Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1916-12-08
FIRST ANNUAL
BANQUET
Held BY Putnam Chamber Of Commerce
tuesday Evening
Csc Of 1.-THE Most Successful Affairs the
Chamber Has Held
From Publicity Committee of the
Chamber Of Commerce.

nam Chamber of Commerce, at Elks'
hall, Tuesday night, Was success
from start to finish, according TO the
verdict OF the scrowd' An excellent
menu well served, attractive cabaret
features, and speaking of unusual
merit, gave the diners good time I'M
I'll after midnight.
The Rev. FIR. William A. Keefe of
PIsinfield sgave an Grafton on "Our
State which held the closest atten.
tion Of all for more than half an hour,
and was punctusted by frequent, spon-
tsneous, land enthusiastic applause.
Telling Of the loyalty and pride which
the citizens Of each state exhibit, he
declared that none had better cause
for these emotions than the citizens OF
our own commonwealth. He review
ed the part which Connecticut played
In the early history sof the American
colonies, recitipg an honor roll of the
worthless of the 18th century. The
Revolutionary heroes we're also cited
by name, including Israel Putnam,
Nathan Hale, Governor Trumbull, the
original "Brother Jonathan Con
necticut's reputation AS the "Provi.
sion State" earned in the trying days
Of Valley Forge, and the proud record
of having furnished fourteen percent
Of the soldiers who carried the war 10 a
successful conclusion, were eloquently
recalled. Governor Buckingham of
the Civil War days came next, and
The orator nearly brought his audience
10 their feet when he declared that the
same qualities of patriotic devotion
were alive in the breasts of all worthy
OF the name OF Connecticut citizens
and should support President Wilson
as our chief executive In these present
days.
Next FIR. Keefe reviewed the indus
trial importance of this state. He
gave a graphic picture of man being
reused from slumber by Connecticut
cut-made bed, and making use Of Con-
necticut products for himself and his
family throughout the whole day, at
home, the office, and the mill. The
cities (which manufacture, and the
country sides which raise, the material
things, were listed by name, in most
impressive catalogue of Connecticut's
economic resources and achievements.
The educational institutions of the
state were also praised, and he closed
with an appeal TO the best that is in
mankind that the present generation
should be worthy of the traditions and
history OF our glorious state.
The POSTMASTER then introduced
John Rodemeyer of Canaan, until re.
Gently editor of the Connecticut West
ern News, and founder of the Bald
Head Club of America, n social organ
ization whose annual dini ers fairly
rival the famous Gridiron Club of
Washington. Members OF the club In
clude ex-PTesident Taft, Colonel n. G..
Osborne, ex-Congressman Oakley, and
many other celebrities. Mr.. Rode
meyer deplored his notoriety in this
connection, saying that ii WAS hard on
his reputation and claim on pcslerity
that he should be known as u bald
headed man, which he was not, i'm
stead of as Americas leading newspa-
per man and writer, which he was. He
paid his respects to Connecticut, as
portrayed by Fr. keefe, contrasting,
this with u story of North Carolina
funeral, in which everything, from the
coffin TO The clothes OF the deceased,
came from ,other Estates, and North
Carolina furnished only the corpse aud
the hole in the ground.
The speakers kindly, quaint, and
clever humor got his audience prompt.
ly and kept them convuIsed for fifteen
minutes. lie made one Of his surest
hits by telling OF appearing on the
same list Of afler-dinner speakers,
SEINE years ago, with Rev. c. }. Harri.
man of Putnam, apparently starting
To praise the local minister's speech as
The best of the evening, he turned Ii al
the last moment by saying that his
own address was the best of the even
ing. A mock pathetic appeal 10 the
higher natures of his auditors WAS
amusingly successful. No wittier nd.
dress, professional or amateur, has
been heard in Putnam for many years.
President Andem presided at the
dinner and called upon Rev. John j.
Ety to say blessing. After coffee
was served he spoke OF his pleasure at
seeing this gathering, which realized a
dream Of which he had long awaited
the plishment. He then intro
duced George l.. Padgett rs toastmas-
ter. Mr.. Padgett performed his duties
with dignity and grace and kept the
program moving efficiently. He stat
ed that the lateness of the hour pre-
vented him from calling upon num-
Der OF men who, at his solicitation, had
prepared some excellent, strictly Inn
promptu remarks. He limited these
10 John q. johnson, who declared
that the chamber OF commerce could
do great things for the community;
and the secretary, Rev. Z. j. Harri-