The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-25
Season for U1lll0P8.
Amos J. Cummings Recalls Festivities o, tue ast---ofu.uT
and UtnolS as noStS.

ner. To my morulticauOn, ! .as a<i
conspicuous by the absence OF s~t.-
low-tail. To-day our hUsi assured ~"
that his dinner was not en- rcg.e bdt
bearing in mind my former experience i
went to tailor on Ninth st4sel north
west, and hired this uitra-ldsuiJuaIne
apparel. And now l hnd mysen tde
only guest at the feast arrayed IKE Il
waiter. The modification | can swat
low, but ! can never forgive myself for
beng buncoed out of the three dollars.
When the laughter had subsidized. Coy.
Flower ordered bumper to the aealth
of the dress suit, which was drank amid
great applause, and the member sub
sided.
A magnificent entertainer was Ben
Cable, of Illinois. He had a house fill
ed with rare old missals and bric-a-
hrac, and cellar where genuine Royal
.Johannesburger lay in sweet repose. Il
was served at the proper course, and
the sparkling eyes and glib tongues OF
his guests told how mudh it was appre-
cated Choice spirits sat at his table,
and the quaintest of "reminiscences a
bounded. Sherman Hoar and George
Fred Williams were his colleagues in
Congress, and were always welcome
guests at his house. Hpar was an uneX-
celed raconteur, and the FilettanteiSm
of George Fred had full play. Gable
was great favoritc With the Washing
ton correspondents. the choicest Of whom
frightened his table with their presence.
Equally sparkling were the dinners Of
Joe Washington, Of Tennessee. One
served during the fret ecrS or Or. fire So
ty-eccond Fongr was IN d menor III
IL A nd J...,
Mckenzie. Of Kentucky. These twoI
great story tellefs OF the South locked
horns. and the fun grew fast and futi-
Gus. Eaoh detailed personal reminis-
cences Of his native State. and each wins
peculiarly unique and original. The feast
was flooded with merriment. and Aurora
was flushing the East when the last
group of guests took their departure.
Ool. + kLLUNS AND JOHN ALLEN
A dinner remarkable for its display OF
fera Or and friendship Was that gwen by
the New York Representatives to Cot
John L. Fellows ON the Colonels retire
meat from Congress. No man more
popular ever held seat in the House.
Rarely has one as eloquent ever held its
members speiibound. lie was a prince in
the domain of geniality, and he had a
host of friends with whom his influence
was unbounded. Probably his nearest
ana dearest friend in Washington was
John Allen. The two men seemed al
most inseparabie Both had served in
The Confederate army, and this service
seemed 10 streng hen tie link wh.cl
bound u3eIn together. Or course, Joll
Allen was a guest at the dinner. The
festivities We're tinged with regret a
the loss or Col. Fellows. IL Was ais
known that John Alien had received
saddening intelligence from dear ones Il t
home who were prostra ted with SEX
ness, and that his presence there was
imperative. At $50 he arose, and paid |!
heartfelt tribute TO his old friend, |
saying hat the hour for the departure /
OF the train for the South was near, and
he was compelled to bid him good-by. |
The table was in the form of horse
shoe, and Col Fellows sat at the head |
Of the shoe. Walking up to him from
the interior OF the shoe. Allen reached
across the table and Chased his hand |
The Colonel arose. His eyes were filed !
with tears. In a clear, sympathetic tone
he alluded to his friends of the past. II
have climbed the pathway of life,' said |
he, "and on looking backward before |
descending the hill. | see my pathway
strewn not with flowers, but marked by |
the graves Of my friends" In impas-
stoned eloquence he bore tribute to their
virtues. His very words seemed to be !
magnetic. Each guest intuitively left his
seat, and all gathered within the horse
shoe. The Colonel retained his grasp Of
Aliens hand, and alluded to their !
friendship and appreciation of each 9th I
er in terms so pathetic and tender that |
nearly every eye at the table was suf-
fused. When Allen slowly departed, the |
remaining guests resumed their seats as
though dazed. Gradually, however, they
recovered from the magical spell of the |
Colonefs eloquence, and the dinner
wound up in the utmost hilarity. The |
scene, however, was so impressive that
every man will remember it to his dying
day.
AMOS J. CUMMINGS. |