Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-03-16
NEW YORK VERMoNTERs MEET,
Cheer Patriotic Speeches by the
Governor and Others at the An
nual Dinner on Broadway.

Governor and others at the An
nual Dinner on Broadway.
Ten to a table, around twenty-five
tables, in banquet room on the twenty
fourth floor of the Hotel McAlpin,
Broadway and 34th St., New York,
some 250 men and women, Vermonters
by birth or close afIiiation gathered
last Saturday night for the annual din
ner of the Vermont Society of New
York, The cake of maple sugar was
missing. That customary souvenir Of
these gatherings gave way this year to
the Stars and Stripes. Full mast from
a little gilded staff at every plate flew a
siken flag which now and then the
guests raised to wave in applause Of
patriotic utterances. 1t was Vermont
subscribing vigorously to the slogan
america First" The state itself re-
ceived the honorable mention it de-
served, but what made the gathering
unusual was the concession it made to
the crisis of the hour,
1t was the 25th anniversary of the
founding of the Society, first known as
the Vermont Society Of Brooklyn, but
now of New York, Andrew w. Edison,
President of the Society, who is Assist
ant Superintendent of Schools in New
York, was toastmaster, and Governor
Horace f. Graham was the principal
speaker-guest, With them at the speak
ers table were Col. Ira l.. Reeves, Presi-
dent of orwich University, Henry c.
lde, formor Governor General of the
Philippines, Hiram K. Steele, a New
York lawyer, Of a Vermont family, and
others.
Governor Graham was welcomed with
applause when he told of vermont Of
Today" He spoke Of the progressive
Legislation which had centralized in a
state superintendent of education the
control of the schools of the entire
state. He described the scenic beauties
of Vermont, and told of progress in
road-building. If the proposed road
from Cambridge to Stowe were com
pleted, said he, it would surpass any
thing the White Mountains could offer
the tourist.
COL Reeves, who commanded the 1st
Infantry, V. N. g., on its recent duty
at the Mexican border, spoke on OYER
monts Part in the Preparedness Pro-
gram. Amid storms of hand clappng
he told of the creditabe showing the
Vermont troops had made in THEN
border work. Furthest away with the
exception of Maine) the Verm ont regi-
ment was the firstof any national guarC
unit to arrive from any state outside the
border territory, said he; $50 early,that
Texans in Eagle Pass who heard they
We're "from Vermont" could not believe
their ears. They might be from
Beaumont" ia Texan town. but moi
from far-off Vermont Once they haC
confirmed the fact that these were
Green Mountain boys they gave then
a great welcome, and from first to last
the Vermonters were among the mos
popular and efficient sodier-boys on the
border. Col. Reeves spoke Of the pres
ent crisis, and of the frmness will
which he believed Vermont was ready
to do her part if called upon.
The high pitch of applause during tht
evening came with an oratorical speecl
by Judge Steele-a former Judge il
Louisiana and now a lawyer in New
York, who was Captain of Company X
10th Vermont Volunteers in the Civi
War; breveted major for meritorious
services. An obscure bit of histor,
with Vermont patriot as its hero wa
revealed by Judge Steele. The Yer
monter- Benjamin Franklin Stevens
was serving as despatch agent at tn
American embassy in London at th
lme of the Alabama Claims. The tim
limit within which the American cas-
was to be presented to Parliament ha
all but expired, yet the official volume
in which the American government wa
to submit its claims had not arrived i
London, with the exception of two ad
vance copies which were in the hands O
the embassy. 1t was understood tha
the American rights in the matte
would go by default if the case wer
not presented to Parliament in the reg
ular form within two days, and tn
books had not arrived. Stevens, aC
cordingly took matters into his ow
hands. He "stole" the two advanc
copies from the embassy, found at ser
arate places around London printers
map makers and binders who by work
ing night and day at bonus pay, all G
which Stevens met out of his own pock
ct, turned out the book in time for de
livery of complete copies to every men
Der of parliament on the specified day
Thio co Uad tho TTpita1 Ctotoe eo,,,o Q1 :