et the requirements and only such a comprehensive
institution could expect to carry its own expenses. I preferred
refunding the ninety thousand dollars to the various donors and
dropping the whole business to embarking on the smaller scheme.

That meeting did a world of good. It cleared the atmosphere; and it is
only fresh air which most of these things really need--just as does a
consumptive patient. The plan was now on the shoulders of the
citizens; it was no longer one man's hobby. Enemies, like the Scribes
and Pharisees of old, knew better than to tackle a crowd, and with the
splendid gift of Messrs. Bowring Brothers of a site on the water-side
on the main street, costing thirteen thousand dollars, and those of
Job Brothers, Harvey and Company, and Macpherson Brothers of
twenty-five hundred dollars each, the fund grew like Jonah's gourd;
and in the year of 1911, with approximately one hundred and
seventy-five thousand dollars in hand, we actually came to the time
for laying the foundation stone. The hostility of enemies was not
over. Such an institute is a fighting force, and involves contest and
therefore enemies. So we decided to make this occasion as much of an
event as we could. Through friends in England we obtained the promise
of King George V that if we connected the foundation stone with
Buckingham Palace by wire, he would, after the ceremony in Westminster
Abbey on his Coronation Day, press a button at three in the afternoon
and lay the stone across the Atlantic. The good services of friends in
the Anglo-American Telegraph Company did the rest.

On the fateful day His Excellency the Governor came down and made an
appropriate and patriotic speech. Owing to the difference in time of
about three hours and twenty minutes, it was shortly before twelve
o'clock with us. The noonday gun signal from the Narrows was fired
during His Excellency's address. Then followed a prayer of invocation
by His Lordship the Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda--and then, a
dead silence and pause. Every one was waiting for our newly crowned
King to put that stone into place. Only a moment had passed, the
Governor had just said, "We will wait for the King," when "Bing, bang,
bang," went the gong signifying that His Majesty was at the other end
of the wire. Up went the national flag, and slowly but surely the
great stone began to move. A storm of cheering greeted the successful
effort; and all that was left for our enemies to say was,