The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1896-01-04
NEARLY SPOILED THE BANQUET
Misfortune to Printer C,used Confusion
at u Dinner Givon to Stanley.

Misfortune to n Printer fused Confusion
at Dinner GIvon to Stanley.
Mention of the present visit of Henry
N. Stanley to this country brought
about the narration OF an amusing,
though somewhat annoying, incident III
connection with the american dinner"
that was given to the explorer in Lon
don on his return from the Emin
Pasha relief expedition. The incident
also serves 10 show how a very slight
accident uluy precipitate confusion In q
dinner party. The American dinner to
Stanley was the idea of Henry S. Well
como, an American business man OF
London, who was not only personal
friend of Stanley, but 4 member of the
firm of druggists who fitted out the
Emin Pasha relief expedition. Through
Mr.. Welcomes energy almost every
american in London subscribed Tor
tickets to the dinner, and OH the nightit
came OF covers for over three hundred
people were laid in Evans assembly
rooms. One table, on u dais, was re-
served for Stanley and the more dis
tingrished guests, and there were o
dozen other long tables facing this one.
Mr.. Welcome attended personally to
the arrangement of the seats, and each
Iuan who had subscribed to the plate
that WIS to be presented 10 the guest
OF the evening was given place at the
end of one of the subsidiary tables, and
others were given seats near each other
who had expressed preference. Mr..
Welcome gave minute attention to
these details, aud, the first thing on the
morning of the night OF the dinner. hc
took his completed plan of the tables
and seats To u printer in order TO have
the usual diagrams ready for the guild
ancc of he diners in taking their places
When the hour of $3.50. which hnd
been fixed for dinner, had arrived. the
100 hundred guests were assembled in
the reccption-roon. Stanley was there,
and SO was Consul General John C..
New, who was to preside, and so were
some of the most distinguished men in
England. but there was no diagrams
of the dining-room, and the reception
com,nittc were anxiousiy waiting for
Ar. Welcome TO arrive with them. -At
s: 35 o'cls,ck Mr.. Welcome few in, in his
business clothes, with smudge OF
printers ink on his nose and more on
his hands. lie agonizinly informed the
reception committee that the printers
hud pied the type or the diagrams of the
tables ut the last moment. and thut
tnry would be compelled to do without
them.
1t may seem an easy matter for 300
tn fr1d 1nir ~ fNl txyB,a
their names are at their platcs, but IL
brought about SO much confusion that
everybody was turned from the dining
room back To the rrception-room and
brilliant scheme was suggested. There
WAS the original list of the names of ti,c
timers. with their respective places
that Mr.. Welcome had rcscned from
the printer. in the possession OF the re-
reption committee. The toastmaster
was stationed on a chair Mt the door of
4 lie dining-room and instructed to read
The list of names, each man TO pass out
and take his place Mt the table when
his name was called. The toastmaster
Sns n fine. big Englshman. with
voice. lie lid as he was told.
'New-Consul General John c." ho
and Mr.. New went through
fhc door. "Stanley-Henry NJ" bel
owed the toastmaster next. There
was a roar of laughter and that scheme
'or seating the guests was dropped.
Finally everybody went in again and
searched for his place and found it OF
otherwise, as best he might. Several
If the guests designed for the principal
able were rescued from inferior posi-
IONS below. and some ambitious ones
we're degraded from the table of rank:
,ut the dinner went on merrily aud
'nded similarly. though itbegan an hour
ater than the time it had been set for.
md all because of the accident to the
Y. Telegram.