The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-01
A CUSTOM TO BLACKBALL
INDIANAPOLIS LITERARY CLUB Al
WAYS WAS HARD ON GOVERNORS.
w. r. FishbacI< Accused of Being
Men Great, says Mr.. Rowland.


sponded TO toasts it came to be known how
dirlcult 1t really is to get into this worthy
organization. Indeed it is quite Gus
tomary thing to blackbalI Governors. ac-
cording to w. p. Fishhack, although one
of these eminent officials actually did get
into the sacred precincts of the club. Ac-
cording to the same authority it generally
requires several onslaughts on the array
of blackballs 10 get within the charmed
circle, but Mr.. Fishback thought it worth
the while of any man TO stand the hail for
a few times at least. Myron W. Reed in d
letter to the club. which was read, thought
that Mr.. Fishback was the gentleman who
started the blackball fad in the club but
Mr.. Ffshback denied that he was the man
VINO had been judging the literary qualifi-
cations of aspirants to the high honor.
Louis II. Rowland, of the News also spoke
on similar lines, and John +. Cleland had
a few words to say on this pertinent topic.
During his remarks Mr. Fishback told
story which the club would not have heard
from Governor Mount had he been a MEM
Der of the club, and which failed to strike
Revs Haines. Baltzly and Dewhurst. and
even less reverend gentlemen, as either
funny or appropriate.
The club celebrated the completion of
twenty years of the clubs life at this an
nual dinner Scot Butler, retiring presi-
dent, presided as POSTMASTER. Louis How
land lately elected secretary, read letters
of regret from Myron W. Reed, who was
to have responded to a toast c. l.. Dickin-
son and otner absent members who could
not be present. When cigars were reached,
after an excellent menu, John ii. Holiday
responded to the sentiment, The Old
Times" Mr.. Holiday was one of the first
members OF the club, and in remifTcent
talk he dwelt on the peculiar charac'erls-
tics of members, many of whom ha re-
moved to other places and others VINO nave
died.
In calling ON w p. Fishback to speak to
the toast''1he Ancient Mariner" the toast
master said that at recent commence
ment of the law school one of the orators
while addressing the students, told them
that they stood on the divide lie predlcted
that if they lived as long as tbs dean OF
the school they would see 3o1,oOo, OJJ inhaDl-
tants in this country. The POSTMASTER APP
pealed to mathematician VINO inquired tnat
that population would be reached in 2I29
A. d. At this rate of calculation, he said,
Mr. Fishback must be one thousand years
old Mr.. Fishback confessed that he was
embarrassed. Although man who passed
ting on the porch called him uncle, ana
although when he went to the Union Depot
trainmen cried 1edn def r out o9 Ss9
by the cars" he asserted that
he was young man in feeling and senti-
ment During the, course of his remarks, Mr..
Fishback denied that he was the originator
of the practice of blackballing in the club,
as Mr. Reed facetiously stated him to be
in his letter of regret. Myron Reed hln-
self started that practice, said Mr. Fish
back. He declared that there was scarce
ly a man who finally got into the club
who had not been blackbaIled, some OF
them time and again.
There have been some remarks liz the
papers recently on subject about vines
we are rather tender. 1t is said that we
have blackballed one of the Governors or
the State. We always blackballed them
Governor Porter was about the only one
that ever got in at the first try.
Other speakers of the evening indicated
clearly that it was no unusual thing Tor
the club to blackball a man when his name
was presented, and that it was indeed the
rule, rather than the exception New mem n
bers are always subject to a great deal or
chatting. A F. Potts smiled good naturedly
last night when there were limitations that
he had not escaped the usual course
CLUB HAS MADE MEN GREAT.
''The Prentice Hand" was the subject OF
Louis Howland's paper. Mr.. Rowland is
a son of one of the founders of the club.
At his fathers house the meetings of the
club were held the first year of its ex-
istence. He spoke of the character of the
club and said that it might be called
democracy of letters, as wealth and posi-
ton were not sufficient credentials to open
the clubs doors. glance at the list OF
membership showed that there were put
fensive snobbery has never crossed the
threshold of the indianapolis Literary
Club" he exclaimed Among the clup
memberships had been President, Vice
President ministers to foreign courts,
Cabinet officers and men Of prominence in
the world. Almost without exception they
had been taken into the club before they
were known outside of the city or STATE
except as possibilities. Their subsequent
success demonstrated that they possessed
abilities and merits recognized aforetlme
by the club. They had not made the cluD
great; the club had helped to make them
great.
John f. Cleland responded to the senti-
ment 1.-The King of Clubs" which referred,
of course, to the Indianapolis Literary
of blackballng, upholding the. practice as
one of great and notable antiquity since
prehistoric days when barbarlans We're IN
the habit Of dropping white stones for GOOD
luck and black stones for bad luck INTO
an urn. The custom. he said had pre-
vailed from the day when Cain black
I'VE always think" said Mr. Cleland,
that no ebony sphere Is dropped into the
depositing 1t as good club reason the
judicous use of the backball would destroy
microbes but its offensive use became
itself a mcTobe which no amount of sui
phur of DR.. Hurtys new deodorizer would
"Politics and Literature was the subject
assigned TO John l.. Grifhths, who held that
the best in politics and literature both
sprang from the efforts Of the men who
intermingIe the TWO CdlllHSS. ne nelu WITH
George w. Curtis that although the scholar
is not always in office, he Is always in
power.
Rev. John Baltzy formerly of this city,
but recently returned from Leland Stan
ford University, In California, spoke briefly
to the toast, THE Old Guard" TO which
Myron w Reed was TO have spoken. He paid
a delicate tribute 10 the late Governor Por-
ter He said that he had never known
any maniWho treated young men with more
kindly courtesy than Governor Porter. FIRE.
quently Mr.. Baltzy said that he had taken
friends with him to the Monday-night
meetings of the club, where Governor Por-
ter always exerted himself 90 make them
feel at home.
A surprise party was sprung on Mr.. A.
F. Potts. DR. A. w. Brayton was not pres
ent to respond to The New Woman" and
the POSTMASTER called on Mr.. Potts to
speak from the standpoint of the new MEM
Der. After hearing all the statements Of
the evening as TO the extreme difficulty Of
admission TO the club the only complaint
he had TO offer was that the club had so
long delayed the hour of his birth and cut
him off from years of usefulness.
THE B0ARDER RESENTED 1T.