The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-18

when, after lapsins FOR almost twelve
! months. it was re-esta blished.
! Its second existence was a result of the
I coming of United states Army officers
/ about the middle Of last April. who had
/ been ordered TO DUTY with the jefferson
, Guards by the War Department
| They looked about for handy place >or
sideboard. and found one ready made
/ in room 2JS. for which there was no other
or more important use Forthwith the lit
tie room, for ii is hardly big enough for
/ EWo cais to dance in. was made refuge
( fo- those who sought surceaso Of cares
! for the noncc.
Vt first It was merely Il makeshift for
the indispensable post or reein.cntal off,
GERS club. without which no army off,
GERS existence IS complete
But. as the officers settled into their life
at The Fair and made friends. il assumed
some of tho u'orc important functions Of
the officers club. whore an acquaintance.
was brought in for refreshment before
his VISIT could properly he said to have
been made.
Probably never again will this unassur2-
ias. dir.inur.yc and plainlv rurni-fe..
cubhyEole have in Il 1.-THE Of the d:Etiu-
stis2ed G.ea OF ali quarters OF the ginbs
a. during the las, seven months hays
olinkel crystals with the PREDATORY
How or Here's looking Al you.' saok.n
IN .ts inany different variations OF the hu-
man tongue As there are
pEILGHTFuLLY INFORMAL.
Th' great charm OF the hospitality
which was dispensed in "2es" was, it. de
| AGhtiul inforrlaity ana the matter-of-
fact way i. :-hi,n tue n.en wlln niai,.-
tained the institution dispensed their hos
pi.ality.
nave yol been in '20S?" was USUALLY n
question that followed the first greeting
TO friend or acquaintance visiting the
commandants office, and the question was
propounded pretty much az a weather
iorccds: is made in casual conversation.
frcn Coio2el to STRIPPING; Lieutenant the
hcspit2ble query was a regular one.
Many who made their first visit to the
headquarters We're una vale OF tn. mean
ing Of ;he question. The only explanation
AZ. officer would ycluAsafe to anv ipouIr,,
as 10 the identity Of "..S' would bo ,
visit to tho room with its concomitar;
ceremony. II was thus that ..Cs'
achieved = local habitation anu Z, 1,.l,,.
And 20 the fame vi ''2VS' spread bv word
OF mouth Of those outsiders. vino Lad .l.-t.e
its pleasant acquaintance rather than b.
any helping from its founders. IN fact
SO celebrat d dill the little roou. become
that packages or b1Eiles addressed to ,.Iv
Of the numerous rooms rs in the Admin
istrat.on eroCp o. Buildings usually found
their way first to The '.AS"
In the last days of ''DS'' when nj "o.
hcerS' cali. ceremony which occurred
daily at $3.50. when all the officers were
summoned into ''.gs'' for discussion of
tae days orders and other things. i, waa
tie pleasant boas; OF the army coTo,y
that in its confines had been entertained
every civilized nationality under lie sun
save . naive OF China. This cxceptjor
was due solely to the accident that never
n native of Cdthay had visited there.
Tho ca1lings OF the guests VINO had
poured libation 10 friendship In that
room were almost as varied as the ma
tionaiiies and races represented.
Perhaps the cloth was the ore excoptro,,
Bus there were judges. soldiers and sail
ors galore. diplomats. statesmen and uoIi
ticianr, merchants, authors and neysna-
per men, actor, engineers. educators and
a whole host of men h gin in their profess |
sions. besides men who followed no cali |
i',gs but the !ndulsi lg of their inc.inations.
Because it was an informal institution |
and its growth not planned nor oontera- |!