Evening star., 1901-12-09
TOASTED AND ROASTED
AN EVENING OF Fun AND WIT WITH
THE GRIDIRON CLUB.
Number of Club Skits Added to the
Interest - Distinguished
Guests Present.

always present-reporterS are never pres
ent'' Thus it comes about that nothing oc-
ours at those dinners which would not be
worthy to publish, and yet the speakers are
free on all other lines to talk without fear
of being quoted. Gentlemen may be roast
ed after the most approved Gridiron fash
ion, done brown, indeed, as they often are,
but the writings of the victims are not eX-
posed to the general public.
There was the usual grilling last Satur-
day night at the first dinner of this season
of the Gridiron Club, held at the Arlington
Hotel a delicate toasting of some eminent
statesmen and others. About $50 men as
sembled in the reception rooms of the Ar
lington at 7:30 and were received by their
hosts, mfngling for half an hour in social
converse. Then waiter appeared and jan
gled an immense dinner bell reminding
some of the guests of old days on the farm.
The dining room doors were thrown open,
revealing beautiful banqueting scene.
The tables were arranged in the form of
a gridiron, tastefully decorated with roses,
chrysanthemums and holly. The great cleo
trio gridiron above the head of President
Dunn flashed a welcome to the guests as
the other lights in the room were lowered
The ceremonial part of the occasion COM
menced when Mr.. Dunn proposed toast
to the president of the United States,
which was drunk standing.
Four Hours of Fun.
Then for four hours the fun and feasting
proceeded. 1t is the custom of the Gridiron
Club to mingle wit, music, song, speeches
and farce with the courses of the dinner
and Saturday night delightful program
was furnished. The banqueters We're
amused throughout the evening and events
were never allowed to drag.
One tinge of seriousness lent a shade to
the proceedings for a period. Postmaster
General Smith made a speech in memory of
one who had often sat an honored guest at
the Gridiron board and whose hearty
laugh had echoed in that very hall-William
Mckinley, the personal friend of every
member of the club and of many of the
guests present. Mr.. Smiths tribute was
marked by the deepest feeling and an elo-
quence that brought storm of applause.
In lighter vein, number of bright 3kits
were introduced during the evening. The
selection of a delegate to represent the
United States at the coronation of King
Edward furnished a continuous theme of
fun throughout the dinner Many promi-
nent men were proposed only to be objected
to for reasons, the announcement of which
invariably brought laughter, in the midst of
which the names were withdrawn.
A number of railroad officials guests Of
the club, were lined up on the floor as self
announced candidates for the prize in a
beauty show. The comments of the judges
upon the personal appearance of the candi-
Y.
The Chinese minister, a frequent guest of
the club in the past, was presented with a
souvenir in the shape of a gridiron, upon
which was the Chinese dragon. Mr.. WI
responded in bright speech and an
nounced his intention of starting Gridiron
Club in China when he returns.
Ihe dinner itself from an epicure's stand
point was unusually good. The guests at
saturday nights banquet composed the fol-
lowing:
The Guests.
Frederick 1. Allen, New York; William B.
Allison Iowa; John NJ. Anderson, Mexico
City; H. c. Ansley, Washington, D. c.; F.
N. Barksdale. Philadelphia; James B. Bel
ford. Colorado; Max Bendix, New York
city; Cornelius N Bliss, New York; George
W. Boyd, Philadelphia; Charles H. Boyn-
ton. New York city; George ]. Brennan,
Philadelphia; John R. Brooke, T. s. A.; r.
p. l.. Bunch. Portsmouth, Va; Addison B.
Burk, Philadelphia; Julius C. Burrows,
Michigan; Ludwig Won Callenberg, Austria;
Thomas H. Carter, Montana; Charles A.
Conant, Washington, D. c.: L. A. Cooper
New York city; Henry c. Corbin, U. s. A;
Thomas w. Cridler, West Virginia; James
". Cunningham, New York city; Edwin B.
DeGraw, Philadelphia; John T. Dean, U S.
A; William w. Finley, Washington, D. c. :;
" G. Fischer, Washington, D. c.; Robert
H. Foerderer, Pennsylvania: David R. Fran
els. St. Louis; Harry ". Fuller, Washing
ton, D. c.; NJ. E. Gable, Pittsburg; George
c. Gorham, California; ]. T. Granger,
Washington, D. c.: Francis V. Greene,
New York city; Arthur Hale, Baltimore;
Marcus A. Hanna, Ohio; S. H. Hardwick,
Washington, D. G.; John F. Harris, Chi
cago; Myron T. Herrick, Ohio: B. R. How
ard, Washington, D. c.; T. c. Jeffrey, Lon
don, England; William NJ Johnson. New
Jersey; Charles F. JOY Missouri; Martin
A. Knapp, New York; George A. Keeler,
Fort Monroe; James Kilduff, New York
city; Charles B. Lands, Indiana; Joseph L.
Leeming, New York city; James H. Nc
Clntock, Arizona; J. A. Mckay, Brooklyn;
A. w. Machen, Ohio; James H. Maddy, Bal
timore; William r. Merriam, Minnesota;
\. o. Messenger, Washington, d. c.; John
P. Miller, Washington, d. c.; John H. Nit
chell, Oregon; Charles Moore, Washington,
d. c.; Edwin B. Moore, Michigan; Paul
Morton, Chicago; William H. Moses, Wash
ington. D. c.: Allison Nailor, jr., Washing
ton, D. c.; John H. Nolan Washington,
D. c.; Henry c. Payne, Wisconsin; Robert
G. Proctor, Washington, D. c.; Frank K.
Raymond Washington, D. c.; Alexander
H. Revell, Chicago; James B. Reynolds,
Roessle, Washington D. c.; John c. Scho-
field, Washington, d. c.; w H. Self, Pitts
burg; T. p. Shouts, Chicago; Charles Emory
Smith, Pennsylvania; Marcus A. Smith,
Arizona; Edgar c. Snyder, Omaha; E. K.
Semborn, Washington, D. c.; w. R. Speare,
Franklin, Pa; l. n. Stevens, Colorado
Springs; Alexander T. Stuart, Washington,
D. c.; William H. Thompson, ST. Louis; !;
Oscar w. Underwood, Alabama; John F.
Waggaman, Annapolis; Thomas F. Walsh,
Colorado; John F. Weston, U. S. A; Harry
r. Widey, Philadelphia; Louis D. Wine,
Washington. D. c.; B. w. Wrenn, Savan-
nah; Wu Ting-fang, China.
Church GamhIiuc