426 SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY. 



Among other things I said that Gideon had originated a great 

 apple that had been planted from the shores of New England 

 to the setting sun. Your sooiety did a grand thing when you 

 arranged for your students to perpetuate his memory in com- 

 peting for prizes from his memorial fund. Our beloved departed 

 Brother Wyman Elliot said a nice thing of Gideon when his 

 picture was unveiled. He said he had his own religious belief, 

 and if it was true — and none of us know to the contrary — his 

 spirit may be in this room taking cognizance of our deliberations. 

 After his death his son gave me a red peony which grew near 

 his door at his old home. It now blooms in my yard, reminding 

 me of the old man in his work every summer day. 



In my recollections I cannot forget Edson Gay lord, and I 

 hope he now is where fire blight don't disturb him. I slept 

 with him five nights. He was so full of horticulture, it was hard 

 to stop him. One morning at two o'clock I said : "For the Lord's 

 sake, Gaylord, stop and let me go to sleep, as I want to take 

 a 6 :30 train." He said : "Don't be in a hurry, I want to tell you 

 something about Mr. Patten." 



I wish I could tell you what I recollect about Brother Dartt, 

 but my time is going. Some years ago I did not see him at the 

 meeting. They said he was sick, so I went home that way to see 

 him. He could not speak aloud Saturday night, but Sunday 

 morning his daughter said he was better and could talk. So I 

 went into his room and he said: "Philips, I will not live long, 

 and I want to ask you a question. You know I do not like 

 preachers nor dogs, and I have picked you and Elliot to talk at 

 my funeral, and I want to know if you can talk twenty minutes 

 beside my coffin without saying anything mean about me." 

 I said, "I will be glad to try." He said, "All right, my son will 

 telegraph for you." I always enjoyed his company. 



About twenty years ago your society sent him as a delegate 

 to Cresco, Iowa. I was sent from Wisconsin. The audience the 

 first forenoon was small, about twenty all told. In the after- 

 noon he was to read a paper on his hobby, "girdling." On the 

 way to dinner he said to me, "Philips, let us wake these people 

 up and get some life into the meeting. When I read my paper 

 this afternoon, you get up, act mad and pitch into me the best 

 you can," and I did. I said a man that would talk such unmiti- 

 gated nonsense ought to be arrested and sent home. I said if he 

 came to Wisconsin and talked such stuff we would ride him on 



