The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
A THANKSGIVING DAY JOKE.
IT WAS on CASHIER FONDA or
4 POUGHkEEPSIE BANk.


roLca, CASHIER oil the Merchants Natiol.a al
Bark OF F-nshks-psie. did not give re-
cepticn and Thanksgiving dinner to his
friends in the bank on Thursday. Such
areception ard DINER had been deliberately
planned. and TIE rangemcnts were OIL.
such liberal scale that merchants OF all
kinds aid degrees H. the city had visions of
. vastly Increased holiday business. IL
was evident to tie merchants that Mr..
Fonda had concluded to give this dinner
and reception on a sudden impulse, one Of
those desires which seize philaithropists AT
certain stages OF life, for the orders for the
feast were not received until Wedi esday
morning. Ore merchant in the lower end
Of the city received postal Wednesday
morning which read like this:
Please send eight turkeys to the Merchants
Nstional Bank at precisely 4 o'clock this
afternoon. Yours in prosperity,
WALLER FoNpA.
Another inercl ant just at tie brow Of
the hill received tlis postal
Please send barrel Of -four and seventeen
pounds Of sugar to the Merchants Bank
at o'clock sharp. Yours in holiday bliss.
WALTER FONDA.
A fancy grocer on Mail street receive,
postal which read sometEii 9 ike this:
Owing TO the high price of turkey. I am
nstralned TO 90 to the whole length for my
guests therefore. please send all the pat
dc foie gras which you m " have on hand that
may feast my friends Oh goose liver pie.
Yours for Q high market, WALTtK foNpA.
Bulcl.ers aiong the street received orders
on postals for headchee Sc. liverwurst, On
moule, sausage, sweetbreads and SLASH
ing big steaks" all to be sent TO the Mer-
chants Bank at 4 O'Clock sharp. Canned
corn and tomatoes were ordered at half a
dozen places, at least, and large order
MAS received at the Arlington Cafe Tor
weiss beer and an unlimited supply Of
toothpicks and ketchup. The fish markets
each received postals ordering scallOps,
Little Neck clans, Lynn Haven Bay oys-
ters terrapin, muskalonge, deep sea bass
and sinners. A downto own undertaken re-
ceived an order for 200 camp stools, TO tie
delivered promptly at 4 O'Clock at the
bank.
Frank Scofeld, the leader of the Twenty
first Regiment band. received an order
signed Walter Fonda TO have his band
OF twenty six pieces on hand in front of the
Merchants Bank early on the afternoon Of
THANKSGIVING, as dinner was to be served
between the hours of and g. These orders
caused the greatest activity among the
business men of the city. Merchants were
loud IN their praise OF the social side of Mr.,
Fonda's nature, and 1t Is SAID that several
farmers were out trying TO shoot some
choice birds for the past lew days, on the
strength Of postals received by them TO
produce the feathered morsels at the bank
on Thanksgiving eve.
In the meantime invitations had been
received by representative citizens all over
the city to be present at the dinner. One
Of the invitations read like this.
DEAR FRIESp-GREIIlSo:, on this aus
plcious Thanksgiving pa desire your pres
al d Bnns oS n by Pleas. at 1se
sent this invitation at the door Hand II 70
Watehnan B9es who vi, h ZEE i,at y You are
" 1' WALTER FONDA
Among those who were favored with
invitations were Arthur G.. 1obey. editor
Of the Sunday Courier, who has a habit of
spending TO all invitations. Mr. LOBBY
promptly wrote Mr.. Fonda regretting his
inability to lie present at the dinner. Mr..
Fonda was very much SURPRISED at re-
ceiving this note from Mr.. ToUey, and it
is said that when he later received fatter-
ing accel t.nce Of the invitation from Mr..
Cornwell, who sent a canvas hack duck
Of choice quality 10 the feast, Mr. Fonda
began to wonder if he was di canning, All
dav letters poured in uTon him, some &C.
polite and apprecia,ive e his thoughtful
ness TO- his fiienos at this none too sunny
THANKSGIVING tine.
The c,shier of he Merchants Bank was
kept busy with his mail Until the hour of
drew near. A. that tine d, livery wagons
began to arrive in front of tie Dank. The
undertaken was there With his load of camp
stools, "A man was there with his barrel of
-four, men came with baskets filed with
turkeys and wagons cam" with turkey legs
sticking skyward Wagon after wagon
backed M 10 he cub, until. in sheer dss-
pcra' ion, the bank reoI le sent for a rolice-
man, who was kept busy for an hour or
more telling the clerk, and delivery wagon
drivers and the rest that il was all a rrac-
tical joke.
Here are copies Of some of the rostals
received by ncrcNants. Mr. brisbane re-
ceived the following:
DEAR SIR: Deliver the follow ING goods to
SUGAR, one barrel best -four. one bu,hel rood
potatoes one box corn starch Have stun
here "Wednesday afternoon ~ O'Clock and
will be al the bank and settle for same
WALTER FONDA
The California Fruit Company received
this:
Deliver the following to NV apartments
Two dozen nne ORANGES. one dozen ha-
good. before o'clock Wednesday viii
then be at bank and Settl., for thcm
WALTER FoSpA
Holmes BIOS. received fn" fOllOwlrg.
Deliver TO me two dozen fine ORANGES
one dozen bananas, four rounds cranes. two
mounds mixed ooolates Do not send
before o'clock "Wednesday. a. I will then
be- at bank WALTER FoNpA
Butcher Florb.nd re~aived the folio" ing:
send me on Wednesday to my apartments
two large turkeys. WALTER FoSpA
Grocer D.tiroN's order read kn his.
Send at 4 o'clock sharp. on Wednesday
two large turkeys and two Quarts cranher-
RES Send sure att WALTER FONDA
Grocer Know r"ceived N" following:
Deliver the following order to me at 4,
o'clock sharp. on "Wednesday: Seven pounds
granulated SUGAR, one barrel best -four
one bushel good potatoes. four quarts cram
berries, one box corn starch two dozen eyvs
will be at the bank sharp at I and paw for
them. WALLER FOSpa
Mr. Kenvons order read
Send me a. 4 o'clock "wednesday afternoon.
at the bank. two of your largest and best
turkeys. Be on time, Waller loNpA
Mr. Fonda Went away "Wednesday uipht
to escape the excitement H. ate his
Thanksg wing dinner in New York He re-
turned 10 his home in Poughknepsie on
Friday and has since made an efo,t to find
out Who put up the Zig Joke on lin. The
merchants all say they should chip in and
offer reward to find n" man Who was
r,iilty of such a troublesome ioko 10 ,be,n