Romance in Engineering

Gentlemen,

I must at the outset confess that I feel as I now stand before you all, how foolish it was for me to accept the invitation of my friend the Secretary to "talk" to the members for half an hour or so on this occasion on the subject of "Romance in Engineering," because of my utter want of ability to do justice to the subject. In addition to this, I had only counted on an informal talk on this interesting subject which has always held a great fascination for me, but to my bewilderment I find that the matter has been circulated to you with the high-sounding name of a "paper" on the subject. I feel the Secretary has let me down-who knows with what "motive, and I only beg to be excused if I treat you all-the Secretary's guests-in the same fashion. I have to add however that my want of ability to interest you in the subject to-day may not be taken as real want of "Romance" in the subject of Engineering-as it is really a vast subject of abiding Romance-"Romance of Reality" and not a prosaic subject as is often popularly considered. "Facts are stranger than fiction" and I have always felt that a study of the feats of Engineering in all times will more than prove the truth of the saying.