A dinner was given at the Standard brewery on Saturday night last by J. Miller Kelly, president of the brewing company in honor of Alonzo S. Weston, who was recently promoted from the position of assistant road master of the Central Hudson railroad, in charge of the division of the road extending from Syracuse to Buffalo, to the higher position of assistant roadmaster of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg road in charge of the entire system with offices in Watertown.
General Roadmaster Ottis of the Central Hudson system is the nominal roadmaster of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg road, but the general assistant is the active superintendent of the roadway.
Mr. Otis confines his attention to the Central's tracks, and his assistant has entire charge of the Rome, Watertown &Ogdensburg. It will thus be seen Mr. Weston's promotion is one of importance.
In future he will have charge of many more miles of track than he has had and will be first in authority on his lines. That the promotion is one that will work to the great advantage of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg is attested by railroad men along the line of the Central from Syracuse to Buffalo, who know Mr. Weston's ability. and as the condition of the Central's roadbed of which Mr. Weston has had charge for years makes self evident.
That Mr. Weston has many friends in this city who are sorry that he is to make his home elsewhere and yet are pleased at his well-earned promotion is shown by the attendance at the dinner and by the magnificent gift which was bestowed upon him.
Among the well-known citizens who sat down to the well prepared feast were the
following: Hon. Frederick Cook, presiding officer of the occassion; Hon George W.
Aldrige; Mayor Geogre E. Warner; Hon. Mertin E. Lewis, and Supreme Court Justice
William E. Werner, Aldermen Alvin H. Dewey and William H. Tracy, Police Commissioner,
Charles T. Champman, police Justice Charles R. Ernst, collector of internal Revenue
Valentine Fleckenstein, Corporation Counsel Adolph J. Rodenbeck, double ex Sheriff
John W. Hannan,
Sewer Commissioner Arthur Lurtchford, Executive Board Commissioners Oscar Knebel
and Frederick C. Seitz, Clerk Thomas J. Neville of the Executive Board, State Forestry
Commissioner William H. Bowman, former Excize Commissioners A. Spiehler and Edward
McSweeney, former City Assessor George Roth, former Health Officer Dr. Wallace Sibley,
Judge John F. Kinney, Frederick Goetzman, Mathias Kondolf, Eli M. Upton, Henry Goetzman,
John A. Davis, Don Platt, William Bausch, George W. Archery, Charles J. Bissell,
C.R. Kennedy, A. Vogt, Jocob Gerling, Bernard P. Smith, John Hanna, James O. Spellman,
J.C. Kalbfleish, William Bartholomay, Charles Goetzman, George W. Cripps, Thomas
Levis.
When the various courses of the dinner had been disposed of Hon. Fred Cook, called for order and after complimenting the host of the evening on the success of the feast spoke in most complimentary terms of Mr. Weston and introduced Mr. Charles J. Bissell who presented to Mr. Weston on behalf of Mr. Kelly and the gentleman a solid silver tray with a complete silver and cut glass writing desk outfit of unique design and finish.
Mr. Bissell referred to Mr. Weston's long service on the Central road and told how he had risen through his own efforts from the position of waterboy to a place requiring great discretion and accurate knowledge of railroad making.
Mr. Weston, though greatly surprised heartily thanked the donors and expressed his regret at the fact of being compelled to leave the city, which has been his home for over thirty year, in which he he was educated and made his way and in which he has many friends.
At the conclusion of his remarks "For he is a jolly good fellow" was sung with gusto and speeches were made by many of the guests.
Mr. Weston will leave for his new home in Watertown tonight and will enter upon his duties on the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg road tomorrow. And with him go the best wishes of hundreds of friends not alone in this city, but in every town on the line of the New York Central from Syracuse to Buffalo in every one of which he is known and his worth appreciated.