Norwich Business Men's Banquet - early 1900s

The Clerks Entertain

Norwich Business Men Banqueted by Employes

Utica Saturday Globe, March, year unknown [early 1900s]

Committee in Charge of Banquet to Norwich Business Men

Left to Right

Upper Row:  M.D. Davis, W. A. Baldwin, H. Arthur Norton

Lower Row:  Roscoe L. Merrill, Berten E. Winsor, George A. Crane

 

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  Not in many a long day has there been witnessed in Norwich so happy an event as the banquet tendered by the members of the Retail Clerks' Association to the business men by whom they are employed.  Sometimes it is imagined that the interests of the clerks and the business men are antagonistic, but on this occasion there was no evidence to support any such erroneous idea.  It was apparent for once at least that their aims were agreed, that their objects were neutral, that the give and take were equal, that there were three feet in every yard of freedom, and 16 ounces of every pound of pleasure to be gotten out of an event so admirably arranged and so happily carried out. The banquet was spread at the Eagle Hotel on Thursday evening and being the first effort in that line under the director of the new proprietors, Messrs, F.S. Powell & Co., was made most worthy of the occasion, as a glance at the menu show:

 

Celery        Olives        Pickles

Cold Ham      Boiled Tongue     Lamb

Tutti Frutti Jelly

Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, a la Mayonnaise

Vanilla Ice Cream

Angel Food      Chocolate Cake

Fruit Cake      Lady Fingers

Tea Rolls

Oranges                Banana

Coffee

Cigars

 

Ere employers and employed fell upon the feast with equal avidity, the divine blessing was invoked by Rev. Daniel W. Dexter. After the edibles had received their proper share of attention and the cigars had bene lighted, H. Arthur Norton as toastmaster, rapped the assemblage to order and announced that owing to the unavoidable absence of Mayor James H. Westcott, who was expected to respond, but was called out of town by the funeral of a friend, that the first toast, The Village of Norwich, would be responded to by Editor Edward S. Moon.  Mr. Moon has a reputation as an after dinner speaker and did not disappoint the expectations of his audience.  Following him, among the toasts and responses, ex-Mayor J. B. Turner, president of the business Men's Association, spoke to The Business Men;  The Association Clerk was responded to by M. W. Davis, president of the Clerks' Association; Business and the Church, by Rev. John L. Ray; Early Closing as Viewed by a Business Man, Supervisor Edward l. Nash; The Ladies and Good Night, by Walter C. Case. The benediction was followed by "America" played by Green's Orchestra.  The committee of clerks having the banquet in charge were President M.W. Davis, W.A. Baldwin, Roscoe Merrill, Berten E. Winsor, H. Arthur Norton and George A. Crane. All the details had been carefully arranged and except for the disappointment in not hearing some of the speakers expected, all the plans worked to perfection and nothing was lacking to make the event all it was intended to make it.  One result must be to strengthen the close and most cordial relations already existing between the clerks and their employers.