CHAPTER XV.
Programme of Plant Day Ceremonies—Ringing of the Liberty Bell—Presentation of Addresses to Mr. Plant in the great Auditorium—His Reply—Resolutions from the Different Departments of the System, from the Savannah Board of Trade, etc.—Mr. Morton F. Plant’s Acknowledgments.
KNOWING that all employees would be unable to attend the celebration in Atlanta, President Plant requested the superintendents of the railways, steamship, and express interests to allow such men as could be spared from duty without detriment to the operative departments to be present, and also requested that special train service should be provided for their accommodation. This request of the president was so heartily carried out by the superintendents, and so willingly accepted by the employees, that three special trains of the Plant System, carrying several thousand employees, rolled into the Union Depot in Atlanta at an early hour Monday morning, October 28th. In order that all might be fully informed of the movements of their worthy president, and of the programme of the day, the following notice was published in the Atlanta Constitution of October 28, 1895:
“Mr. Plant will call on Governor Atkinson at 10 o’clock this morning.
“He will be at the Exposition grounds at 12 o’clock, when the Columbian bell will ring for the first time, in his honor.
“At 1 o’clock all the employees of the Plant System will assemble at the Auditorium on the grounds, at which time addresses will be delivered by President Collier, on behalf of the Exposition Company, and Mayor King, on behalf of the city of Atlanta. Mr. Plant will respond to these addresses.
“Music will be furnished by Innes’s band, and, after Mr. Plant’s speech, resolutions, congratulatory and otherwise, will be read on behalf of the employees of the system and commercial bodies.
“At 3 P.M. Mr. Plant will be at the Plant System Building, which is one of the most picturesque on the grounds. He will spend some time making a close inspection of the exhibit that has been placed there and which has attracted such attention all the while from visitors to the great fair.
“At 8 o’clock this evening a banquet will be tendered Mr. Plant at the Aragon.”
Mr. Plant placed himself in the hands of his friends for the day, and carried out to the letter the programme as above set forth, in order that he might have opportunity of meeting the employees at the Exposition. Such of us who had the pleasure of being present and of personally congratulating the gentleman will be pleased, no doubt, to read the following account of the day’s proceedings, and to those who were less fortunate it will be interesting to hear what the Atlanta Constitution, of the 29th of October, had to say of “Plant System Day at the Exposition.”
“Eloquent indeed was the demonstration of affection and loyalty by the employees of the Plant System to their great chieftain, Henry B. Plant, yesterday at the celebration of Plant System Day at the Exposition.
“Never was there such an ovation to any living railroad magnate in the Southern States. The day was beautiful and bright and most auspicious, and the exercises in the auditorium at the Exposition grounds were profoundly interesting and impressive.
“Early in the morning Mr. Plant was driven to the Exposition grounds in a carriage, the rest of his party accompanying him in other carriages. They drove through the grounds, and at 12 o’clock sharp they stopped at the Columbian bell, near the Forestry Building, and, in accordance with the programme as arranged, the bell was rung many times over in honor of the great railroader. The bell was rung by Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Plant, assisted by Mrs. Wood, Mrs. B. W. Wrenn, Major O’Brien, and Mrs. Tilley.
“Those present at the ringing of the bell were: Mrs. H. B. Plant, Mrs. W. A. Wood, Mrs. B. W. Wrenn, Mrs. George H. Tilley, Mrs. Porter King, Mr. H. B. Plant, Mr. R. G. Erwin, Mr. M. F. Plant, Dr. G. H. Smythe, Mr. G. H. Tilley, Major M. J. O’Brien, and Col. B. W. Wrenn.
“The party then drove through the grounds, and after a brief glimpse of the splendid Exposition from the carriages while passing, they went to the Auditorium, where the regular programme of the day was to be carried out.
“Long before they arrived at the auditorium the hall was fairly packed with the employees of the Plant System of Railroads and of the Southern Express Company, of which Mr. Plant is president. The distinguished party, consisting of Mr. Plant and his family and a number of friends, arrived at the eastern side of the auditorium and entered the vast hall through the doorway to the stage.
“At the first sight of them the vast multitude of people within gave a round of applause which lasted for a long time, and which was a becoming greeting from the several thousands of Mr. Plant’s employees to him at such a season.
“When Mr. Plant and his companions were seated on the stage, the applause ceased and order was restored in the hall. On the platform, Mrs. H. B. Plant was seated on the left of Mr. Plant. There were also there Mrs. W. G. Wood, Mrs. G. H. Tilley, Mrs. B. W. Wrenn, Mr. M. F. Plant, Mr. R. G. Erwin, Mr. M. J. O’Brien, Mr. S. G. McLendon, Mr. G. H. Tilley, Mr. A. A. Wiley, Mayor Porter King, Vice-President W. A. Hemphill, of the Exposition Company; Mr. W. F. Vandiver, Mr. Fleming G. duBignon, Mr. W. C. Bibb, Judge Robert Falligant, Hon. W. B. Thompson, formerly Second Assistant Postmaster-General; Hon. W. H. Brawley, U. S. District Judge; Mr. F. Q. Brown, Mr. G. W. Adair, and others.
“After music by the Innes Band, Vice-President W. A. Hemphill, of the Exposition Company, acting as president in the absence of President Charles Collier, arose and addressed the vast audience on behalf of the Exposition Company, bidding them a cordial welcome to the fair.
“Mr. Hemphill said:
“‘Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen:—I have no doubt that the welcome that Mr. Collier was to have given you to-day would have been the most pleasant duty he would have had to perform since the opening of the Exposition, but he was suddenly called away, and wired me to welcome you.
“‘This is an hour of thanks and congratulations. The Board thanks you for the interest you have taken in our Exposition. We thank you for the magnificent exhibit of the resources along your line that you have made at our Exposition, and for the competent people you have placed in charge of it. We thank you for your presence here to-day, and we are highly honored that so many distinguished people are here with us.
“‘Mr. President, we congratulate you upon the magnificent system of railroads and steamships that you have builded up. Your life and example have been a great thing for the young men of this country to profit by [applause], showing them what it is possible for them to attain. We congratulate you, sir, upon your birthday, and we wish that you may live to observe many happy birthdays and that each one may be brighter than the one preceding it. [Applause.]
“‘What an opportunity this Exposition has given to the States of this section! The State that has neglected to be represented here has missed the opportunity of its history. I am glad, sir, from your side, that Florida is represented here. Her grand resources of factory, of mines, of forest, of rivers, her fruits and flowers, are here to show our visiting friends from the North what a great country Florida is. [Applause.]
“‘We thank you, sir, for being such a friend to the South. You have spent more money and developed more territory in this section than any other man in the Union. [Great applause.] We thank you and honor you for it, and we hope you will live to see the day when your railroad lines will extend all over this country [applause]; when your steamships will plow the Atlantic Ocean and reach the ports of Europe. We hope, sir, that you will live to see the building of the Nicaragua Canal; when your steamships shall go through that canal, and, crossing the Pacific Ocean, reach the ports of China, Japan, and Australia—all these lines pouring immigration and wealth into this section, making it the most powerful, most populous and richest section of this Union, and your System the greatest upon the face of the earth. [Continued applause.]
“‘I now have the honor and pleasure of introducing to you Mayor King, who will welcome you for the city of Atlanta.’”
“Mayor Porter King was greeted with applause and spoke as follows:
“‘Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen:—On the part of the city of Atlanta it is to me a matter of peculiar pleasure and pride to welcome in our midst that broad-minded, grand, glorious, golden-hearted gentleman and the splendid men who come with him. [Great cheering and applause.]
“‘I but re-echo the sentiment so beautifully expressed by Colonel Hemphill, who preceded me, that if Georgia, the South, and Atlanta owe aught to any man, it owes as much to Colonel Plant as to any one whose name I could call. I speak a truth which is perhaps not generally known, so modest is this gentleman, that to-day he is one of the largest real estate owners in the city of Atlanta. [Applause.] We think in that, he has shown the wisdom of his judgment.
“‘I honor the head of this great System because of the policy that he has pursued—to build up himself, not by pulling down another, but by carrying others up with him. [Applause and cheers.] And not alone to him, but to this vast army of employees, who are themselves but representatives of the magnificent System of which he is at the head, I extend a cordial welcome. [Applause.] I am sure it is not in his heart to detract one bit from any progress, or any forward movement of the very lowest employee connected with his whole System. [Applause and cheers.] Rather than to grow up that way, I believe he would rather see his whole System wrecked.
“‘We thank you for your presence here to-day. We thank you for the magnificent exhibit which your System has placed upon these grounds. To you, one and all, Mr. President and gentlemen, we bid you welcome to Atlanta; all that she has is yours. We gladly turn it over to you.’” [Great and continued applause and cheering.]
“Colonel Hemphill proposed three cheers for President Plant. The cheers were given.
“Here the Innes Band gave a splendid rendition of the popular medley, ‘Plantation Echoes,’ including ‘Way Down Upon the Suwanee River,’ which, was loudly cheered.
“Mr. Plant’s Address was as follows:
“‘Mr. President of the Cotton States and International Exposition Company, and the Honorable Mayor of the city of Atlanta:—In behalf of my associates and employees of the Plant System, and friends, gentlemen and ladies, whom I see around me and before me, I scarcely know how to thank you for this glorious welcome, this grand reception. I can but say that we are here to witness a very magnificent Exposition, quite beyond any conception of mine, and, I believe, of any of the gentlemen who have come here with me to-day, to examine and make a study of this monument to the enterprise and energies of the good people of the city of Atlanta and of the State of Georgia.
“‘When I was called upon in Jacksonville, Florida, in December, 1894, by a committee of gentlemen of the Exposition Company, and requested by them to make an exhibit here of interesting products from the country bordering our lines of roads in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, the four States that our rail lines traverse, I was backward to do so, for the reason that I feared we had nothing that would do credit to our line, our interests and our patrons; and had I known, sir, of the extent and the grandeur of this Exposition, I believe that I should have continued to hesitate.
“‘It has been some years since I have visited Atlanta, and I was hardly prepared to see the growth, the tremendous growth, that I find has occurred in my absence. I see you are rapidly going forward; that you are becoming a metropolis. You represent, sir, the capital of one of the greatest States of the Union—the Empire State of the South. [Applause and cheers.]
“‘You never need be backward to represent Atlanta; it appears to me that within a very short time, without saying anything to the detriment of any of the other cities in this country, that it will be called The City of the South. [Applause.] Other cities may advance, and do advance; many cities and many communities in the South advance rapidly; they advance in population and in wealth, but, sir, nothing have I seen in many years to admire like your city of Atlanta.
“‘I hardly know what language to use that will fittingly present to you, sir, and to my audience, the opinions I hold in regard to this great Exposition. It is a surprise, it is a marvel, it is to me wonderful, and, sir, it proves what can be done by people acting in unison, united in their enterprise, united in their progress and their desires to benefit their people and their country, and united through their capital. Without this unity, and without the other qualifications that have made the representative men of Atlanta and of this Exposition what they are, this Exposition could never have been what it is. It is a visible proof of the importance of united action; it shows what may be accomplished through union. Without union none of us would be what we are to-day.
“‘To my friends and associates, and to the officers and employees of the Plant System I desire to express my thanks for the numbers they show here to-day. I commend you all for your good judgment in embracing this opportunity afforded by the Cotton States and International Exposition Company, to come here and witness this great work that has been going on almost without our knowledge. We have all read in the newspapers about the Cotton States and International Exposition, but I believe that very few of us had any idea what we were to see and to meet here to-day. But we are here, most of us only for the day, and I hope that we will earnestly avail ourselves of all the time possible, not only for the gratification of our curiosity, but for our further education as well. Everything we see should be made useful to us; it is such an opportunity as some of us may never have again, and I therefore say to you all—while you are in Atlanta, emulate my example, and make this Exposition a study. [Cheers and applause.]
“‘As I said before, I am pleased to see such a large representation here. It is very gratifying to me. It is gratifying to know that so many could be spared from their duties without disadvantage to the public whom we serve. You all know the general principles that have influenced us in the formation of the Plant System. It was to prepare the way to make as good means of communication as possible with the resources we had at hand. We have used of our means freely; not only myself, but my associates have not been sparing in this particular. We have expended capital and energy in the hope of some day reaping a benefit, which is proper. As you know, all men seek to benefit themselves; but there has been behind it, as the President of this great Exposition and the Honorable Mayor have to-day stated, a desire to do good to our fellow-man. [Applause.] We have at least been able to furnish good means of transportation, and I am pleased to say that it is appreciated by our patrons. I would, however, have you recollect that we are the servants of the people, who are our patrons, to the extent that we must treat their property, while in our possession, with all the care we would our own. We must be careful in our manners and our speech; we must see to it that no patron of the Plant System ever comes to an officer or employee for information without getting it to the fullest. [Applause.]
“‘We must also see that our connecting lines of railways receive proper treatment from us. Be sure that we cannot well serve the public unless we treat our allied lines fairly, justly, and properly; be sure of this. Be sure that we are not all for ourselves. We are public servants, and we must serve all well, and always recognize the rights of our patrons. We must never take a customer’s money without giving him his money’s worth. All this is very easy to say, but it is very difficult for human nature to carry it out, and we must, therefore, school ourselves in the effort to learn how best to serve our patrons, and at the same time be just to ourselves.
“‘How are the railroads built? Where does the money come from that constructs and maintains them? It is through the union of men, and the combination of means and labor. This is how it is accomplished. [Applause.] There can be but little success in any effort to accomplish good, in this age, without union. This Exposition could not have been created and carried on, could not have presented the grandeur it does now, except through the combination of capital and the energy of men of enterprise. Look at the States that are represented here. We see not only many of the States of the United States, but also many foreign States as well. I find the Central American Republics are represented here; those unions that are dependent upon the voice of the people for their government are here. They are getting in line with us. They are here to co-operate with us of the South in this great work. Even our United States Government has made a large appropriation, and has sent down many of its people and many of its products to illustrate itself and its people. It is through union that success is attained. Look over this city to-day, I suppose it is so every day, we see floating from the house-tops, from the towers, and from the flagstaves, that emblem of Union, the Star Spangled Banner! [Great applause.] Long may it wave over us [applause], and we be fit and proper citizens to represent it in this “Land of the free and the home of the brave!”’ [Long continued applause.]
“‘We are going to have some resolutions read,’ said Mr. Hemphill, ‘and, Mr. President, I wish you would commission me a brakeman in order that I may vote with the boys.’
“‘I do,’ said Mr. Plant.
“In presenting the resolutions passed by the Commercial and Industrial Association of Montgomery, Alabama, Mr. W. C. Bibb, Jr., chairman of the committee appointed to convey them to Mr. Plant, said:
“‘Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen: Among the ancient Greeks and Romans the laurel was the symbol of triumph; the laurel wreath was second only to a kingly crown. Shafts of stone and marble and statues of bronze commemorated the deeds of demigods, kings, and conquering heroes. History teems with names and deeds of men who carved out a niche in the Temple of Fame with a bloody sword. To raze a fair city, invade, overwhelm, and destroy a smiling land, hew down and slaughter its inhabitants, or drag them in chains to slavery, were the only deeds by which Fame might be won.
“‘In this fair land and enlightened age, he who makes two blades of grass to grow where was one before; who links new cities with the old by shining bands of steel; who masters the sea and brings the forces of nature subservient to the will, the comfort, and the uses of his fellow-man; who builds up, develops, and makes the land to abound in plenty, while thousands of happy men and women rise up and call him blessed—he it is for whom the laurel blooms, he it is who has builded for himself a monument more enduring than brass and more lasting than marble. We are gathered here to celebrate the natal day of such a man.
“‘Sir, it is the pleasure of this committee, in behalf of the Commercial and Industrial Association, of the people of Montgomery, and of Alabama, to read in the presence of this audience and to present to you the resolutions I have in my hands, and to wish for you many happy returns of your birthday.
“‘Whereas, The 28th day of October, 1895, has been set apart by the Cotton States and International Exposition Company, of Atlanta, Georgia, to do honor to H. B. Plant, the genius and controlling spirit of the two great Southern enterprises—the Southern Express Company and the Plant Investment Company; and
“‘Whereas, We deem the time and occasion fit and opportune to unite with other Southerners in paying homage to one so richly endowed with merit and worth, yet so unpretentious; so eminently successful, yet unassuming; who has, by his latest achievement on land and sea, given to the three States of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida a system of railroads, steamships, and palatial hotels in the interest of commerce, travel, and internal development unsurpassed in the civilized world. Therefore, be it
“‘Resolved, That we, the members of the Commercial and Industrial Association of the City of Montgomery, Alabama, by unanimous rising vote, do most heartily congratulate Mr. Plant upon his continued health and prosperity upon this his birthday; that we convey to him by these resolutions tidings that his name and fame are dear to us and to all Alabamians.
“‘Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to Atlanta, Georgia, to be publicly read and presented to Mr. Plant on October 28, 1895.’ [Applause and cheers.]
“Colonel Hemphill:—‘I move these resolutions be adopted by a rising vote. All in favor of the resolutions will stand.’ All present responded.
“On behalf of the Savannah Board of Trade, Judge Robert Falligant spoke as follows:
“‘Mr. Chairman: I was spending with my family a season of quiet and rest amid the mountains of Georgia when we got news of this auspicious occasion. In former years I had the pleasure of serving under the great leader whose birthday we celebrate to-day, and I could not resist the temptation of being present and adding my voice to the universal acclaim, not only of Georgia, but of all Southern States. As I came in, these resolutions were presented to me to read and I was requested to make a few preliminary remarks. I really don’t know what I can say on this occasion so replete with force and eloquence, both in speech and resolutions, but my heart is impelled to say something in this magnificent presence. I feel that not only Georgia is here, but the entire South and the entire country. [Applause.]
“‘I am proud to see that Atlanta has touched the high-water mark of civilization in this illustrious display. I feel proud as a Georgian, and, as the representative of Savannah, I bid her godspeed in the magnificent tide of prosperity that awaits her. We have no envious feeling upon the coast, but trust that her future may be as limitless and as beautiful as the grand ocean that expands beyond her borders, the image of infinity.
“‘I say this is an occasion for patriotic emotions, and we should all unite in doing honor to the citizen who has devoted himself to the public good. Let us honor the man who plants his high purposes in his native land, who knows no South, no East, no West, no North, but is an American, heart and soul.’ [Great and continued applause and cheering.]
“Then the following was read:
“‘Atlanta, Georgia, October 28, 1895.
“‘Mr. H. B. Plant, Atlanta, Ga.—My dear Sir:—On behalf of the Savannah Board of Trade I congratulate you most heartily upon this auspicious occasion of your seventy-sixth birthday. You have, in the providence of infinite power, been permitted to dwell among your fellows beyond the allotted period of man, and it has also been your most favored privilege in that period to bring to completion undertakings of vast magnitude for the uplifting of the South especially, and for the whole country in general, which will stand a monument to your foresight, zeal and patriotic devotion to our common country long after the shaft or statues of marble or bronze have lost their significance as finger posts pointing to martial renown or the triumph of the forum. For your works, engraven upon the hearts of your generation with the stylus of commercial probity, will always be recalled with pleasant memory because free from the painful associations of sanguinary fields or the bitter words of fierce debates. May the mighty God, in His providence, as He spares you for the years to come, continue to bless you with bodily strength to pursue your active career of usefulness, until your eyes can look upon the full fruition of the great works in the interests of commerce, with which your name will ever be inseparably associated in fruitful memory through the multiplying cycles of time. With profound esteem, very truly and sincerely yours,
“‘D. G. Purse,
“‘President Savannah Board of Trade.’
“The resolutions were adopted by a rising vote.
“The Plant System employees were represented by Hon. A. A. Wiley, who spoke as follows:
“‘Mr. President, Mr. Plant, Ladies, and Gentlemen: These men who wear these badges to-day, whether they come from South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, or Alabama, are the employees of the Plant System, consisting of telegraph, express, railway, and steamship lines. They number perhaps three thousand, but represent more than twelve thousand employees, and have come from the smoke and the dust of the workshop, from the railway car, from the locomotive, from express and law offices, to pay their tribute of respect, and to manifest their love for our distinguished chief, their admiration and appreciation of him. [Applause and cheers.]
“‘This great day becomes a national day, because it is replete with mighty consequences to both North and South.
“‘Here we may forget our business cares and worldly contests, for the soft hand of kindness, friendship, and hospitality smoothes down the ruffled brow. A quarter of a century ago, ruthless and unpitying war, with all the devastations that follow in its wake, swept with relentless fury over our fair and fruitful fields.
“‘When that fratricidal struggle was ended and the soldiers who survived it returned to their desolated homes to find poverty and want at every door, Mr. Henry B. Plant, a Union man, who, notwithstanding his loyalty to the North, had been commissioned by President Davis, because of his honesty and integrity, to go at will everywhere throughout Dixie, was also true to the South. He recognized the fact that the war was over. He had confidence in the reserved energy, loyalty, devotion, and patriotism of the men who wore the gray. [Applause and cheers.]
“‘He had faith in the magnificent possibilities of this land of golden summers. He knew that we would never again renew hostilities against the Union of our fathers; and he was right.
“‘Mr. Plant began anew with us the battles of life. He poured out his wealth like water, to build up and beautify our waste places. He put activity and intelligent direction into the industrial life of the South; and his confidence was not misplaced. He has built grandly and well—wiser, perhaps, than he knew—and has rolled onward the car of progress and prosperity. The whole South has felt the touch of his magical hand, and recognized in him a potential factor in the advancement of commerce and civilization. To-day about fifty thousand people owe food, shelter, and raiment to his bounty and munificence. [Applause and cheers.]
“‘He has carried happiness and plenty to many a fireside, and poured the sunshine of peace and gladness into many a weary heart. [Great cheering and applause.]
“‘We, his servants and employees, have now assembled here, not only to do him honor on this, his birthday, but we desire to keep his name and memory forever fresh and green in our heart of hearts; and no more fitting method, it seems to me, can be devised, than by setting apart the 27th day of October, in each succeeding year, as a memorial day, to be commemorated by appropriate services and the planting of trees. With this object in view, I offer the following resolutions, and move their unanimous adoption by a rising vote:
“‘Whereas, It is meet and proper that we, the employees of the Plant System, should in some appropriate manner observe the birthday of Mr. Plant, our worthy and honored President; therefore, be it.
“‘Resolved, 1. That the 27th of October in each and every year hereafter shall be set apart and observed and duly celebrated in honor of the life and character of Mr. H. B. Plant.
“‘Resolved, 2. That on said 27th day of October, water-oak trees shall be planted at all station grounds and about all section houses on all the lines of the Plant System, this tree being the favorite of our much-loved chief.
“‘Resolved, 3. That the general superintendent and the division superintendents are hereby created a permanent board, with the request that Mr. Plant’s birthday be honored as herein set out.’
“These resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote and with great enthusiasm.
“The Tampa (Florida) Band then furnished music.
“Mr. M. F. Plant addressed the crowds as follows:
“‘Colonel Hemphill, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Members of our Family, the Plant System [Great cheering and applause]: I desire to thank you in behalf of my mother, of my wife, who is absent, and my boy, for the great compliment you have paid my father. [Great applause.] It is, indeed, a great treat to me to be here and to thank you for your kindness, not only to my father, but to the name of the System which, by your very careful, studious, and painstaking application to its business, you have built up. Gentlemen, I thank you.’ [Great applause and cheers.]
“Mr. Hemphill announced that at 3 o’clock P. M. Mr. Plant would hold a reception in the Plant System Building.
“This reception was most pleasant. Mr. Plant sat beneath the tropical foliage of the Plant Building display and shook hands with all his employees, who passed him by the hundred. He was driven back to the Aragon Hotel late in the afternoon.”
