St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-09-07
CROWD AT CLAMBAKE.
Enjoyed A Feast Despite the Rain.
Speeches by Gov. Prouty,
C. w. Gates and Con-
gresham Plumley
in Church.

Six or seven hundred people seat
ed around rain soaked tables pat
iently eating or waiting whichever
was in order, few hundred umbrel-
las quietly trickling water down the
neck of their nearest neighbor,
beautiful young women with the
crimp all out of their hair and starch
rapidly disappearing from their i'm
maculate and rustling dresses hust-
ling around to feed the hungry, were
some of the features of a most un-
usual sight on the grounds of the
Billiard estate Monday afternoon.
The crowd collected to enjoy the an
nual clam bake and shore dinner
given by the doctors for the benefit
of the Brightlook Hospital elevator
fund, but the rain which obligingly
held off until the tables were set let
loose just as the people began to take
their seats. Despite the discomfort
of the rain the walters looked after
the wants of the hungry crowd to
the best of their ability and if any
one went away hungry it was be-.
cause it rained and not because food
was lacking or the walters negligent.
The holding of the meeting within
the village limits was a great accom-
mediation so far as getting there was
concerned but the lack of shelter
made the pleasure of the affair
wholly at the mercy of the weather
which unfortunately was bad. The
weather however did not keep the
speakers away and they proved
very interesting feature of the oc-
casion.
On account of the weather the
post prandia1 exercises were held in
the Universalist church. DR.. G. A.
Cramton was POSTMASTER and ex-
pressed the gratitude of the hospital
management to all who helped make
the clam bake a success. Gov.
Prouty was the first speaker and
was greeted with enthusiasm. He
praised the men and women who are
willing to work for public causes and
said that it is only by appealing to
public sentiment that the problems
which confront our commonwealth
can be solved.
Congressman Plumley lauded the
generosity of those individuals who
have given st. Johnsbury such in
stitutions as our library and museum
but showed how much more valuable
is the institution made possible not by
one man but by small gifts from
many. He paid graceful tribute to
the civic pride of the town, all that
he said being pleasing to his hearers.
DR.. Cramton stated that $50 had
been received from interested friends
in response to the letters sent out
and read two letters showing how
people felt.
When Gov. Ansel of South Caro-
lima was presented, the company all
rose, and the ladies waved their
handkerchiefs and the men cheered.
His speech was enthusiastic and
spontaneous and everyone felt CRATE
full to Gov. Prouty for bringing his
guest here. lie paid tribute 10 the
ladies, in the true southern fashion
but devoted most of his talk to the
need of taking care of our young
people, "our greatest asset" he called
them, to care for their bodies and
give them all the best education pos
sible.
The last speaker Charles w
Gates of Franklin, state highway
commissioner, spoke in an earnest
manner of the work he is trying to
do to improve our highways by align
ing, grading and new surfacing
them and compared gravel and
macadam roads, preferring the form
er for our own state.