i 18 



HORTI CULTURE 



October 7, 1911 



25th ANNIVERSARY FLORISTS CLUB OF PHILADELPHIA 



This historical and important event 

 came off in due form on the 3rd inst. 

 The meeting of the Club in its regu- 

 lar monthly session took place half an 

 hour previous and elected J. Otto Thi- 

 low for their new president and con- 

 tinued George Craig as treasurer and 

 David Kust as secretary for another 

 year. The banquet followed in the 

 main hall. President Heacock occu- 

 pied the chair and in due course in- 

 troduced Wo. n. Smith as toastmas- 

 ter. The latter gentleman has done 

 this honorable function for twenty- 

 flve years and fine as he was at the 

 beginning he has mellowed with age 

 and is now finer than ever. There 

 were 149 ladies and gentlemen around 

 the tables and, as William F. Gude 

 said, they formed "the most distin- 

 guished assemblage in any one club 

 ever seen in the country (wouldn't 

 that jar you?). The Philadelphia Club 

 has the distinction of being the first 

 of the many similar organizations 

 that have sprung up in every part of 

 the country. 



Secretary Rust read letters from 

 all the leading lights in the business 

 conveying their cordial regards and 

 best wishes. The list given below 

 gives a good idea of the speeches. 

 This program was more or less close- 

 ly followed and where one or another 

 was not there — there was always 

 somebody to take their place. And, 

 so we mark another milestone in the 

 history of our business. 



THE TOASTS. 

 Joseph Heacock, Chairman, President Flor- 

 ists' Club of Philadelphia. 



iter Hon. Win, B. Smith. 



i. Our Club R iberl Craig 



2. The Ladies Win. I". i;ude 



Song Arthur Seymour 



Ham Wunder gave two of his humor- 

 ous recitations. Those who remem- 

 ber this genial soul and how he has 

 entertained us in the past -can ap- 

 preciate how this feature enlivened 



Joseph Heacock 



President. 



:',. The k.>se Idolpb lareiiwald 



4. The Society of American Florl 



Richard Vincent, Jr. 



Song Mrs. Mary Fleet 



• Horticultural Press Robert Kift 



Arthur Seymour 



<;. The Future J. O. TMlow 



7. The Middleman Samuel S, Pennoch 



Mrs. Mary Fleek 



nation Mberl M. Herr 



In addition to the list of artists an- 

 nounced on the official program Wil- 



J. Otto Thii.ou 

 President-elect 



the occasion. He helped to take the 

 chill off the cold water quite consider- 

 erable. And another good feature not 

 on the official list was a couple of 

 songs by Horace Dumont. Horace 

 vamoosed the ranks but is still with 

 us in spirit. 



Decorations were contributed by Ar- 

 thur Xiessen, Robert Craig Co., Robert 

 Kift and Habermehl's. The arrange- 

 ments were superintended by Robert 

 Kift. A fine collection of dahlias was 

 contributed by R. Vincent, Jr. 



We hear much praise also for the 

 able assistance of the secretary of the 

 Club. David Kust, who worked most 

 energetically with the committee in 

 cariying out the arrangements. The 

 president, Joseph Heacock, was also 

 an earnest worker. 



The committee on banquet was com- 

 posed of Thomas W. Logan, George 

 Burton. Arthur A. Niessen. Robert 

 Kift and John V. Sibson. 



Invited guests were present as fol- 

 lows: 



William F. Gude, Washington, D. C; 

 William R. Smith, Washington, D. C; 

 Richard Vincent, Jr., White Marsh, Md.; 

 James Dean, New York; William B. Smith. 

 ex-mayor of Philadelphia; Arthur Seymour. 

 Jenkintown Pa., and friend; Mrs. Mary 

 Fleck, Jenkintown, Pa., and friend: Ed- 

 t ner. Philadelphia. 



Others present were the following: 



Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Logan, Mr. and 



Mr- Win. !<!. inlieinz. Mr. and Mrs. E. A 

 Harvev, S. S. Skldelsky, Mr. and Mrs 

 Charles IS. Meehan, John <;. Whildin. 

 John R. Andre. Mr. and Mrs. Jno. F. Sib- 

 son, Henry I". Mir in II. Mr. and Mrs 

 .1. Michell, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hi 

 and three rrieuds, Mr. and Mrs. James W. 

 Heacock, Mr. and Mrs. George Burton, 

 Miss Elizabeth Barton, Mr. and Mrs. Rob- 

 ert Kifr Mr. and Mrs. William K. Harris, 

 Mr and Mrs Mai b P. Mills, William II 

 Vance. George D. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Da- 

 vid Kust and son. Mr. and Mrs. John C. 

 Gracey, Fred Adelberger, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Victor Groshens, Mr. and Mrs. John West- 



cotl 'les Sim, Richard E. Lange. John 



Welsh Yonng, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Faren- 

 vvald, George Craig, August r.utz. Alhert 

 .1 Herr, J. D. Elsele Theodore Shober, 



Walker F. Fancourt, Xavier E. E. Scbmltt, 

 Alphonse Perlcat Martin Samtman. Eu- 

 gene Bcrnhc Ml od Mrs. P. Me- 



cutcheon, Harry s. Betz, Howard M. Earl, 

 Slyi George E < 'ampbell, Mr. 

 ind Mrs. Andrew Graham, George C. Wat- 

 son, n C. Gelger, Mr. and Mrs. Paul 

 Huebuer, Carl l'. Corts, ll. I. Faust, John 

 P. Ilal.enn.hl. John A. Ruppert, Mr. and 

 Mrs. Robert Craig, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. 

 _ Mr and Mrs. William P. Craig, 

 Mi Lank. Mr and Mrs .1. F. GraefT. Mr. 



and Mrs. Samuel s. Pent k. Mr. mid Mrs. 



Edward Towlll, Clarence Upton, H. Bayera- 

 dorfer. Mr. and Mrs Clarence W. Moore, 

 Mr. and Mr- Stephen Mortensen, Edward 

 A. Stroud, .1. W. Prince, C E. Larzalere. 

 John Vschiuann, Godfrey ABchmann, John 

 It Doddfl, Louis A. Couche, George S. 

 Faulkner, Mis. William K Harris, Sr., 

 Mr. and Mrs. William Wunder, .1. Otto 

 Th'inw ami daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Al- 

 fred M. Campbell, Joseph H. Sperry. Den- 

 tils T. Corihor, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Wolff. 

 Jr., A. E. Wohlert, Mrs. Hlnzey, Mr. and 

 Mrs, Daniel Donoghue, Horace F. Dumont, 

 A. R. .loins. Rei It. E. Johnson, Frank 

 Ramsey, M. D. 



The only fault we can find with this 

 successful affair is that it was made 

 too much of a social function. The 

 Florists' club is a business organiza- 

 tion, and it seems to be drifting 

 further and further from its moorings. 

 It could do a whole lot of good if wise- 

 ly handled. Robert Craig was dead 

 wrong in praising it as an athletic or- 

 ganization. We think Robert was just 

 hunting around for nice things to say 

 — and you all know his inimitable way 

 of making the worse appear the bet- 

 ter reason. If the business is going 

 to get any better through the Florists' 

 Club it will not do it with songs and 

 jollity and athletics. The problem is 

 much more serious and hasn't really 

 been tackled yet notwithstanding this 

 our twenty-fifth anniversary. So we 

 say to the younger generation — forget 



n w in Rust 



Secretary. 



all these platitudes of the orators and 

 start in and do something. Athletics 

 and jollity are fine— as an adjunct — 

 but we want to broaden the business. 

 The sugar coating to the pill may be 

 fine — but it isn't the pill. Of course 

 I put on my swallow-tail like the rest 

 of them but I'm not especially proud 

 of it. 



G. C. WATSON. 



