The day after the special service at Christ Church
Cathedral in recognition of the St. George’s Benevolent Society, the society’s
annual dinner was held.
According to the Spectator man present, it was a
splendid success :
“The number present was in the neighbourhood of 150, all
the appointments of the banquet were of the finest order, and the affair passed
off in the pleasantest manner. At half-past eight o’clock, the guests entered
the hall and took their places at the tables. The room was decorated very
tastefully and brilliantly illuminated. Each end of the room was festooned with
the national colours, in the centre of which was placed the banners of the St. George’s Society, that
at the upper end being surmounted by an engraving of Her Majesty the Queen.
Opposite the main entrance was a large mirror on which was the inscription :
“Welcome, our Guests.”
The tables were loaded with all the paraphernalia of a
repast which would have done honour to any first-class hotel in Canada, and
which certainly did reflect the highest credit on “mine host” of the
International, Mr. Doc. Kane.
The following is the
BILL OF FARE
---------------------
SOUP
Oyster
BOILED
Mutton, Caper Sauce Sugar
Cured Ham
Beef
Tongue
ROAST
Sirloin of Beef, Ribs of Beef, Saddle of Mutton
Filet of Veal, Stuffed
Chicken, Wine sauce. Turkey,
Cranberry Sauce.
VEGETABLES
Baked Potatoes. Mashed Potatoes. Turnips.
Cabbage.
RELISHES
Pickles. Beets. Onions.
Celery.
Lettuce Radishes.
ORNAMENTAL DISHES
Pyramid Macaroni. St. George
Jelly.
Charlotte Russe
PASTRY
Plum Pudding Apple Pie Cranberry Pie
Lemon Pie Fruit Cake Frost Cake
Oranges. Apples Nuts.
Raisins.
WINE LIST
Pale Sherry. Burgundy Port Woodhouse
Port
Hennesey Brandy. St. Julien
Claret.
Louis Roederor Champagne. Imperial Champagne.
ALE
Bass & Co.’s Pale Ale. Tennant’s
Pale Ale.
Cosgrove’s Pale Ale. Grant’s Amber Ale.
PORTER
Guinnesses’ Extra and Double Stout. Grant
and Son.
After the remarkable meal had been consumed, it was time
for the society’s annual report to be read in which all the charitable activities
during the past year were detailed :
“REPORT OF THE CHARITABLE COMMITTEE
To the President, Board
of Management, and Members of the St.
George’s Benevolent Society :
GENTLEMEN : Again I find it my duty to lay before you a statement of the
accounts of the Society, on behalf of the Charitable Committee, for the year
that has passed, and, in doing so, I am happy to be able to report a decided
financial improvement when comparable with the year previous. And, indeed, it
was imperatively necessary that such should be the case, when we take into
consideration the extraordinary run there has been on our funds. It has been a
hard year for the poor – the worst the Society have had to grapple with for
many years in this country, and I am sure some of the gentlemen here present,
members of the Committee, can testify only too truly to many scenes of misery
and want witnessed during their visits to those who have legitimate demands on
the funds of our Society.
Our own subscription funds
would have come far short of relieving many of the applicants had we been left
entirely to our own resources; in fact, had it not been for the Christian
charity of other societies in the city so substantially displayed, we would have
been unable to meet one half the demands made on us. From the proceeds of the
performances of the Garrick Club in the Mechanics’ Hall we received $75.10; from the Canadian Order of
Oddfellows, proceeds of a charity sermon, we realized $36.47; from the
Foresters’ Society, $21.15; and from the independent Order of Oddfellows, we
received $25. These acts of beneficence require no eulogy from me – from a
Higher Power their reward must come – but to them is due our heartfelt thanks,
in which I’, sure everyone here will heartily join in tendering.
On the 20th of
December, 1875, at a special meeting of the Committee, it was agreed that we
should raise by subscription money to provide Christmas Cheer for the poor in
connection with our Society. In three days, Messrs. Pierce, Howles and myself
raised $50, which was expended in furnishing many a starving household with a
comfortable meal on Christmas Day.
It will be seen by the
aggregate of money spent that about fifty cents per family of five has been
given to the poor. To those who never knew the want of it, this appears a very
small sum, and, indeed, so it is; but to the starving husband, wife and child
some thousands of miles from the land of their birth, in a strange land,
without friends, or money, or bread – without hope of obtaining employment be
he ever so willing to work, it does not appear so insignificant, and is
received with heartfelt thanks as a means of subsistence, be it ever so little.
Summing up the work of the
last year, on the whole a good deal of good has been done, and all have been
willing to do a share of the work, more or less, and bear a share of the
expense; and, although through the evil effects produced by the commercial
crisis through which we are passing – or, rather, let us hope, have passed
- a greater amount of sacrifice on our
part, and on that of friends of the Society, was required, still, should
occasion require it in the year in which are entering, I have no doubt that my
successor will receive the same heart co-operation and active assistance that
has been tendered to me.
I have nothing of
importance to add, except to tender my most sincere thanks to the Committee for
their kindness and assistance, and hope, in looking forward, that the necessity
for relief in the year which we have entered will be considerably decreased,
while our means will be sufficient to relieve each of our suffering and needy
brother countrymen as may require it.”
Anticipation for a
championship billiard match to take place at the Revere Hotel was high among
enthusiasts for the game and for those who liked to gamble on the results :
“The billiard match, which
comes of tomorrow evening at the Revere Hotel, promises to be the event of the
season with sporting men. Both Phelan and Davis are in splendid play, and the
friends of each have every confidence in them. Pools were sold at the St.
Nicholas Hotel last evening and will be continued at the Royal this evening.
Betting on the result of the result is already large, and as the players are
nearly so equal, the odds are very small. Davis was out of town last evening,
but a large number of Phelan’s friends gathered in the Royal to see his
practice game, and all seemed quite satisfied with his play. Before the local
match tomorrow evening, Jakes and Bennett will play a game for $100 a side, on
which pools will be sold at the hall. Mr. Capron, of Paris, whose playing was
so much admired at the Montreal tournament, is in the city to watch the game.”
Finally, a violent incident
involving a liveryman who had been hired and whose passengers tried to get out
of paying was recounted in detail :
“The livery men
of the city complain loudly that there is a certain class of persons in the
city who are in the habit of hiring “rigs” and never paying for them. The
liverymen formed themselves into a mutual protective society without avail, as
the “deadbeats” and “sponges” were sure to break through the ring in some way
or other and victimize the stable keepers. On Sunday afternoon, two young men
came to the Chicago stables on Park street
and hired a single horse and buggy to go to Dundas.
They were only going to Dundas, they said,
and would be back soon. Instead of going to Dundas,
the young men drove up King street as far as
Queen street, turned up towards the
mountain, a short distance, and the drove to the beach, where they got pretty
drunk.; and finally wound up by overturning the rig, slashing the top and
dashboard and spoiling the rig generally. At nine o’clock in the evening, Mr.
Bennett, the proprietor, inquired if the rig had been returned, and finding out
that it had not, he made up his mind that something was wrong, and determined
to sit up for them. At twelve o’clock the youths returned the horse smoking
like a small locomotive, and the rig looking very much like a dilapidated fence
corner. One of the youths came swaggering into the office, and said that he had
no money with him now, but that he would come round and pay in the morning. Mr.
Bennett, by experience, knew that he would never see them again, and, in a
passion, raised a good horse whip and commenced cow-hiding the youths in a
lively manner. In the middle of it, one of the youths howled out that he would
pay everything now if he would only let him go. Mr. Bennett desisted, the youth
forked over the necessary amount, and, with a parting kick, they were allowed
to depart in peace.”
