New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-25

American construction. The building
stands 7a2 feet inch above the street
and its foundations are sunk over III
feet in the ground, and the dinner which
was hold 10 mark its completion was y
many ways the most extraordinary ever
held in New York
II was given on tho twenty seventh
floor Of the building. FIVE hundred feet
above the ground more than six hundred
guests were present and. as F. Hopklli-
son Smith. the postmaster. pointed out,
il was one Of the few occasions in which
architect and owner ended as pleasantly
as they began.
Opens with Toast to President.
The dinner opened with toast to the
President Of the United States Follow
ing this regrets were read from William
Sulzer. Governor of the state Josephus
Daniels. Secretary OF the Navy Thomas
A. Edison. David II. Greer. Bishop OF the
Diocese of New York. and from the Gov
errors IF the states Of Pennsylvania Con-
necticut and Massachusetts.
Mr.. Smith declared that the dinner was
ore Of achievement ''ro-day.' he said,
"a new man has come TO the front and
criticism Of the means by which ne sue
ceedcd is impossible. He won not by
SPECULATION nor by luck. but by steady
effort and perseverance and stead work
by working eighteen hours out of twenty
four and by keeping at IT. II you WOULD
see The symbol Of his victory go to the
foot o. this building and saze at the top
az II TIL the roof Of your mouth is sun
burned And pay the need of honor to the
man whose genius made it possible
Frank ". Woolworth.'
Mr.. Woclworth i'm reply said he thought
il a high honor TO be able to pay trio
ute 20 the ablest architect Of the times
Cass Gilbert Without his ability the
building would have been impossible, and
II was to him and TO his assistants that
credit was due.
Beauty No Bar to Usefulness.
Mr.. Smith in introducing Mr.. Gilbert
was more outspoken in his praise.
MIR. Gilbert" ne said. has done the
whole country a service in the conception
Of this building for he has expressed the
commercialism Of the nation in lines Of
beauty. He has shown us that a buildlr <
can be beautiful while retaining all its
usefulness: he has shown us That ideal
ism is compatible with efficiency
Mr.. Gilbert replied modestly. saying that
such a building could never be the fruit
Of one mans labor. but that II required
the efforts Of many men. all bent toward
one end-beauty combined with useful
ness.
1T signifies above ALL" he said. that
onportunitv in America is open TO all.
that starting with nothing. as did MI
Woodwork. a man can achieve every
thing. and that in perseverance and in
dustry. not in agitation, lies our national
future. This lesson II will always teach
md no lesson do We need to learn more
deeply to-day. II is unique among the
treat buildings Of the country. for II
.ands without mortgage and without a
collar indemnity
Mr. Woolworth then presented Mr. Gill
1ert with a loving cup. on the base OF
,-hich was inscribed an etching OF the
ruilding: on the lip of the cup was in
e,ribed presented to Cass Gilbert by
rank W. Woolworth as a mark of es-
t, as more than a foot high, but the diners
assisted that Mr. Gilbert drink out of it,
which he finally did.
Then came speeches by Louis J. Horo-
,rltz. on The Builder" and by William
Winter. on The Artist and the WOOL
worth Building"
Architect Must Be Versatile.
Patrick Francis Murphy made the last
speech of the evening, in which ne dis
cussed Individuality and the Wooi"or,h
building" He stressed the manner In
which Mr. Gilbert had combined useful
ness and beauty. ITO be successful. he
said. "the architect must lift one eye to
heaven. and without any derogation 10
MS art the other eye must be squirting
al the cash register
At the end OF the dinner the Boy Scouts
sent the following wireless 10 President
Wilson from the station on the twenty
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