1915] 



ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BANQUET 23 



a cartoon, a crowd of persons seemingly very much pleased, 

 and wishing to know why they were hilarious, I saw that the 

 title was the ' ' Millenium Celebration in Honor of the Abolish- 

 ment of After Dinner Speeches." Your faces remind me 

 somewhat of those of the crowd I saw in 'Life,' and I now 

 close, fearing that you may be hoping that the millenium will 

 arrive before we have another twenty-five year dinner, when 

 I shall not be with you. 



The Toastmaster next called upon the Hon. Charles Nagel, of St. Louis, in the 

 following words: 



Our city has had a number of her sons, and adopted sons, 

 called to occupy positions of responsibility at the National 

 Capital, one of whom, after four years ' service in the Cabinet, 

 has returned to the city of his adoption; and I am proud to 

 introduce the Hon. Charles Nagel, ex-Secretary of Commerce 

 and Labor. 



HON. CHARLES NAGEL 



Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen: It appears to me 

 that the last speaker was both wise and unkind in referring to 

 the illustration from 'Life' at the close of his speech. I can 

 assure him that my embarrassment was sufficient without that 



reference. 

 In endeavoring to account for my presence in a family of 



botanists, I have been compelled to go pretty far back in my 

 life and to recall an incident when an aged grandmother, whom 

 I never knew, sent me what Dr. Appel will pardon me for call- 

 ing a "Botanisirbuechse," to encourage me in the collection of 

 plants. It was only a trifle at the time, and yet I imagine I 

 share the experience of most people in tracing my interest 

 in nature to that early incident in my life. I would say that 

 my love of nature is such that I would rather have my child 

 love the virility and strength of an oak leaf than all the 

 bouquets and flowers that can be gathered. 



I believe that real love for the strength of nature is what 

 we need, and not the pampering influences of the selected 

 flower. I believe in the forests of New Hampshire that my 

 friend. Dr. Farlow, loves; and I can see him now searching 



