Evening journal., 1894-12-26
BOEIFACE WILLIS REMEMBERED.
ohristmAs Eve and Leaves Sixty Pieces
OF Sterling Silver

santa CLAUS Waits the clayton House on
christmAs Eve and Leaves Sixty Pieces
OF Sterling silver.
For several days prior 20 Christmas
there might have been noticed a great
deal OF whispering among the Clay ton
House guests, who betook themselves to
hooks and corners TO hatch ont their
plot, and the warning "Sh- sh-sh = might
have been heard at any hour OF the day
or night on the approch of an ont slider
The conspiracy oulminated on Monday
evening with the presentation to Mr.
and Mrs James l. Willis Of handsome
oaksn casket containing sterling silver
table set Of go pieces, which was furnished
by s. Il BAynArd. the popular iewsler
The secret had been we'll kept and
neither Mr. and Mrs Willis had any
idea OF what was In store for them
Hervey B yandegrift was detailed to
take Mr, Willis In custody at O'Clock
aud instructed to bring him before the
court At s 80, at (which time the guests
ware assembled In the hotel pnrlor
Vandegrft did his duty and when VIII
lis was brought In his. looks proclaimed
him guilty and Rev. y. b Meeser In
sentsncing the cnlprit, said "Mr.
/ Willie, the day Of reckoning comes 10
every man and now your day or reckon
ing bias come. Willis was so frightened
that his whispered "0h, Lord" was
scarcely andible, as he mopped the beads
Of peispration from his brow. Mr..
Meeser continued. THE guests Of this
house have rsfrainsd from making lndi-
vidual complaint but have made up their
minds TO suffer In silence nc
longer aud have punched theiI
woes and are now determined tc
unload them upon your head all at once.
They have seen you grow atoutsr while
they grow leaner your bank account grow
| fatter while their pocket books grow
Il you care a bit tWillis-'And | don'i
/ this thing long enough aud they Ars now
paid q tribute to the Efforts OF Mr.. and
Mrs. willis for the comfort Of thu
/ guests and uncovered the oAskst, which
was hidden from view.
In accepting the gift all Mr.. EWiIll
could do was to accept and mop his face
His emotions would NOT admit OF hi
responding and Mr. Philip Farley wa
called upon to do It for him Mr. Earle,
lproceeded TO make Willis more uncom
Portable by saying that knives and fork
meant something 20 eat, that thrs
sizes Of spoons meant thre
kinds OF entrees; that while WI
lis may not have bsen bora with
silver spoon In his mouth like some peopl
they proposed to make up for lost time b
crAmmlng three dozen Of them In hi
mouth He hoped that Willis woul
grow thinner while his steaks gre'
fatter and reminded him that his guest
expected to be blown OF" and would
around all day Chrlstmas
Willis has been strutting about llk
q turkey cock since the presentation an
! threatens to wear the elevator out
runuing his friends up to see whs
, Santa Claus left him.
Mr. and Mrs. Willis distribute
Christmas gifts OF silk ties an
handkerchiefs to pll Of his guests, gu
! bis employees we're substantial
4 remembered Each guest was III
presented with a pretty illuminate
/ menu at dinner.
Clerk Winks wss the recipient Of
silver mounted silk umbrella from u
guests, and s. gold pieces we're much
evidence among the help