New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-26
THE ALBANY DINNER.

There's to be a great public dinner at Albany
tonight 1t is estimated that one thousand clti-
zens OF distinction. some eminent Tor PUBIC ser
vice already rendered. others for Willingness TO
answer a call to il. will sit at the tables ana
signify by eating and drinking their worshipfui
regard for the hero Of the occasion. while fifteen
hundred common people will look on from the
galleries wishing they We're in the midst or the
buzz and in touch with the fizz. The orchestra
will play the heros familiar tune-than which
there could be nothing more appropriately Mine
Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the coming OF
1.-THE Lord remarks of high order OF eloquence
will be read by the hero: other remarks VIII be
recited from memory: and late in the evening
remarks of wholly impromptu character VIII
he INDUCED in by the hilarious lngerers de-
scrlbed by the devout as jewellers. Inc oc-
casion is certain TO be historic Nor when we
say historic do we mean to limit its character Ill
that regard to the dark brown taste OF the
next morning Its impressions will undoubtedly
stay longer and its effect be more lasting.
There have been other dinners-famous ones.
There was one in Babylon. more than twenty
five centuries ago. when 1.-The king made great
feast to a thousand of his lords and drank wine
before the thousand the memory OF when
survives. Early in the evening the king had an
uncommonly good time But about haif-pasl
1o-while they were all drinking out of the golden
vessels which the kings father had conhscated
in Jerusalem. and shifting the bouquet OF Chal-
dean wines with wise comments on the vintage
after the manner Of the gourmets of our own
time who begin discriminating in vintages about
the hour when they are too full to tell the az
ference between Medford rum and Burgundy
there came forth fingers Of mans hand ana
wrote over against the candlestick upon the
"plaister Of the walls Of the kings palace. 1t
worried the king. who could not understand what
was written. until a young Hebrew gave MIN
the translation, which worried him still more.
The tragic ending Of the dinner Is recorded IN
the words. "In that night was Belshazzar the
| King OF the Chaldeans slain" The occasion has
been perpetuated in history as that of THE hand
writing on the wall" There will. OF course be
nothing like that tonight: no handwriting on the
wall and no Hebrew-at least no such Hebrew
| as Daniel waste interpret 1t if there should be
There was another swell dinner three hundred
wears later in Bactra in the Far East. whittier
the Macedonian King had come in his world
| conouering career 1t has been celebrated in
verse as "Alexander's Feast" That was the
! fine when Timotheus with flying fingers
| touched the Tyre" and traced the Grecian hero :
| origin back TO Jove. Alexander appeared 10 Ike
II. He nodded like Jove, and drank like Bac-
chus. Everybody had a jag. And everybody
who wanted anything paid the hero divine
honors worshlpping him as god. Everybody
| except an old Greek by the name OF Callisthenes
! nephew Of Aristotle. who late In the evening
his booze having unfortunately. taken that turn
got I'D and said that Aleck was well enough in
his way. but, as for his being divine. he wasn't
even a little tin god on wheels. Calls forgot
that a week or two before. at Maracanda, Cltus
had made similar remarks. and that Aleck. being
in his cups had spitted him with his sword for
his impudence. Calls fingered for several days
In an iron cage and presently disappeared
There will be nothing Of that kind tonight
There will be eating and drinking and jags OF
course and music. and Tyres some of which Will
be touched with flying fingers others touched
for ten" But there viii be no discOrdant note
! IN the worship. Callisthcnes is dead.
Then there We're swell dinners in Athens. Al
| clbiades used 10 have frequent convval rack
cts Some Of them. from all accounts. of the sort
that would have provoked the interference OF
Captain Chapman. After one OF them he and
the gilded youth-whom he had entertained so
literally that they were all. in the words Of his
uncle Perlcles. loaded for bear round
removing the little statues Of Mercury which the