The independent-reporter., 1910-09-29
IMPORTANT SESSION OF STATE BOARD OF
TRADE HELD HERE LAST WEEK
Stirring Addresses Banquet at Lakewood--Trip
to Madison--Gues Delighted

The State Board of Trade meeting
at Skowhegan Thursday and Friday
of last week was a treat to the citi-
zens and was a festivity for the Wis
itors. The local Board of Trade with
the aid of a great many of the peo-
pie here entertained royalty about So
delegates. Every man who came to
this meeting will long remember II
because of the way everything passed
off and above all the people of
Skowhegan will remember it be-
cause of the significant fact that of
about rs delegates from out Of town
all represented the best interests of
the State and were prominent men
from the towns and cities that they
represented. They were men of high
ideals and had great interest in the
moral welfare of the State. One of the
most significant things about the
whole event was that during the en-
tire two days everybody conducted
himself in the most ideal way. The
delegates were loud in their express
sion of pleasure at the way the whole
affair was conducted without any
signs of intoxicating liquors.
The delegates began to arrive at
1895 a. m. Thursday. They were a
good looking class of men. They
were met by President Ordway with
other members of the local Board of
Trade and were escorted to the City
building where they registered and
were assigned their rooms in the
various hotels and dwelling houses.
The citizens had opened wide the
doors of their homes and welcomed
the guests. The business meeting
started about IL o'clock. President
Ordway, In his pleasing manner, gave
the address of welcome, which is as
follows:
Mr.. President, Officers of the State
Board of Trade and Delegates:
In behalf of the Board of Trade and
the citizens of Skowhegan it gives
me very great pleasure to extend to
you a hearty and cordial welcome to
our town. We extend to you the free
dom of the town and our citizens, one
and all, will endeavor to make your
visit with us a pleasant one. We ap-
preciate the fact that you decided to
hold your annual meeting here in
Skowhegan and consider it an honor
to have you with us.
We are proud of our town of Show
hegan. We think we have one of the
best towns in Maine, finely located on
the shores of the kennebec river,
equipped with all modern conve-
niences, fine electric light plant, good
water system and good sewerage.
We are pleased to have an opportu-
nifty to show you gentlemen coming
from nearly every section of the
State, our various industries, water
power, different places of business,
churches, schools, and a cordial hos
pitable people. Our industries em-
ploy more than 1000 people and have
a weekly pay roll of about $4,000.
We are also surrounded with a
large farming country and we have
some of the finest farms in Maine
which we should like to show you but
the brief space of time you will be
with us, will not allow us to do so.
We are connected with Madison
with a we'll equipped electric road and
through the courtesy of the Madison
Board of Trade, who assist us in en-
tertaining, you will have the pleasure
of seeing their town, visiting their in
dustries and inspecting their water
power.
We expect and hope to have an cleo
trio road between this town and Ath-
ems which already has been sur
veyed and work of the construction
will undoubtedly commence in the
near future.
Just a few words in regard to our
local board which was reorganized
about eighteen months ago. At that
time ii showed so members while at
the present time we have a member
ship of $50, all good active members.
We have held regular monthly meet
ings which have been we'll attended
and many very interesting subjects
discussed Through our efforts the
town has had survey made OF our
water power and find we have when
developed, about $4,000 horse power,
which will be the third largest water
power in New England and we have
a committee at work upon the de-
velopment of the same. Our streets
have been greatly improved and many
other matters have been disposed OF
by our Board.
Gentlemen, again allow me to well
come you and when this session OF
the State Board shall have ended and
you leave us, we trust you will take
with You very pleasant recollections
of our town and you will want to visit
us again In the near future.
In response to the welcome address,
d. ]. Callahan of Lewiston, president
of the State Board of Trade, man
of exceptional ability, paid tribute to
skowhegan's beautiful scenery, her
wonderful location. her growth
and prosperity. He said that
Skowhegan has reputation for charm
and natural advantages that cannot
ho ourpoacod and he pynpctpd that