"Joseph C. Hendrix had been prominent in Brooklyn life a quarter of a century, prominent enough to have been nominated at one time for mayor of the old city by one of the great parties. He served Brooklyn for many years as president of its board of education; was its postmaster, and also represented one of its districts in the halls of Congress. Of recent years he had withdrawn from public life and devoted himself to the financial world. There he soon assumed a commanding position as bank president, and his organizing abilities were constantly in demand. He was one of Brooklyn's great men, and I regret that he is not here to-day to fill the position for which he was so well fitted. Our borough is rightly in deep bereavement because of the taking off of this, a faithful servant. "This party of Brooklynites has come over 1,000 miles to celebrate at this magnificent exposition a day set apart for itself. We come not from a sovereign State. Neither do we come from an independent city. We come from but part of a great city. I will venture to claim that Brooklyn Day at the St. Louis Exposition will be the only day set apart for any municipal body holding a place by law of less dignity than that of a city. Why, then, does Brooklyn send us out to make her name known here and to extend her greetings to St. Louis? Because for years Brooklyn was a city, and with more independent citizens to the total population than were to be found in any other part of the known world, and she is still true to her history. She had then a spirit that was the very personification of municipal patriotism. She could tear down a dishonest political rascal with greater celerity than any other city in the land. She kept her two great parties equally balanced; each a foil to the other, each a stimulant to the other for good government, and upon the average she enjoyed better service than American cities usually obtain. "It is almost seven years since Brooklyn lost her cityhood. During that time she has been a dependent borough within the great city of New York. Many thought that when that transition took place Brooklyn would lose her old-time spirit, her pride would be humbled and she would sink into the slough of despair, but we are here to-day to make known to these United States that Brooklyn's old-time courage is as high, her spirit is as heavily charged with municipal energy and her pride is the same pride as of old.