The sun., 1897-01-13
uoTEL MEN MAKE MERRY.
,o1lY TINE LAST EVENING AT
yuEyR ANNUAL BANQUET.

,o,,y TINE LAST EVENING AT
yuEyR ANNUAL BANQUET.
s,seebe. and witty Stories ADDED
Ceve 40 tho Other Good Thiues Fnr-
's.a : Member. OF the judiciary
~. r,,v Omciais Among the auests.
,,.,,,,. abort OF a broken leg or penal SEN
.vsr t.eps an invited guest away from
,,., NJ the Hotel Association OF New YORK
' A, least that Is the reputation which the
Wv, Wv, ,r.n themselves give their dinner, and the
V,,, held last night at Delmonico's bore out
,,.r.ru,ation, for OF the 800 guosts expected
do,en were absent, though II 10 not
. ,'a,,,.lv stated OF that dozen whether they are
..aer tho care Of the doctors or oflthc State.
Tsos. vbo aid come had such jollifoation As
,...ldom part Of largo public dinner. 1t has
",w.v. been tho aim OF the hotel men TO have
and leave the more serious mat
49,. Of life to tho moro serious mood
:, tho following morning. 80 II was
,.., the Armenian question was not
,arshed on last night. Nor was politics luggcd
u nor did any OF tho speakers warbie OF Cuba
IJh,e. or street cleaning, or woman's suffrage,
ar the rights OF the people, or any OF those sub
,.c,s VIII ich people who have dined well arc ox-
r.c,,d 10 listen to with we'll regulated approval.
Instead. Str. Bidweil "jollied" the hotel men.
.na Gus Thomas told them stories. and Mr..
wu,on made Jokes for them. and Sim" Ford
made speech OF his own kind. which 10 kind
,h,, nobody else in New York can mako. and
NJ, Breslin, as presiding genius. told moro or
i... ,landerous yarns about tho speakers
xbom he introduced, and the only man who
,.ntured to bo serious was tho associations
,.rn,.l. Mr.. Tanning. Nho talked about tho
p.ln,,law But then tho Raines law 10 not. In
.,y light whatever, O humorous matter to the
hotel men.
Altar eyorybody had become replote with
,,,n,r and It's concomitants, President james
II prrsliu welcomed tho guests to tho eigh-
tenth annual banquet OF the association. and
,ola A few stories OF famous hotel keepers.
Then he introduced George r. Bidwoll. whose
connection with the hotel. ho i'm piled, was sug-
g,,ted in the toast to which Mr.. Bldwell was to
answer, Tho Passing of tho Free Lunch"
After stating that ho had seldom II over passed
,nv free lunch himself without stopping, Mr..
Bldwsll said;
SPEECH OF GEORGE r. BID WELL
For several ye ,rs have been anIiously await
Ing this opportunity. and now your timo has
sSs nnos. ~ The speakers who arc to follow mo will
explain with innocent and bland expression
how they were surprised on coming here this
evening, to be Informed by the committee that
they would be expected to make few remarks;
how they are totally unprepared. came SO unex-
esa Ss uhs fscs ssi os saSn tb.
weeks preparing his speech for this dinner.
With me II l. different. Ihave not been neglect
Ing my business since Bryan was nominated, 1
have had ample time to prepare this speech
also two sets OF assignment papers.
"speaking OF hotels. have lived In one OF
those houses known as a family hotel. for which
the upper west side Is noted. the past hvo years,
and there Is constant tussle between the guests
Pd ne me favor o shs %heD the
house was first opened It WAS bountifully fur
nished. but gradually. and with each departing
vice hsye disappeared. until now cofIeo is served
IN Ice pitchers. and single portion soup dishes
serve for finger bowls.
public that Is permitted to partake OF your
hospitality at $40 q minute | feel that we owe
dsS S MsSs 20 20 svery he'e ms IN
than gratitude; but let that pass and charge it
to furniture and carpet account. Many OF tho
R ms siiss~ssve % been passed pa nnSer your roofs. L
b possible my presence was not known. still
Va, there Ican look back With pleasure and
tended TO me by your detective and other en-
ployees, especially the head clerk. who always
doubtful age. both with resignation and for
bearanee. And when left It was always with
regret and any other little toilet convenience
There Is no business In which tho public
takes 50 great an interest as In tho hotel. have
In tho management OF his ewn business Is al
ways able 10 run his friends hotel with tho
greatest success This state of affairs Is brought
.Ss as ss'i "ewsa a Sy IL. paSiis HS
A large block Of real estate on = prominent
hotels, 1, unimptoS.d The owner is undecidsd
what IMPROVEMENT should be made. Sugges-
tons from all quarters are offered. Finally
goes. handsomely furnished. all conveniences.
expensive decorations, tho entire structure
bearing mortgage which can he seen a clear
a nj nf thaFfv he nUh In
rushes IN and the demand for one-hal portions,
dollar rooms, writing paper. and tooth
pnblic Is the last rush OF the creditors. The
grocer. win merchant, and furniture man take
stock In The new company and are invited TO the
heIt annua! banquet Of the hotel association"
When the general expressions of glee and
loyonsness gave Mr.. Breslin a chance no an
nn9uheed that he had captured Augustus
mem consisted in String Of highly enier-
flavor OF which he justified by saying that he
hAa promised his manager to speak only on sub.
}sss n,, sI sHat would advertise the profsssi1ns
on Inc Trbulations o, the twould-Be, After
Dinner Orator" Mr.. Wilson said:
GEORGE T. Wilson's SPEECH.
As you may infer from the text which has
sen assigned To me that we orators have tribu-
inNohs especially the orator OF the shrinking
Exposition: sinp which lie usually Is, with tho eIcep-
bep.w o. s0uTse pe, ot .nSh h!SASinder, a. Mr.
a
z the soft, Impeachment. Oh! tho dread
suat ones improInptu and extempornneOus
,peech, which Is really tho result OF the work
Igor MS think tank for many weary nights.
anl tle burning OF much midnight oil or cleo
VIC llght. according Ia the price ne has in his
ffio.nes, VIII not receive the recognition which
nenrmiy believes 4 deserves! lie Is so sure
tht hhat y Is the effort OF his life that IL will 20
Numbering down the ages as n ellt-cdged speci-
men OF how 10 do 1t. and all that sort OF thing
As the day OF execution. or rather delivery.
aapproaches however, the canker worm Of
GGespair begins TO get In its fne work on his
.,amask cheek. so to speak. lie goes
.n,ougn The dinner In prefunctory way.
ealns little and drinking less, As the hour
WoHresseS, his nerves gradually desert
nun especially as lie sits through what seems
70 MN the nano speeches OF the other fellows.
anu as he sees the auditors, as the hour wanes.
act. You know the rest.
tlsrumored that the Society for tho Pre-
,enloI of Cruelty to Animals. at tho request OF
S%nerai orators. proposes to have u bill intro
nuigea nuialh IN ti'o next Legislature making II COM
pu,sory 10 have af;er.dinner speeches delivered
S.r,Ore dlnher. At last therefore. wo sec a