New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-07
FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS.
NOT CHRISTMAS. BUT A JOLLY DUTCH
MEMS DINNER.

SOCIETY OF THE CHEEKY SAINT HAS ITS ANNUAL
REUNION AT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BIT
RECORDER GoFF AND OTHERS
Three hundred jolly descendants OF those old
Dutch burghers who founded New-Amsterdam sat
down TO the sixty-ffth annual dinner Of the ST.
Nicholas Society at Demonicos last night True
10 their motto Orange Bowen" the orange was
over all. for four great streamers OF that color
depended from the corners Of the ceiling and met
in a festoon Just under the main chandelier. Inc
feast was elaborate one. and the souvenirs OF
Holland delft works OF art. With the Gomez
were distributed long clay church warden pipes
and as the smoke curied up in blue wreaths from
their quantity carved bowls the sound OF trumpet
was heard at the door and in came procession OF
the stewards bearing the sacred emblem OF 'hs
society the ancient weathercock which used 10
stand the top OF the Stadthaus OF New-Amster-
dam Washington Irving preserved 1t and present
ed It 10 the society The members rose to their
feet in its honor. 1t placed on the presidents
table. and that was the signal for the speech
making 10 begin.
Some expected that place on the toast iist "ouiu
be kept for that other branch Of hardy Dutch STOCK
which Is making the fight of its life In south
Africa-the Beers. but too much English. irish ana
Scotch blood has got mixed up with the Du'oh Oh
Manhattan TO make such toast acceptable 10 III
a ST. Nicholas Society dinner. Moreover there
ST Georges and 81. Davids societies, who might
have felt offended had such thing been done
Therefore, the Beers did not appear on the toast
list but for all that committee OF the ST. Nieholas
Society is raising funds 10 be sent to Dom fauI
government 10 be expended In Red Cross work,
with the express provision that 1t shall be shared
alike by the Boer wounded and by English prison.
ers who are sick or wounded within the Boer mes
President Foster F. De Peyster presided and In
his opening remarks congratulated the society on
It's material prosperity evidenced by an overno"
ing treasury and long waiting list OF appncah's
for membership. In mentioning the ten deaths
among the members in the last year he paid
warm tribute TO the worth and the modesty OF
their former president, Cornelius Vanderbilt MT
De Peyster then called for three cheers for Presi
dent Mckinley and three more for Governor hoose-
welt which were given with a will. as health was
drunk standing. TO each Of them and the orches-
ira played The Star spansled Banner" Then
came the toast for the societys patron saint, 81
Nicholas, which responded TO by the Kew
DR.. J. Wesley Brown. rector OF St. Thomas's.
He was followed by James NJ. Beck District
Attorney OF Philadelphia, who spoke TO the toast
"Our Country" Mr.. Beck is young man. and
said he was somewhat handicapped by the
splendor OF the subject he was asked TO handle.
He said ne felt somewhat like the Irishman who
went to sleep in a hotel leaving word that he must
be called early in the morning He had long
It OFF When the Irishman was called early next
morning he arose, but when he caught sight OF
his altered visage IN the looking glass, he ex-
claimed: "Bedad. they have called the wrong
man" and went 10 bed again. Nevertheless, Mr..
Beck spoke Of "Our Country In a way which won
the hearty and prolonged applause OF his hearers.
and brought from the president the remark:
There is only one thing I don't like about Mr..
Beck and that Is the fact that he does not live In
New-York."
When the laughter and applause which the presi-
dents sally occasioned had subsidized Mr. De Peyster
introduced the next speaker. Recorder GofY, who
responded to the toast Our City" He gave his
hearers good, old fashioned lecture on the manner
in which he sad they had abdicated the honor
able place which their forefathers took and kept
in the management and government OF this city,
position which he declared their descendants had
voluntarily abandoned in favor Of persons not
nearly so we'll fitted 10 fulfil those functions.
Speaking Of the races which had gradually changed
Dutch NewAmsterdam into the greatest polygot
city OF the world he declared that New-York now
contained more Italians than any city in Italy ex-
cept Milan and Naples more Hungarians than any
city in Austria Hungary except Budapest, more
Poles than any city in Poland save Warsaw, more
Germans than any city in Germany except Berlin,
more Irish than any city In Ireland except Dublin
and more Hebrews than any city on top or the
earth.
In this mixed population Recorder Gon declared
the Dutch might easily have held the whip hand
IN directing its destinies which they once held had
they devoted 10 a 1.-THE OF the brains and energy
they had devoted TO the pursuit OF wealth and re-
enement He reminded them that citizens OF their
class were prone TO complain that the city gov
srnment was not what 1t should be- and he agreed
with them heartily that point, but he asserted
that the banker or the lawyer VINO went OUT Oh
town on Election Day IN the pursuit OF pleasure IN
stead OF staying home 10 cast his vote was not
nearly as much entitled 10 the kind OF government
he desired as the coal HEAVIER, who did go TO the
polls and did vote, was entitled 10 tue N"u VI
government that he desired.
sneeches were also made by John A. Taylor. on
THE Founders OF NewAmserdssm1b me y Ersds snS
J. de PeysteT on The ~ ArRy - a9a Quests sns navy
Among those who sat at the presidents St tabie
the Rey P Bergen W pfesSeht OF the Holland
geSs ou,h exander Mariana second vcepresldent
Of s. Andrews sS SseKy Of coon Vars Re-
eorder Con Austin B. Fletcher vceIpresiden tes o.
ds1t 'e ~ 81 Davids Society; Carlisle Norwood,
Judge Morgan ]. oBrien president Of me fIleneiy
General from the Netherlands K. B.. Roosevelt,
John A. Taylor and George Gray Ward president
S mon% those at the small tables which covered
the floor Of the ss ballroom were Msy ede Robert Ne
sxa James s HsF%s0G ro Ma% %n %25fs
pemOrest Re9ard belsaela Charles D Ray ton
i b ErharCf.
Samuel " Fairci..ld. Ashbe P, Fitch, Austen G.
Fox, LLOYD Farragut Albert Galatln, John Gisey,
w Il HYDE Or william Tod Helmuth, jr..
Jafd Colonel RoSeT j. RTes F seSeT
,nerhorn Joseph F simmons, John II. Starin.
Cononel Hem w. sackett. George K. sshlenelin,
Varnuu John r Van Wormer, Evert Jansen
Wendell John C. Westervelt and Judge Went
worth.
The stewards. whose onerous duties were 50 ,o well
discharRed were j. Harsen Rhoades, chairman;
Eyert Jansen rndell. secretary: George Blagden,
pierson W Hamilton. Rowland Pell. Paul u The
baud and Bronson Winthrop
TO BUILD TROLLEY LINES IN HAWAII.