New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-23
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riohty-seven Little New York
Guests Welcomed Upstate,
AND NORWICH FEASTS EN-
Never a King Nor a Queen in
Days of Old Had Happier
Time than Youngsters.

IN NJ Norwich, ChenangO County, they
ao things right when they do them at
III For references as to this fact APP
rs, N eighty-seven young-very young
mon and women who got back yester-
so,, from Fresh Air vacation spent
thereabouts.
You understand these young people
weren't Just boarding out, the way most
,sople have to do when they want to get
aray from the city for a week or two.
Totbing Of the sort. They were the
,pests Of the town.
You know how they make a person
ooe Of those. It's mostly done over
IN England or ireland. Usually It's
the king or n prince of the blood or
some one equally awe inspiring that has
the honor bestowed upon him. AS soon
"a he gets inside the city and has rested
I'm bit along comes the mayor Of the
MACE Juggling the ancient and honorable
tey 10 the city gates, which he presents
N YOU, or whoever il Is, with the assur-
snce that the liberty Of the city is yours.
The city gates not having been locked in
hundred years or so. of course the
lock is rusty and the key no good-ex-
eept possibly as a weapon.
All Of this is to the point by way OF
contrast The Mayor of Norwich is one
Of those hard-headed business men who
look at more than one side OF a dues-
ton before making up his mind as TO q
course OF action.
He knew these fourscore and seven
guests Of the city were coming. but he
said 10 himself: Wen have to find
some new ceremony in giving these fell
lows the liberty of Norwich. In the first
place, we haven't any city gates. let
alone o city gates key And even II we
had KEY and a couple of gates. we'd
have TO boost the biggest guest in the
crowd up before he could reach the key
hole"
So the Mayor cogtated and advised
With his friends After which he was
seen on several occasions talking earnest
" to groups OF public spirited women,
and one day he had a conference with an
official Of the Lackawanna road. Natu-
rally. in a place like Norwich everybody
backs up the Mayor when It's q question
Of municipal hospitality and not politics
This is what happened, and II even d
king or a prince of the blood wouldn't
Ike It better than having a primeval key
loaned TO him. why
When The Tribune's special car rolled
into Norwich and its occupants were
about TO roll out OF II. the Mayor just
stepped forward and said: Guests Of
Norwich, pray don't alight here. We're
going to have this Car backed UP behind
the municipal building for YOU
And in a minute the result Of the con-
ference with the Lackawanna official vas
70 be seen, for, sure enough, a yard en-
CINE came chug-thugging up and whisked
the car up a siding that runs close be-
hind the municipal building.
But that wasn't all. AS soon as the car
came to stop the Mayor invited every
body to jump down and run over into the
building Then as soon as all were col
ected he made a speech, which ran some
thing like this:
Little fellows from New York, were
glad to have you here in Norwich. The
liberty Of the city is yours, and II that
ISN'T enough, why, take the liberty Of the
round about the city. We want you TO
have good time. And now (this is
where mis- fnesse as presenter of the
freedom Of a city comes I'M, who's hun
gry?'
AT the words the Mayors right hand
man pushed open a pair Of doors, and
'O-o-h-e-e" shouted the guests of Nor
wich There. without a friend or foe to
guard 1t, was a table that simply groaned
under a weight of sandwiches, OF bananas
and Of cool lemonade. This after a six
hours railroad journey on hot day,
That was two weeks ago. What the
guests Of Norwich saw and enjoyed be
tween that time and their return TO the
city yesterday can best be imagined.
To-day three hundred children will go
away TO be guests Of the country.