Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1914-01-06
S0DALITY'S 34TH ANNIVERSARY
Celebrated With Banquet and Entertaining Programme
]. H. Broderick, Mayor Murphy, J. j. Cookery and
William A. Sullivan the Speakers-Presdent j. J. Suli-
Presides as POSTMASTER


bringing to our city the Thermos Bot
tie company, which result was accom-
plished only by CIR united efforts in
raising the sum of $4,000 in one short
| week. 1 doubt very much if any other
city could have done this under sim
liar circumstances.
Big Manufacturing interests.
The town of Norwich has done a
manufacturing business during the
past year of SOS. 1000, 900, which is about
one-half as much as the amount done
| in one year by the whole of New
| London county.
The wages paid annually in Nor
wich manufacturing plants amount to
! $3541,S 1914, and in the whole county
| $7,277,O96. From these statistics you
| can see Norwich earns in wages al
most one-half as much as is earned
percentage, Norwich earns in wages
about 48 IL per cent. of all the wages
paid in the whole county, to say
nothing Of the large financial banking
business that is done in the city of
Norwich, which in my opinion will al
ways remain the financial center Of
eastern Connecticut.
=. Some City Assets.
IF the city of Norwich were to sell
its water department tonight it would
receive money enough to pay off it's en-
tire indebtedness, which amounts to
about 100000, not taking into con-
sideration the gas and electric de-
partment that the city owns and main
tains, and which In my mind is today
and will be for years to come one of
the greatest assets any city could have.
There are various other matters that
/ might mention tonight, but as my
time is limited l shall have to leave
them remain unsaid until some future
time There is, however, one request
that I would ask of this society, and
that is to continue to take the interest
that they. have taken in the past in city
enterprises.
When the applause which greeted the
mayors words had subsidized, John J.
Cookery, introduced by President Sulli-
van as one of the most popular mem
bers of the society, responded to the
toast THE Sodality,'' and was warmly
applauded for the words he spoke.
"The SodaIity," by J. J. Cookery.
In his graceful presentation of his
topic Mr. Cookery won the favor of his
hearers as he spoke as follows:
1t is a pleasure to attend Sodality
banQuetS year after year and to hear
words Of praise from those whose COM
mendation means SO niue hto US.
1t is a pleasure to know that some
of our members have reached high
places in our community, have won
the confidence and esteem of their fell
low citizens and have shown by word
and deed that the confidence reposed
in them was not misplaced.
It is a pleasure also to know that
our society since its organization has
well served its purpose-the better
ment of the Catholic young men of
Norwich.
An organization may be a blot ra-
dating its dark Influence outward to
the very circumference of society or it
may be a blessing spreading benedic-
fiOnG the length and hFraOth of
the land
The Sodality has made the Catholic
young men Of Norwich better members
of society and better citizens of the
community 1t has made her young
men honest and broad-minded, and
when I speak of honest men, 1 don't
mean that kind of honesty that pre-
vents a man from stealing, but of that
kind of honesty that makes man hon.
est with his own conscience-that stern
rebul1er Of wrong doing. And when 1
speak Of broad minded men, you all
know what I mean. There is a spirit
Of bigotry, of narrow mindedness in
this grand country of ours-a spirit
that would If it could deny a man
rights on account Of his religion or be-
cause of the place of his birth. There
should be no room anywhere for such
a spirit
Twelve months have passed since
we met here in mirth and song; they
ocean of eternity and our organization
has arrived at another milestone on
its journey.
Our organization is today 81 years
old, and stands, as it were, on the
threshold of the new year with all the
possibilities of the future before it
possibilities so great that no man dare
place a limit to them. Progress is the
law Of life, the law of the human
race. Every new generation is a step
in advance Of the old one 1t is a
step in advance even though TO the
casual observer it may seem a step
down. Along the highway of life there
are many declivities, many depres-
sions, but the general trend is upward
and onward We pass this way but
once We cannot retrace our steps
to any preceding milestone. Every
time the clock strikes. 1t is both the
announcement of the hour upon which
we are entering and the knell of the
hour that is gone. Each night memory
balances the account and we know
before we sleep whether the balance is
on the right or wrong side of the
ledger Today is a better day than
yesterday and tomorrow is the day of
promise Our organization has its sad
pages as well as its bright ones, and
we would be false to one of it's best
purposes if we failed TO pause for d
moment and shed a silent tear for
those members who are no longer with
us those members with WhOm we took
sweet counsel, who have been re-
moved visibly from the outward eye.
We miss their genial presence and
their kindly greeting and though it
seems to us that they died too soon,
it is ours to hope the Master of the
universe closed their accounts when
the balance was on the right side
The hour is growing late and we
have other speakers present. l trust
that the year upon which we have Just
entered will be one of prosperity and
happiness for our country and our
selves and that the good fellowship in
evidence here tonight will keep our
hearts warm for another cordial and
vigorous greeting when next January
comes around.
Entertainer from Boston.
James G. Higgins of Boston was Civ
en- an uproariOus greeting for the en-
tertainment he afforded with a number
of recita tons in Italian and Irish dia
lect that sent his hearers into roars Of
laughter For -insistent encores Mr..
Higgins responded with selections in
the Hebrew dialect, and in conclusion
he recited by request the selection,
Mary McCrool
This was followed by a violin solo,
Cavaliera Rusticana, played with fine
tone and expression by William Ma
lone, and followed by Traumeirei as
an encore.
w. A. Sullivan Urges Literary Work.
One Of the newer members of the
Sodality, but one of the most popular,
he. 1W1Rr