The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-18
r. 3. B. Woods Speech.


TIL next man to be introduced was
Richard B. B. Wood of The Gate City.
There was burst of applause as Mr..
Wood took his place facing the tables
and intense silence as he gave one of
the most beautiful toasts of the even
ing. Standing there, the oldest news
paper man in the city, he said he felt
one Of the youngest.
Mr.. Wood did not arrive at the Y. M.
G. A. until the guests were about to
be seated at the banquet tables and
was not aware until his arrival that
he was expected to respond to toast
Apprised of this fact at the table he
was asked to select subject for the
toast to which he would respond, he
replied that he would leave it to the
POSTMASTER to select a subject and
there the matter ended for the time
When the POSTMASTER introduced
Mr.. Wood he called out the subject
"On the job"
Mr.. Wood thanked the POSTMASTER
for giving him a text of his remarks,
saying that this was the first he had
heard of it. But being no gutter he
launched into his remarks by referring
to the fun and laughter that prevailed
on such occasions and said he had read
somewhere of an old and learned phil
osopher who declared that man was
the only animal that could laugh, and
said it brought back to him the mem
DRY of similar event which was held
In Kentucky by the state press asso-
citation of that state away back in 1871
where Colonel Kelley, editor Of the
Louisville Commercial. disagreed with
the philosopher. He said the philoso-
piers idea was wrong, and described
the jumping of the little dog about his
masters feet and the wagging of the
dogs tail; the Growing of the roosters
and the gay actions of many other
animals which was to them the same
as the laughter of men.
Be this as 1t may, he believed there
were no animals anywhere capable of
preparing a banquet like the elegant
and hospitable spread which had just
been tested and enjoyed and the ami
mails who had prepared this hospitable
board and made possible this joyful
and laughing assembly were the mem
bers of the Young Mems Christian As
ISOLATION of Keokuk-noble animals
But there is a serious side to this
event as well as a joyful side. George
d. Prentice once wrote: This is a
time for memory and for tears"
in looking over this assembly and
in scanning past events through my
mind, | find that | am the last leaf on
i the tree / am the only man in
! Keokuk today, who was in active work
| when | first came. They have all pass
ed to that undiscovered country or
1 gone to other fields. And l am LETT
but am only young fellow, travelling
however, the same road they travelled
4 toward the dark and gloomy bivouae
of the dead, but / hope to meet my
last hours with manly and heroic
4 courage.
Mr.. Wood concluded his remarks by
telling the story of Sunday schoo
worker who was called on at a meet
Ing, who apolosized because the cal
was 80 sudden" He apoIogized tt
the older brothers and sisters and then
turning to the younger portion de
clared he was unprepared, PROFOUND
ing the question generally what would
you do If you were called on to speal
and had nothing to say. A pause ant
presently a small boy piped out: "It
sit down 81 will take the wise urchin'
advice" said Mr.. Wood, Il will 81
down." and fastened to his seat
In Big Movements.
: Albert Kiefer foreman of the com
posing room of the Constitution-Demc
crat, responded to the toast Our Re
lations-The Newspapers and the
NJ C. A." Mr. Kiefer spoke of tn,
power of the newspaper in com
munity for all good movements, ant
spoke of the aid to the association
| that the newspapers of the city ha'
been. Mr.. Kiefer also suggested tina
; at times like Friday night, the news
) paper men thought great deal of tn
Y. NJ. C. A.
\ Mr. Kiefer spoke about the newspa
$ per and the Y M. c. A. both being a
the fore of all big movements whic
are worthy. The cleanup day wa