The morning times., 1897-01-31

Striking Incidents. =
The black-barred flag that fioated all
yesterday above the Arlington Hotel gave
notice Of the Gridiron Club dinner of last e
evening. II was Gridiron Twelfth Night,
This famous club was organized an even
dozen years ago, and during its long and
successful existence has given many re-
markable dinners and those held upon it's,
recurring anniversaries have been the most
attractive and interesting of all. Each
year the only doubt left in the minds Of
participants in its charming entertain
mentS has been whether 1T were possible
for the club to outdo its last annual, amt
every year it has agreeably disappointed
these friendly questioners by surpassinis
all preceding events in its history in ele-
gance and excellence.
Last nights dinner was no exception to
this rule. In the matter of decoration en-
tertainment and distinguished company, it
was more than the equal OF any of Is pred
ecessors, and Notwithstanding the many
novelties in the art OF dinner giving which
this club has prese nted in the past, il Last
night demonstratedthati ii knows still other
dining feats to conquer.
The admirable banquet hall OF the Airing
ton, beautifully as it has been decorated
in the past, never pres ented a more at
tractve appearance than as arranged last
evening Small, the club decorator, called
TO his aid Messrs Crane, of Paterson, ana
Galloway, the electrician. The former
festooned the walls OF the large dining
hall with a white, filmy cloth, and so
curtained the great mirrors that the room
looked more like a great salon than a
public banquet hall. over all these, the
florist hung wild Suilax in graceful pro
fusion, and the electrician arranged the
lighting. so as TO make an extremely beau
tiful effect. The huge chandeliers, which
adorn the banquet hall on ordinary oc-
casionS, We're removed, and the room was
Illuminated solely by many clusters of
small arc lights attached to the ceiling
The usual gridiron-shaped table was
used, and it was elaborately decorated.
The head of the Ia ble was banked up from
the floor with plants and jars OF flowers
and on the table, finishing the picture,
were rows of rare and delicate orchids.
The menu need not lie detailed 1t was
OF the best afforded by the ample cuisine
of the Arlington, and, Notwithstanding the
many peculiar Interruptions, necessitatcd
by the extensive, often astonishing, ana al
ways unusual program Of entertainment
which the club intersperses through the
dinner itself, was admirably served.
President 5. Z. johnson presided in
chara acteristiCaily felicitous manner. He
was particularly happy in all int reductions
OF distinguished guests and enlivcned the
proceedings with many witty interiec
tons a new departure, which was much
enjoyed, was bright parodies OF verses OF
familiar songs with which he brought out
Chauncey Depew, Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage
and others of the more notable among the
many distinguished persons present.
The club membership was not idle in the
meantime The Interruptions OF guests
is one Of the practices which the club has
relegatedto to oblivion. Only few comments
Were iutersperScd throughout the many
excellent speeches by guests, and they
Were splendidly directed andalwayS brought
down their men. 1t was in the case OF the
Comptroller of the Currency, MI Eckels,
that the club played its strongest practi-
cal joke. The president introduced the
Comptroller in d few flattering words.
Objection was promptly made by a mem
Der OF the club 10 the effect that when the
Comptroller last appeared at an annual
dinner he talked t 90 ion & and said too much.
This stamped him as dangerous, and
therefore the club, fea ring IL repetition
OF former long suffering, had arranged
a device By which a short speech was rem
deredoertain. Immediate ely yaStronG-throat-
ed phoncgraph began to reel off a special
speech. which it was asserted Mr. Eckels
had prepared for the occasion. This con-
sisted very largely OF nursery rhymes
! adapted to current political events and
was received with hearty appreciation.
Early III the evening the proceedings were
cnlivcRed by a very amusing one-sded
! telephone talk with the Major at Canton.
! This conversation was conducted by ex-
! President Amin, and many facts were
| elected OF keen interest to members Of
! the company For instance, Mr. I}ou-
| telle, of Maine, was informed through the
prone that a special delivery letter was
| coming for him from Canton. A few
| seconds later a member OF the club, dressed
as = ietter-carrier, appeared, carrying
/ on lis shoulder an enormous portfolio,
on which the word Navy stood out in
! bold, black letters. This was carried
clear round the table to Capt Boutelle'S
seat near the president Of the club Then
the portfoli was opened. The onl y
thing 1t contained was huge card bearing
the brief and brutal legend Nit
Tic menu card was strikingly novel.
! The club has always succeeded in making
| these cards valuable and attractive souve
| Mrs OF its dinners and the one this veal
was most unique. 1t was in the form OF
| a royal flush of clubs. The faces of the
| double-headed cards bore grotesuue pic
| lures OF Mckinley and Bryan as kings
| the regent OF Spain and the discarded
Liliuokalani, as queens; Hanna and Jones
as knaves, and miscellaneous assortmen,
of incoming and outgoing small-fry poll
| ticianS as spots on the tens. The back!
Of the cards served to convey to the guests
the menu, the list of those present, the
| club membership and Officers and Other
interesting facts.
| Late in the evening there was one OF
| the keen satires on current political events
| for which the club is noted. 1t was the
proposal to annex the Island OF Ireland
! and served as vehicle for a thnly-ds-
gused discussion of the acquisition OF
| Cuba. Correspondents Wynne, Stevens and
HcSford, representing Senators Cameron
Hale and Chandler indulged in spirited
tor Hale opposed it because it would
| seriously disturb our social relations, and
Chandler favored it on the general principle
| of grabbing everything we can get. The
resolutions passed with wboop. Pres