Connecticut western news., 1913-01-23
BANQUET ECHOES
Orators Enough Among the Guests 10
 Have Kept in Session a Week.

not be called on t0 make speech. It will do no harm now, however, tv di- yulge the fact that only the lateness of the hour saved him from being called on to tell one of his iuimitable stories.
 When Governor Baldwin took tho train for Hartford, "the morning after," he assured an inquirer that he had had "a really enjoyable time" And he said it as if he meant it.
 Landlord Baker would be justified in ordering a larger.sized hat, in view of all the compliments handed him on the quality of the feast, by distinguished guests who know n good thing when they sit down to it.
 Secretary F. s. Valentine, of tho State Business Mems Association. who attends the banqnets of local Associa- tions all over the state each year, said, after the banquet was over, that he had never had more enjoyable time at any similar affair, and that the Canaan As- sociation's banquet was second to none in the state Executive Secretary Thomas made similar admission. He said frankly that while he had expected that tIe affair would be tame but tolera- ble, to say the most, he was most agree. ably surprised to find it brilliant social function, of which any business mems association in any of the cities might be proud. And that's how we fool 'em.
 The general comment on Rev. E. O. Gillette's speech was, that he never made better one in his life. Winch is some compliment.
 When the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission ruled that the Canaan Business Mems Association should give an annual banquet once week, the banquet committee Rasped and turned pale. Chairman Joe Par sons stuck his cigar into his mouth fire end foremost; Wright swall owed his, and Wigglesworth stuck his nose in the horseradish bottle to keep from fainting away.
 Chairman Clint Roraback and his fel- low members of the decoration com mittee had reason to feel proud of their work. The banquet room never looked so gay before.
 Billy" Hamilton, the popular travel ing representative of the Whitcomb to- bacco house. of Springfield, donated tho Whitcomb Perfecto cigars which topped off the menu so delightfully. Billy did the same thing for last years banquet, and has earned for the Whitcomb house the title. "Cigarists to the O. B. M. A."
 With all the toast-list material ayaila- ble among the guests, it seemed a pity that the hours were so short Judge Roraback stipulated emphatically that he be "seen but not heard" '" Executive Secretary k. s. Thomas could have made q big hit-but wouldn't and so on through list-W. G. Green of New Mil ford, the star toastmaster and speaker of the New Milford board of trade; Hon. l.. J. Nickerson, of West Corn wall, the Cicero of the Housatonic Val ley; Deacon Southwick, Of Cornwall i; Joe Hollister, the Pittsfield word-ju gler. and others, including some good layman orators right here at home.
 Dickerson's fine recitation of George Ade's soliloquy of Grand Army vet eran on the anniversary celebration of the battle of "San Jew-an Hill" kept the listeners in roar, and those old I1.1sg ton nearly fell off their chdirs m the vio- lent eXuberance of their appreoIation.
 Congratulations are due 10 the gen- eral banquet committe on the splendid success of the 1918 banquet Messrs. Joseph l.. Parsons, A. J. Wigglesworth 1 w. A. Wright, who constituted the com mittee, had to deal with difficulties and perplexities of which the average guest had no conception; and the slallful man ner in which they handled every deli- cate problem, in the matter of invita- 1 tions and details of arrangements, en- titles them to the lions share of tho credit for the success of the banquet.
 The fact that Col. Osborn, who de- lighted the guests at the two previous annual bauquets of the Association, had prior engagement that prevented his acceptance of the invitation this year, was deplored by everybody for the Col onel is universal favorite here and had come to be considered a most desirable fixture" of the annual banquet But he promises faithfully to be here next year. The absence of Phil Troup, who had been trapped by the New Haven suffragists for that night, was keen disappointment to his many friends here, as was the absence of Mir. w. H. Seeley and John w. Carr, who had en- agreements elsewhere which imperative ly demanded their attention.