Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10
CR|D|RON CLUB
IN SESSION
Its Annual Dinner Last
Night,
DISTINGUISHED MEN
Present as Guests of the
Members.
FEATURE OF EVENING
SPLENDID ENTERTAINMENT OF
WIT AND SATIRE.
FEATURE OF EVENING
SPLENDID ENTERTAINMENT OF
WIT AND SATIRE.
Initiation of Infant Members-A Peace
Conference to Decide Differences
Many Good Songs.

A brilliant entertainment before a COM
pany of distinguished guests added
other chapter to the Gridiron Clubs long
list Of achievements upon the occasion of
the clubs annual fall dinner at the New
Willard last night. Sparkling dialogue
pungent jest, caustic comment upon public
questions and satirization, though not un-
kindly OF public men, furnished charming
program TO interlard the dinner.
Many states of the Union furnished to
the guest list their quota of men high in Of
1cal social. political and business life.
Men do not hesitate TO come from far afieId
in response 10 an invitation to a Gridiron
Club dinner and last night even Canada
was represented at the board. These nota-
bic assemblies have so grown in size in re-
cent years that this fall it was necessary to
limit the number of guests to be invited
by each member.
The banquet hall of the New Willard was
charmingly decorated and reSplendent with
color and light. Ceiling and walls were
festooned with smilax and greens by Small,
and every table was flower garden. Above
President Csrson's chair the clubs great
electric gridiron flashed it's welcome TO the
guests as the other lights in the hail
blinked out for the moment. The vast BAN
quest hail had been partitioned off by inn
mense curtains to inclose an apartment just
to the color scheme.
While members and guests stood by their
chairs in the darkened room, illumined on y
by the flashing gridiron. President Carson
welcomed the banqueters In a brief and
graceful speech. Then the incandescent
lights blazed forth, the company was seated
and the cheerful clatter that accompanies
dining commenced. The first toast of the
evening was to the President of the United
States, according to custom. everybody
standing.
The announcement by President Carson of
the one rule of the Gridiron Club that at
GridirOn dinner reporters are never pres
ent and ladies always present" constructs
ively set the boundaries alike for freedom
and limitation of speech.
Eulogies for the Dead
At last nights dinner one sad service had
20 be performed. Since last the club gath
cred about its board four members had
passed across the border of this existence.
In memoriam, the hall darkened, and
as the likenesses of the departed colleagues
were thrown upon a screen by a stereopti-
con, a member of the club paid feeling
tribute to Gen. Henry V. Boynton, E. &.
Dunnel Beriah wilkins and Henry g.
Kemp.
''It is only a little while" said the me-
moriallst, "since we last gathered here, yet
in short a time four of our members
h have passed behind the veil that hides the
eternal mystery from mortal eyes
We do not purpose now to emphasize
our loss or tone our grief ON sympathetic
ears to mar the hour of feasting. But 1t is
not uniting that in the midst of scenes in
which they played their part so well, so
recently. pause a moment, not to
mourn. but to remember.
''Kemp-One of the youngest of our MEM
bers gently born and nurtured we'll be-
loved. He should have died hereafter yet
dying young inherits the immortal youth
1ulness of the early dead
'WilklnS-A successful man of business:
an efficient member of Congress; owner of
a newspaper of international influence; al
though sufferer for many years. persist
ent TO the end
''Dunnell-One OF the founders and many
times an officer OF this club; a newspaper
worker for thirty years; an Intelligent and
conscientious student of affairs: an acute
and tireless investigator; an incisive and
courageou writer; a Washington corre-
spondent of the best type.
"Boynton-An unblemished gentleman a
Christian knight who wore his country's
colors in two wars and who, through years
of militant newspaper service, carried the
sword of righteousness unsheathed; a fear
less journalist, Jealous of the honor of his
profession, whose pen was dedicated TO no
BILE purpose and whose work was conse-
Grated by high Ideals; simple-minded man
who could not recognize degrees of evil
doing. able only to distinguish right from
wrong; unfiinch!ngIy loyal; ready If need
be to stand alone, facing hostile world
with us, his comrades. helpful considerate
self-sacriacing. self-effacing.
zone who turned his back. but marched
breast forward;
Never doubted clouds would break
Never dreamed though right worsted, wrong
would triumph:
Held; we fail 10 rise; baaied. to fight better,
sleep to wake"
Menu Cards Were Ballots.
When the guests turned to the banouet
table each found before him an inter-
esting souvenir. 1t was q facsimile of the
old-fashioned ballot box a glass bowl in
closed in standards of wood and carving
the Gridiron Clubs colors. This was a
stuffed ballot box, literally for In II was
q tissue ballot upon which was printed the
menu. Copied after the ballot used in the
late New York elections. there were seven
columns, at the head of which were the en-
blerns of the party to be voted for. Beneath
the emblems We're proposed constitutional
amendments being the courses of the din
ner and below them the names of the
guests, divided into suppositious parties
A quaint feature of the dinner was the
serving OF the ice cream. The walters came
IN bearing real gridirons-'borrowed from
Mrs Wilard's Kitchen" as one western
guest remarked-beneath which were pans
of red candy to represent fire. The ice was
nodded IN the form OF mannfkins. toasting
upon the gridiron.
At one end of the hall stood q wireless
telegraph outfit. which was 10 furnish con-
fCyorffnued on srhird pa - \