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The Weekly Florists' Review 



AUGUST 24, im 



Group Photograph of those in attendance at the D 



BUFFALO. 



The Convention. 



We are bowed down with grief. We 

 fell with that sickening thud like a 

 raw clam on the sidewalk. Our spirit 

 is broken, our bodies are numb and 

 our mental faculties are deadened with 

 what is called bowlers' paralysis. Un- 

 der these conditions how can I be ex- 

 pected to write cheerfully, and unless 

 you do, your effusions are not worth 

 looking at. My experience with the 

 pen is that unless you "feel like it" 

 you had better drop your pen and go 

 hoeing or butting glass. I would like 

 to review some. of my impressions of 

 Detroit and the Convention, but it 

 must be in a mechanical way for with- 

 out resorting to stimulant, which I 

 never will, I cannot shake off the be- 

 numbing effects o* that concussion 

 which befell us. 



No wonder they call Detroit the 

 Convention City; it is ideal for that 

 purpose. I was no stranger there. No 

 city has such a magnificent lot of 

 squares and breathing places right in 

 the business part of the city, and 

 what other city of its size would have 

 across its City Hall in large electric 

 lighted letters "Welcome to Society of 

 American Florists." The hotels are 

 grand. When a visiting member says: 

 "I don't see how the Cadillac can give 

 such service for the money" it must 

 inde«d be satisfactory, and I wish to 

 say for the modest little St. Clair that 

 no better hotel was ever conducted; 



moderate in price, tables overflowing 

 with the best, fireproof building and 

 the quickest and most cheerful of 

 service. We believe the report of the 

 secretary will show a large and pay- 

 ing attendance. The list of members 

 present published in a contemporary 

 gives only a partial accounting. Mem- 

 bers continued to arrive up to the last 

 day. There were 30 from this little 

 town and vicinity. 



Perhaps the business done at the 

 convention was light, but that did not 

 make it any the less enjoyable for 

 those in attendance. The Executive 

 Committee have cut out the reading 

 of long essays perhaps wisely, but 

 when they are read by such voices as 

 Sullivan, O'Mara and Ward they are 

 enjoyable as well as instructive and 

 keep the audience in their seats. Just 

 here I will offer to the Executive 

 Committee the advisability, or even 

 necessity, of having a doorkeeper. If 

 a man of some authority opened and 

 closed the door with an impressive 

 look and a deacon-like whisper of ad- 

 monition to walk as gently as possible 

 the rear of the hall would not be in 

 such a hubbub all the time, resembling 

 more a promenade concert than a 

 business convention. Some men are 

 gifted with more powerful voices than 

 others; others though not so loud have 

 the attribute of clearness and pene- 

 tration. Such is the neat little voice 

 from Queens, N. Y., but all have the 

 power of trying if they will only try 

 to make themselves heard and not 



drop their voices down to the conver- 

 sational tone suited only for the small 

 but select confines of the Ananias So- 

 ciety. A small electric battery with 

 wire attachment to some tender spot 

 in the anatomy of the speaker to be 

 turned on by the door keeper when 

 occasion called for it would do much to 

 interest the audience. 



It seemed to me the exhibition was 

 splendidly managed and we never had 

 a more complete one. It was a truly 

 trade exhibit. 



What city in the country has such 

 opportunities for bowling? None that 

 I know of. And that boat ride up the 

 river was greatly enjoyed. There was 

 a dozen hard working men aboard 

 who spent two solid hours perfecting 

 arrangements for the great bowling 

 tournament and if we had not done 

 so we would be bowling yet. Although 

 there was a good gathering on deck on 

 the return journey and a few members 

 had an opportunity to express their 

 thanks and gratification for the pleas- 

 ures we were receiving, and hear oar 

 beloved old comedian recite in his best 

 style "Me and God," yet it is a pity 

 there was not an opportunity where 

 every soul attending and every mem- 

 ber of the Detroit Club could have 

 been brought together to receive the 

 hearty and sincere thanks which I am 

 sure all members would have liked to 

 have expressed. 



We enjoyed the week immensely all 

 the better for being what some may 



