Evening star., 1897-02-01
THE BEST YET,
The Annual Gridiron Clubs Dime,
Saturday Night.

Ihe Annual GrfdirOn Clubs Dinner
Saturday Night.
The twelfth annual dinner of the Gridiron
Club, given al the Arlington Saturday even
Ing, was one Of the handsomest affairs of
the sort that Washington has ever seen.
The club is made up almost entirely of
washington correspondents, a brainy and
clever set of men, and they have. earned
for themselves a reputation as entertainers
that is surpassed by no organization in the
country. 1t is a difficult matter for the
club to keep up the pace it has set for it
self In other years, but the general opinion
Of those present Saturday evening was that
this latest essay was the most successful
in the clubs history.
The guests Of the evening included many
of the most prominent men in the country
sc me of whom had come from considerable
distances to be present. There were men
famous in many and different walks of
life. and the result of their coming together
under such delightful and congeniai au-
spices can be better imagined than de-
scribed. The beautiful banquet room was
transformed for the time being into d
noral bower, where orchids, roses, ferns
and palms were scattered about in the mos.
lavish profusion, and hundreds of electric
lights were used to advantage in giving to
the scene an effect reminiscent of ones
dreams Of fairy land. 1t was a brilliant
setting for the gems of wit and eloquence
that scintillated throughout the entire even
ing.
The Gridiron Club always seeks the un-
conventional, and Saturday evening it fair
ly outdid itself in treating its guests to a
series of the most delightful surprises
They began with the menus, which were
made up in the form of a royal straight
flush in clubs, and included the initiation
of a club baby. Mr.. s. E. Johnson, the new
president of the organization, acted as
r IN or n q mr. o an hq
ing manner. He started the speakers off
so well that they could not help going on at
a lively rate During the early part of the
evening Mr.. George w. Rouzer of the New
York Herald was introduced as the latest
addition to the club membership. He was
brought into the banquet hall in a man.
moth perambulator In the guise of a found
ling that had been left on the clubs front
and received into the brotherhood in a
manner that amused the crowd immensely.
Another pleasant feature of the evening
was the presentation of handsome medals
to Mr.. Crosby S. Noyes and Mr.. George H.
Walker to mark the tenth year of their
connection with the club.
The music CT the evening was especially
attractive. including solos by Mr.. Stofer
and Mr.. Herndon Morsell, saxophone solo
by Mr.. Eugene Coffin, and a quartet of
saxophones by a quartet of the Marine
Band; violin number, finely rendered by
Mr.. Herman Rakemann, and several Sc
speakers Of the evening were Rev. DR.. Tai
mage Mr.. Chauncy NJ. Depew, Senator
German, Speaker Reed, President ingalls,,
Represep tatives Grosvenor and Dolliver
Vice President Stevenson, Mr. Frank Rich
ardson Assistant Secretary McAdoo, Secre-
tary Morton, Senator White. Representative
Boutelle, General Greely and others.
The guests of the evening were as fol-
lows: Frank N. Barksdale, James F. Bar
bour. Wilfred Bateman. Easton. Md: Rep
resentative C. B. Beach, DR.. Edward Bed
loe. Philadelphia: c. J. Bell. Representative
G. J. Boatner, Representative c. A. Bou-
telle. Scott c. Bone. Edward M. Boyd. Geo.
W. Boyd. S. NJ. Bryan, William H. Burnett.
[. White Busbey. Logan Carlisle, c. c.
Carlton. Senator Thomas H. Carter, Eugene
Coffin. Paul H. Cromelin, Sam Cross, j. M.
Culp. ]. H. Cunningham, L. Clarke Davis.
Wesley Reid Davis. New York: David
F. Day: Durango, Colo; Claas Den
kas pav Nj New New, YGTs Ea
ward F. Droop. Charles G. Du,in. George
NJ. Dunn, Denver. Col; James H. Eek
els, controller Of the currency; Charles
g. Essner, Professor Francisco Fanci-
ulli. Harry w. Fuller, Senator Arthur P.
German. Gen. A. w. Greedy. Representa-
tive C. H. Grosvenor. Fred. Chaille Handy,
s. b. Hege, Representative ID. B. Hender-
son. Commodore Philip Hichborn. Repre-
sentative 8. g.. HilboEn, Frederick Hovey.
Providence, RI: s. s. Huntley, Montana
Melville E. Ingalls,. DR.. H. L. E. Johnson,
Phflander c. johnson, Senator j. X. Jones,
John w, Keller, William Pitt kellogg, Mai
Chas. F. Larabee, William McAdoo, assist
ant secretary Of the navy. Senator George
ward McCauley, COL John McElroy, JUS
tice McGrath, E. p. McKissick, Asheville,
NC; Senator-elect William e. Mason.
Frank Mclaughlin, Lynn Meekins, Balti-
mere; Gen. Nelson A. Miles. II. J.. Mer-
rick. William Messervy. Salem, Mass; AL
bert Miller Representative w n Aoodr