The Newtown bee., 1899-05-26
A SOCIAL EVENT.
Annual Ladies' Night Banquet
of Mems Club
AT GRAND CENTRALHOTEL.
SPLENDID ADDRESS ON "ALExANDER
HAMILTON" BY HON DANIEL DAvEN-
PORT OF BRIDGEPORT.

The annual banquet in honor of ''La
dies night" or the May meeting of tn
Mems club, occurred on Wednesds.
night at the Grand Central hotel an,
was one of the pleasantest and most sue
cessful events in the history of the club
The evening was an ideal one, and not
withstanding the fact that many were
detained by sickness and other causes
the attendance was larger than at any
previous social public function given un.
der the auspices of the club.
1t was about 8.45 O'Clock when strains
of music from Sansone's orchestra, sta
toned in the rear parlor. announced
that dinner was ready, and Daniel G.
Beers, president OF the club, and Mrs
Beers, led the way, followed py the
speaker of the evening, Hon Daniel
Davenport of Bridgeport.
The sight that greeted the company,
as they entered to take their seats, was
a very pretty one. The tables and room
had been very tastefully decorated with
flowers, under the direction of the ladies'
committee of arrangements, Mrs Robert
FL. Beers, Mrs G. S. Platt and Mrs 0. W.
Barker.
The tables were arranged in a square
so that nearly all the company sat facing
one another. From the ceiling to the
tables, dainty streamers of light green
paper were suspended, while in the
hollow square formed by the tables we e
jardinieres filled with handsome bouquets
of wild flowers. The tables were also
beautfied with bouquets of lilacs and
other flowers, and the scene was indeed
pleasant one.
President Beers called on Rev Mr.
Barker to ask the blessing, after which
the company paid attention to the menu
provided for their comfort.
The music by the orchestra was great
ly enjoyed, continuing throughout the
dinner hour.
The menu was as follows:
Little Neck CLAIMS.
SOUP.
Oxtail.
FISH.
Boiled Salmon and Egg Sauce
ROAST.
Fellett OF Beet Mushrooms
Turkey Cranberry Sauce
ENTREES.
Chicken Salad Orange Fr1tters
VEGETABLES.
Mashed Potato Sweet Potatoes
Neopolitan Ice Cream. Assorted Cake
FRUIT.
Bananas Oranges
TEA Coffee
The dinner was splendidly served, and
Mine Host Houlihan received many COM
pliments for the success OF the dinner
from culinary standpoint. At about
1O.45, after coffee had been served, Pres
ident Beers welcomed the guests in a few
we'll chosen words, and introduced the
speaker of the evening, Hon Daniel Day.
export. Mr. Davenport was received
with applause as he arose to speak, and
the splendid attention given him by the
entire audience, was of itself a great
compliment to the speaker. So intense
was the interest, that a pin could have
been heard to drop almost any moment
during the entire time he was speaking.
Mr. Davenport made no attempt at
Oratory, but the simple style of his de-
livery, and the masterful manner in
which he handled most difficult subject
of itself enchanted attention.
His subject was alexander Hamil-
ton" This giant of those early days
was born in the West Indies. The place
of birth and his parentage are uncertain,
but some historians have given the date
of his birth as January IL, 1857. 1t is
believed that his mother was French and
his father Scotch, and the young man
early had good command of the French
and English languages.
At the age Of Is he was sent by some
friends to this country to be educated
and in 1772, he landed at Boston. Not
long after he entered an academy at
Elizabethtown, N. J., and there met
Aaron Burr, who came to be in later
years his persistent enemy and finally
caused his death. Young Hamilton came
to this school with letters OF introduction
to Hon Timothy Edwards, Gen Living
ston and others.
Aaron Burr was In the truest sense
well born. Go back to every Important
Colonial event, and there you will find
present come Of Burr's ancestors. Ham,
ilton and Burr were destined to be each
others evil genius. 1t is an interesting
fact, said the speaker, that Hamilton's
earliest writings show as much maturity
of thought az any OF his later writings,
which has led Bancroft to suspect he was