Gogebic County MI Archives News.....Sheriff Rowett Honored January 2, 1915
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Pat McArthur http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006091 January 18, 2009, 3:24 pm

Wakefield Advocate January 2, 1915
SHERIFF ROWETT HONORED
Sheriff John Rowett, who has served the county the past four years, and whose 
term of office expired Dec. 31st, was made the guest of honor at a banquet at 
Eagles Hall in Bessemer Tuesday evening, the affair being tendered by his 
friends as a surprise.

The hall was put in readiness and covers laid for sixty.  When the party had 
assembled, Mr. Rowett, who was transacting some business in Attorney Baird's 
office, was told that a party wanted to see him in the hall and when the truth 
finally dawned o him what the occasion meant, to say that he was surprised 
could be told by the school girl flush that came to his face.

The guests were seated around the festive board and the banquet began.  
Attorney L.S. Rice acted as toast master and the ceremonies with the following 
lines, composed by himself:
When we remember the days that are past, When true friendship was ruler;
The feeling that lasts; So we all meet together and join in the praise, Of the 
true manhood of Jack,
That has delighted our days.
An honest and true as the day is long, We have known him, and proved him;
He has never gone wrong.
As marshal, as sheriff, his actions were just.  Just remember that friends, 
when lose him we must.
No man is a man, unless he is true, to the friends that surround him: The ones 
that he knew.
Our Jack is the man who never forgets, That true friendship is better Than the 
wealth he collects.
So we all say farewell, to the days that are past, But hope that our 
friendship will continue and last,
Until death shall call us to that unknown shore Where earthly friends shall 
know us no more.

Attorney W.S. Baird followed the recitation with a short speech in which he 
did himself proud in praises for "Our Jack."  and Mr. Rowett responded in a 
few words of appreciation for the honor shown him.

The only thing that marred the occasion was the fact that the attendants had 
ordered a handsome 38 calibre Colts revolver which failed to arrive in time to 
make the presentation but Mr. J.R. Johnson explained that the gun was a 
special order and inasmuch as probably the factory hands were celebrating the 
holidays the order had been delayed.  However Mr. Rowett will be presented 
with the memento when it does arrive.

The banquet over, the remainder of the evening was spent in music, stag 
dancing and singing, and John Michaels and John Luxmore proved themselves 
adepths at the tango.  Matt Daly proved that he had a splendid voice when he 
sang "A long time ago"".  That is, his voice is sweet, compared with a cow.

In that Mr. Rowett would leave the official field of the county of the hour of 
12 midnight Dec. 31, Attorney Baird admonished him to resolve as follows, to 
make sure that no resolutions would be broken.

Not to drink anything stronger than what is made in a distillery and never 
allow two drinks to accumulate at once; not to smoke between hours of 1 a.m. 
and 1 a.m. of the same day and not to smoke more than one cigar at a time; not 
to use blasphemous language except where the occasion warrants; never to tell 
the truth when a lie will answer the purpose better; to attend religious 
services regularly except in the hunting and fishing seasons and in the winter 
and spring months - and many more equally good resolutions all of which 
received Mr. Rowett's hearty approval.

Among other features of the occasion were speeches stories and songs by Mayor 
Trevarlhen, of Bessemer; a solo, "The Furniture Man," by John the Tailor; an 
address by Otto B. Olson; a few words from Sheriff-elect Kallett; a story and 
song by Water Works Williams; selections by the Hansen, Rund, Burt and Wealton 
quartet, Herbert Hagen presiding at the piano; a tale of former days by Dick 
Banfield, when he invited Jack Rowett into the back yard of the St. James 
hotel to "have it out" over some girl.  Ed Gaudette was called upon to sing a 
little ditty but responded with the announcement that there were too many 
Germans in the crowd and that the French army present was not prepared to 
fight.  An last but not least was Judge Haggerson's service at the oyster bowl.

All in all it was an occasion that will be long remembered by Mr. Rowett and 
every person present.  The only thing that appeared to bother anyone was Phil 
Leblond's appetite.

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