Evening star., 1905-10-08
GIVEN A BANQUET
Pension Bureau Honors Form
er Chief.
COL. WARNER PRESENT
WARE SPECIAL GUEST OF THE
EVENING.
Reception Precedes Feast-Many Fe-
licitous Speeches Made by Those
Present-Responses to Toasts.

| Col. Eugene F. Ware, former commits
| sioner of pensions. was the guest last even
! ing at a reception rendered him by his friends
and former co-workers in the pension bu-
| reau. The reception was given at Freund's.
and was followed by an elaborate banquet,
| for which sixty covers were laid. The COM
| pany present was happy one. and three
hours of genuine merriment was spent un-
| I'll the midnight hour.
| Col. William H. Henderson. general coun-
| sci of the Southern railway, acted as toast
| master at the gathering, and in a graceful
and appropriate manner introduced the sew
eral speakers Among those who respond
ed to tcasts were Commissioner vespastan
Warner, Col. Eugene F. Ware. Gen. John
T. Wilder, James L. Davenport, T. Fletcher
Dennis, G. A. Merrifield and others.
announcement was made in the early
part of the festivities that Colonel Warner
would not be present owing to illness in his
| family, but while the courses were being
served he appeared in the banquet room
and was extended hearty ovation. Cheer
after cheer went up for the head of the
| pension office. and standing toast was
drunk to him. He gracefully responded
| with a word of thanks.
In introducing the guest of the evening
| Colonel Henderson referred to him as the
Master of the Iron Quill" and took occa-
| sion to pay tribute to his lifelong friend.
| ers with witty anecdotes which kept the
crowd well entertained.
Col. Wares Acknowledgment.
| Col. Ware. in responding to a toast, spoke
of the affectlonate regard in which he held
his friends at the pension office. and said
that when he had been told a few friends
wished to greet him while passing through
the city he did not expect to see quite so
| many of the boys" out 20 give him the
glad hand. He spoke of the great love
| which he felt for his native state. where he
said. the punch bowl was not regarded as
a necessity. He referred to the pleasant
relations which had always existed be-
tween himself and pension employees. and
declared emphatically that he was through
with officeholding, and expected never to
hold public position again under any condi-
tions. Public Office is a public trust, but
bad thing he declared. Among his
most cherished recollections. he said, were
those which he carried away with him
when he left the pension office, they
were recollections of good fellowship. He
remembered that when his term of service
In the war ended he was through with
war and its glories. though he found regret
in leaving the comrades who fought be-
side him in the struggle between the states.
And such a feeling came over me-" he
added, when the time came for me to
sever my connection with the government
in the fact that 1 was leaving friends who
had proved faithful and upright.
He spoke eloquently of the loyalty of the
clerks in the pension Office and compared
them to no other set of men for their hon
eSty of purpose.
Mr.. Warner Responds.
Vespasian Warner. commissioner Of pen
sions, was next introduced. He made ref
erence to his friend Colonel Henderson,
who. he said, had given the pension office
trouble because his road made many
orphans and widows. He had found his
work at the pension office pleasant because
of the admirable condition of affairs in
which his predecessor had left it. He said
sometimes he felt that all he had to do
was to draw his salary and keep his able
chief assistant in the straight path.
After taking charge of the pension
bureau. Colonel Warner said, he was
pleased to hear on all sides expressions of
the highest commentator for Colonel
Ware and of his admirable service to the
government. He hoped to the latter
take back his declaration never to again
serve IN an official capacity.
He then said he not there for the
purpose of making a long speech and
would give way to others.
Mr.. James l.. Davenport, the first assist
ant commissioner of pensions responded to
short toast. He said he had served un-
der three commissioners, and liked them
all. He did not know which one he liked
best, and thought he would have the
ideal IL he could embodiment of
He gave an eloquent tribute in speaking of
his former chief, the guest of the evening.
Mr. T. Fletcher Dennis made a witty
speech, in which he made few pleasant
illusions to the eX-commssioner as well as
the man who actually was serving" and
also paid compliment to previous
speaker, who declared that he would be the
next commissioner of pensions.
The festivities concluded at the midnight
hour after many other speeches had been
made, all complimentary to the former
commissioner.
The committee iri-charge of the reception
consisted of DR.. Sam Houston, chairman;
Col. w. II. Bayly, chief clerk of the PEN
sion Office; t. d. Yeager, private secretary
to the Commissioner, and s. A. Cuddy,
chief of the law division.
List Of Those Present.
The guests were: E. F. Ware, Commits
sioner Vespasian Warner, Gen. VIM. A. Hen
derson Gen. j. T. Wilder, o. P. HalIan
]. w. Watson. Maj Swiggett. c. Nelson
A. G. Stockton, A. X. Meek, John Dague
]. B. Algate. Col. John Hancock, William
Campbell. H. Cilley. F. A. Warfield. Chas
Davies, A. D. Virgins, L. B. Slime, Mr.
McCauley, F. D. Yeager, F. Dennis, A. W.
Rome, G. Davenport, w. H. Bayly, A. B.
Bennett, H. r. c. Shaw, C. B. Moore, G. A
Jaeger James McNabb. E. Grissom. j. T.
Fitzpatrick, Wallace Streater, c. J. Swayze
G. C. Stewart, s. A. Cuddy DIR. Sam Hous-
ton, DR.. Featherstonhaugh, DIR. Hays. Dr.
Mckee, DR.. O'Connor, DIR. Gallagher Dr.
Alleger. DIR. Holt, F. w. Dalton. A. H.
Coleman, T. II. Dawson. G.. A. L. Merrifield
J. Lott, w. II. L. Alexander. VIM. Wolfe.
Col. G. c. Kniffen, ]. X. Hench. Speed
Smith, Dr. Shipman, DIR. Sweet, p, W.
Blazer, A. Bussius, c.. M. Bryant.
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