoster, Sherman p. Allen, Harry |
L. Dunlap, Joseph Murphy and Ger
ritt Ford.
Table Beautifully Decorated
President Tafts table was decorated |
with a beautiful centerpiece of orchids
maidenhair ferns and lilies of the val |
ley. The view of the president was IN
no way marred by the centerpiece, SO
that those in the balcony as well as
the banqueters on the main hoor coutl
see distinctly his every move.
From his place of vantage, president
Taft looked out upon six rows OF Ia
HES round each of which sat ten
conventionally GRABBED men. Above
the banqueters hung forty floral pas
kets seven feet in diameter and from
the usual places of the chandeliers
feet in diameter, each of which was
made brilliant with electric globes OF
red. white and blue lights.
The huge girders from which the
baskets swung were hidden completely
by festoonings of ferns, smllaX ana as
paragus plumosus, and interWoVen at
q distance of foot were electric llghrs
T,ool1ine I'D. one was reminded OF the
green vault of heaven at night Wnen
a mvriad of stars wink and bllnk at
the wondering people below.
Each of the seventy banquet tables
was a work of art in itself. Stlhest
linen. brightest silver, and best cut
table. a banked floral centerplece, an
ferent from that on any other table
made each distinctive. Strewn over
the table were fullblown roses and 9th !
er hothouse flowers and, tied with maid !
enhair ferns, on the portion OF the
cloth hanging over the table slde' were
other flowers. From each plate wide
ribhon band ran to the central floral
piece.
An avenue of palms marked the
balcony rails as it did also the por-
tion of the main floor set apart for
onlookers. The front of the balcony
was hidden with greenery, splashed
here and there with flags, bunting, the
shield. An effort was made to keep as
far away from the use of the national
coIors in the main decoration scheme,
for it was argued that President IaIt
would like better to see flowers when
in the land of fiowers-and he was
pleased. ,
tions were filled with women, the wives
and friends of the banqueters. Here
and there were scattered a few men
who were unable to secure accommoda-
tions at the banquet board. Ihe pres
ence Of the women added charm ana
delicacy to the scene and made its eff
feet complete.
Directly in front of the presidents
table and at the extreme rear of the
hall even with the balcony line, huge |
electric map of the United States had
been placed The map measured some |
thing like fifteen feet square. Each
state was outlined with white lights, |
and across the states through which |
President Taft has passed and will con-
tinue to go, was a line of red lights. |
Slowly the red globes begun to light
up showing the Onlookers the exact
course the presidential party has taken
since leaving Boston, Mass. The first
flash ended at Los Angeles. Then the
lights were once more turned on and
the course the president will take from
this point was shown. The electric
map is one of the most unique portions
of the banquet, and it was remarked
by every member of the party as be-
ing something distinctly out of the
ordinary.
Gathered in Gallery
Arrangements had been made for the
banqueters to gather in the upper gal
lery, and at the appointed time they
marched down stairs and to their re-
spective tables four abreast. The Los
Angeles symphony orchestra, under
the direction of Harley Hamilton,
played an appropriate march.
After a short wait. during which the
orchestra played selections, President
Taft and his party arrived. The de-
lay was caused by the entertainment
given him by the Yale society.
AS the president and his party en-
tered the auditorium the entire as
sembly rose en- masse, and cheer after
cheer was gent up. The orchestra
played Hail to the Chief"
President Booth called the banquet
to order, and for a time all were busy
with mere food.
At the presidents table on his left
sat President Booth, George H. Stew
art. toastmaster, Joseph Scott, Cap
tain Butt, aide to the president and
Chief Justice Beatty. On the presi-
dents left sat Governor Oillett, Mayor
Alexander, Senator Flint and DIR. w.
A. Edwards, President Tafts brother
in-law.
One of the features of the menu was
an ice cream surprise, which proved
to be in the form of 'possums.
President Booth was greeted with
hearty cheers and rounds of applause
as he rose to make the opening speech
of the evening and introduce Toast
master Stewart. Mr.. Booth said:
POSTMASTER Introduced /
1.-THE patriotism with which our
hearts are fired tonight makes for
local no less than for national growth,
because it combines in one grand emo
ton the love of country and the love
of home.
"Under the influence of the patriot
ism, both national and civic, in this
spirit of intense devotion to our coun-
try and to our community, we have
assembled to pay such honor as we
can to our distinguished guest, our
chief executive. and at the same time
to celebrate the glorious consolidation
victory which welded Los Angeles to
the sea, and enabled her to begin to
fulfill her manifest destiny as one OF
the greatest seaport cities Of the
world
Il am sure the great outpouring of
our people today, and this audience to-
night will evidence to the president
more adequately than words can ex-
press the pleasure and gratification