The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-08
THE GRIDIRON CLUB
CAPITOL PRESS BOYS AT THEIR
ANNUAL DINNER.
HAD FUN WITH RAILROAD MEN
Is. w. WRENN OF SAVANNAH GOT
THE BEAUTY PRIZE.

"New Alice in Wonderland" Poem
ident ROOseveIt-The "ColIier
Merrimac" Arrives with a supply
of Champagne-POstma Gem
eral Smith, Wu Ting Fang, Gov.
Francis and other Distinguished
Men Among the Speakers.
Washington, Dec. THE Gridiron
Club, composed of forty Washington
correspondent, scored another notable
success tonight on the occasion of the
December dinner. About $50 guests as
sembled around the Gridiron table at
the Arlington Hotel. which was beauti-
fully decorated for the occasion. -.es
usual, the entertainment consisted of
burlesque and satires upon public
events and things, and numerous pub
lie men and prominent guests were
treated to the usual course of Gridiron
broiling, which is always of a good
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 reserved
AOl OltACi lAiAlCos vi lICdlCQ III d lISiICl
vein, and this was the keyrote of the
subsequent proceedings. The features,
as usual touched upon public events
in jocular manner, and began with
a menu, which was a New Alice in
Wonderland" BY the most delicate in
ference the illustrations and quotations
could be applied TO some of the events
in the life of President Roosevelt.
The arrival of the collier Merri-
ment" (Merrimac), with a supply of
champagne to fill the bunkers of the
diners was a laughable skit and the
selection of a delegate to London to
attend the coronation furnished oppor-
tunity for the nomination of a number
of guests for the place and their re-
lection for various reasons. There
was quite a large number of railroad
men present and they were all brought
out in a competition for beauty show,
and finally the prize was awarded to
B. w. Wrenn. The comments of the
members OF the club upon the various
qualifications and appearances of these
railway officials caused the room to
echo with laughter Another laughable
skit was a fake meeting Of an alleged
cabinet in which various sporting char
! acters appeared to pass Themselves
| off as the real thing They were final
! ly hustled out uncerernoniously.
Among those who made excellent
| speeches were Postmaster General
| Smith, Senators Allison and Mitchell,
the Chinese minister ex-senator Car
ter and Gov. Francis. both connected
with the Louisiana Purchase EXPOSE
tion; Representative Landis of Indiana;
Solicitor General Richards of the de-
'partment of justice and others.
The musical programme. as usual,
was excellent, consisting of solos, quar-
tettes and choruses, as well as catchy
topical songs. Among those present
were:
Postmaster General Smith, the Chi
nese minister, Whiting fang; Senators
Allison, Burrows, Mitchell and Hanna;
Representatives Foerderer Underwood,
Joy and Lands: Gen. John r. Brooke,
Gen. H. c. CorE in, Gen. J. F. Weston,
Gen Francis V. Greene, F.. N. Barks-
dale Penns ylvania Railroad; G. H.
Boynton, superintendent of the Eastern
division of the Associated Press; G..
w. Boyd. Pennsylvania Railroad; ex-
Secretary Cornelius N. Bliss,
New York, r. E. l.. Bunch, Seaboard
Air Line; Thomas H. Carter, chairman
of the Government Commission of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition; w. w.
Finley, vice president of the Southern
Railway; David r. Francis, president
| of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition;
Arthur Hale and ]. H. Maddy, Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad: Interstate
Commerce Commissioner M. A. Knapp,
Harry w. Fuller, Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad; Director of the Census Will
liam r. Merriam H. c. Payne of
Wisconsin, J. 6. Milburn of Buffalo,
S. H. Hardwick of the Southern Rail-
way; Solicitor John X. Richards, W.
II. Self Pittsburg Dispatch; NJ. A.
Smith and J. H. McClintock, Arizona;
B. W. Wrenn Plant System Railway;
! Myron T. Herrick Cleveland; Prof.
Max Bendix of New York, and others.