Class, r_j^:i 
 
 Book . - ':'-. '■'' 
 
Testimonials of 
 /Appreciation 
 
 to 
 
 HERMAN RIDDER 
 
 Acting 'President 
 
 and 
 
 HENRY W. SACKETT 
 
 Secretary 
 of 
 
 The Hudson- Fulton 
 Celebration Commission 
 
 ■^ 
 
 mA<T^CH, 1910 
 
D. Of 0. 
 
 
HUDSON-FULTON 
 CELEBRATION COMMISSION 
 
 154 Nassau Street, New York 
 
 SVIarch 15; 1 9 10 
 ^ear Sir: 
 
 The Committee having charge of the 
 presentation of testimonials to cMr. Herman 
 bidder f /Icting^resident^ and Colonel Henry ZV, 
 Sackett; Secretary of the Hudson-Fulton Cele- 
 bration Commission^ have the pleasure to report 
 the discharge of their agreeable duty. Following 
 is a statement of the circumstances attending 
 the presentations : 
 
 /Is the affairs of this Commission were draw- 
 ing to a close f it seemed to several members that 
 some suitable recognition should be made of 
 the exceptional and very valuable services ren- 
 dered by ^r. bidder and Colonel Sackett^ 
 both of whom^ during more than four years of 
 continuous service^ have made great sacrifices 
 in their devotion to the Commission's work. 
 This sentiment was shared by General VOood- 
 
 3 
 
I 
 
fordf the 'President of the Commission^ who had 
 already received the formal expression of the 
 Commission's appreciation, and who is now 
 abroad receiving great honor as the representa- 
 tive of the Commission, 
 
 With a view to carrying out this idea, the 
 undersigned were requested to act as a Com- 
 mittee. As both propriety and the established 
 policy of the Commission dictated that these tes- 
 timonials should not be made at the expense of 
 the public funds of the Commission, the oppor- 
 tunity to provide the necessary means was offered 
 to as many members of the Commission as 
 seemed to be necessary to insure the success of 
 the undertaking and to afford an index of the 
 sentiment of the Commission. The immediate 
 and generous response was a sufficient indication 
 of the unanimity of the sentiment designed to be 
 expressed by the testimonials, 
 
 /is the Commission had restricted the striking 
 of the Official SVIedal in gold, like those presented 
 to the Governments, the Committee had two 
 medals of Alaska gold, three inches in diameter, 
 
 5 
 
Obverse of Gc 
 
 Id M 
 
 cdals Presented to 
 
 HERMAN 
 
 RIDDER 
 
 and 
 
 Actua 
 
 HENRY 
 
 Size 
 
 w 
 
 SACKETT 
 
 Designed by Chester Beach 
 Executed by Tiffany & Co. 
 
Reverse of Gold Medals Presented to 
 HERMAN RIDDER and HENRY W. SACKETT 
 
 Actual Size 
 
struck from dies cut for this purpose from the 
 models designed by cMr. Chester ^each for the 
 medallion of the Official ^adge, /It the same 
 time a third medal was struck in bronze for the 
 sculptor. No others were struck from these dies^ 
 and the testimonials are therefore unique. 
 
 Upon the edges of the two gold medals were 
 engraved the following inscriptions respectively: 
 
 "A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FROM 
 THE MEMBERS OF THE HUDSON-FUL- 
 TON CELEBRATION COMMISSION TO 
 HERMAN RIDDER, ACTING PRESIDENT, 
 FOR HISVALUABLE SERVICES, I905-I9I0." 
 
 "A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FROM 
 THE MEMBERS OF THE HUDSON-FUL- 
 TON CELEBRATION COMMISSION TO 
 HENRY WOODWARD SACKETT, SECRE- 
 TARY, FOR HIS VALUABLE SERVICES, 
 1905-1910." 
 
 The medals were inclosed in leather cases 
 which were respectively stamped: 
 
 "HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION. 
 HERMAN RIDDER, 1905-1910" 
 
 and 
 
 "HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION. 
 HENRY WOODWARD SACKETT, I905-I9IO" 
 
 Replicas of the obverse and reverse of the 
 medals^ mounted in frames to be hung in the 
 libraries of the recipients^ were also prepared. 
 
 7 
 
The following letters were beautifully engrossed 
 and illuminated in hook form to accompany the 
 testimonials: 
 
 iJ^ew York^ 
 iMarch 10^ I9IO 
 
 To the Hon, Herman bidder* 
 
 T>ear Mr, bidder: 
 
 The delightful privilege has been 
 accorded to us by members of the Hudson-Ful- 
 ton Celebration Commission^ whose names are 
 hereto attached^ to present to you on their behalf 
 the accompanying medal in gold f which they hope 
 you will accept not only as a souvenir of the 
 Celebration^ but as an evidence of their high ap- 
 preciation of the great service rendered by you 
 to the Commission. 
 
 The medal presented is an enlargement of the 
 Official 'Badge. Your friends felt that they had 
 no authority to use the official die of the Com- 
 mission, and as their wish was to pay to you a 
 personal tribute of respect and regard^ they have 
 caused this medal to be struck for the purpose. 
 
 We wish we could convey to you a sense of 
 the cordiality with which every one has responded 
 to the proposal. It is clear that your long and 
 public-spirited labor of love for the City of New 
 York in helping so superbly ^ as Acting 'Presi- 
 
 9 
 
dent of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commis- 
 sion^ to carry to success that Celebration^ has 
 won for you a host of friends^ whose admiration 
 for your courage^ your energy^ your enthusiasm^ 
 and your faith in the success of the enterprise^ 
 is only second to their high personal regard for 
 you as a man. 
 
 On behalf of the members of the Commission 
 who have had the privilege of taking part in this 
 tribute, 
 
 ZVe have the honor to be, 
 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 Seth Low, Chairman 
 
 William ^erri 
 George F. Kunz 
 John B, Larsons 
 Francis Lynde Stetson 
 
 Edward ©. Adams 
 Louis Annin Ames 
 John <©. Archbold 
 John Jacob Astor 
 George Clinton 'Batcheller 
 James SM. 'Beck 
 August 'Belmont 
 William 'Berri 
 Cornelius K. G. 'Billings 
 Bmil L. 'Boas 
 George C. 'Boldt 
 George S. Bowdoin 
 George V. 'B rower 
 
 Henry W. Cannon 
 Howard Carroll 
 Joseph H. Choate 
 "Paul <D. Cravath 
 William J. Curtis 
 ^. Fulton Cutting 
 Robert W. de Forest 
 Chauncey cM. T>epew 
 Samuel W. Fairchild 
 Stuyvesant Fish 
 Charles S. Francis 
 Alfred <B. Fry 
 George J. Gould 
 
 II 
 
Frederick T). Grant 
 Henry E. Gregory 
 Edward Hagaman Hall 
 Thomas H. Hubbard 
 Archer 3\4. Huntington 
 Jiugust F. Jaccaci 
 Arthur C. James 
 Horatio C. King 
 George F. Kunz 
 Charles *7^. Lamb 
 Gustav Lindenthal 
 Seth Low 
 
 Arthur iMacArthur 
 William iMcCarroll 
 Anson G. cMcCook 
 John J. iMcCook 
 Jacob W. 3^iller 
 J. 'Pierpont cMorgan 
 Levi <P. S^Iorton 
 ZVilliam C. cMuschenheim 
 cMorgan J. O'Brien 
 Willis L. Ogden 
 Eben E. Olcott 
 Henry Fairfield Osborn 
 Alton ©. 'Parker 
 John E. Parsons 
 Samuel Parsons 
 
 George W. Perkins 
 N. Taylor Phillips 
 Eugene H. Porter 
 Horace Porter 
 Thomas 1^. Proctor 
 Cornelius A, Pugsley 
 Louis C. 'J^aegener 
 William Rockefeller 
 Charles F. Roe 
 Herbert L. Satterlee 
 Jacob H. Schiff 
 Jacob Gould Schurman 
 Isaac /v. Seligman 
 Frederick W. Seward 
 James Speyer 
 Francis Lynde Stetson 
 Stevenson Taylor 
 Eliot Tuckerman 
 Cornelius Vanderbilt 
 John W. Vrooman 
 Edmund Wet more 
 William R. Willcox 
 James Grant Wilson 
 Louis Windmuller 
 Stewart L. Woodford 
 Timothy L. Woodruff 
 
 13 
 
1 
 
New York, iMarch 10, 1 9 10 
 
 To Colonel Henry ZV. Sackett. 
 
 T)ear Colonel Sackett : 
 
 The delightful privilege has been ac- 
 corded to us by members of the Hudson-Fulton 
 Celebration Commission, whose names are hereto 
 attached, to present to you on their behalf the ac- 
 companying medal in gold, which they hope you 
 will accept not only as a souvenir of the Celebra- 
 tion, but as an evidence of their high appreciation 
 of the great service rendered by you to the Com- 
 mission. 
 
 The medal presented is an enlargement of the 
 Official 'Badge. Your friends felt that they had 
 no authority to use the official die of the Com- 
 mission, and as their wish was to pay to you a 
 personal tribute of respect and regard, they have 
 caused this medal to be struck for the purpose* 
 
 ZVe wish we could convey to you a sense of 
 the cordiality with which every one has responded 
 to the proposal. It is clear that your long and 
 public-spirited labor of love for the City of New 
 York in helping to carry to success the Hudson- 
 Fulton Celebration has won for you a host of 
 friends. Your associates of the Commission 
 fully appreciate the unique contribution which 
 you made to the success of the Celebration. They 
 understand, in an imperfect way, what it means 
 
 15 
 
to give^ as you have given^ many months of your 
 time to the patient handling of one perplexing 
 question after another. It has been to them at 
 all times a source of satisfaction to know that 
 the work of the Secretary of the Commission has 
 been in hands so entirely competent and safe} 
 and most of them are your debtors for much per- 
 sonal courtesy and consideration. 
 
 On behalf of the members of the Commission 
 who have had the privilege of taking part in this 
 tribute^ 
 
 ZVe have the honor to fee. 
 
 Yours very sincerely^ 
 
 Seth Low^ Chairman 
 
 William ^erri 
 George F. Kunz 
 John B. Larsons 
 Francis Lynde Stetson 
 
 The names of the contributors were also en- 
 grossed in this letter. 
 
 The medals^ framed replicas^ and engrossed 
 letters were prepared by Tiffany & Co. 
 
 Owing to the prospective departure of Colonel 
 Sackett on Saturday^ cMarch 12^ for several 
 weeks^ absence in the South and far ZVest^ it 
 
 17 
 
was not practicable to arrange for the presenta- 
 tion of the testimonials at a formal gathering. 
 They were therefore sent on Friday^ cMarch I /, 
 to the recipients^ who acknowledged them as 
 follows: 
 
 March 11 J 1 9 10 
 Hon. Seth LoWj 
 
 30 East Sixty 'fourth Street^ 
 New York City. 
 
 iMy dear 3VIr. Mayor : 
 
 Your favor of cM arch II and the box contain- 
 ing the engrossed letter^ gold medal^ and replica 
 received just now. 
 
 The pleasure and surprise are so great that I 
 cannot find words to properly thank you for 
 what will be the best heritage I can leave to my 
 sons. 
 
 I will take the earliest opportunity to person- 
 ally thank you and your associates for the great 
 and undeserved honor you have done me. 
 
 Yours faithfully^ 
 
 Herman T^idder. 
 
 19 
 
iMarch 11^ 1 9 10 
 cMy dear ©r. Low: 
 
 I do not know how adequately to thank 
 you and the other members of your Committee 
 and of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commis- 
 sion from whom I received this afternoon the 
 beautiful medal and its replica and the illumin- 
 ated message that accompanied them. I am 
 touched more deeply than I can express. 
 
 This is far more than my due for any service 
 I have been able to render to the great under- 
 taking in which so many of you have^ with at 
 least equal devotion^ been working unitedly and 
 with common purpose. 
 
 There have been two features of the work of 
 the Commission that are most gratifying and 
 almost unique. One is the fact that so large a 
 number of the most representative men in the 
 community have disinterestedly united in giving 
 so much time and effort, as well as such gen- 
 erous pecuniary aid, out of love for their City and 
 State, to advance this public enterprise. The 
 other fine feature was the harmony that has uni- 
 formly prevailed in the councils of the Commis- 
 sion and has made its action upon all important 
 questions one of absolute unanimity. 
 
 I believe these to be the two things that made 
 our Celebration so great and so successful ; they 
 
 21 
 
certainly made association with it officially a 
 privilege and a pleasure that can leave only in- 
 spiring memories. 
 
 That my associates in this work should think 
 me worthy of such tokens of their esteem as these 
 that have come to me to-day^ is repayment^ a 
 thousandfold^ for whatever I have been able to do 
 to further the work of the Commission. They 
 will always be of priceless worth to me. I shall 
 prize them more than the highest honors or great- 
 est decorations that could be bestowed by any 
 ruler or potentate on earth. 
 
 Let me extend to you^ my dear ©r. Low^ and 
 to Messrs, 'Berri^ 'Parsons^ Stetson^ and Kunz 
 of your Committee^ and through you to all our 
 associates upon the Commission from whom these 
 gifts and this message have come^ the assurances 
 of my sincere appreciation and everlasting grati- 
 tude. 
 
 Very sincerely yours^ 
 
 Henry W. Sackett. 
 
 23 
 
SVlarch 12 
 The Hon. Seth Low, 
 
 Chairman. 
 
 SVIy dear 3Vlr. Low: 
 
 I wish to thank the Committee for the 
 medal presented me^ and yourself for the kind 
 wording of your letter of cM arch II. They will 
 both remain pleasant things to look back on^ in 
 the work. 
 
 Relieve me sincerely yours^ 
 
 Chester 'Beach. 
 
 In behalf of the Committee^ I am 
 Yours very truly ^ 
 
 Seth Low, Chairman. 
 
 Seth LoWf Chairman 
 William ^erri 
 George F. Kunz 
 John B. 'Parsons 
 Francis Lynde Stetson 
 
 Committee 
 
 25 
 
If! 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 012 609 494 2