The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-28
THE GRIDIRON DINNER.
Burlesque on Imperialism. Mr.. Bryan
Among the Guests.

among the GueSCS.
Washington, Jan. 27.-The fifteenth
annual dinner of the Gridiron Club was
given at the Arlington Hotel tonight and
like its predecessors was the most sue
cessful event of the season. The club is
composed of forty Washington CORE
spondents, who each year give a number
of dinners and make the last Saturday
in january notable occasion as it is
the anniversary of the organization. The
banquet room was handsomely deco
rated, the ceilings and walls
covered in laurel, snilax and
maiden hair ferns, with palms
and other tropical plants filled every
window and corner Of the room. Through
all this mass of green We're more than
thousand electric lights of all c0lOrs.
The tables were banked with flowers,
orchids and roses predominating, while
many vases of American beauty roses
adorned the room.
| Henry Litchfield West, of the Wash
ington Post, the New President, occupied
the head Of the table.
The menu was an exquisite affair, be-
ing a little volume bound in leather, each
page having the name of a member, to-
duced front page of the paper he repre-
scents. 1t was designed as a souvenir
Of the fifteenth annual dinner.
The initiation Of two new members was
made the text for a burlesQue on impe-
rialism. The club Expanded" for the
f, new members raised the President to the
! rank of emperor, and crowned him.
Reports from colonial governors and vas
nd fc1 Af
were rTldely interrupted by Uncle Sam"
who seized the Crowns" and drove the
decorated Officials from the room.
! "A minstrel show with really new jokes
amused the guests, several songs written
for the occasion were given, q verse be-
ing allotted to Mr.. Bryan with an allu-
sion to "16 to l." Another lamentCd for
Senator Frye because as President of
instead Of enjoying his favorite fishing
sport.
The speeches were especially good,
Senator Depew and the Chinese Minis
ter being at their best. while the remarks
of Messrs. Frye, Bryan. German, Chand-
Ter. Tllman, Hanna and Beyeridge were
of the usual high order. The speakers
were placed upon their mettle by the
presided throughout the dinner with
dignity and ability.
/ Among the guests were the following:
I Senator Frye. President of the Sen
ate: Hon W. J. Bryan. Hon. Arthur +.
German. Mr.. WI Ting Fang. the Chi
nese Minister; Senators Depew, Bever-
idge. Burrows, Chandler. Hanna. Jones,
of Arkansas; Penrose, Shoup, Tillman.
Walcott and Rawlins; Representatives
Dalzen. Clark. Cummings, DeVreys
E3uwersock, Hall. lands, Mcclellan.
Lawrence, Swanson. Tawney, Under
wood and Wheeler; Major General John
r. Brooke, Admiral George ". Melville.
Rear Admiral Aaron W. Weaver,
Colonel Theodore y. Bingham, president:
w. W. Finley. vice-prcsident; W. a.
Turk. general passenger agent and j.
NJ. Culp. general traffic manager South
crn Railway: j. Addison Porter and
George r. Cortelyou secretaries 10 the
president: Mayor j. Edgar Smythe. of
Charleston; Charles L. shepard, Of Sum
merville. s. c.: NJ +. ingalls,, President
Of the C. G.. G.. and st. Louis Railroad:
Gerard 4. Lawther and Lleut. Colonel
Arthur ID. Hamilton Lee. British En-
bassy; Assistant Secretary of War Geo.
ID. Meikleiohn; General Marshall |. lad
dington, Lieutenant Colonel Culver e..
Sniffin, Captain Lansing Ii. Beach, U.
s. Army: f. ID. Underwood, vice-presl-
dent and J. II Maddy, Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad: James d. 1Oemans, Inter
State Commerce Commission: Myron l..
Herrick, Cleveland, o.; John Floyd Wag-
canaan. Annapolis: General II. NJ. Duff
field Colonel J. Frank Hecker; Major
George H. Hopkins. Detroit: Frank
Rarksdale PENNSYLVANIA Railroad;
Frank A. Vanderbilt Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury; George X. Westlng-
house. Pittsburg; George II. Daniels. gem
eral passenger agent New York Central
Railroad; James Elverson, Philadelphia;
! Louis 4. Priidt. Assistant Attorney Cen
eral: Richard J. Bright Sergeant-at-
arms l.. S. Senate: S. II. Kautfmann.
Washington Star; John B. Wight. Com
missioner District of Columbia; Richard
&C. Kerens. st. Louis; T. z. Shonts.
President Indiana, Illinois and Iowa
Railroad: Charles II. Duell, Commits
sioner of Patents; S., Walter Woodward,
Washington; Henry S. Pritchett, Super
intendert Coast and Geodetic Survey;
Robert McNamee. Speaker Florida
House of Representatives and Editor OF
the Jacksonville News; John f. Wilkins,
Washington Post: George /. Fnlay
Porto Rico, and VIM. O. Smith. Hono-
lulu.