The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-12
Annual Business Meeting
Followed by Round
of Merriment
ALEX. A. MILNE is
NEW PRESIDENT
Italian Dinner Was Followed
by a Dance, Both With
Many Features

terday with fine regard for an old maxim
which runs, in part, something like this;
First to business, then to pleasure
turn Not the least important was the
business end of the annual get-together
of the Granite Manufacturers associa.
tion. Members from every town in the
district, Barre, Montpelier, East Barre,
Williamstown, Waterbury, West Berlin
and Mortified, were present to take part
in the, business meeting, which convened
shortly before 3 o'clock in manufactur-
ers' hall. Everybody from out Of town
then tarried for the buffet lunch, which
was followed by an Italian dinner in
Clan Gordon hall and dance across the
street in Howland hall.
On the theory that granite manufac-
turer can get his ill of business any day
in the year, while Italian dinners are
capitalletter affairs, the association
members made short shrift of the after
noon meeting. Alex A. Milne of the firm
Of Hoyt 4 Milne was elected president
of the association for 1919. Secretary
harold r Hinman, who recently ten
dered his resignation after four years
service as secretary treasurer, declined
TO reconsider and was released with a
rousing vote Of thanks. The vacancy re-
mains untitled. The official slate for
next year follows:
President, A. A. Milne; first vice
president, Ettore Bonazzi Of the firm OF
Bonazzi & Bonazzi, Montpelier; second
vice president, w. T. Calder of the firm
Of Marr & Gordon; directors for three
years, Joseph @. Calcagni Of Novelli &
Caleagni and John b. Magnaghi Of the
Presbrey-Coykendaa company; auditors,
w. B. Mackenzie of Littlejohn, Odgers &
Milne, J. A. Healy of Canton Bros; com
mittee on charges, J. p Corskie of j. p
Corskie & Son, Alex Milne OF Circle
street, George Robins of Robins Bros.
More elaborate and in many ways
more spectacular was the Italian dinner
prepared under the culinary guidance Of
Mrs. p. ID. Molla and served TO 250 people
early in the evening Within beckoning
distance she kept a committee of IA
granite manufacturers, who comprised
turers brought along their wives or other
guests and much that was memorable in
the way Of association festivals was in
store for the entire party.
The entertainment committee did not
forget that a great drought may settle
down over the land ere another annual
swings around and the moving success
of big day was the dinner and it's fix
ings. The Norwich jazz band, a riotous
lot of musical youngsters, shared with
couple vaudeyillains the joyous applause
Of many diners. A few sharp and neces.
sarily short mid-dinner speeches were in
trodueed by Alex Duncan, who acted as
toastmaster. Among those who spoke were
City Clerk James Mackay, William Bar
clay, G. H. Wishart, former secretary,
and the retiring secretary, Mr.. Hinman.
Each acknowledged the good fellowship
which prevailed and spoke for even clos
er ties of cooperation.
For Mr.. Hinman it was a valedictory
speech, and unlike many valedictorians
he said not too much, but too little.
What he said, however, went home by
the shortest route and there was a sin
cere sort of a note in the strains of 'For
He's jolly Good Fellow" which the
audience sang after it had done applaud
ing. It was one of the few SOLDERING
touches in an evening otherwise given
over to forgetting to be serious.
At frequent intervals the Norwich mu-
sicians varied their jazz programs with
entertaining skits. 1t is doubtful wheth-
er the college boys, accustomed as they
must grow to the applause that their
praiseworthy musical unit inevitably
compels, viii receive a warmer reception
anywhere on the dance and dinner circuit
this winter. The students, with their
tuneful gyrations, their happy singing
and their fascinating if unholy, overtures
went big with the manufacturers, who
were not particularly careful to conceal
their satisfaction.
Once in while Martin stepped out Of
the quartet and did an interpretative
dance which made the hall ring with
laughter. In between the jazz outbreaks,
Signorita Notaseme and Mrs. Vernon
Tastle entertained with tuneful ballads
or vamp. dancing The signorita proved
to be one of our most alluring yamps un.
til someone accidentally dislodged her
wig. Suspicious then and there formed
grew apace and had confirmation some
what later in the night when the artistic
exchanged her hoola- -hoola garb for some
thing more like multi and appeared as
the full grown Julian Eltinge that he is.
While the Cinderella disguise remained,
nevertheless, the dancer did not lack for
attention.
Venison, chicken and other pieces de
resistance had their place on the menu,
which was arranged in approved Italian
style, and many of the diners who had
only a scraping acquaintance with sala-
mi and never kr wv that there is no such
thing as little bit of garlic were thor
oughly converted to Italian cuisine be-
fore they won their way through maze
Of soups, labyrinths of spaghetti and
oodles Of cheese to the coffee The serv.
ice, due in good part to the energy of
number of young women, was not to be
improved Mrs. Molla was assisted by
the following. Misses Josephine Restelli,
Sylvia Rizzi, Elvira Giudici, Adele Bi,
anchi, Alice Carroll, Christine Walker,
Mary Restelli, Adelina Merlo, Caroline
Calcagni, Angie MovaIli, Hazel Guyer,
Ena Adie, Grace Barclay, Grace Alexan-
der, Florence M. Vercoe Christina Smol
lett and Gladys Comolli and Mrs. George
Pratt.
To Howland hall the scene shifted
around l0:30 o'clock, where dancing con