The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-31
From Saturdays Daily.

Every circumstance favored the sue
cessful carrying out of the one hun.
dred and fifty-fourth anniversary of
the birth of Robert Burns, at Maple
ton yesterday, by the Maple River
Burns club. The weather was ideal,
the attendance large, and the enthu-
Siasm abundant. The program was
carried out in a manner pleasing
and acceptable to all. Residents of
five states Joined in doing honor to
the bright memory of Scotland's
great poet-North and South Dakota.
Iowa and Montana being represent
ed. as well as Minnesota. The at.
tendance from outside of the village
and immediate surrounding country
was larger than ever before, accord.
ing to Thomas B. Taylor, president
OF the club, but Manakto did not
send quite as many people as usual,
which Mr.. Taylor accounted for by
the difficulty in finding lodgings.
The Milwaukee train down yester-
day afternoon and back this fore
noon was crowded.
The Fine Banquet.
The banquet given by the ladies
in the large basement hall of pretty
St. Theresa Catholic church was
partaken of by at least 400 persons
The tables were arranged so that
they seated over 100 at a time and
were filled fully three times. There
was surely no opportunity for any
one to go away hungry. for the meal
was truly a feast in every respect
Two large dishes of haggis were pre-
pared. and the tables fairly g"oaned
""der variety of meats, potatoes
'~-~S ro'1e on'orv. ~1'ves coke COZ
80 IT, had been displavo'
49, H~~ol decorations and the
rv'cP Nv the ladies was prompt
an4 effective The serving began
~ Eve o'clock and continued until
100, and only those from abroad
were served, aside from the ladies .,
who had the banquet in charge.
Address to the Hageis.
The address TO the haggis was de-
livered with dramatic effect and in
perfect Scotch dialect by A. J. Ellis,
who is indispensable at Burns day
celebrations. The haggis was brought
in smoking hot on a large platter
borne on the broad shoulders of
William Morrow and B. F. McGregor,
preceded by Major George Sinclair
of Minneapolis, the official piper of
the club, dressed in his highland
costume.
Rev. Mr.. Young of Mapleton as
sisted at the banquet by offering a
blessing.
Heather from Scotland was passed
Nv
McGregor, who had received sup
plies.
The crowd began to wend its way
TO the opera house soon after six
o'clock, although the program was
not announced to begin until s p. m,
in order to be sure of seats, and
by seven o'clock the building was
filled. AS it was useless to wait
longer, the program was opened at
1880 p. m, with A. J. Ellis presiding,
and a most excellent presiding Off
Ger he is.
Program Of the Evening.
The Mapleton orchestra had the
first number on the program and
played delightfully."-. Mrs. c. J. Beise
acted as accompanist on the piano
for most of the musical numbers
Of the evening, with Mrs. Harold
Healy for the rest. both again dem
onstrating their fine artistic abili-
ties.
Mayor Roman Humid warmly well
coined the visitors. When a boy in
school, he had learned the songs of
Robert Burns, translated into Gor
man. He hoped that these annual
gatherings would always be held at
Mapleton, and he would turn the kew
of the village over to the visitors
if that most enthusiastic Scotchman.
Mr.. Taylor, while mayor, had not
lost it, but he would turn over full
possession Of the village, anyway.
Response Was in Happy Vein.
The response was made by Alex
ander Russell of New Ulm, very
enthusiastic Scotchman. a true son
of The land of heather. as Chairman
Ellis said and the only Scotchman
residing in New Ulm. Mr. Russell
said that visitors had come to Ma
nIe'on in greater numbers than ever
before for this celebration. and NV
--o-oneIv ro~arkad thot New Tim
ra1 turned out its ent'ro "oo'oH
ra~r'o''on. He complinen+ed
Ties for serving the hapgis so well
-haseis being the "cha~rion of tho
puddin' race" He sold that no onc
could euloeize the hageis l'ko
Sandy" Ellis IT was good thirg
that the kew of the village bod been
lost ae he vis'+ors now could not
r. kent out He evtonded hear+fn''
thanks TO the mayor and residents
for heir kind invitation and well
come.
Mr. Ellis was not on the program,
hui recited Scotch poem to perfec
ton.
The Sinclair pipe band of Mime
apolis, composed of Major Sinclair