Address of Welcome 
Mayor W. S. Jordan. 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Members of the Florida State Horti¬ 
cultural Society : 
I dislike very much to have to come, 
on an occasion of this kind, with any 
apologies, but possibly some of you are 
aware that today has been rather an 
eventful one in my experience, and the 
past two or three weeks have been almost 
as strenuous as today has been. I simply 
ran up here to be with you for a few 
minutes without having had the opportu¬ 
nity of giving any thought of preparation 
as to what I should say, except to assure 
you that we are always glad to extend to 
you and to all visitors a most hearty and 
cordial welcome to Jacksonville. We feel 
that Jacksonville can always do its part 
towards making an occasion of this kind 
a success. We have everything to render 
the delegates comfortable and our citizens 
have always been ready to do what they 
could to make their stay pleasant and 
profitable. 
I am sure that there is no society that 
is engaged in an occupation or profession, 
if it may be so termed, that contributes 
more to the happiness and comfort than 
this association. The fruits and flowers 
that adorn our yards, or are put upon 
our tables, serves for such beautiful 
decoration, and add so materially to our 
welfare that we are interested in the gath¬ 
ering of your society at which means can 
be devised that better results can be ob¬ 
tained by which your profits and pleasures 
can be multiplied. I am sure these meet¬ 
ings can result only in good where the 
exchange and interchange of ideas, the 
passing of experiences and the lending of 
theories will assist each and every one of 
you when you return to your respective 
homes. 
I truly hope that your meeting will be 
not only of profit but of pleasure, and, as 
said in the outset, we are thoroughly 
pleased to have you with us; we will do 
what we can to make your stay pleasant, 
and I trust you will return to your homes 
with only pleasant recollections of your 
visit to our city. 
I regret that I shall have to leave you, 
but there is a large crowd down at my 
headquarters and I promised them I 
would return as soon as I had assured 
you of our welcome, and, naturally, I feel 
a little degree of interest in the result. I 
hope you will excuse my leaving you so 
soon. I felt that I should not be doing 
my duty to myself and to the city of 
which I am mayor had I not come up 
even for these few moments to extend to 
you the heartiest greetings of the city of 
Jacksonville. 
