Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-05

meeting Oh the VI. L A
Well. the dinner was a great success.
Everything went like clocl. work: the
walters, seemingly some hundreds of
them, moved at the touch of bell and
there was nothing to interfere with the
completeness OF the occasion. After
dinner there was speeches from the
gentlemen whose names were down on
the bill of fare. There was some little
rivalry between the speakers and the
fog-horn whistle of the Greyhound.
That steamer got little impatient to-
wards the last and the beautiful rhythm
of her whistle shook the foundations of
the hotel at intervals in manner that
was pleasing to the speakers who had
to compete with it.
When we got back on the boat, |
called the attention of the chairman to
the fact that it was quite dark outside
and that there was no scenery Of any
kind to distract the attention of those
on board from a well thought-out
speech, and that perhaps it would not
be bad idea to collect them together
while addressed them on the Ontario
Law'of Libel. He said he was glad |
had suggested this, and that he would
at once see about arranging the thing.
Then he went away.
| ran him down again. somewhat
later. and he thanked me again for
calling his attention to the speech. The
band was now playing in the cabin, he
said. but he would make arrangements
for stopping them so that the people
could hear the speech they had been
waiting so impatiently for ever since
they came to Detroit. Some time after
this sought out the chairman and told
him that the Revised Statutes of On
tario contained some 1,430 pages and
the book was rather heavy to lug
around. and was getting heavier every
moment, and that would like to get
the book off my hands and the speech
off my mind.
He agreed with me and asked me to
come aft. He thought the speech
would sound tirst-rate on the after
deck. / suggested that it was rather
windy and noisy out there, but he said
it was just the spot for j rafting good
speech.
On the Greyh Ound there is quite an
ample after-deck with many chairs on
it, and he placed me where a post
comes up about four feet from the deck,
at the extreme aft, and said to excuse
him a moment while he went to drum
up the crowd and ask General Alger TO
come and introduce me TO my audi
ence.
placed the Revised Statutes on the
top of this post, and was soon pleased
to see the crowd pour out of the cabin
doors and take seats. There were q
great many ladies, and young ladies, too,
and many OF the younger gentlemen OF
the party. This was very gratifying to
me, also. for it showed that the young
people had an interest in the serious
things of life. General Alger. | sup
posed, was taking some little time in
preparing the introduction, as natur-
ally he would want to do the thing we'll.
At this moment Experimentation came
out of the cabin, and looking around
beamingly on the crowd, said in his
stentorian voice: Take your partners
for a quadrille.
Hold on, Captain joe" l cried;
there is some mistake here. | am
just going to address these folks on the
libel law. I'm waiting for General
Alger. He's going to introduce me.
The chairman's gone for him."
That's all right" said the Captain.
Wen have a dance while you are
waiting" And as eight couple were
on the deck he made signal through
the cabin door, and the band at once
started up that well-known tune. which
begins:
''Domp tie dumpety dump de domp;
Dompety domp de domp."
A young man with gold lace on his
cap came out and stood by one of the
pillars and addressed the crowd in a
loud, staccato voice occasionally, in
this fashion:
First four forward"
The couple mentioned moved men,
acingly towards each other.
Back the same"
T1en they retreated.
ssLadies chain"
The giddy young creatures marched
towards each other. joined their right
hands high in the air. walked around
each other. then took the hands of the
gentlemen in the same way and marched
round them. and after lot more nom
sense of that kind they were back again
in their places.
''Side couples forward"
The others then went through the
same evolutions.
Ladies' in the center; join hands and
circle to the left"
"Dontp te dOmpety dOmp de dom;
fonety d0mp de DOM"
''Allamand left
''Dddie de d0oleuln do de de; dinEle De-
de dim tedum."
"An promenade"
"DOmp de domety domp de domp;
ROmety domp de DOME
L never saw such utter frivolity in
my life. What had all that to do with
libel law? Nothing as far as l could
see.
Then the band struck up a waltz. and,
as L stood there with my big book. folks
went whirling round past me and the
music tloated out into the darkness.
This sort of thing went on for some