SECOND ANNUAL BANQUET. 53 
had already made it certain that due homage would be 
awarded ‘till the last syllable of time recorded.”’ 
Gentlemen, as an old St. Louisan I feel proud of what 
Mr. Shaw did. St. Louis is to be congratulated on having 
had such a citizen; she is to be congratulated that he 
chose as first director of the garden, one so well qualified 
for the work. I have watched Prof. Trelease since his 
graduation from Cornell and have been in close working 
contact with him, and I but echo the sentiment of all 
who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance in express - 
ing the confidence that he possesses in a marked degree the 
knowledge, the enthusiasm, the devotion, the tact and the 
ability to build wisely and for the world’s benefit on the 
munificent trust with which he has been charged. Gentle- 
men, I thank you. 
Following Professor Riley, the chairman called upon 
Hon. F. J. Niedringhaus, who spoke entertainingly for five 
minutes, after which Professor J. M. Coulter, President of 
the Indiana State University, was presented, and con- 
cluded the speeches of the evening, as follows:— 
I came to this banquet expecting to enjoy thoroughly 
every moment of it. But when, after coming to this room, 
I was met with the statement that I would be expected to © 
say afew words, a deep vein of sadness entered into my 
feelings. For it was stated that all the speeches were to 
be informal; and if there is one thing I cannot make it is 
an informal speech. I am the perfect embodiment of 
formality. But seriously, when the botanists of this 
country heard that Mr. Shaw had left his great garden 
for the sake of the advancement of botanical science, there 
were universal expressions of delight. And after that, 
when they understood that there had been appointed as the 
director a well-known and accomplished botanist, their 
delight was still greater, for it inspired them with great 
confidence in the outcome. 
