The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1921-04-08
THE CHAMBER Of
COMMERCE BANQUET
BRILLIANT AFFAIR
SPEECH OF MR.. DANIELS
Most Pleasing. Drew Picture
of His Boyhood Days When
He Lived in Wilson and the
Town as 1t Was Then and
Held His Audience in Rapt
Attention.

The banquet of the chamber OF
commerce last evening was one Of
the most successful and most bril-
liant affairs Of the kind ever held
in Wilson. OF course the draw
ing card was Hon. Josephus Daniels,
sx.secretary of the navy, who has
/ returned to Raleigh to take person
al charge of the News anl Obsery-
e..
But that was not all. Every fea-
ture of the occasion was most de-
lightful. The ladies had done their
part eminently satisfactorily.
Three long tables had been pro-
vided the length of the spacious hall
of the Y. M. c. A. rooms and dec
Grated with beautiful flowers
around which were seated nearly
200 guests, which made scene not
soon to be forgotten. The menu Of
delicious barbecue and fixings, with
salads, pickles, olives, and cake and
cream for desert served with we'll
timed despatch by a number of the
ladies of the city was all that could
be desired.
Mr.. Calvin Woodard again dem
onstrated his superb ability as toast
master, and gave a program for the
evening that was hard to beat. Prior
to the address of Mr.. Daniels there
were a number of five minute speech
es by leaders in their respective lines
| of calling and these gentlemen in
terestingly presented facts about
Wilson which were not only illum-
mating to Mr.. Daniels but to our
, own people as we'll. That Mr.. Dan
iels appreciated this information
was apparent in his address, for he
used much of this to refresh his
memory as he covered the past as
he remembered Wilson as a boy,
and went to the Wilson Collegiate
Institute where he was educated,
and helped his mother keep post
office, or was captain of the Swift
football team, which he declared was
the greatest honor of his youth and
one that he appreciated the most.
Prior to the banquet, Mr.. Daniels
was presented to the guests Of the
evening by Mess Calvin Woodard and
Graham Woodard, and to the other
members Of the receiving line COM
posed of Mr.. Louis Tomlinson, pres
ident of the chamber Of commerce
and his wife, Mr.. Johnson King,
vice president of the chamber, and
Mrs. King, and Mr.. and Mrs, Gra-
ham Woodard who entertained Mr..
Daniels while in the city. Mr..
Woodard was also chairman of the
entertainment committee. He was
assisted in this work by Messrs. Craw
ford, Scott and Gold.
Tie speakers of the evening and
directors Of the organization were
seated at a cross table at the head
Of the room and this placed them
in plain view of all the other guests.
The occasion was enlivened with
excellent music from the Wilson
theatre orchestra.
Mr.. Woodard introduced the
speakers with fitting and appropri-
ate remarks, and confined ithe
speeches to a maximum of five min
utes. They stayed very we'll within
bounds and covered their subjects
with short, snappy speeches, full Of
interesting matter.
The invocation was delivered by
Rev. F. s. Love, pastor Of the Meth
odist church, and the first speaker
of the evening was Mr.. s. G.. New
born, president Of the Branch Bank
ing and Trust company, who talk
ed Of Wilson and her banks. Only
a few years ago Wilson had only
two banks with capital and sur
plus Of $250,000, and nowhere are
eleven in this county, with capital
and surplus Of more than a million
dollars. He paid . tribute to the
business acumen OF the people Of