New-York tribune., 1900-11-11
MARK TWAIN AT THE LOTOS
HUMORIsT LATE FOR THE FEAST IN his
HONOR

SPEECHES BY THE GUEST. SENATOR DEPEw.
Ex-sPEAKER REED. ST CLAIR MKEI-
WAY AND OTHERS
The Lotos Club gave a dinner last night in honor
OF Mark Twain. The dinner was begin at $40
O'Clock Mark Twain reached the clubhouse at
CLOCK. Because Of the anxiety OF several members
OF the ciuo. arising from rumor that the famous
author had been over by a Broadway cable
car delegation from the club sent about I:l5
o'clock to the Hotel Darlington where Mark Twain
Is staying. The delegation inquired how seriously
the author of Innocence Abroad had been in
jured by the cable car when Mark Twain himself
appeared. On guessing the mission of his visitors
the invited guest exclaimed:
why, this is TOO bad! I had forgotten all about
1t. Just wait fifteen minutes and I'll get right into
my clothes"
When Mark Twain reached the clubhouse he was
escorted to the table OF honor. which had been
placed in large doorway opening from the front
drawing room into the cafe. The doorway was
heavily festooned with oak leaves. red from the
autumn's frost Both drawing and cafe were
filled with tables. and crowded with guests and
members of the club. At the dinner two hundred
persons were seated
THE GUEST INTRODUCED.
Frank r. Lawrence president of the club. sat to
the left OF Mark Twain at the table of honor. and
acted toastmaster. In introducing the guest of
the evening Mr.. Lawrence said:
Our Lotos % Club season opens very happily: for
pegrity pg and Mark Twain ain. has come home; ..on,
abroad 9d was ago ap m y R
club With with the result that he went straight back
States ever since.
We welcome him home as ono of the stanchest
that he was one of those who. with Reid and
Of kindred spirits. made the club sparkling and at
the e ali is later Yea 0f
ana an & good 8 8feiIGwsn2 Our guest became member
MARK TWAIN RESPONDS TO TOAST
As Mr.. Clemens in response to the toast
which was then proposed in his name. Benjamin
B. Ode Jr.. the Governor-elect, entered the
The cheering for Mr.. Clemens. together with that
for Mr. oden, became deafenIng. When Mr.. Odell
had taken seat almost opposite the guest OF the
evening. Mark Twain aros. and. running his fingers
through his long white hair looked about him
his hosts. There was kindly smile on his face as
he said
= thank you all out of my heart This reception
not the only Nssonrap ber. er Hsre IS Msouran
here Is McKelway. Here is the greatest Missourian
On c R1ed has "a %e
noas n5 fa and gn IL n9T he m ne has left
has found new business. 10 suit his make and
believe to raise the the average @ Of 1 beauty % ''SO"
sao eo4e vo 1t svdp is Sas have sds
has made reference to my debts Yes, that is the
ruDt firm Of Charles L. Wester & Co And right
here t want to speak word Of the ninety-six men
PRAISES HIS FORMER CREDITORS.
There was n great deal Of feeling in what the
speaker said and he paused several minutes before
he continued:
creditors. While ali these praises are being ut
sghtej Fra5es are due due them more than me In
my lines IS Of trouble n5s they did not add finger
ttre@ted me well They said: Don't hurry Marx.
eos naS 6aSs is what @ ty tsfey % SAID e me Oh II
Here the laughter ended the sentence.
Indeed" Mark Twain began again. those cred
itors even handsomer than Tom Reed"
The speaker bowed to his fellow guests and con-
ttnued:
BEEN gone hSS B R o COD hax
have Won and We have set Cuba free. We have
% 5 @ s'eS " fsH '0R5ss
purpose appears to have miscarried suppose viii
m tell s0 S Yw hayS IS d9n @
in hs %SF bs tGa1y M as IT W did he before @ We
know that our Government had no hand in evok-
s hnf IT heers Tmd has done all IN its to
FREE SILVER "A MAYNARD CHILD"
Then too. we have fostered that child of our
bosom. free silver. But II has been a Maynard
tried to raise that child but the pestiferous Rcpa6
nrans have given II the measles every time. and
And here is that President OF ours. We found
fault with him ana accused him of all kinds n
did We do but turn around the other day and re-
another President besides, CCheers1
And here Is our old friend Roosevelt. the Rough
Prcsident-thls time he is well known and in some
places, fayorabiy maughteF9 ,,.
could only give him some-some more-rope-
a burst of laughter cut of the sentence At last
the speaker said
better-I know that Rough Rider we'll ''''N
And we have put another Rough Rider in his
(CheersD All the fat things go TO that profession
{91 {,,Io kn0w raTshter9 could have been Rough
hlondike was going to open up. could have gone
70 war myself,on an automobile, but not on a
where horse Is: horse Is too full of caprices
Mhy * M horse & VIII even turn around and bite
DEPEw "EMBALMED AS SENATOR"
Glowing the Senator who sat at the end of the
table0 What did they do while I was away hut
take him out OF useful and active business and
embalm him as a Senator? No, I am not uufb-
bling NV 4O
leve. since I've been Is the Institution called
the Daughters OF the Royal Crown There IA An
AMERICAN ideal for you! There is a specialized
nobody eligible to this society but American de-.
sceadants OF Charles II. Imagine what a fancy
thnK that it stilI holds out 'A' "0u'a De- and to
Now that have come back from my exile of
never felt younger than tonight. When left
old man freighted with sorrows
The applause that greeted Mark Twain's closing |
words great that he again arose and bowed |
Among the other guests at the table OF honor were
Thomas Bailey Aldrich. William Dean HoweIls
Chauncey NJ. Depew, Thomas B. Reed. Joseph c. |
Hendricks Augustus Thomas. John Kendrick
Bangs, John Hare st. Clair McKelway Moncure |
Conway and 3. B. Odell jr