Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-08-20
N.Y. TIMES
BANQUETS.
Picturesque Dinners That Have Been
Given to Dolls. Statues. Etc,
by Eccentric People.

Clyde Fitch, the dramatist, gave an
extraordinary banquet some time ago, at
which there were dozens of guests who
could neither unfold their serviettes MOI
appreciate the rare wines. When the
guests proper arrived, they found seat
ed at the table, which was strewed with
pale-pink rose petals, a large number
OF half-human-size dolls, deliberately
dressed to represent the famous women
characters in the dramatist's plays. The
banquet must have proved rather a long
affair, as each individual guest" was
toasted separately, but the novelty and
picturesqueness of the dinner is unques-
tionable.
Many eccentric people have sent their
names down to posterity merely by en-
"tertaining statues and other inanimate
guests at dinner, says the Detroit Free
Press.
The most noteworthy case of this is
that of the late king Of Bavaria, who al
ways dined with a bust of Marie An
toinette in front of him, which was re-
garded absolutely the same as if it were
he queen herself.
The custom is believed to owe its
origin to a certain Henry Constantine
Jennings. This eccentric on one occa-
sion purchased a statue of Venus, and
for the first six months after he had
obtained possession of the same, the fair
goddess occupied a seat at the head of
his dinner table, with two footmen in
lace liveries standing behind her, whose
duty it was to place the most costly
viands before her by way of oblation.
Mr.. Jennings even went so far as to
have the statue removed when the other
ladies rose and adjourned to the draw
ing-room.
On one occasion a gentleman guest in
a thoughtless moment said something
uncomplimentary about the fair god
dnss, which so vexed the host that he
never forgave him.
A short time ago a certain lady, who
was an ardent dog-lover, gave a most
costly dinner to a tiny King Charles
spaniel to celebrate his taking Is prizes
at different shows. The dog was brought
On to the table in a most magnificent
bed lined with white satin and stuffed
with swansdown, while round its neck
was a gold collar set with one large dia-
mond.
The little animal was petted and
praised and toasted in bumpers of cham
payne, and was given the epicure's por-
ton of all the dishes served.
Not very long ago a company of the
Third African battalion, who had been
employed in annihilating the warns of
sparrows that were eating up the crops
at Ker (Tunis), were RECALLED with an
omelet containing 5000 eggs, that meas
ured seven feet in circumference.
A few weeks ago this gigantic dish
was recalled to mind by the chief item
or the menu of a dinner enjoyed on
the continent, when, to celebrate the
occasion of one of the local school,
masters hens laying her thousandth
egg, the town was decorated, and a
supper was held, at which the health
of the hen was duly toasted and a gi-
gantic omelet partakel of.
The hen was brought into the room
and placed in a marvellous throne
shaped like a huge nest, made of the
finest silk and other gorgeous mate
rails.
This hen banquet reminds us of the
fat goose of that celebrated lawyer,
Lord Erskine, that frequently dined
at the same table as his lordship. A
dinner has ever been given to an ele-
plant in America. The elephant was
a celebrated performer, and on his ar
rival at a certain town the whole pop
ulace turned out to meet him.
The same evening the elephant sat
down to dinner on a specially prepared
chair, and enjoyed a hearty dinner, and
was duly toasted and praised. Presum-
ably the trainer or the proprietor of the
show paid for the dinner.
Horses, as we'll as men, were guests
at a dinner given by an enthusiastic
equestrian named Arkwright at a fash
ionable country house. Each human
guest was mounted on a horse, at the
side of whose back was strapped q
small table, from whence he partook Of
the various courses. The horses dined
at the same time from small troughs
filled with equine dainties.