The morning times., 1896-01-31
FORGOT ALL THEIR RISKS
Fire Underwriters Meet in
Eleventh Annual Banquet.
FEASTED AT THE SHOREHAM
Tonsts Were Drunk and Speeches
Made as IL the Fire F;end Had
Been Killed and Buried-Splendid
Gathering of Representative Busi-
ness Menn.

The Association of Fire Underwriters OF
the District OF Columbia enteIi aimed and
rcasted itself and Il few invited guests
at lis eleventh annual banquet at the Shore
ham last night.
The affair was signal success and was
of the same high standard of elegance and
lavishness which has long since character
lied the gastrononic seanCcs of tEls very
useful and important business q organization.
The gathering WAS u representative one
including, as it did, prominent men III all
the walks or the commercial! and profession
al life of the community.
Once each year these gentlemen VINO deal
in little else than risks" gather about the
festive board and for the time being lay
aside all thought of writing policy and rates
ard special rating" and risks extra
hazardous" and otherwise Il nj devote their
time entirely 10 ''oanceiins" at short
rates the various courses of "a tempting
menu.
They come TO renew" for another
year or a ieIm their good Fellowship aud
pledge it in bumpers al various cclors and
sizes and ages, considering slightly the
moral risk and forgetting entirely the
"physicar' hazard they assume in doing
IL, aud willing this morning, in many IN
stances, no doubt, 10 pay double rate pre-
MUM to be relieved Of the line they are
SdTTNlnS-
NOVEL IDEAS RUNG IN.
The committee having the arrangements
of the banquet i'll charge introduced num-
ber of innovati lions, which were as Striking
for their novelty as they were pleasing IN
their results.
the cosy banquet hail of the Shoreham
was used last night, and the first and most
striking innovation noticed was that the
guests were seated at small tables ar
ranged in neighborly fashion about the
room, instead OF having long prosy and
stiff expauses OF table cloth stretched over
endless yards of straight tables. The fea-
ture added warmth and plcaSantness and
was productive Of increasing congeDidlity
from the oysters 10 the cigars.
The walls OF the room were draped in
national Colors and grouped about every
where were growing plants. In The middle
of the floor Stood n platform from which
was suspended a big alarm bell, physical
reminder OF the good, sensible custom
of ringing the number of alarm boxes or
stations throughout the city and now for
some reason done away with. Around the
bell were hung national flags and Il number
OF electric lights in red globes.
President OF the Association John B.
Wight sat at 4 table Dldgnificiently deco
rated with cut flowers al the head of the
room and on either side with him sat the
lDNltCn guests Vi IIOIlllutHtC. IhSsC we've
E. A. Walton of New York. preside Ut OF the
National Board or Fire L Underwriters;
r. II Mclean. vice -prcside nj of the Citizens
Fire Insurance Company of New York;
NJ. L. Hewes of Baltimore, chairman of the
local division OF tie middle department.;
s. W. Woodward, president of the Wash
ipgton Board of Trade; c. j. Bell, prest
dent OF the American Security and Trust
Company. and Capt. X. H. Tyler, eA-presi-
dent OF the association.