New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06
THE TASK OF THE DINNER MAKER"
PLANS LAID LONG BEFOREHAND ARE REQUIRED
FOR THE BIG PUBLIC BANQUET.

most difficult task is in securing speakers. He
wants men that are not only happy takers whose
ute ances replete with aneCdOte and hurnOT
that set the table IN a roar. but they must be men
OF mark. known throug out the nation and often
times the world They extremely busy men.
Their leisure limited, Yet hundreds Of societies
each eager to have big guns at their boards. have
gain and again invited them to be their guests OF
honor Ntnety-nine Of these organizations must,
of curse. obtain onlv heir regrets
Almost contemporaneous with the planning OF the
Chamber Of Commerce Building were preparations
begun for the dinner which to celebrate its
completion. and evidence Of the prestige Of this
organization. as well as the patience and persever-
of such men as George Wilson. IT'S veteran
secretary. there spoke at that dinner President
Roosevelt, Prince Henry. NJ. Cambou, the French
Ambassador; Sir Michael Herbert, the British AM
bassador: representatives of the Chambers of Com
merce of London. Paris and Berlin.
The dinner which the Ohio Society gave to Pres-
dent Mckinley the year before his assassination
was planned four years previous 20 that time, on
his first election to the Presidency. At another
dinner Of this society the result OF the long
and active work Of such Andrew j. C..
Foye, and other dinner makers" the United
States Senators from Ohio together with five
more members OF the upper house. sat at the guest
table
At dinners Of the St Nicholas Society the army
is always represented by general and the navy
by an admiral The speakers OF the New-Engand
Society invariably hold high stations In various
spheres OF life, and at dinner Of this Organiza-
ton there were present William E. Dodge. at that
time president OF the society; DR.. W. H P. Faunce.
president of Brown University: General Miles. Ad-
miraI Barker. the Rev. DR.. David H. Greer. Gov
ernor Mclean Of Ohio. Mayor Low and Percy
Sanderson. British Consul to New-York
Because Of the ever Increasing difficulty OF OBJ
tanning big men, societies have established
the custom Of paying generous sums to speakers.
The money Is sent in the form OF a check along
with the invitation. many months prior to the
do ~ fl,aS TT.
letter as forwarded to meet necessary expenses
incurred in attending the dinner" but the amount
is generally several times greater than would meet
ordinary expenses To one prominent after din
ner speaker recently the sum OF 500 was sent to
pay travelling expenses between this CITY and
Washington. and for one nights lodging AT a New
YORK hotel To literary man. who lives In this
city an invitation was sent not long ago to attend
a olnner winch met with polite refusal because
OF previous engagement Another invitation
was sent together with a check for 500 The
check was returned with a still more courteous
oechnation a third invitation was then r1aiIsd
with check for 500 incosed. and the reply which
came contained the words:
Il viii come"
AS long public dinners have been held in this
city 1t has always been the custom of the organ
lzation which is host house and entertain visit
ing guests Some twenty years ago the Republican
Club gave its annual Lincoln dinner on the birth
Gay or the great war President and as nowadays
II was attended by men OF national pron1inencs
from different parts OF the country Among the
rest was Governor Dick Oglesby OF Illinois who
was assigned to a quiet room" In the Fifth Ave
nue. hotel When committee called on the Gov
ernor. about hour before the dinner II found
MIN sprawled out in a great upholstered chair
ielsurely smoking his pipe Alexander Caldwell
VINO was member OF the committee and who ever
since that time has been one of the chief dinner
makers OF the Republican Club, told the Governor
mat the dinner hour near, and that the sooner
they all started the better.
Well then. I'd better be putting on nv regi-
IlehIaIs' said the naive statesman. taking out a
dress suit from the end of a canvas bag. And
what's more" he added, with sadder expression
= wish mother was here TO help me-"
Those who get up big dinners must exercise a
great deal Of discretion in the selection OF speak
'eTs They must be careful not to invite an orator
whose wit has become furnished or whose sen
fences are pOnderous and sOmniferous MANY a
dinner has been marked by the presence of a
big gun whose vast charges of smokeess pow
der made all the humor OF the evening beat a re-
treat.
In Atlanta the citizens have grown tired apDsr-
emily OF few of their most prominent after-dinner
speakers. and endeavorins to establish the
custom OF having rotation in orators. A recent
dispatch from Atlanta contained these sentences.
There have been few public dinners In Atlanta
in recent years at which certain men have NOT
been speakers. and while there has been no inti-
nation that they failed 70 come up to expecta-
tons, or that they wearied any OF their hear
ers, still there was desire the part Of the
business men TO attend at least affair at which
these men were only listeners. Tt was an unusual
experience for these men,
The speakers referred TO are Governor Terrell
Mayor Howell, Clark Howell and John Temple
Graves.
In England custom is in vogue for preventing