Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-07
The Annual Banquet Of the Local
Alumni Club.
BRIGHT SPEECHES AND COLLEGE SONGS
Many Distinguished Men Gather at
the Shoreham.
SOME FOOT BALL TALK

Harvard men took possession of the Shore
ham last night and held their annual din
ner there in true Cambridge style. There
were over half a hundred members of the
Alumni Association present, and they en-
joyed the good things of the menu and the
toast card to the full 1t was quite late
when the farewell song was sung, and the
wearers of the crimson filed out for their
homes, ready for another annual banquet.
and sorry that the 80 occasion was over.
The usual business meeting preceded the
dinner itself, and resulted in the election OF
the following board of officers: President
Edward Lander; first vice president, f. W..
Hackett; second vice president. C.. c. Bin
ney; third vice president, j. W. Holcombe;
fourth vice president. j. S. Diller; fifth vice
president, w. III. Wiley; treasurer, Picker
ing Dodge; secretary. j. Mcbride Sterrett
The dinner committee was composed of DIR.
Frank t. Howe, r Ross Perry, jr., Howe
Totten, Prof. w. II. Wiley and Marshall
Gushing.
The table was set in "T'' form. and gave
ample space for each elbow, while bring
ing the alumni close enough together for
intimate talk about old college days and
retroSpecton over the athletic history of
the univeI sity. There was a subdued cur
rent of thought on the subject of athletics,
and murmurs of discomfort against the
recent fiat of President Eliot cOndemning
college foot bali We're to be heard on all
sides. The volcano of indignation was to
break out later, when Commissioner Roose-
velt-whom nobody dared call other than
Teddy" last night-took the floor to cham
pion the cause of the gridiron field.
Postprandinl Talk.
In the absence of President Lander The
banquet was presided over by Vice Pres-
dent F. w. Hackett, in style that fully
justified his selection for the important part
of pilot of such craft as an annual din
ner. His introductions of the speakers
were happy and well pointed, and he set
everybody in good humor at the start. On
bis right was Shinichiro kurino, the jap
anese minister, graduate of Harvard,
and on the left of the postmaster was eX-
Gov. Boutwell, of Massachusetts.
1t was late when the toastS were started,
50 diligent and thorough had been the dis
cussion of the first part of the program
The Japanese minister was the first to be
called upon and he made brief speech,
in which he expressed his deep gratifica-
ton at being located in Washington, so
that he could meet with his old chumS of
Cambridge. He proved himself to be a
true Harvard man. Notwithstanding his
foreign birth, and he enjoyed the banquet
with zest that was almost American
I. Jefferson Coolidge. eX-minister to
France. made some witty remarks. saying
that of all the many Americans he had
ever huOWH he was the Only one VINO cOulu
not make a speech. His most successful
effort in that line was a speech that he
once delivered in French and its success
was due to the fact that no one under
stood him.
Gov. Boutwell, gave some entertaining
of the old Harvard, and
told of many of the changes that have oc-
Cured In the organization of the univer-
was by Bishop keane of the Catholic Uni
versty. He spoke of the problem of good
as he called it. and this, he con-
sidered, consists of bringing knowledge of
the welfare Of the man. to make him bet
ter, wiser, and more worthy of his Gre
ator He expressed his gratitude at hav-
ing been granted an honorary degree by
broad catholic spirit of the American uni
versities, that is their best characteristic.
America, he continued. is giving the world
the keynote in the crusade against mar
rowness and selfishness of spirit.
The Question of Athletics.
Charles s. Hamlin, assistant secretary of
the treasury, spoke briefly on the athletic
subject, and intimated his strong diSap-
prevail of the course of President Eliot.
He believed heartily in the good effect of
athletic training upon students. But Com
missioner Roosevelt entered the ring with
the president of the university and threw
GOWN the gauntlet III TlSHt Styie.
He declared that it is far better to pro-
duce man from university than a stu
dent. He believed emphatically in foot
ball, and deplored the tendency of some Of
the rulers of tine great colleges to try to
crush out of the game the real American
spirit that is its foundation. He would by
no means have foot ball abandoned by col
lege men until Harvard has whipped Yale.
He had never been much of an athlete at
college himself, but he would never out
his love for snort The danger of the
present day, he concluded, is that the men
will become effeminate, ard their salvation
lies in such sports as foot ball. He should
diSinherit a son of his who would
ever think of weighing broken bone
against the glory of playing on the Hair
ward varsity team in a big match.
Prof. Simon Newcomb agreed with Mr..
Roosevelt to a certain degree, but he would
along with foot ball in college course.
He thought it would be wholesome in the
end of it all. Other speeches were made
by Rev. DIR. Sterrett, Prof. F. w. Clarke
songs were sung, and at an hour that is
not worth mentioning the dinner was pro-
at an end.
Those Who Participated.
The music during the dinner was fur
nished by the Tuxedo Mandolin Quartet.
which also played the accompanipents to
the college songs that were sung. Those
present were: Messrs. A. W. Day, j. S.
Diller, Pickering Dodge. George II. FL
bridge, Samuel T. Fisher, ]. G. Fleetwood,
Charles +. Gcttemy, Bernard r. Green, F.
w. Hackett. +. II. Hitchcock, John w.
Holcombe Franklin I. Howe, Livingston
Hunt. Arthur Keith, Rev. John j. Keane.
Minister Shinichiro kurlno, A. T. King,
j. V. Lewis, W. l.. Mcpherson, W. p. Mon
tague. Prof. Cleveland Able. Rene Bache,
Frank II. BjgelCw, c.. c. Binney, Hon. Geo.
S. boutwell,, Thomas NJ. Chatard, f. T.
Chamberlain, Frank W. Clarke. Louis A.
Marshall Gushing. Walter u.
Davidge. jr.. G. c. Deane. Charles Moore.
comb. II. l.. O'Brien. Il. Ross Perry, jr.,
Theodore Roosevelt, e. w. Spalding, Rev.
r. Mcbride Sterrett Gushing Stetson,
Henry Randall Webb. Prof. Fl. W. Wiley
and Davies Wilson.