The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-15
GERMAN SINGERS BANQUET
Feast Of Song and Daintiss
Spread for BeethoveniteS.
WAS A GENUINE COMMERS
Rough Plank Tables stretched
Through the Arlington Banquet
Hall and beer and Music Were
Entoyed-Speeches of Good Fellow
ship Exchanged-TOday' Program.

The Beethoven Maennerchor visitors of
New York. last night played the Lcsts to
their friends. the Washington saengerbund,
who have been entertaining them since
Sunday, and right royalty they celebrated
In German .'conimers' at the Arlington
The combined membership OF the two
societies. with their multitude OF friends,
brought the attendance to nearly 400,
and never before IN The history OF the Ger
man-Aniericans Of this city was such a
.'comniers'' celebrated.
No extra decorations were used In fit
ting the suinptuous banquet room for the
event and for once The great hall was
converted into u German chamber. where
the amber drink Of the Fatherland flowed
with urrestrained freedom. Three tables
OF rough. uncovered boards stretched the
entire length of the great hall. To the
left of the entrance a trio OF tapsters were
kept busy constantly ut work filling and
refilling countless glasses at three kegs
that seemed to possess unlimited capaci-
ties.
To the right of the entrance tables We're
piled high with weight of viands, plain
and domestic, but typical they were, that
made the snow white covers almost groan
under their weight. Later the curtains
were raised and the fare was passed to the
'lu"N dnI!S tht NHpiHy
MADE THE WALLS RING.
But food and drink were after all the
minor features or the feast Next to the
general good fellowship and socia biiity OF
the affair song was the queen OF the even
ing and the outpouring OF hundreds VI
we'll trdincd voices ace the walls ring
in fashion they had never known before.
Prof. Fanciulli and the Ma rine Band Were
hall off m tod In
the echo, and when, finally. nagner's
overture, '.RienZi," was rendered in ire
proachable style, the cries or bravo
knew no bounds, and the leader OF the band
was given an ovation flattering in the eX-
IRENE
Seated at the small rouns table that
formed tue head OF the ceuter row was
Mr. Joseph n. Ohmeis, for tweDi y-five years
president of the New York organization
and now the honorary leader OF the society.
About him sat the pre- sidents OF the en-
tcrtaninG and the entertained societies and
some OF the guests OF the evening
POSTMASTER there was none. Tie &C.
caSIon was of too ctIarmingly an informal
nature Mr. Frank Pfaff presided in a
jovial manner. however. and announced
the speakers and the singers in turn.
KIND WORDS EXCHANGED.
With the first clinking Of the glasses Mr..
William TcBhompcl of the Beethoven Maen-
Berchor thanked the lCcal society for the
manner in which its members had extended
their hospitality to the visitors and Of
fered the present occasion Il tribute Of
appreciation. THE reciprocal feelings Of
friendship between tie two societies had
been sealed stiIl closer The return to the
metropolis would 4 c made with an additional
glow OF warmth IN the heart OF each one
of the visitors.
The address was in German. The response
by Mr.. Frank Cloudy, president of the
Naennercbor. was in the niUther-tongue,
aud CouChel in verse. Its elOqueid rendi-
ton brought i round OF applause.
The great singing societies alternated
in entertaining their friends, Mr.. a.
yolker a handsome baritone, sang solo,
and the band plI yed.
Mr. simon Wolf of this city was intro
duCed by Chairman Pfaff. He spoke with
his usual cloquence, i'll English. He re-
ferreG feelingly to the journey 10 Mount
Vernon and the tomb Of Washington, taken
yesterday morning. The wreath that had
been placed on the sepulcher was an offer
ing not of Germans, nor of New Workers,
but of Il body of people whose grand
Inertia &c was American citizenship. wash
iGgtou and his fellow-patriots had left it
to ali alike.
MR. VOLTS REILLY.
You did not act as foreigners today"
said Mr.. Wolf. You are not foreigners.
This is your Washin ston as much as ours.
Let us who were born in other lands and
in this land alike stand in solid phalanx
against every assault on personal liberty.
Let US frown down cveSy attempt at an
arciiy and secession. Wemust nd united
in purpose and be firm in action to give
tone to a grander intercourse bet ween our
people OF this, our own land.
The mass of the American people is |
engaged too much In politics and not |
enough in the cultivation Of social rela- |
tionship. They need such demonstrations |
as ours TO teach them sucIability. We |
must show them we do not forget family |
and friendship amid all the busy whirls of |
life"
The speaker sat down amid storm OF |
applause and again the band played There |
were other speakers throughout the even |
ing and the whole company. men and |
women. joined in the revelry OF song.
The eating, drinking and singing con-
tinued until this morning drew nigh. 1t
was the last event in the visit OF the New
York singers to Washington. They will |
spend toda i'll sightseeing, and most OF the
visitors will return to their homes this
afternoon