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HORTICULTURE 



October 14, 1911 



A FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY 



Early last week it was whispered 

 about among the numerous friends of 

 George C. Watson in Philadelphia that 

 thai eminent seedsman, writer, and 

 critic and dispenser of Philadelphia 

 good cheer would pass the half cen- 

 tury mark on Friday, October 6, and 

 it was proposed to waylay and kidnap 

 the gentleman and give him a grand 

 blow-out at Dooner's famous hostelry 

 on that, evening. The kidnapping 

 business was entrusted to W. C. Lang- 

 bridge, who did not make a "howling 

 success" of it, but the rest of the 

 program was carried out in great 

 style, and fifty adherents of the fifty- 

 year-old, including a few from Boston 

 and New York who had been let into 

 the secret, had the time of their lives 

 on that memorable Friday night. 



The program of the jollification was 

 an elaborate production, the joint 

 achievement of Howard M. Earl and 

 George W. Kerr, the latter producing a 

 galaxy of Burns' quotations suitable 

 to the occasion. The menu — well, that 

 was Dooner's part and nobody can 

 improve on Dooner when it comes to 

 catering. The banquet hall was beau- 

 tifully decorated, under the loving 

 hand' of John Westcott. The head 

 table was richly adorned with croton 

 foliage and flowers. The four other 

 tables were made to represent the 

 four seasons — the spring table being 

 decorated with baskets of lilies, da : - 

 sies and pansies; summer with rose* 

 and other appropriate material; au- 

 tumn with chrysanthemums, dahl'as 

 and golden foliage, and winter w'th 

 dark green foliage weighted with ma- 

 terials simulating frost and snow. On 

 a large easel the inscription 50 was 

 worked out in scarlet flowers and tho 

 open spaces about the room were 

 filled with palms. 



W. Atlee Burpee presided with rare 

 affability. Robert Craig asked a bless- 

 ing in the oft-quoted stanza from 

 Burns. Mr. Burpee's address w?s 

 very clever and witty, and his intro- 

 ductions of the various speakers were 

 veritable gems. It transpired that the 

 idea of this banquet had originated 

 with Mr. Burpee's California manager, 

 Edwin Lonsdale, and a toast to Lons- 

 dale was enthusiastically drunk. 



Robert Craig next spoke eloquently 

 recounting the companionable traits 

 and sturdy character of the gue r t of 

 the evening, concluding with a wish 

 for his long health and happiness. 

 Wm. J. Stewart followed and ex- 

 pressed his pride at being able to 

 Join in such a tribute of love and re- 

 spect in appreciation of Mr. Watson's 

 noble qualities of mind and heart 

 and his unique personality. 



Hon. John Lamb, the distinguished 

 counsel for the Reading R. R., fol- 

 lowed in a humorous arraignment ot 

 the guest, giving as his excuse the 

 words in the middle of the menu, 

 "Punch Watson." Then came H. A. 

 Bunyard, who asserted that there is 

 not a hall anywhere big enough to 

 hold G. C. Watson's friends, 



John Westcott, the hard working 

 chairman of the committee, was the 

 next speaker and his "I love every- 

 body when I know their heart is all 

 right," struck a responsive chord in 

 every heart. John Westcott himself 



is all heart. Louis Boss, treasurer of 

 the occasion, followed with a most 

 witty talk and then came S. S. Pen- 

 nock, who in presenting Mr. Watson 

 with a copy of Charles Dudley War- 

 ner's "My Summer in a Garden," 

 read an apt quotation from that de- 

 liciously naive and humorous book — 

 the application of which to the guest 

 of the evening being instantly appre- 

 ciated by all present. 



Then came the guest himself, 

 George C. Watson, who received an 

 ovation such as is seldom accorded 

 to anyone. And here is what he 

 said: 



Well. boys, you've got me in a cavity 

 tins time. It' I run away I'll fall down, 

 and if 1 stay I'll get roasted. I can't run 

 away without offending the kindly spirits 

 who have put up this feast, and if I 

 stay I'll get roasted. I can't sass back, 

 under these peculiar circumstances; so, as 

 I say, you have me in a cavity. You have 

 me completely bottled up whichever way 

 I turn, .so I suppose I will have to stand 



George C. Watson 



for it as well as I can. My friends. Doc 

 Lane. Ed Flood and John Westcott, were 

 in great glee last Sunday because they 

 got ml,, out in a rough sea and made me 

 sea sick. The reason they gave for their 

 enjoyment of that 'was. that they h.ol 

 George speechless for three hours anyway. 

 Well, this occasion is not quite so bad as 

 the sea sickness, but to a modest kid like 

 yours truly it has some resemblance be- 

 cause it at least makes me speechless, and 

 I suppose there are many of my friends 

 here who are glad of a chance to get a 

 word in edgewise, and maybe that thought 

 was back of their beads as w-ell as in their 

 hearts a lot of warm friendship. It would 

 be unbecoming in me not to express my 

 appreciation of the kindly hearts who have 

 thus made me their victim. I truly do, 

 and I thank you from my heart. This 

 is my first birthday party. That is rather 

 remarkable — that a man should live to be 

 fifty before he bad a birthday party. Jack 

 Dunham has about fifty a year. This is 

 my first. I have often wondered what it 

 felt like. Now I know. It is a cross be- 

 tween mal dc liter, hot Jamaica cock-a- 

 le! ie, roast turkey. Abernethy biscuits, 

 and Trimbliu Jimmie. It's a lough propo- 

 sition, but on the whole I think I like it. 



John Burton then gave his ex- 

 periences with Mr. Watson as a 

 traveling compan'ion and J. K. M. L. 

 Farquhar on his old friendship for 

 Mr. Watson extending back to the 

 time when George as a boy from 

 Scotland began his career in Boston 

 in the American seed trade. P. 



Welch, the next speaker, was elo- 

 quent in his testimonial to his friend 

 of many years and W. C. Langbridge 

 followed in a witty speech. 



Then Howard M. Earl took the 

 floor and presented to Mr. Watson a 

 handsome gold watch from his 

 friends as a memento of this delight- 

 ful occasion. Mr. Watson responded 

 appreciatively. Then all joined in 

 "Auld Lang Syne." 



During the evening, verses writ- 

 ten for the occasion by Prof. L. C. 

 Elson of Boston were read, also a 

 congratulatory telegram from J. C. 

 Vaughan, W. N. Rudd and Michael 

 Barker. Prof. Elson's poem was as 

 follows: 



An elderly and distant party 



Begs to send greetings warm and hearty, 



And wishes that he there might be 



To pledge you in the Barley Bree. 



All are aware there are no blots on 



The scutcheon of our George C. Watson, 



And he's so active, bright and sporty, 



You'd scarcely take him to be forty. 



Altho' a friend of moral suasion, 



He can be tart upon occasion. 



It's strange a man so very witty 



Should live in William Penn's slow city, 



But then he gives his wits a, rub 



Bv often visiting "The Hub," 



But wheresoe'er his journey tends 



He makes a host of loyal friends. 



Old comrade from the land o' Burns, 



I wish vou many glad returns. 



You're not a bit of molly coddle; 



May vears sit lightly on your noddle. 



An ancient friend sends you this blessing. 



Who is it?— Well, I'll keep you guessing! 



Mr. Watson dictated the following 

 telegram: 



Edwin Lonsdale, Burpee Seed Farms, 

 Lnmpoc, Cal. 



My heart goes out to you as yours has 

 gone out to me across seas and continents 

 on this aDd manv other occasions. Your 

 good will and good wishes are very 

 precious to me. JIv fiftieth has been made 

 to me by a host of warm friends a most 

 memorable and unf< rgettable occasion. _ I 

 am -till dazed with the magnificence of it, 

 and have only words enough to say "Gcd 

 Bless Cs All." Love and greetings from 

 v, in- old friend on his fiftieth birthday 

 celebration. GEORGE C. WATSON. 



Interspersed between the speeches 

 was solo singing, tenor, bass and 

 baritone — the best we have ever lis- 

 tened to at a banquet anywhere on 

 any occasion. The gentlemen who 

 sang were all warm friends of Mr. 

 Watson. They were: Theodore H. 

 Bird. Daniel Houseman, Thomas F. 

 Hogan, E. M. Tyrrell, E. J. Dooner, 

 George W. Kerr, and they contributed 

 very greatly to the enjoyment of the 

 occasion. 



Following are a few quotations from 

 the various speeches: 



Sure Louis! I'm more than glad to cheer 

 poor old George on his way: but why in 

 the name of the Holy Roman Empire did 

 you select a Friday? — Tom Daly. 



I am not at all surprised that George 

 feels like eighty-five! I have an attack of 

 lumbago myself! — Alexander Forbes. 



My sincere regards to the venerable 

 George. May he not be wrecked on Rye 

 Beach before I get there to keep him com- 

 pany ! — John F. Gorman. 



There will be two of us at the celebration 

 if I can get away: but anyway — reserve 

 accordingly. — Wm. Henry Maule. 



I have come a long way in order to tes- 

 tify my appreciation — and hope his stay 

 here oil earth may extend — lo these many 

 years! — P. Joseph Lynch. 



I hope we will have George with us for 

 another so years, for nobody leaves his 

 company with a grouch on! — Daniel C. 

 Donoghue. 



Sit down Louis! There you are— all 



