The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-27
HON. WILLIAM E. BURNHAM
 IS ELECTED PRESIDENT
Annual Reunion of Park Avenue Institute Alumni
 Association.

Avenue InSClCuCG A1ClnlQI Association.
 Grateful Pupils of Principal Jones Make Gift of $1OO in Gold-Reunion of Graduates of Famous School.
 At Lehmann's shore house was held
 the tenth annual reunion and banquet of the Park Avenue Institute Alumni Association, Thursday evening. The 36 members who were present from Bridgeport and other cities rep l resented classes from 1873 to 1908. The attendance was the largest ever had and showed that the interest in these annual reunions is increasing year by year.
 | Excellent music was furnished by Jerome Mays full orchestra, which all l so led the lively singing, a. prominent | feature of the occasion. The p it.
 school flag was stretched on one side
 of the large hall. displaying the WoruS Park Avenue Institute.
 | The president and toastnaster, Wal ter A. Hubbell, the secretary Of the i S. w. Hubbell Building Co.,. called the | association to order at 7:30, asking 1 them to sing the good old college song. 1 ''B-a Ba- Be Be-
 The song was rendered in fine style | and three rousing cheers were given for P. A. I. The company then at | tackled the menu. which had been pre- pared in that manner which has made Lehmann's famous. The singing was | led by Lawyer Ralph T. Beers. Stand | ing in his chair at one end of the table, knifa in fOrx the Of h. | CT. he directed. both singers and the | orchestra Several songs were sung with original words to fit the occasion and they met with long and spirited applause. The weu-known tenor, Wm. | H. DoruS sang several selections in good voice. His rendering of "The
 Wild Irish Rose'' was excellent.
 Everyone knew that they were to | hear something well worth their att | tention when the president called on
 Archibald McNeil,. Jr. In the school | he was famous in Rhetorical work and | in debates. and since has made rec | nominating mayors and governors
 MT. McNeil held the closest attention | of all and received the heartiest kind I of applause.
 Then the biggest kind of a surprise | was sprung on MT. Jones by President Hubbell. After reminding the Alumni | that every one present at-the banquet 1 table had at some time received much | l their teacher, whom they always de- | lighted to honor, they had thought it | best, and the occasion the most suit | able, to present him with a token of | their appreciation of his excellent rec 1 ord as teacher and friend. He then handed MT. Jones s100 in gold. The l cheering subsided after several min
 utes and the orchestra struck up Hail 1 to the Chief After the music and | cheering had ceased, the guest of the | evening showed that he haG not lost | his nerve under such trying circum- | stances and spoke for 20 minutes in | the most interesting manner, thanking l his alumni for the increasing interest | and attendance at the annual ban l quetS, for their splendid present, and ! for their -unbounded loyalty to their | old school. He then related in a more | humorous vein many incidents in the | school days of several, present. MT. | Elliott Balistier, of New York. well ! known writer for papers and maga- | zines, gave an interesting talk on pub fishers and writers. John N. Brooks. | of Brooks Brothers. bankers. Torring- II ton, recalled many amusing exper1- ences while he was boarding student at P. A. I. Among other interesting l stories he said the house rules required the lights to be out at 9:30 D. m. AS
 he was very fond of reading he evad- ed the rule. by carrying to bed with him, a battery with which he made. a | fair electric light under the bed cloth es
 and read his favorite novels without detection.
 A short business meeting held and | W. E. Burnham was nominated and l elected president and W. s. Belknap Jr. secretary and treasurer. The next speaker was Sawyer Wm. P. Hop-
 kins who recalled many interesting events in his seven years at F. A. I. and told now valuable the mental
 training he received there has been to
 him in after life.
 President Burnham then took the | 7nnr nd lnar ol n xxrI1a
 the little school started on Warren
 street, and named some of his school
 mates, among them Doe Sanford and
 Dot Summer. He said he left school at age of 16 and went to work in his fathers factory shoveling chips, at S
 per week. At the close of his speech
 the boys rose and eace many rous- ing cheers for Billy Burnham, our the Mayor of Fairfeld'' Hon. Chas. S. Fox ended the speaking as the hour l was late
 The secretary read a letter from the ] Burroughs Torrey. the eminent por- II trait painter. MT. Torrey had written previous that he would Surely come to the banuuet but his last letter said he
 was unexpecredly called to Washing ton. President Taft desired his pres erce there. as he wished to sit for an- other portrait. Those present were: George Youngs. Roy Youngs. Arthur N. Wheeler, Russell H. Whiting, Har- old E. Meeker. Harry Logan, Walter A. Hubbell Louis Edwards. Berkley
 Edwards. A. B. Beers. Jr.. Russell D. | Cate, Vim. L. Belknap. Jr., Wm. D. Dorus. Ralph T. Beers, Paul B. Krouse, W. E. Burnham. John N. Brooks. El- liott Balistier. Wm. Chappe, Archibald McNeil, Jr., James A. Cummings, | Henry Lieberum, Charles Hopwood, Wm. A. Hopkins. Ernest P. Lyon. | Harold Dorus. Charles Fox Isaac L. | Ferris. Vim. c. Bristol Harold Nara l more and Geo. F. Hadley.