The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-22
PRESS CLUB BANQUET.
Women Writers Enjoy a Pleas
ant Evening.

The men Jared badly at the thirteenth
annual banquet Of the Kansas Woman's
Press club at the Copeland last night.
The woman chosen to place the other
sex upon the griddle and toast It to
an even dark brown was Mrs. Olive I.
Royce of Phillipsburg, who is employ
ed on the paper published by her hus-
band, John O. Royce. the Phillpsburg
Despatch.
Mrs. Royce's subject was BY BY
paths and Hedgerows,' and her paDsr
which was the last of the afterdinner
speeches with which the banquet closed
was easily the hit of the evening The
bypaths of courtship and matrimony
and man, the discovery of the hedge
rows We're discussed by Mrs. Royce in
a lightly irOnical vein and when, in her
perOration she suggested that woman
find her consolation for her disappoint-
ment in man by comparing him with
the other animals the laughter and APP
plause were genuine and prolonged.
Compared. said Mrs. Royce. ito the
elephant how graceful and agile; to the
bear how gentle and mild: to the sloth
how quick and industrious; to the pea
cock how modest and retiring; to the
mule how yielding and submissive.
Although the majority of the women
at the banquet We're married and most
of them hold Jobs on their husbands
that they hold them only by virtue Of
being married to them) Mrs. Royce
paper was heard with the greatest sat
isfaction Ii was suggested that it be
sent in to an adjoining dining room
where a number of business and rail-
road men were having dinner num-
Der of them lords and masters of the
Rebellious Susans at the Woman
Press club banquet.
Nevertheless. when at the close OF the
banquet the president divided the table
flowers among the guests II was notice
a Bile that the unmarried women were
given the finest flowers, whether to con-
sole them for their misfortune or on the
that to him that hath shall
be given was not explained
Mrs Minnie d. Morgan of Cottonwood
Falls, who has just completed years
service in the office OF president Of the
Press club and was elected for another
year, presided as toastnistress-
There We're thirty-six guests seated at
one long table in the Copeland ordinary.
The table had large vase of brides
roses in the center fanked by clusters
of red carnations The dinner was IN
seven courses and the guests were seat
ed at half after s o'clock.
In the way of after dinner speeches
and tOasts Miss Constance CrOWther OF
the Topeka Capital told some of the
troubles of the society reporter, her sub
iect being We Have Troubles Of Our
body Gazette contributed a well written
paper on "Woman-A Long Felt Want
being a disquisition on the usefulness
of women in newspaper work Miss
Jones was not present and her paper
was read by Miss Johnston. Mrs Cora
Gilbert Lewis gave the most brilliant
and scholarly talk of the evening on
THE Fiend," taking her theme from
those lines of EmerSons poem The
Sphinx"
..Tbe fend that man harries
Is love of the best"
Mrs Lewis showed how all progress
and all excellence in art, literature,
music philanthropy, science and gov
of the best, that will not. let humanity
pause nor rest but conpels it ever on
ward and forward and upward.
Mrs. Charlotte F. Wilder, of Man
haitian was not able to be present. and
her clever little original story, BY One
Act Of Folly" was read by Mrs Mar
garet Hill A1cCarter and heard with in
terest. MIS-. Noble Frentis talked very
briefly about Our Foremothers." the
idea presented being that if our grand
mothers and great-grandmothers could
return to earth and see the modern
woman in the modern home they would
hesitate to return to the golden streets
of the new Jerusalem.
Another agreeable feature of the pro-
gramme was a letter from Mrs. Annie
L. Diggs, written from London to Mrs
Lewis who read 1t at the BANQUET. and
her good wishes to the Press /
club and her regrets at her inability 1
10 be present. Mrs. Diggs has recently 1
the annual dinner of the Lon
don Women's club. where such shining
lights as Ellen Terry and Sarah Grand /
we're guests. but she said the Kansas |
v oman's Press club banQuets surpaSS /
{ for wit and brilliance.
An election Of officers closed the after
noon session of the Press club meeting
Mrs Morgan, Of Cottonwood Falls, |