SUMMER MEETING. 43 



through some of the bleakest regions of Russia, and they came back to us 

 bringing an abundance of fruits which thej' thought would thrive in this 

 locality, But most of these are lacking; some have one difficulty and 

 some another. There is still an aching void. We must search again. We 

 must send more men to that land and see if we cannot find something 

 that will answer our purpose better. All over this country the hardy 

 pioneers brought seeds from their eastern homes, and we have trees 

 twenty-five and thirty years of age. Research may find out some of 

 these and we may receive good from it. 



Again there is another wide field for research. There are fruits which 

 we know would be useless planted here— the orange, the citron, the peach, 

 etc. But we have native fruits that can be improved, that are hardy, that 

 are adapted to our soil and climate, and that will be more wholesome and 

 invigorating than the tropical fruits. Let us search our hills and forests 

 and find the choke-cherry, the raspberry, the blackberry and the straw- 

 berry. Let us bring them in and place them in the hands of our experi- 

 menters, and encourage them to grow larger, and better fruit, and then 

 perhaps we will have fruit equal to that of any other land upon which 

 the sun shines. 



Toast— "The Columbian Exposition.'" Response by A. W. 

 Latham, Excelsior. 



Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:— With the consent of our presi- 

 dent I will read the few remarks which 1 have prepared, as the members 

 of our society are aware that I am not a public speaker. I do not feel so 

 bad about this since the ladies who have preceded me, who, it is agreed, 

 belong to the sex who are the best talkers, have both taken the liberty to 

 read their replies. In regard to what I had to say on this question, the 

 situation is radically changed by developments since this was written, 

 and I feel obliged to leave out a' portion, which, I regret to say, was over- 

 flowing with wit and humor. You will never know the amount of your 

 loss, but I assure you, it is a great one. 



There is a general belief that this exposition had its origin in the ef- 

 forts of one Columbus, who lived a long time ago, so long ago that I doubt 

 if even our veteransof this society, Mr. Harris and Col. Stevens, have any 

 personal recollection in regard to it. The facts, as far as they can be 

 reached, would indicate that this remarkable man, Columbus, planned and 

 arranged for this exposition some time along the last of the 15th century. 

 He was certainly a man with a genius for the future. It is a great thing 

 for him, so many hundred years ago, to have devised such an institution 

 as we understand this exposition is to be. 



A historian, whose name I have forgotten, but upon whom we can de- 

 pend probably as much as upon some other historians, says, I believe, that 

 Columbus made up his mind at an early age that he would build a fleet of 

 ships and quietly, without saying anything at all about it to his wife, for 

 fear it should get out, would sail to the west and discover America; and 

 it would seem that he had even then determined that the exposition, to 

 be named after him, should be held in Chicago, on Lake Michigan; but it 

 was necessary first to discover the country where this city was to be built. 

 It is said that he was successful in his maritime venture, and early in the 

 morning on the 12th of October, 1492, when from the masthead was heard 

 the cry, "A light ahead!" this great man came hastily on deck and cried 

 out, "There is Americal" 



