The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-01-12
annual BANQUET OF COMMERCIAL
CLUB With 100 TOWN BOOSTERS
speaker
Blu give oim

The annual banquet OF the Ard
more Commercial Club held last
night al the Wilmington Hotel was
the greatest gathering of boosters
this city has seen in many day and
there was more enthusiasm for the
town and more unanimity of opinion
expressed than ON any former ocCaS-
ion and it resulted in better feelings
amon- the citizenship and will result
in hcartier cooperation with the
Commercial club during the new
year. The spread AT the Wilmington
was all that could be desired, while
the feast was only an incident Of the
meeting vet the spread and the man.
ner in which it was served made il
one Of the pleasing features of the
gathering. There We're present more
than hundred men all of whom are
interested in Ardmore There were
present men of every walk of life in
the city, there were railroad men
from other cities, the oil fields We're
represented. the departments of
state had representative. and form.
er Mayor r. W. Dick who is now
superintendent of' The state prison at
McAlester was present.
| Divine blessing were invoked by
Rev. G. Raymond Gray Of the Broad
way Methodist church and the bus.
mess men feryently bowed their
heads during the brief prayer for
unanimity of effort and for a feeling
of soodfellowship which leads to a
higher life
The bar furnished the postmaster
for the occasion l.. :. Dolman was
selected to do the honors of the oc-
casion and he did his part we'll
There was not dull moment in
the program. There was wit and logic
and eloQuence, so well mixed that
every minute of the banquet was one
of delight. The speeches lighted the
spark that will blaze into enthusiasm
that will lead this city on to some
great undertakings during the year.
One of the speakers of the even
ing was W. b. Johnson He is a
forcetul taIker and he did not mince
his words. He reCounted the good
things which Ardmore has and gave
some good town building sugges-
tions. Mr. Johnson suggested that
the property surrounding the city be
purchased now by the business men
and used in giving bonuses 10 induce
railroads and factories 10 come. Men
and brains and money are needed to
build a city. We have the men and
the money necessary TO build can
be made from city additions cut from
lands surrounding the town. He fay.
Ored improvements in t he water
works system and favored IA bond
issue for that purpose.
+. A. Redmond of the Ardmore
Oil fields said the Santa Fe was
spending vast sum of money in the
fields. that it was hampered by lack
of good roads, that recently five cars
of material We're held on the tracks
here because it could not be trana
ported to the field over such roads
as lie between ArdmOre and the
fields. Ardmore is not getting the
advantage of the pay roll for the
reason that the people cannot come
70 town. He struck the keynote when
he said bad roads meant business Tor
the mail order houses A road is
needed to the fields and pipe line con-
nection will coon he made.
Highway Commissioner Sidney
Suggs said he did not come throu-n
he cold and pay railroad rare from
Oklahoma City as matter OF pleas
antry bur that he came to ArdmOre
to help save his property here, tha-
there was way to build Ardmofe
into city OF one hundred thousand
and that Ardmore people can find tle
way. He urged the people to organ
ize road districts and to build the
best roads OF the state leading &c
this city. he urged the harnessing N
the Washita and said that amount o.
power would make Ardmore thl
greatest city in the state.
Mr. SupgS urnel fhe Dpople To Oui