Association my sincere and heartfelt thanks for the courtesy with which you have treated me during the short period that I have presided over your deliberations. It has been so short that it makes me feel something like the little darkey who said he joined the Methodist Church for six months, and they liked him so well they let him off in three. [Laughter.] I have now the pleasure of introducing to you the newly-elected President, Mr. Henry M. Watson, of Buffalo. [Applause.]

REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT, MR.

HENRY M. WATSON.

Mr. Watson : Mr. President and gentlemen of the Association : When in Minneapolis, I invited you to hold the Ninth Annual Meeting in this city it was with the hope and expectation that the Buffalo Convention would prove to be the most important and progressive in the history of the Association. I am sorry that after doing so well up to this time you should have decided to take a step backwards. The President of the Association this year should be a pioneer in the use of electricity. I am frank to say that I do not aspire to this high office, to which in your kindness you have elected me. On the other hand, I did everything I could to escape it, but there seems to be no way out of it; and now I thank you most heartily for the compliment you have bestowed upon me, and with your cordial co-operation I will do the best in my power to promote the interests of the Association. [Applause.]

VOTE OF THANKS TO THE RETIRING PRESIDENT, MR.

THOMAS LOWRY.

Mr. Wm. Richardson: I move you, sir, that the thanks of this Association are eminently due and are hereby tendered to our late President, your predecessor, Mr. Thomas Lowry, for the able and impartial manner in which he has discharged the duties of President of this Association during the past year. Carried.

TIME OF FINAL ADJOURNMENT DETERMINED.

Mr. Wm. Richardson; I move you, sir, that the Ninth Annual Meeting of The American Street-Railway Association be closed tomorrow on the return from Niagara Falls. I make this motion, as I notice the railroad tickets are good for three days after the close of the meeting of the Association. [Laughter.] Carried.

Mr. Hasbrouck: I move you, sir, that we take a recess until half-past five to-morrow afternoon. Carried.

THE BANQUET HALL.

The guests at the banquet numbered about two hundred and fifty, to which the attendance was limited, owing to the banqueting hall not being large enough to accommodate more. The table at which the invited guests and speakers of the evening were seated was at one end of the room, and from this three tables were at right angles, running the entire length of the main hall. There were three tables similarly placed in the adjoining or smaller dining hall. The arrangement of the flowers was exquisite, and they were provided in great profusion, there being several large unique floral designs. The orchestra was stationed in the lobby of the hotel, and rendered the musical programme appended to the menu with artistic effect.

Thanks were offered by Mr. Wm. Richardson, of Brooklyn, after which the guests discussed the following

GALANTINE DE VOLAILLE AUX TRUFFES.
Celery, en Mayonaise.

In the absence of the President of the Association, Mr. Thomas Lowry, of Minneapolis, Minn., Mr. C. Densmore Wyman, of New York, First Vice-President, presided at the Banquet, and after the company had done full justice to the abundance of good things set before them, called the assemblage to order, and said :

ADDRESS OF MR. C. DENSMORE WYMAN.

Mr. Wyman: Now, if you will kindly give us your attention, we will turn to the next page of the evening's menu. It would, I think, at this late hour, be entirely improper for me to use any of the time which I am sure is about to be so well occupied, by the other gentlemen whose names appear upon this programme, in making any extended introductory remarks. From what I have seen from my point of vantage here, there appears to have been on the part of those present a very thorough appreciation of what has already been given us; but I believe that now we have, if possible, even more toothsome morsels and delicious delicacies prepared and ready; and to them I now invite your enjoyment. It is perhaps proper for me to explain how I come to occupy this position to-night. A story is told of a farmer who lived down in Monroe County-which, by the way, is the county that contains, as you know, one of the outlying districts and suburbs of Buffalo called Rochester, who, though he practiced the profession of agriculture, did not own any land of his own, but was accustomed to work the land of others. Being of a nomadic nature, he moved frequently, and in order to facilitate the transportation of his chickens, he was in the habit of tying their legs together, that they might be easily carried. Being obliged so often to undergo this tying process, it is said that after a time, whenever the farmer went to the chicken yard the chickens would lie down on their backs of their own accord, and put up their feet to be tied. Some of us in this Association have been tied to positions on short notice, and without preparation, so often, that we now submit to the operation without a murmur; nay, we rather like it. I make this explanation that any apparent lack of modesty on my part in appearing so unexpectedly as your chairman to-night may be understood.

I have to present to you the regrets of that gentleman, whom we all love and respect so much, and who would have been de

lighted to have participated in the festivities and pleasures of the evening as your presiding officer, Mr. Thomas Lowry. He was only a few hours since called away; and it was, therefore, impossible for him to be present; but he left for you with me his blessing. His last words were, "God bless them! Tell them for me to go in and have a good time.'' Nevertheless I believe I voice your sentiments when I say that the ardor of our pleasure is dampened, and its course is somewhat impeded certainly, by the absence of his genial presence, his ready wit and his forceful eloquence.

I now have the pleasure of presenting his Honor, Mayor Charles F. Bishop, of Buffalo, who will welcome you.

ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY MAYOR CHARLES F. BISHOP.

MR. BISHOP: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:-It may be thought there is an element of irony in welcoming the street-railway representatives to this city. Judging from the common speech of people here, the estimable gentlemen who are at the head of the street-railway business are not so modest as to require a welcome to any place when good things are to be seen or to be had; and it may be fair to infer that street-railway men coming from other localities have, too, some little assurance. I would not have you think that this city is at war with her street-railway benefactors. To be sure they usually take what they want, but they do it so adroitly, so graciously, and with such abundant good nature that we rather enjoy seeing our good things thus taken; and so, notwithstanding the encroachment of the able, affable and insinuating street-railway men, the City of Buffalo still retains authority enough over the things which were once her own to extend a hearty welcome to any one; and I take especial pleasure, as the chief executive of this city, in welcoming the gentlemen with their ladies here assembled. If it is difficult for the city to dwell in peace with these street-railway corporations and retain many of her rights and franchises, it is also true that life would be hardly endurable without the street-railway systems. Our people fully appreciate how inestimably these systems have in the past added, and must in the future add, to our wealth and comfort and prosperity. Perhaps no private enterprise is of more general public importance. The whole people watch with absorbing interest every extension or improvement in the street-car service. No man can entirely dispense with the street car, and to many it is the avenue to a home and independence. At the present time in particular the city of Buffalo looks to the street-car service for great benefits.

It knows how much that service can do for a growing city. The enterprise and public spirit of those who have had the management of the service in the past have built up a great system, and we expect to receive in the future every good thing which science and wealth can produce.

You are all welcome here. If you come from Canada we are glad to have