Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-14
THE GRIDIRON CLUB.
Interesting Sketch of this Celebrated
Dining Club.

Interesting Sketch of this Celebrated
| Dining Club.
How IT ORIGINATED AND WHO WERE IT'S CHARTEI
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MEN WHO HAVE SAT
AT ITS TABLE-rTs NEW OFFICERS AND PRESENT
MEMBERSHIP.
The fourth annual meeting Of the Gridiror
| club was held at the office of the New Yorl
Tribune on Saturday night The attendance
was the largest ever present at business
meeting of the club and the election of officers
for the ensuing year resulted as follows: Presl
dent, Fred Perry Powers, Chicago Heraldd vice.
president, Fred d. Mussey, Cincinnati CONNER.
cial Gdzette; secretary and treasurer, Richard
Nixon, New Orleans Times-Democrat; execu-
tive committee, Paul Wolf, New York Staat.
Zeitung, and James Morgan, Boston Globe A
resolution was adopted expressing sympathy
with MIR. Frank Thomson, vice-president OF
the Pennsylvania railroad company, in the loss
of his mansion "Corkerhill, where the club
was recently entertained, and it was also
decided to make him the clubs guest at the
next dinner. The following were elected to
active membership: Louis Garthe, Baltimore
american; Frank H. Horsford Detroit Free
Press; Edgar J. Gibson, Philadelphia Press;
A. d,
Stofer, jr., st. Louis Republic. Mr.. Hubbard
I. Smith and John Philip Sousa were elected
to qualified membership.
The Gridiron club is the only organization of
its kind in the country. The celebrated Glover
club, of Philadelphia, after which it was pat
termed and Of which it may, in a certain sense,
be considered an offspring, does not restrict its
active membership to those connected with the
newspaper profession. while the Gridirons in
sist upon maintaining that qualification.
THE IDEA OF FORMING A DINING CLUB
In this city was first preached at dinner given
at John Chamberlin's, ON the 18th of January,
1885, to the correspondents, by Judge R. F.
Crowell, then sixth auditor Of the Treasury
department, and a committee, consisting of
Messrs. John NJ. Carson, G. NJ. Ogden and Chas.
L. Murray, was appointed to prepare plan of
organization. A meeting was held on the 3lst
OF January, which was very fully attended, and
at which this committee reported. proposing
the adoption Of the constitution and bylaws OF
the Glover club with such notifications as
were naturally suggested from the difference
In location and the proposed restriction of
membership. 1t was first proposed to call the
new organization the Terrapin club, but that
did not strike all present as exactly appropri-
ate, and the Gridiron club was finally adopted
by unanimous vote. The constitution states
that The object Of the club shall be to unite
its members in closer bonds of friendship, and
to promote good fellowship" The limitation
OF resident membership was fixed at forty and
the non-residents at ten.
The first election of officers resulted in the
choice of Maj. Ben: Perley Poore, Providence
Journal, as president; John NJ. Carson, Phila-
delphia Ledger, vice-president; Chas T. Murray,
Philadelphia Times, secretary and treasurer
NJ. G. Seckendorff, New York Tribune, and C.
Nj. Ogden, Philadelphia Press, members Of the
executive committee. In addition to these the
following were the charter members: George
EyrNrNn SrA Jnhfa Il
lyn Times; W. E. Barrett, Boston Advertiser;
III. V. Boynton, Cincinnati Commercial Ga
rite; W. W. Burhans, United Press; Theron G.
Crawford, New York World; 8. N. Clark, New
York Tribune; F. c. Crawford, Pittsburg Conn
merctds- Gazette; E. G.. Dunnel, New York
Times; p. V. DeGraw, United Press; F. A.
DePuy. New York Times; Edwin Fleming. st.
Louis Republican; f. A. G. Handy, Chicago
Times; Perry s. Heath, indianapolis journal;
A. w. Lyman, New York Sun; VIM. C. Mac
York Associated Press; H. B. F. mcfarland
Boston Herald; Fred Perry Powers. Chicago
Times; o. o. Stealey, Louisville Cow-ier-JCur-
nal; Chas. +. Towle, Boston Traveller; Frank
H. Trusdell, Baltimore american; l.. O. Wash
ington. New Orleans Picay,ne; Rob't J. Wynne,
Cincinnati Commercial Gdzette; Z. b. Wight,
Chicago, Tribune, and James r. Young, Phila-
delphia Star. Messrs. Alden, T. G. Crawford,
acBride, Trusdell Burhans and Washington
resigned soon after the formation of the club.
but the others, with the exception of Mai.
Poore and Mr.. Adams, who have died. still
hold their membership as residents or nom
residents.
THE FIRST REGULAR DINNER
was held at Welcker's, on February %, 1885,
and was marked by the presence of Vice
President Thos. A. Hendricks as the most dis
tinguished guest. The other guests on this
occasion were Senators Hawley and Henderson,
Representatives John S.Wise and ID. NJ. Kelley,
Geo. Alfred Townsend, Jas. III. Lambert, Phila-
delphia Times; Col. 7. s. Merriman. New York
San; Judge Crowell, Major Burke, of New Or
leans, and Messrs. Howard. Perry and Barry.
Since then the club has given regular dinners
each year of its existence on the last Saturday
of every month, except during the months of
June. July, August, September and December.
Some months, for specific reasons, the dinner
has been omitted, as, for instance, in 1888,
when the members of Congress gave the CORE
pondents dinner at Wormley's in compliment
to the courtesies they had themselves received
at the hands of the newspaper men. No dinner
has been held which has not been graced by
many distinguished men, and
THE LIST OF GUESTS,
beside those mention. d as present at the first
dinner, is as follows: Secretary of State Thos.
F. Bayard, Secretary of the Treasury c. 8.
Fairchild, Secretary of the Interior L. O. G.
Lamar, Postmaster General VIM. F. Villas, Sec
retary OF war WIN. y. EndlcOtt, Assistant
Postmaster-Generals Stevenson and Knott,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Thompson,
Postmaster-General Don M. Dickinson Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan, Senators Ben. Harrison
John Sherman, Henry NJ. Teller T. W. Palmer,
NJ. p. Butler, N. W. Aldrich, John P. Jones, w.
b. Allison, Jas. B. Beck, c. b. Farwell, John H.
Mitchell, Frank Hiscock, Leland Stanford, A.
p. German, w. p. Frye, 2. B. Vance, D. M.
Sabin. j. b. Eustis, Speaker Carlisle, Repre-
sentatives Hunton, Reed Of Maine, Haynes,
Long, Wheeler, Mckinley, Randall. Bayne,
Tucker, Butterworth. Collins, Lodge, Her
bert, Hit. W. C.. p. Breckenridge, Norwood,
Bragg, Hiestand, Grain, Scranton. Wallace,
Henderson of Iowa, Adams of ILL.,, Catchings,
Springer, Cannon, Allen Of Mass, FELTON,,
Breckenridge of Ark, Guenther, Wilkinson,
Russell, Warner of No., Wade, Washington,
Compton, and Hemphill; Judge r. T. Merrick,
Commissioner of Patents Montgomery. Com
missioner Of Agriculture Colman, Public Printer
s. P. Rounds, NJ. Blouet (Max ORell), Hon.
VIM. Dorsheimer, Speaker j. w. Hustled. of the
New York legislature; Hon. ]. Sterling Morton,
Col N. v. Sheridan, Gen. de Mexia, Hon ]. H.
Maynard, DIR. Geo. B. Loring, Commissioner
John H. Oberly, Second Auditor Day, Con-
troller Trenholm, ex-senator Henderson, w. p.
Phillips, manager United Press; Col. Henry
Watterson, Architect W. A. Freret, DR.. Vow, of
the Chinese legation; Surgeon-G Hamil-
ton, Delegate Voorhees,, Chief Clerk E. B. YOU
mans, District Commissioner Webb, Interstate
Commissioner Morrison. VIM. NJ. Singerly, pro-
prietor Of the Philadelphia Record; Melvin E.
Stone, proprietor Chicago Herald; Messrs w.
Porter, w. E. Quimby, w. v. Mexican, John
Philip Sousa, W. H. tombstone, Geo. II. Mon
roe, ]. W. Clarke, Clarence Pullen. ]. q, PanR-
born Charlea F. LeWis O. a RaIdvio n 4