Royal Welcome for Ex-Sheriff Baird

By Camden NJ History
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Philadelphia Inquirer clipping, September 5, 1903, Royal Welcome for Ex-Sheriff Baird
Philadelphia Inquirer, September 5, 1903
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ROYAL WELCOME FOR EX-SHERIFF BAIRD New Jersey State Leader Meets With an Enthusiastic Reception in New York Harbor on His Return Home From Europe—Camden Men Extend Cordial Greeting From a Staff Correspondent. NEW YORK, Sept. 4.—Not since the time the lamented Sewell some years ago returned from the Emerald Isle, where he looked upon the graves of his ancestors, was perhaps such an enthusiastic welcome accorded a Jerseyman as that which greeted State Assessor David Baird, of Camden, on his return from Europe to-day. Every county in the State, from Sussex to Cape May, was represented among the two hundred and some odd friends of the returning voyager. Camden, of course, where was originated the idea of giving Mr. Baird a surprise welcome, sent the greater number of shouting admirers. They boarded a special train at Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, which left at 7 o'clock. Arriving in Jersey City shortly before 10 o'clock, they took the steamer Sea Gull, which had hardly swung away from the pier before the Fuerst Bismarck, on which Mr. Baird was returning, loomed up in the fog. The Camden City Band immediately struck up "Home Again," while the two hundred men on the Sea Gull waved flags and hats in the direction of the big steamer. Soon Mr. Baird appeared on the upper deck, and a cheer went up from the smaller boat that drowned the band's "Home, Sweet Home." While the Bismarck warped her way into the dock the passengers on the Sea Gull, which kept close to the ocean liner, anchored up against an appetizing luncheon. A committee headed by ex-Sheriff John Wesley Sell escorted the State Assessor from his steamer to the reception boat, where he shook the hand of each passenger. There was a trip up the Hudson, and about 4 o'clock the reception party, with Mr. Baird, left for South Jersey. "The Sheriff," for everybody knows him as such, reached Camden about 7 o'clock, where another enthusiastic reception awaited him. Seldom has such a representative party of prominent Jerseymen gotten together on a like occasion. Among them were the following: County Clerk Frank F. Patterson, Jr., former Sheriff John W. Sell, Judge Charles V. D. Joline, ex-Judge E. Ambler Armstrong, Prosecutor Frank T. Lloyd, Assistant Prosecutor F. Morse Archer, Postmaster Robert L. Barber, Senator William J. Bradley, Under Sheriff William D. Brown, Thomas P. Curley, Charles F. Currie, Register of Deeds Isaac W. Coles, Councilman E. W. Delacroix, John J. Burleigh, John Cherry, William Graeff, Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs, Assemblyman John S. Roberts, ex-Senator George Pfeiffer, Postmaster Maurice B. Rudderow, of Merchantville; Irving Buckle, Samuel Wood, Jonathan Watson, City Treasurer Richard R. Miller, Street Commissioner Lewis H. Mohrman, David M. Anderson, G. William Barnard, Edward H. Chew, William Coffin, Dr. John B. Davis, Dr. H. H. Davis, Samuel S. Elfreth, Chief of Camden Fire Department; Councilman Charles H. Ellis, Levi E. Farnham, John Blowe, J. Palmer Earl, Samuel P. Jones, president of City Council; George W. Turner, City Solicitor Henry M. Snyder, Lewis Stehr, Assistant Postmaster Charles P. Sayrs, Henry J. Rumrille, William M. Palmer, Frank Peterson, Martin J. O'Brien, State Comptroller J. Willard Morgan, J. Alpheus McCracken, John R. McCabe, A. G. McCausland, superintendent of the Atlantic City Railroad; Joseph Kolb, John M. Kelly, E. E. Jefferies, Jacob S. Justice, Robert Jaggard, Harry L. Jones, former Senator Herbert W. Johnson, Upton S. Jefferys, William Kettler, John D. Courter, County Physician William C. Jones, County Collector Mahlon F. Ivins, City Controller Samuel G. Hufty, ex-Assemblyman Ephraim T. Gill and Francis R. Fithian. Others who joined in giving Mr. Baird a royal welcome were United States Marshall Thomas J. Alcott, of Mt. Holly; Speaker of the House John Herner, of Palmyra; Assemblyman J. Bord Aris, of Woodbury; State Treasurer Franklin O. Briggs, Mayor Charles Y. Flanders, of Burlington, Clerk in Chancery Edward C. Stokes, ex-Senator Richard C. Miller, of Salem; Nathan W. C. Hars, of Burlington; Irving Maguire, of Palmyra; Internal Revenue Collector Isaac Moffett, Richard B. Reading, Senator George L. Shinn, of Ocean county; Judge Thomas W. Trenchard, of Cumberland; Factory Inspector John C. Ward, and many others.

New Jersey State Leader Meets With an Enthusiastic Reception in New York Harbor on His Return Home From Europe — Camden Men Extend Cordial Greeting

From a Staff Correspondent.

NEW YORK, Sept. 4.—Not since the time the lamented Sewell some years ago returned from the Emerald Isle, where he looked upon the graves of his ancestors, was perhaps such an enthusiastic welcome accorded a Jerseyman as that which greeted State Assessor David Baird, of Camden, on his return from Europe to-day. Every county in the State, from Sussex to Cape May, was represented among the two hundred and some odd friends of the returning voyager. Camden, of course, where was originated the idea of giving Mr. Baird a surprise welcome, sent the greater number of shouting admirers. They boarded a special train at Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, which left at 7 o'clock. Arriving in Jersey City shortly before 10 o'clock, they took the steamer Sea Gull, which had hardly swung away from the pier before the Fuerst Bismarck, on which Mr. Baird was returning, loomed up in the fog. The Camden City Band immediately struck up "Home Again," while the two hundred men on the Sea Gull waved flags and hats in the direction of the big steamer. Soon Mr. Baird appeared on the upper deck, and a cheer went up from the smaller boat that drowned the band's "Home, Sweet Home." While the Bismarck warped her way into the dock the passengers on the Sea Gull, which kept close to the ocean liner, anchored up against an appetizing luncheon.

A committee headed by ex-Sheriff John Wesley Sell escorted the State Assessor from his steamer to the reception boat, where he shook the hand of each passenger. There was a trip up the Hudson, and about 4 o'clock the reception party, with Mr. Baird, left for South Jersey. "The Sheriff," for everybody knows him as such, reached Camden about 7 o'clock, where another enthusiastic reception awaited him. Seldom has such a representative party of prominent Jerseymen gotten together on a like occasion. Among them were the following:

County Clerk Frank F. Patterson, Jr., former Sheriff John W. Sell, Judge Charles V. D. Joline, ex-Judge E. Ambler Armstrong, Prosecutor Frank T. Lloyd, Assistant Prosecutor F. Morse Archer, Postmaster Robert L. Barber, Senator William J. Bradley, Under Sheriff William D. Brown, Thomas P. Curley, Charles F. Currie, Register of Deeds Isaac W. Coles, Councilman E. W. Delacroix, John J. Burleigh, John Cherry, William Graeff, Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs, Assemblyman John S. Roberts, ex-Senator George Pfeiffer, Postmaster Maurice B. Rudderow, of Merchantville; Irving Buckle, Samuel Wood, Jonathan Watson, City Treasurer Richard R. Miller, Street Commissioner Lewis H. Mohrman, David M. Anderson, G. William Barnard, Edward H. Chew, William Coffin, Dr. John B. Davis, Dr. H. H. Davis, Samuel S. Elfreth, Chief of Camden Fire Department; Councilman Charles H. Ellis, Levi E. Farnham, John Blowe, J. Palmer Earl, Samuel P. Jones, president of City Council; George W. Turner, City Solicitor Henry M. Snyder, Lewis Stehr, Assistant Postmaster Charles P. Sayrs, Henry J. Rumrille, William M. Palmer, Frank Peterson, Martin J. O'Brien, State Comptroller J. Willard Morgan, J. Alpheus McCracken, John R. McCabe, A. G. McCausland, superintendent of the Atlantic City Railroad; Joseph Kolb, John M. Kelly, E. E. Jefferies, Jacob S. Justice, Robert Jaggard, Harry L. Jones, former Senator Herbert W. Johnson, Upton S. Jefferys, William Kettler, John D. Courter, County Physician William C. Jones, County Collector Mahlon F. Ivins, City Controller Samuel G. Hufty, ex-Assemblyman Ephraim T. Gill and Francis R. Fithian.

Others who joined in giving Mr. Baird a royal welcome were United States Marshall Thomas J. Alcott, of Mt. Holly; Speaker of the House John Herner, of Palmyra; Assemblyman J. Bord Aris, of Woodbury; State Treasurer Franklin O. Briggs, Mayor Charles Y. Flanders, of Burlington, Clerk in Chancery Edward C. Stokes, ex-Senator Richard C. Miller, of Salem; Nathan W. C. Hars, of Burlington; Irving Maguire, of Palmyra; Internal Revenue Collector Isaac Moffett, Richard B. Reading, Senator George L. Shinn, of Ocean county; Judge Thomas W. Trenchard, of Cumberland; Factory Inspector John C. Ward, and many others.

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