DAIRY MEETING. I23 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME FROM THE CITY OF 



AUGUSTA. 



By Frederic W. Peaisted, Mayor. 



It is my pleasant duty and my privilege, in behalf of all the 

 people of this fair city, to extend to you, one and all, a most cor- 

 dial welcome. I would give you the keys to Augusta but years 

 ago we opened wide our gates and threw away the keys. Now 

 those gates give a glad welcome to every visitor to our city. I 

 think it was Confucius who said that : "He that bloweth not his 

 own horn, his horn shall not be blown." It seems to be the duty 

 of the Mayor to speak well of his city, and when you can say 

 kind words, as every Augusta Alayor can, it is no hardship. I 

 am happy to say tonight that, take it all in all, for men and wom- 

 en, for happy homes and glad hearts, for business and hospital- 

 ity, Augusta is the best spot this side of Heaven that the good 

 Lord ever made. In behalf of all the people of this fair city, 

 my friends, I again bid you a most cordial welcome. We wel- 

 come you as good citizens of this great old State; we welcome 

 you for what you are and what you stand for, the upbuilding of 

 Maine's most important industry, that of agriculture. Why, my 

 friends, when the farmer prospers all industries flourish, for the 

 farmer feeds us all. We welcome you because you believe in 

 Maine and in !\Iaine's future; you believe that Maine should be 

 something more than the playground of the Nation. It should 

 take its place at the head of all the states of New England, where 

 it belongs. You believe in the prominence of our State's loca- 

 tion, as the gateway of the earth ; you believe with me in the 

 productiveness of her soil, in the skill and ingenuity of her work- 

 men, in the public spirit of her business men, in the truth and 

 virtue and purity of her women, and in the happiness and pros- 

 perity of all her good people. I trust that your visit to Augusta. 

 and this session of these two bodies will bring to you much good 

 and bring much good to the people of the State of Maine whom 

 you represent. 



While you are v.'ith us, my friends, you give us great pleasure, 

 and when you leave us I trust that you will take with you only 

 the most pleasant recollections of Augusta and of the hospitality 

 of her people. 



