6 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
form, told a story that was not quite so 
impressive, but equally memorable. He 
said, on one occasion a man had been com¬ 
mitted for some minor offense and ap¬ 
peared before the judge. While he was 
up before the judge, the judge asked him 
in a brusque manner; 
“What is your offence?” 
The man, who was a stammerer, got 
to his feet, and he was so overcome by 
his predicament, that his stammering was 
worse than ever, and all he could say was: 
“S-s-s-s-pst-pst-ss-s.” 
“What are you charged with?” the 
judge again demanded. 
Again the man attempted to reply, but 
could only sputter and stammer worse 
than before. 
Finally the judge turned to the police¬ 
man, who was an Irishman, and who had 
been watching the man’s efforts with a 
great deal of interest, and said, 
“Officer, what is this man charged 
with ?” 
“I don’t know, y’r Honor, but from the 
sound av him, I t’ink he’s charged with 
sody water.” 
But enough about that former meeting; 
we are now talking about this meeting, 
and I want to tell you that the Board of 
Trade, for which I am welcoming you, 
was the prime mover in bringing you here. 
Our Board of Trade is a bunch of live 
wires. We are proud of our Board of 
Trade. 
Away back about sixteen or eighteen 
years ago, it started. At that time we 
paid only about a dollar a year dues and 
we had volunteer officers, but we were 
interested in the upbuilding of the town 
and we started out in the good work. We 
have advanced each subsequent Board of 
Trade from year to year. In the course 
of our evolution, the circuit judge of this 
circuit was at one time our secretary, 
serving without pay. About four years 
ago we decided to put off our swaddling 
clothes and become a stock company, and 
we sold stock and purchased a lot on 
which we are now contemplating the erec¬ 
tion of a building. The purchasing of the 
stock made us more generous in other 
lines, and we began to pay a secretary 
and get guarantors—people who would 
pay more that the usual dues and stand 
behind the Board of Trade, and we are 
now collecting $4,000.00, $5,000.00, 
$6,000.00 and $7,000.00 a year for pur¬ 
poses of building up West Palm Beach. 
We are expecting $10,000.00 paid into 
the Board of Trade in the coming year. 
Almost everything that has ever been 
done for the good of West Palm Beach, 
for the County of Palm Beach, has em¬ 
anated from the Board of Trade. We 
have just succeeded, through the efforts 
of the Board of Trade, in getting an inlet 
from the ocean into Lake Worth, and next 
year if you come, we can have you come 
to us from the ocean, or we can take you 
out to the ocean through an inlet of at 
least twelve feet of water. 
We have just succeeded in getting the 
money for a road to Lake Okechobee, and 
will carry you out there by auto in a 
couple of hours when the road is built. 
The Board of Trade is responsible for 
these accomplishments, and for the ac¬ 
complishment of bringing you here. One 
of the greatest ambitions of West Palm 
Beach is to become a convention city, and 
