The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-31
MANY ROASTED
ON THE GRIDIR0N
ANNUAL DINNER Is GIVEN.
PRESIDENT AND OTHER PROMI-
NENT MEN ATTENDED.

Two Hundred and Twenty-Five Pres
ent at "A Notable Gathering of the
GridirOn Club in Washington.
Much Fun and Humor Introduced.
Laughter Provoked by Satire.
Some of the Prominent Guests of
the Club.
Washington. Jan. 30.-The Gridiron
Club entertained notable guests at the
annual dinner given by this famous
newspaper organization at the Airing
ton Hote1 tonight There were 225
present and in the large assembly were
the President, members of the cabinet,
diplomats, senators and representa-
tives, army and navy officers and per-
sons prominent in the business and
literary world.
Men whose names have figured in
connection with the presidency, includ-
ing the present chief executive, Hanna,
Taft, German, Cockrell and Francis,
were present and enjoyed the clever
satire and Gridiron quips at the ex-
pense of themselves, as we'll as the
many unique features burlesqueing ma
tional and international events. From
the time President Louis A. Coolidge
welcomed the guests until the Song of
Home" at midnight, there was an I'M
interrupted flow of wit and merriment
There were clever skits, songs, good
speeches and everything possible to
make the dinner a complete gridiron
success.
The menu was treaty for the estab-
lishment of a "Gridiron alimentary ca
nal" in which a number of guests fig
ured as the high contracting parties.
Two new members We're initiated,
Scott c. Bone, of the Washington Post,
and N. o. Messenger, of the Washing
ton Evening Star They were COM
PEELED to appear as newsboys, selling
! extra editions of their respective pa
pers, which, upon examination by the
committee, were found to contain
startling information concerning many
of the prominent guests present.
SIings and Arrows.
One of the most interesting features
of the evening was the appearance of
Professor Stringer Stringem, Ventril-
oquist," with dummies" who were
| named for senators, cabinet officers.
and others. The answers which these
dummies" made to various questions
provoked peals of laughter. For in
| stance, the ''Ventriloquist" asked:
Arthur Pue German, is it true that
Bryan has come out for you for Presi-
dent?"
German "Dummy"-"No; Bryan is a
! friend of NINE"
Ventriloquist-"Dav Bennett Hill,
have you heard that Grover Cleveland
may be nominated for Presidents"
Hill "Dummy'-"Which party?"
At one stage of the dinner a number
of members opened up a "Jai Alai, the
| Gridiron gambling he'll" and the wheel
| of fortune. which was operated in
| connection with the scheme produced
some amazing results, both in relation
to presidential candidates and other
Eprominent men.
Different guests We're asked ques-
tions during the dinner, of which the
| following are samples:
Gen. Corbin-What would have been
your present rank in the army If you
had started as a doctor?"
Judge Taft-You are to be sworn
in as Secretary of War on Monday
Have you yet taken the oath of allie
| giance?"
Secretary Wilson-What would be
the result of crossing the boil weevi
with the Scotch high ball?"
Medals were conferred on those who
had been members ten years, and il
giving these and badges to those who
had been president of the club pointed
and personal hits We're INDUCED in
| showing that there was no discrimi-
nation between guests and GridironerS
in the matter of roasts. Charles c.
| Randolph, j H. Kaiser and Frank V
| Bennett received the ten-year medals
| The latter, who has been manager OF
the Arlington during all the years the
club has been giving its dinners there
| is soon to become proprietor of a new
hotel in New York, and with his med
al he was given a miniature hotel call
ed, "Grdiron Hotel" which name hie
associates in the club have given the
New York esta blishment.
Among those who made speeches
were President Roosevelt, Secretaries
Root, Shaw and Wilson; Judge Taft
the German ambassador, Speaker Can
non. former Senator Carter and Sena-
tors Hanna. German and Cockrell.
Among Those Present.
Among the guests were:
President Roosevelt, Secretaries Root,
Shaw, Wilson and .Cortelyou, Postmas-
| ter General Payne, Gov. Taft of the
Philippines, Associated Justice Day,
United States Supreme Court; Senators
Aldrich. Beverage. Blackburn, Bur-
rows, Cockrell, Dryden, Dubois, CALM
ger, German, Hanna, Kearns, Long
and Scott Speaker Cannon and Repre-
sentatives Dwight, Grosvenor. Hep
burn, Tate, Howard and Tawney,
Baron Won Sternberg, the German
ambassador; Maj. Gen. Henry C. Cor
bin, Brig. Gen. Charles F. Humphrey,
Lieut. Col. James S. Petit. Rear Ad-
mirals John G. Walker and Winfield S.
Schley, Capt William V. Brownson,
Lieut. Com. Knapp. u. S. N; George
w. Boyd, Pennsylvania Railroad:
Cornelius N. Bliss, New York; Milton
e. Allies, Washington; DIR. Edward Bed
loe, Philadelphia; Pomeroy Burton,