Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-05
THE CLUBS AN
NUAL MEETING..

| In the serene and peaceful Ward JACK
| spn there exists social organization
composed Of the coloFed smart sell
And they, to show. their love for Cuba,
have named it the Havana Club On
Hast Monday night the club held its first
annual meeting, and a smoker was given
| fy the officials to show their gratitude 10
the members for their orderly. conduct
| during, the year, at not having had many
fights or fires, and 1t was found out that
none of the members carried razors at
any time so as you could notice
In the absence Of the president. who
has been very busy teaching his fellow
associates how to register under the un-
Outstanding clause OF the new Constitu-
ton. the meeting was called to order by
a negro of life-size appearance that -
addicted to the habit of perspiring very
freely, and might mention how large ms
feet are. but I haven't the time. at any
rate, he was vice-president, chairman OF
House Committee. secretary, waiter. jan
itor. bartender, and in his leisure mo-
ments answers the door bell. After a
reading of the minutes CLEO 2. ND by
the secretary. the vice-president delivered
an address OF welcome. During MS
speech he expressed regret at the abb
sence of the president. as he had to be
called away from his numerous other
duties to act in his stead
He then read several kilograms OF re-
greet from some distinguished coioreo GU
zens of other cities, but I don't tnlnk
they were original as they were written
on the backs of baking powder circulars.
He then said that it afforded him great
pleasure to introduce the speaker OF the
evening who would address the members
and their friends on The Progres's anu
Prosperity of the Club" He then intro
duced colored gentleman of high stand
ing in the social. as well as the business
life of the Black Belt.
AS we'll as I could make out they
called him Major suppose he must
have been an officer in the Sixth Virginia
Club He is about the color OF the last
anthracite coal I saw. and weighs about
as much as you get for a ton these days
He was faultlessly attired in a Prince
Albert that may have seen, better days.
and his trousers were of the latest cut.
if that means to take some off at the
bottom. He started his speech at 12:3o.
after eating about one-half dozen lemons
and drinking two buckets of water. which
the alI-cfficial complained about. stating
that the club took water through a me-
ter. AS the speaker arose to fulfill his
part of the programme. the band. COM
posed of a. slide trobone that had been
caught out in the rain. and fife and
drum. struck up Hail to the Chief" but
the piece was never finished. as the APP
plause which greeted the speaker was
something awful. It was fully 30 minutes
before he could begin. At last he man
aged to say. Gentlemen and members
of the Havana Club (Which. of course
was no way to speak about the mem
bers). I have been called upon very
unexpectedly to deliver an address to you
this evening. for which will state am
not fully prepared on SO short notice
as I was only told about it last June.
(Applause).
Now to take up the subject on which
am called upon to talk about to you
this evening upon so short a notice.
(Applause-more water for the speaker).
81 wish to state that I have not fully
acquainted myself with the financial
standing of the club, as have not been
given the proper time to prepare for this
occasion that should like to have had"
tremendous applause-lasting fully 20
minutes). At this stage Of the proceed
inss the band, thinking the speaking was
over. started to play a dirge. but was
stopped by the janitor. who
offered the apology Of the club to his
honor, the MAJOR. he speaker Inen re-
sumed by saying that if the band in
tended finishing his speech for him. that
he would back down and out. After hav-
ing been assured by the bartender that
he would not be interrupted again, and
asked him to excuse the band. as they
had fallen asleep, and not knowing how
long they had siumbered. thus awoke
suddenly. thought it must be time to
play. the Major said, when once more
ct fnS hat |, fol ;,f,
him that after going over the books care
fully it was found out that The club, af-
ter paving expenses for the ear. had to
their credit in bank one dollar and Ave
cents and that some members had sug-
gested that the club purchase a Louisiana
lottery ticket with the surplus, but that
he fhe speaker) would advise them not
to go into any hasty speculation, az the