The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-29
GRIDIRON NO RESPECTER OF
PERSONS.
QulPs AT PASSING FOLLY
Famous Bohemian Organizations
Annual Dinner Furnishes
Unusual Merriment.

Washington, Jan. 26-The annual
dinner of the Gridiron club, composed
of Washington correspondents. was
given today at the Arlington hotel.
About 100 guests and members were
at the handsomely decorated tables.
Among the guests were distinguished
men in all walks of life, cabinet Off
GERS, members of the supreme bench,
senators, representatives, army and
navy officers and ministers of foreign
countries. The reputation of the club
was sustained in the matter Of unique
features, burlesque of public affairs,
roasts on public men who were guests,
new stunts, all being ~interspersed with
bright speeches, songs and choruses.
President Arthur Dunn gave the
keynote in welcoming the guests by
saying the serious side was in eclipse
during gridiron dinners, and in the
passing of the gridiron and until the
end there was abundant merriment.
The menu was old style primer, both
in print and illustrations, being the
alphabet with a rhyme for each letter
which hit off some public man or
passing event. The inauguration Of
the president afforded an opportunity
for the vice-president to protest Wig
orously because he was not in the
procession and finally to appear with a
mountain lion and assert he would
have an Inauguration of his own.
Early in the dinner several members
of the club came into the dining room,
singing "Benny Ravens o." and as
serted that there were fourth class
men present who had not qualified.
Whereupon the army officers present
were brought forward, duly "hazed''
and notified that as Soon as the pres
ent investigation was over they would
be ''called OUT
Many men were present who are
either editors or business managers of
large newspapers. These were all
called up, but when all the names
had been read a member of the club
noted the absence Of a distinguished
editor and Immediately appointed
another member to represent w. J..
Bryan. The latest arrival began i'm
mediately to grind out copy and when
five banners with nominations from
1904 to 1920 had been presented he
declined, but another member i'm
mediately came in and accepted. He
looked like Cleveland and babe the
frank and file'' to follow him and the
procession marched out, and the
club sang, "Four years more OF
Grover"
The congressional guests received
attention in a symposium, where good
stories were told, while songs bur.
lesqued others. The "dead ducks, .
those who fell in the November bat.
tie or since in the senatorial elections,
were duly remembered. "Uncle joe
Cannon was remembered by the fol.
lowing song to the tune of "Baby
Mine," alleged to be his latest effu'
sion:
"From the land of suckers, many
Illinois, Illinois; .
But of statesmen, few, if any,
Illinois, Illinois.
, For two years there'll be a pause,
; Then we'll have young Charley
! Dawes.
: And won't that be a corker?
On us poor old boys"
General Grosvenor was declared tt
be handsqueezing for 1904. Senator
' Chandler was presented with a toy rail
: way train and admonished to begin
over again. These with other quip
and jokes were enjoyed by the guests
even those who were on the gridiron
Speeches were made by Secretar,
Root, Justice Brown, Senators Depew
t Chandler, Carter, ex-senator Gray
ex-senator Francis of Missouri, tn
Chinese minister, Turkish ministe
and others.