January i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 





Aeronautics at a Rubber Banquet. 



THE evening chosen for the Aeronautic Symposium of^ 

 the Rubber Club of America, in Boston, on December 

 13, was conspicuously dark and aggressively rainy, but 

 all without effect, for there gathered at the new Algonquin 

 Club the largest and the most representative aggregation 

 that the history of the Rubber Club affords. Not only was 

 all New England represented, but New York, the middle 

 West and Canada sent delegates to attend the dinner, and 

 incidentally all acknowledged that it was worth the journey. 

 The Rubber Club had possession of one entire floor, which 

 means the spacious banquet hall, two great reception rooms, 

 and the broad foyer fronting the elevator and the stairs. 

 From 6 until 7 o'clock the reception halls were crowded with 

 friendly rubber men and their guests, who. at the end of the 

 hour were marshaled into the banquet hall. 



At the speakers' table were seated the President of the 

 club, Mr. Henry C. Pearson: Professor W. H. Pickering, of 

 Harvard University, and President of the New England Aero 

 Club; A. Lawrence Rotch, professor of meteorology, Harvard 



University, and 

 director o f 

 Blue Hill Ob- 

 serva tory; 

 Professor Rob- 

 ert \Y. Wood, 

 of Johns Hop- 

 kins Univer- 

 sity, Balti- 

 more; and Ed- 

 gar Beecher 

 Bronson, the 

 well known 

 author and ex- 

 plorer. These, 

 the guests and 

 speakers of the 

 evening, had 

 for table com- 

 panions M r. 

 Frederick C. 

 Hood, Vice 

 President of 

 the Club, and 

 the honorary 

 Vice Presi- 

 dents: Ex- 

 Governor Augustus O. Bourn, John H. Flint, Alexander M. 

 Paul, and Arthur W. Stedman. To right and left and in 

 front of the speakers' table were round tables laid for six 

 each, at which were seated Club members and their guests. 

 The tables were tastfully decorated with flowers and dur- 

 ing the dinner a superb orchestra in a near-by alcove ren- 

 dered those selections that are always appreciated by good 

 diners. 



The menu was an artistic creation in green and white, the 

 front cover . bearing an excellent likeness of the Wright 

 Brothers, while the back cover showed views of the Wright 

 biplane, Baldwin's American war balloon, the Curtiss biplane 

 and the Bleriot monoplane.* The eight-page folder within 

 consisted of a title page, a list of the speakers and invited 

 guests, the menu, and a list of the active officers of the Club, 

 the whole being a typographical triumph. 



The dinner was one of the most delicious that the Algon- 

 quin Club has ever served, and brought forth many words 

 of appreciation. Two full hours were consumed before 



ORVILLE ^PWILBUR WRIGHT 



coffee and cigars were reached, but none grudged the time. 



Promptly at 9 o'clock President Pearson called the diners , 

 to order and, after briefly outlining the subject of the eve- 

 ning and explaining what a definite business interest the 

 rubber trade had in airships of all kinds, whether heavier 

 than air or lighter than air, introduced Professor A. Lawrence 

 Rotch as the first speaker. Professor Rotch, whose book 

 "Conquest of the Air" is receiving such world wide attention, 

 and whose work at Blue Hill Observatory has given him 

 an international reputation, proved to be a most interest- 

 ing talker. He described, briefly and clearly, means by 

 which with various kinds of kites and balloons carrying 

 recording instruments they were able to learn much about 

 temperature, pressure and currents up to a height of about 

 12 miles. He pointed out how this information when tabu- 

 lated not only from Blue Hill Observatory but from many 

 others, would result eventually in charts that would be of 

 . the greatest practical' use to aeronauts in forecasting the 

 direction and velocity of winds and air currents and in the 

 avoidance of storms. 



Professor W. H. Pickering also proved a very pleasant 

 speaker. He described in detail brief afternoon balloon trips, 



MENU. 



A good digestion to you all: and once more I shower a welcome on ye! 



—Henry VIII. 



CANAPES MODERNE. 

 Give us a foretaste of your quality. 



— Hamlet. 

 OYSTERS. 

 Even an oyster may be crossed in love. 



— Sheridan. 

 CREAM OF FRESH MUSHROOMS. 

 I came upstairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar. 



CoNGREVE. 



CROUTE AU POT. 

 A delicate odor as ever hit my nostril. 



— Pericles. 

 FILET OF KINGFISH SAUTE MEUNIERE. 

 Some hours before you took me from the breach of the sea. 



— Twelfth Night. 

 CUCUMBERS. 

 Coucunibers are cold in the third degree. 



— Swift. 

 SADDLE OF LAMB COLBERT. 

 Pray you, whom does the wolf love? 



— Coriolanus. 

 NEW STRING BEANS. POMMES CHATEAU. 



A most fresh and delicate cre3tioft. 



— Othello. 

 SWEETBREADS BRAISE AUX TRUFFLES. 

 FRENCH PEAS. 

 Your infant peas to asparagus prefer. 



— King. 

 ARTICHOKES HOLLANDAISE. 

 And with forced fingers rude shatter your leaves. 



■ — Milton. 

 SORBET. 

 How well my comfort is revived by this. 



— Romeo and Juliet. 

 BLACK DUCK. 

 And spread the sacred treasures of the breast. 



— Cowper. 

 CELERY MAYONNAISE. 

 O herbaceous teat, 

 'Twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat. 



— Sidney Smith. 

 GLACES FANTAISES. 

 A thousand different shapes it bears 

 Comely in a thousand shapes appear. 



— Cowley. 

 FANCY CAKES. CAMEMBERT. 



All that's sweet was made Bachelor's fare. Bread and 



But to be lost wheii sweetest. cheese and kisses. 



— Moore — Swift. 



COFFEE. 

 Although the last not least. 



■ — King Lear. 



I witness with him 



That he dined not at home. 



-Comedy of Errors. 



