Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-02
CAPITAL IS CHILLED
Gridiron Club Roasts the
Captains Of Industry.
18TH ANNUAL DINNER
GOOD-NATURED JOKES ON J. PIER
POINT MORGAN.
He and Other Capitalists Present
Highly Entertained - A
Notable Occasion.

England, Ireland, Spain. Japan, war,
craftsmanship and J. Pierpont Morgan-the
powers of civilization All were present at
the eighteenth annual dinner of the Grid
iron Club in this city Saturday night, form
ing another of the notable asSemblageS OF
men for which this organization is famous,
and which, 1t is believed, unique in all
the world. This eighteenth dinner was like
it's predecessors in that it was given In true
Gridiron style of abundant hospitality and
rare good fun, but 1t was unlike in be-
ing better than all that have gone before.
At least so said those guests who have
grounds and the right to judge and to utter
an opinion-such guests, for instance, as
Senator German, who has never missed a
Gridiron annual.
A distinct flavor Of the money power was
over all. Indeed, the Gridironers, sitting as
a court of arbitration, were called upon by
individuals from time to time throughout
the evening for decisions on questions arls-
Ing from that most perplexing OF problems
Keen shafts of satire were leveled at Mr..
Morgan, who. though not among the speak
ers, was clearly the feature Of the occa-
sion. AS the spirit of the evening worked
its influence and Mr.. Morgan began to un-
derstand the true inwardness Of a Gr1diron
dinner, he showed his appreciation, which
grew keener and more evident as the even
ing wore away. When, at last, the con-
Guiding ''skit' Of the entertainment COM
mittee was enacted, representing a scene
of the office of ~ P. Morgan, Buster and
Booster" with sharp drives at the money
power and at the old man. there was no
heartier laugh than that which the "old
man" himself sent forth. Thus were the
Gridiron traditions preserved, with no sug-
gestion of acrimony, despite the directness
of he wit 4 iS ter
that when Mr.. Morgan met Senator Hanna
at breakfast Sunday morning he exclaimed:
Say, Hanna, 1 had the time Of my life
last night
Beginning to like newspaper men at
last?"
Mr.. Morgan hes1tated moment, and then
replied: Il can say that like newspaper
men quite as much as they like me- but of
all the dinners ever sat down to, the Grid
iron Club dinner last night takes the palm"
A Beautiful Picture.
The banquet hall of the Arlington never
looked handsomer than 1t did when the two
hundred diners filed into it from the recep-
ton room, where they had been chatting
and becoming acquainted for half an hour
previous. The walls and ceiling were fes-
TONED with green until the room seemed
bower Of nature. The great gridiron table
was mass of color, enormous groups Of
roses and orchids scattered here and there
making the atmosphere heavy with per-
fume. These flowers were later sent by
the club to the children's wards in the city
hospitals.
The decorative effect, however, could not
be judged until the lights were turned on
at their full, after the room had been mo-
mentarily darkened and then the famous
electric gridiron flashed in brilliant white
on the wall back of the presidents chair.
Twined around among the green festoons
were hundreds of yards of electric cables,
from which cleaned score upon score of
tiny electric lamps in colors which blended
beautifully with the floral ornaments on
the tables and the walls of green. This
gave Washington it's first conception of the
possibilities of the Elbright system Of fleX-
ible cables. The old-timers of the gridron
were unanimous that Small had never
scored greater success in making a ban
Quet table thing Of beauty.
The Sun Starts Early.
After the standing, silent toast to the
President Of the United States. who was to
have been present, but was prevented by
the necessity to attend Secretary Moodys
cabinet dinner, the fun began. According
to gridiron custom, speeches and entertain
ment features were introduced between the
courses, and thus 1t was midnight when the
gavel finally fell and the guests dispersed.
There were no set toasts and no one knew
what was to be done or who was to speak
infOrmatiOn: :
Cape Cod Specials
Consomme Of Chicken with Quenelles
Terrapin Arlington Style
Saddle Of English Mutton
Spinach
sweetbread Croquettes
Green Peas
Gridiron Punch
Philadelphia Squads, Roasted
Cheffonade Salad
Ice Cream Plombiere
Sauterne
Meet & Chandon, Imperial Brut
Appollinaris
At each guests plate stood a small metal
gridiron carrying a calendar. each Of the
appropriate to one Of the well-known guests
Of the club.
The new president OF the club, Mr.. Will
liam Eleroy Curtis, OBLIGATED, the retiring
gavel with few words. At the presidents
right sat Mr.. Morgan, and at his left sat Sir
Michael Herbert, the British ambassador.
Other notable guests were: Lord Charles
Beresford. Rear Admiral Royal B. Brad
ford, Count Cassfni, the Russian ambassa-
dor; Major General Henry c. Corbin,
former Governor w. Murray Crane of Mas
sachusetts; Senator Depew, Senator-elect
German, Senator Hanna, Clark Howell,
Melville E. Ingalls, Rokuichira Masujima of
Toxic, William r. Merriam, Gov. Franklin
Murphy of New Jersey, Emilio de Ojeda,
he Spanish minister; Count A. Won Quadt,
secretary or the German legation, Br1gadier
General Wallace Randolph, Rear Admiral
Winfield s. Schley Senator-elect William J.
Stone Of Missouri and Gov. ]. M. Terrell Of
Georgia.
The Speeches.
There being mo reporters present" as
president Curtis informed the prospective
speakers in reinsurance at the outset, 1t is
impossible to obtain report Of what was
said by those who were permitted to re-
spond to summons to speak, including Sena-
tor German, Senator Hanna, Senator De-
pew, DR.. Masujima, Senior Ojeda. Sir
Michael Herbert, Lord Charles Beresford
and Major Waller. But q few Of their re-
marks have been talked about since the
dinner, and thus The Star is enabled to
mention, for instance, that Senior Ojeda
created a distinctly happy impression by his
tactful and beautiful references to the war
of 1898. He regretted that being bad
speaker and therefore entitled to only five
minutes, he would not have time to say all
the things that Americans ought to hear
about themselves from the lips Of a friendly
foe.
His phrases awakened hearty enthusiasm
and the speaker was cheered Justify when
he had finished. 1t Is said, furthermore
that the British ambassadors brief speech
was q model of cleverness and humor COM
prising a protest against having been lured
on the promise of immunity from the toast.
masters demands. But, he said, he was
glad he had a proxy, "a little Irish sailor
man." Lord Charles Beresford, whom Mr.
Dooley had described as being enea ged IN