The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-13
A Funeral at the Chicago Press Club.

There Is Press Club in Chicago. 1t Is
composed OF persons having no connection
with the daily press. The scandalous ir-
reverence and vulgarity that were per-
mitted at funeral In the rooms OF the
Chicago Press Club last Sunday must not.
then. be laid to the charge Of the workers
for the daily press OF Chicago. The funeral
was that OF BEN KING. humorous writer
OF some talent. His sister and other rela-
tives were present. A clergyman repeated
psalm. made q prayer. and spoke few
words OF praise for the dead and consola-
ton to the living. Then a member Of the
Press Club came forward and delivered
little eulogy. Then the President of
famous and hopelessly vulgar institution
OF Chicago. the Whltechapel Club. was
asked to speak. He went to the head of
the coffin and spoke as follows:
BIS has ,hsssst of it. We fare the worst in being
will be the last to be forgotten lido know of any.
thing better to say than repeat whtschspsi seni
ment. which runs:
Then stand to your glasses steady.
And drink to your comrades eysa
Here's health to the dead already.
And hurrsh for the next who dies"
This caused shudder." says the re-
porter OF the Chicago Times. mot only In
the yelled row. whence came the affection
ate sobbing. but In the hearts of those who
had known BEN KING best. 1t made the
clergyman nervous In his chair. and he
looked up in amazement." But worse was
to come. The person from the club with
the appropriate name was succeeded by
person OF the name OF HULL. who rounded
of his remarks with this preposterous
fiubdub. called yale BEN KING" written
by ]. n. lJackass Maximusl:
"Dsar Bz.
Come back again.
And that there ten
Il youra
We miss zen. BEE;
don't know when
I've fslt Sc bad In ysazA
TO leave us sew.
Jast uhsn. somehow.
-. You had show
IL seems too bad
Good by. old lad.
nyouys got to 60"
Still worse remained behind. One JOHN
MCGovERN began by these urbane and re-
spectful assertions: "BEN KISG was fool.
He had the face of fool and the expression
Of a fool" PROT ably McGovERS meant
that Mr.. KINGS face was that OF a born
jester. a clown. a Shakespearesn fool. II
he did mean that. 1t was not congruous or
decent thing to say at that place and time.
He left the impression on the hearers. how
ever that he meant fool In Its common and
natural sense. HE made no modifying
statement. nor did he intimate. as he doubt
less intended to do" says the Times re-
porter that all good fellows must neces-
sarily be fools. testers. and the like. The
sister and friends from st. Joseph apparent
ly did not appreciate the point. and the
sobs grew louder" After the Press Club
and It's guests had sufficiently insulted the
dead and panied the sincere mourners. the
members Fingered about. some protesting
at what the clergyman had said and others
scolding because he had made the occasion
gloomy. The sister and her friends were
scarcely able TO stand"
The strangers from st. Joseph were not
accustomed to Whiteehapel ribaldry. They
were used to seeing death treated rever-
entity. They didA't know that there we're
persons. roughly classed as human. TO
whom blasphemy and the bawling of drink
ing songs and doggerel rhymes IN defiance
OF death are a proof OF noble intellectual
powers. and who seek TO degrade the mys-
terry of death and the sanctity OF sorrow to
their unspeakable vulgarity.
Some such persons the Chicago Press
Club contains. It is proper. therefore. TO
point out again that that club Is not COM
posed of writer's for the daily press OF Chi
eago The shame Of the brutal and insult
ing proceedings authorized and conducted
by the club. and participated in by its
members last Sunday. belongs In no part.
Ne are glad TO cay. 10 the employees Of the
daily newspaper press OF Chicago. II there
are. as there must be. rlght-mlnded men.
genuine workers for the weekly press. In
that club. they owe 70 the name which
IL has somewhat brashly assumed to try
to make the club. apologize for Sundays