Fifth Avenue (New York, N.Y.); Streets -- New York (State) -- New York
The amende honorable was not less welcome for being long due and the
distinguished visitor sat down to loud applause and the strains of "God
Save the Queen." Mr. Raymond responded to the toast "The New York
Press," and was followed by George William Curtis, William Henry
Hurlbert, Charles Eliot Norton, Joseph R. Hawley, Murat Halstead, Edwin
de Leon, and E.L. Youmans.
Three and a half years after the dinner to Dickens Fifth Avenue greeted
in a similar way a distinguished Russian guest. That was the Grand Duke
Alexis Alexandrovitch, who was entertained by the New York Yacht Club at
Delmonico's December 2, 1871. James Gordon Bennett, the younger, was
then Commodore of the club, and received the Grand Duke in the
restaurant's parlours at seven o'clock. The guests included the Grand
Duke and his suite, the Russian Minister, General Gorloff, Admiral
Poisset, Admiral Rowan, members of the Russian legation, Russian
officers, and members of the yacht club. Against the walls of the
banquet hall the Stars and Stripes blended with the blue St. Andrew's
Cross. The guests were in naval uniform. The "Queen's Cup," which had
been won by the "America" in 1851, had the place of honour among the
club trophies. To the toast to the Czar, General Gorloff responded. The
club Commodore answered to that to President Grant. After the Grand Duke
had been informed that he had been elected to honorary membership, he
responded with a brief sailor-like speech.
On December 22, 1877, President Hayes was the guest of honour of the New
England Society at Delmonico's. Among those there besides the President
were Secretary of State William M. Evarts, Presidents Eliot of Harvard
and Porter of Yale, General Horace Porter, ex-Governor Morgan, and
Governor Horace Fairbanks of Vermont. Mr. Evarts answered the toast "The
Day We Celebrate." The presidents of Yale and Harvard, speaking in
behalf of their institutions, indulged in good-natured contrasts and
comparisons. In the old days, according to President Porter, when they
found a man in Boston a little too bad to live with, they sent him to
Rhode Island, and when they found him a little too good to live with,
they sent him to Connecticut, where, among other things, he founded Yale
College; while people of average respectability and goodness were
allowed to remain in Massachusetts Bay, where, looking into each others'
faces constantly, they contracted a habit of always praising each other
with special emphasis--a habit which they have not altogether outgrown.
[Illustration: IN THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT THE AVENUE GLITTERS WITH THE
PAVILLIONS OF PATRIOTISM. OLD GLORY MAY BE COUNTED BY THE TENS OF
THOUSANDS; ENGLAND'S UNION JACK, AND THE TRICOLOR OF FRANCE BY THE
THOUSANDS. TO FORESTALL THE KAISER THE AVENUE IS "COMING ACROSS"]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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