B. M. Downs represented Hemingray at the NELA Convention

Convention Notes.

The thirty-sixth annual convention of the National Electric Light Association was opened formally on Monday evening, June 2, with a reception in honor of President and Mrs. Frank M. Tait, at the Medinah Temple. Prior to the reception, which began about 9:00 p. m., there was an inspection of the exhibits. The stage of the temple auditorium was used for the formal reception, which was followed by dancing. Among those in the receiving line were Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Insull, Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Ferguson, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Gilchrist, Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Tait, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. McCall, Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. T. P. Gaylord, Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Ellicott and Messrs. H. A. Wagner, R. S. Orr and H. H. Scott. Refreshments were served in the lobby during the evening.

On Sunday evening prior to the convention Mr. Tait gave a dinner party to the members of the Association office staff on duty at Chicago. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Tait, Mr. and Mrs. Martin, Misses Burkhalter, Bursiel, Van Court, McIntyre and Laird. S. A. Newall, assitant to the secretary, and Fred Schmidt, auditor of the Association accounts, were also present.

Mr. and Mrs. K. E. Van Kuren of Los Angeles gave a dinner at the Congress Hotel on Monday evening to S. M. Kennedy, general agent of the Southern California Edison Company, William Baurhyte, vice-president of the Los Angeles Gas & Electric Company, and H. H. Rudd of Pittsburgh.

B. M. Downs was one of the distinguished attendants at the convention, representing the Hemingray Glass Company. Mrs. Downs, of course, accompanied the genial Bertram. It is hard to find a more popular couple, and they seem to gain in grace and charm with each convention.

Henry J. Gille, who was chairman of the Commercial Section last year, has again joined the Stone & Webster interests and will shortly assume his new duties as commercial manager of the Puget Sound District with headquarters at Seattle. Mr. Gille for many years was commercial agent of the Minneapolis General Electric Company, and when Stone & Webster relinquished the property to H. M. Byllesby & Company, he was made manager of the electrical department of the St. Paul Gas Light Company. Mr. Gille was one of the founders of the Minnesota Electrical Association and the withdrawal of his active support will be keenly felt by this organization as well as by the many other associations and clubs of the Twin cities with which he was so prominently identified.

Frank H. Golding, of Rockford, Ill., was busy during convention week receiving congratulations on his appointment to the office of general manager of the Atlantic City Electric Company. Previous reports to the effect that he was to go to Jersey City were in error. Mr. Golding goes East with the best wishes of a host of friends.

Since it has been known that Eugene Holcomb, president of the Minnesota Electrical Association, has resigned as general manager of the Consumers Power Company to become associated with W. T. McCaskey & Company, of Lansing, Mich., fears have been expressed that Mr. Holcomb may find it necessary to resign the presidency of the Minnesota Association. Mr. Holcomb advises, however, that as the Continental Utilities Company, of which he is now vice-president and general manager, operates properties in Minnesota as well as in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa, he will continue as chief executive of the Association.

Van Dusen Rickert, president of the Pennsylvania Section of the National Electric Light Association, who led a large delegation of Pennsylvania members to the convention, announced that the annual state meeting will be held at Delaware Water Gap, Pa., on September 16, 17 and 18. This is the largest state section of the N. E. L. A.

The Cutler-Hammer Manufacturing Company distributed a beautiful souvenir entitled "Cutler-Hammer Control in Chicago." This book was composed of fine half-tone reproductions of various public buildings in Chicago where Cutler-Hammer apparatus is installed, and formed not only an index of the extent to which this apparatus is used throughout the city, but was also a valuable directory and guide with regard to the places of interest, industrially, socially and economically.

One of the pleasant surprises accorded passengers on the Pink special, en route to the convention, was the reception given them at the arrival of the train at Fort Wayne, Ind., the home of the Fort Wayne Electric Works of the General Electric Company. C. D. Wheeler, advertising manager of the company, boarded the train at this point and presented each gentleman with a box of choice cigars, while each lady was made the proud possessor of a corsage bouquet. The cigar-box covers were imprinted with a colored view of the company's plant.

A very attractive and useful souvenir was presented to visitors by the Federal Sign System (Electric) in the shape of a pocket-size convention program, containing in addition to the session and entertainment programs, a convention map of the business district, addresses of the principal hotels and railroad stations and a list of theater attractions scheduled for convention week.

The special trains, including the Red Special from New York, three special Pullman cars from New England, the California Golden Poppy Special, the Maroon Special from Kansas City, the St. Louis Purple Special, and the Magnolia Special from Atlanta, arrived in Chicago in good time. On the Red Special the Wagner Electric Manufacturing Company regaled the passengers with candy, cigars and cigarettes. On the Pink Special each lady in the party was presented with a large bunch of roses and a box of candy, and the men were given cigars, pennants, memorandum books, cards and a book entitled "Resuscitation," by Chas. A. Lauffer, M. D., by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, General Electric Company, Fort Wayne Electric Works and the Wagner Electric Manufacturing Company.

The entertainment for the ladies included a musicale and tea in the Crystal Ball Room of the Blackstone Hotel, from 3:00 to 5:00 on Tuesday afternoon; Madame Rosa Olitazka, prima donna contralto of Covent Garden, London, and the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York, and William Morse Rummell, violin virtuoso, were the entertainers. On Tuesday evening the big feature was a colossal circus given by the Commonwealth Edison Company Section under the auspices of the Electric Club of Chicago and the Commonwealth Edison Company. On Wednesday afternoon there was a trip to the Commonwealth Edison Company's new Northwest power house and a baseball game between the crack teams of the New York Edison Company and the Commonwealth Edison Company, the eastern team winning by a score of 6 to 6. There was also a trip to the Hawthorne works of the Western Electric Company on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning the ladies were given a 50-mile automobile trip along the north shore of Lake Michigan to the Hotel Moraine, with luncheon at the hotel. On Thursday evening the big rejuvenation of the Jovian Order was held at White City, the entire capacity of the ball room, casino and cabaret being engaged for the event.

The Commonwealth Edison Company provided a brilliant path-finder leading along North State Street from Randolph Street to Ohio Street, close to convention headquarters. This consisted of 45 General Electric multiple direct-current flame-arc lamps with yellow-flame carbons that were mounted on top of the trolley poles in standard Chicago fashion. At the corner of the Medinah Temple an electrically lighted banner with the legend "Welcome N. E. L. A." was stretched across Ohio Street.