The President: Mr. Crosby has a word for us, and before continuing with the regular program I will ask him to come forward at this time.
Mr. Crosby: Gentlemen of the Horticultural Society: Mr. Latham, please come this way. I have the honor, in behalf of the society, to inform you, as you probably know, that this is your silver wedding, but we are going it one better and make it a golden wedding for you today. We have come to the conclusion, you have been with this society for twenty-five years, and we think it is best that you be watched and chained. I have the honor of presenting to you, in behalf of the society, a gold watch and chain. That is all I have to say. (Applause.)
Mr. Philips: Now for a speech.
Mr. Latham: Wait a moment, I will see if it is worth it. (Laughter.) I hate to part with this old turnip. I have carried it forty-five years now, never broke a crystal on it, even. It is a good faithful companion. I do not know what I will do with this now unless I put it away in a safety vault somewhere.
I do not think the Horticultural Society expects me to make a speech; they know I am not a talker. I could say something if the room were smaller, but my voice does not seem to carry very well. I am a good deal in the fix of the steamboat that carried passengers on the river up and down to the camp meeting there. They had a whistle on that boat that made a tremendous noise but when they blew it the boat had to stop. (Laughter.) If I talk loud enough to be heard here, my thinking works do not operate. (Laughter.)
I hardly know how to express my appreciation of this gift, as showing the sentiment of the society towards me. Of course, I have tried to do what I could for the society. Sometimes, perhaps, I have gone a little too far, something like the man who was appointed in charge of a flag station. He had never done any such service as that, but he understood the business of a flagman was to stop trains. The first train that came along was a heavy express train, eight or ten or a dozen coaches, and he rushed out and flagged the train. The conductor got off, all in a hurry, and looked around. He did not see anybody but the flagman. He said: "Where are your passengers?" "Well," he says, "there ain't any passengers to get on, but I didn't know but somebody would like to get off." (Laughter.) Sometimes, perhaps, I have overreached myself here.
Twenty-five years is quite a while to look back, and as I look over the faces of those present I can scarcely see one that was a member of the society twenty-five years ago when I became secretary. Mr. Long in his address before you at the banquet last night spoke of the meeting that he first attended of the horticultural society, held in what is now the Metropolitan Life, on the ground floor, and he spoke of the surroundings there. No fruit on exhibition. If a man had two or three apples in his pocket, he showed them around on the sly as though it was a crime to let people know there was such a thing and that he had a few at home he could eat. Quite a remarkable thing!
That was the meeting of the horticultural society in which I was first elected secretary, and I recall well all the circumstances connected with it. So many of our members that I thought so much of in those days are gone. Of those who were present at that meeting, the only person left that I recall is Mr. Underwood. I had forgotten Mr. Long was there; I think he reported the meeting; I guess the first of our meetings that he reported, too.
I am not going to make any more of an address. President Vincent is here and will address you. I thank you very much indeed. (Applause.)
Mr. Vincent: I am very glad that I got in in time to be a witness to this delightful and gratifying little ceremony which has just taken place. I can not imagine anything more satisfying to a man who, in spite of all his modesty, knows he has done for twenty-five years good, genuine, valuable work than to have other people intimate in so pleasant a way that they are not entirely oblivious to what he has done.