The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
GRlDIRON CLUB HUMOR
PROMINENT PERSONS "GRILLED- BY
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS.
Usual GOOd-Natured @'Take-OHsv on
Public Men-Presfdent Roosevelt
Not Forgotten.

WASHINGTON. Dec. THE Gridiron
Club. composed Of forty Washington cor
respondents. scored another notable success
tonight on the occasion Of the December
dinner. About 80 guests assembled around
the gridirOn table at the Arlington Hotel,
which was beautifully decorated for the &C
easion. As usual. the entertainment con-
sisted Of burlesques and satires upon pub
lie events and things. and numerous public
men and prominent guests were treated TO
the usual course Of gridiron broiling, which
IS always Of a gO~Od-natured kind. Arthur
W. Dunn, the president Of the club. at the
beginning OF the dinner announced that
serious affairs Of the world would be re-
served for other times, or treated In a
lighter vein. and this was the keynote of
the subsequent proceedings.
The features, as usual. touched upon pub
lie events in a jocuIar manner and began
with a menu with a New Alice In Won
derland." BY the most delicate inference
the Illustrations and quotations could be
applied TO some Of the events in the life of
President Roosevelt.
The arrival Of the Collier Merriment'
OIerrimac) with a supply OF champagne
to I'LL the bunkers Of the diners was a
laughable skit. and the selection OF a dele
gate to London to attend the coronation
furnished opportunity for the nomination
OF a number of guests for the place and
their rejection for various reasons.
There was quite a large number of rail
road men present. and they were all
brought out in a competition for a beauty
show, and, finally. the prize was awarded
to p. w. Wrenn. The of the
members Of the club upon the various
qualifications and Qnnaarnnna nf these rail-
way officials caused the room 10 echo with
laughter.
Another ~laughabie skit was a fake meet
Ing OF an alleged cabinet, In which various
sporting characters appeared and tried to
pass themselves of as the real thing. They
were finally hustled out unceremoniOusly.
Among those who made excellent
speeches were Postmaster General Smith,
Senators Allison and Mitchell, the Chinese
minister. Former Senator Carter and Gov
ernor Francis both now connected with the
Louisiana Purshase Exposition; Represent
alive Lands, Of Indiana; Solicitor General
Richards or the Department OF Justice, and
others. The musical programme, as usual,
was excellent, consisting of solos, quartets
and choruses as well as catchy topical
ongs.
Among those present besides the speakers
named were Senators Burrows and Han
and JOY; General John r. Brooke, Cen
eral Henry q. COrbin. General j. h. Wes-
ton. General Francis v. Greene, +. y.
Barksdale, OF the Pennsylvania Railroad;
SeAAN9 L. 81 ~
Colorado; Charles a. Boynton, superinten-
dent Eastern division of the Associated
Press; George w. Boyd. of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad; former Secretary G. n.
Bliss, New York; Ludwig Won Callenberg,
secretary or the Austrian legation; X. r.. l..
Bunch, Of the Seaboard Air line; William
w. Findley, vice president OF the Southern
Railway. Arthur Hale and j. RI. Maddy,
OF the Baltimore * Ohio Railway; Assist
ant Postmaster General William w. John
son; Interstate m Commissioner
Martin A. Knapp; Harry w. Fuller, of the
Chesapeake a Ohio Railway; Director of
the Census William 4. Merriam; Paul Nor
ton. Of the AtchisOn. Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway Henry G.. Payne, of Wisconsin,
John q. Milburn, Buffalo; s.. II. Hardwick,
general passenger agent of the Southern
Railway; Solicitor John h. Richards; w
ii. Sief, Pittsburg Dispatch; Marcus a.
Smith and James McClintOck. Arizona; Is.
w. Wren. OF the Plant Railway system;
John r. Waggaman, Annapolis; T. g. JEFF
frey, OF the Midland Railway England:
Myron T. Herrick, Cleveland, o.; Scott
Bone. Washington Post; T.. z. Schocks.
president of the L., l.. L., Railway system,
and Prof. Max Bendix, New York.