Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-05
Many Home Town
Clubs Flourish
In New York City

Metropolis with its teeming millions
| may be melting pot for foreigners
of all nations, but the hundreds of
thousands of New York citizens who
come from every part of Uncle Sam s
domain never really melt down into
genuine" New Workers.
Love for the old home town and
state is too strong for that; no mat
ter how deep may be the affection for
their adopted city.
There are in New York at least 70
societies with a membership of SOME
odd 10000 whose object is TO keep
alive interest in their Old homeland.
These figures do not take into con-
sideration the feelings of other I'M
| organized thousands who have left
Main street for Broadway
These organizations. commonly
! known as state societies, usually
have one requisite for membership
| every member must have been born
in the state whose name the society
bears. Nearly every state in the UNI
] ion is represented and there are 9TH
yer similar societies bearing the
names of cities and counties.
The largest of the state societies
! is the Pennsylvania Society with q
membership of 1900, closely followed
! by the Ohio Society with 1900.
! Purely state localization is not al
! ways sought in the neo-go thamities.
| for there are dozen societies such
! as the New England Society. the
Southland Club, the Dixie Club and
| the Rocky Mountain Club.
The meetings Of these societies.
| especially the ANIMALS" are. always
gay. They begin. usually, with a
dinner, at which it is customary TO
serve some of the culinary idisyn
crasies of the state, district. county
or city, whence come the diners. 1t
Sometimes happens that when Phila-
delphia scrapple, fried pies or hominy
arrives on the board, as prepared by
Tony Di Biassi'' ar Jules Car
eme," it is redolent of garlic.
The dinner of course. is followed
by speeches of the than. which no
better" order and Gartside, Podunk
or Billings Center and even such
cities as Chicago. ST. Louis and San
Francisco are lauded to the skies.
! The poets who were without honor
in their own home town often shine
in resplendent glory at these "annu-
ais" and the reading of their literary
efforts about Iowa, or Kansas, or
Texas, brings thunderous applause.
Many of the members of these So
cieties have achieved fame and fort
une in New York. Practically all of
them have made good"
Some of these are John Hays
Hammond, president of the Rocky
Mountain Club; Mary Garrett Hay,
president of the Indiana Club; Mrs.
Emery Deyo, president of the Iowa
New Workers.: Irwin S. Cobb, presi-
dent of the Kentuckians: Charles NJ.
Schwab, president of the Pennsyl-
vania Society; Charles D. Hilles,
president of the Ohio Society: Mrs.
M. ]. Smart, president of the Society
of Illinois Women. and Mrs. Ernest
E. Alcom, president of the Dixie
Club.
mo one ever really forgets the
place of his birth is the composite
explanation. "Once away from the
dear scenes of childhood, a glamor
folds itself about the people and
places left behind and the heart
turns back with longing. No matter
how long one lives in New York. the
old home town has drag" upon
one. Meeting others from the home
state or town is a joy. The manner
lolilo ollSPSCSil, lllC tOiiC VI liiS NoiNSr
the carriage of the body, everything
about the man from home is a joy
and a pleasure. The members of
these societies are not disloyal to
New York, they get together simply
to preserve and cherish the memories
of olden days"
cambridge Colby. former presi-
dent of the Missouri Society today
told of the speech he made at the
first meeting of that organization.
u was a young man." he said,
"and | grew very eloquent as | pro-
ceeded. ! spoke of Missouri in
thunders of -glorification.
touched pathetically upon the fine
and noble things of Missouri. When
I was done the members crowded
about me to shake my hand Their
eyes glowed. l had touched them to
the quick.
1T so happened that Mark Twain
was in that audience He came up
to me with twinkle in his eye.
Young man." he said, there were
moments during your speech when
| really believed you meant what
you were saying. But you know. and
| know that there isn't a man in this
audience who isn't darned glad he
left Missouri and who isn't darned
sorry he didn't leave sooner
New York. May 4.-P)-Georg
Foster Peabody, "A year old phiian-
thropist, banker and patron of insti-