The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-21

takes place tomorrow night. has been
elaborately prepared for and If It falls
below any of its predecessors in any
feature tending to make an affair of
this Kind success, 1t will not be due
to lack of study and effort on the part
of the committee, ID. b. Atherton, j. G..
Sanderson, j. Il. Burr, Russell e. Dim
mick and J. II. Fisher.
Responses have been received from
the guests who have been invited to
make addresses and all have sent ac-
ceptances. These are Rev. William Ell
liot Griitis, ID. D., l.. Fl. D., Of Ithaca;
William II. McElroy, of the New York
Mail and Express; Hon. Willis l..
Moore, Of Washington. and Rev. Rob
ert f. Y. Pierce, of the Penn Avenue
Baptist church. President Homer
Green is also to deliver an address.
The dinner will be served in the
board of trade assembly room by
O'Neil, the Scranton club steward. The
arrangement of the tables and the dec
orations, the committee expects, Will
prove a pleasant surprise. The design
of the menu card is by George b. Dim
mick and is also counted upon to be
voted a pretty and ingenious novelty,
an effect aimed at each year by the
different committees. Preceding the
dinner, which will be at o'clock, there
Will be half-hour reception, followed
by the customary "salutation Of the
flag The attendance promises to be
much larger than usual the committee
says.
AN INTERESTING MAN.
Tho Ipo, ~ NVilio., r-,,t-. Gin,
has had an active and interesting ca
reer. He was born in Philadelphian in
1913. He was graduated from Rutgers
college with the class of 1869, and i'm
mediately thereafter spent year in
European travel Returning to Ameri-
ca he entered upon a course of theolo-
gy at New Brunswick, but soon relin-
quished his studies there to accept n
call to educational work in Japan. He
was at Fukui for a year, organizing
ana conducting schools on the Ameri-
can plan in the province of Echizen,
witnessing many strange sights and
learning much of the methods and
manners of that strange and interest
ing people.
About that time the feudal system
in Japan was broken up and every
thing was centralized under the Mika-
do at Toxic. DR.. Griftis was thereupon
invited to fill the chair of physical
sciences at the Imperial University
Of Toxic, which position he retained
for the next three years. He returned
to America in 1874, resumed his theo-
logical studies at the Union Theologi-
cal seminary in New York, and upon
graduation accepted a call to the First
Reformed Dutch church at Schenec-
tady n. Y. Here he remained for
nine years, filling for a time the chair
of mental science in Union college.
During this period he was united
in marriage to Miss Katherine. daugh-
ter of Prof. Irving Stanton. of Union
college. He was then called to the
pastorate of the Shawmut Avenue
congregational church. in Boston,
where he remained seven years, re-
signing in 1898 to become pastor of the
First Congregational church, of tina
ca, n. Y, where he still remains. Dur
ing these years of activity DR.. Griffis
has been five times to Europe. In 1891
he went to London as a delegate to the
International Congregational council.
INVITATION FROM QUEEN.
In 1898, he was present, by special
invitation, at the coronation of Queen
Wilhelmina, Of Holland. This honor
came to him because of his promi-
nence as an investigator of and writer
upon Dutch history He is one of the
three American members of the Meth
erlandish Society of Letters of Leyden.
His book "Rrave Little Holland AMI
What She Taught Us" has been very
widely read, and his new book "The
American in Holland" bids fair to be
fully as popular. DR.. Griffis' works
on Japan have long been recognized as
authority, his exceptional opnortuni-
ties to acquire information being well
known The titles are "The Mika6o's
Empire" now in its eighth edition:
THE japanese Fairy World" "Japan
in History Folklore and Art" "Corea
the Hermit Nation" and Honda the
Samurai," a tale of modern Japan. DR..
Gritlis has taken n deep interest i'm,
and has given especial study 20. the
story Of the Pilgrims His book "Tha
Pilgrims in Their Three Homes, Eng.
land, Holland and america" being one
OF the best and most popular ever
written on that subject.
American history has had an cspac-
ial fascination for Or. Grinis as Is
shown by his published works Among
his books on that subject may be mem
toned the Biographies of Matthew
Calbraith Perry" the American naval
hero. and Townsend Harris" our first
envoy to Japan, Also "Sir William
Johnson and the Six Nations" "Tha
Romance of Discovery" "The Ro-
nance of American Colonization, and
The Romance Of Conquest" the las.
named volume treating In part OF the
great events Of 1898 which brought so
much Of the West Indies under our
control, made Hawaii q part Of our
republic, and placed the Philippines
under the stars and stripes DR. Grit
iis' fOndness for biblical research Is
cNemplited in his beautiful volume,
THE Lily Among Thorns,' study OF
the Song Of Solomon.
IN GREAT DEMAND.
DR. Grlfis is in great demand as a
contributor TO the best of American
periodical literature, IIc Is an enter
tanning and forceful speaker, and tho
members and guests OF the New Eng
land society are to he congratulated
on the prospect of hearing him. 1t Is
due 10 the lOng-stan1ing friendship ex-
listing between him and Homer Greene.
president Of the society, that he is hers
on this occasion.
Mr. McElrOy was for many years
leading editorial writer on the New
York Tribune and now holds a similar