Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-04-26
MOST NOVEL or DINNERS.
Company Which Journeyed to the
Orient with Secretary Taft
Gather at Banquet.

Most unique of the dinners given
this season was that which the Taft
ers" gave the other night at the VIII
lard for Mr.. Taft, secretary of war.
The company which journeyed so hap
PLY together to the orient has de-
cided to celebrate every year, and this
event was the first.
After being received by the COM
mittee, including Senator Warren, Sem
ator Murphy J.. Foster, Representative
Shirley and Representative William
b. Mckinley, the guests passed into
the adjoining ballroom. In single file
they emerged upon the miniature deck
of the steamer ManchuTia, behind
which we're pillows, canvas waves aud
a tiny wharf piled with luggage. Pass
ing from the gang-plank they crossed
tiny Japanese bridge, and, descend
ing, traversed a tea garden of the
Flowery kingdom, the perfume of wis
terra, acacia and other dainty blooms
delighting them as they went on to
view the Jungle.
Picturesque gates of China flanked
ter of the room was long table and
stretching down the length of 1t the
messy archipelago of the Philippines.
Native huts and bridges fecked its
surface and sailing in the mirror wa
ters surrounding 1t we're curious crafts
of the orient
A canopy over the table carried the
idea of a Philippine bungalow, its
bamboo posts hung with curios from
the land. Quantities of roses and 9TH
er blossoms formed the outer fringe of
decorations. All the intervening spaces
in the room we're banked with tall
palms and other green's suggestive of
the tropics, and the chandeliers were
draped with southern smilax and fes-
TONED with japanese lanterns.
The "Tafters" loaned miniature huts,
boats and other souvenirs to give sug-
gestive touches. The place cards were
mounted kodak views taken on the
trip, most of them being photos of the
party, each guest receiving a picture
of the person on the voyage who most
interested him or her. For instance,
Mrs. Taft, who was not one of the
party, found at her place photograph
of her husband, the secretary. Repre-
sentative Longworth found his place
by the smiling likeness of his bride,
and Representative Shirley was no less
fortunate by finding picture of Miss
Mignon Croitton, his fiancee, whose
late was also settled on that trip, wait
Ing at his seat at the table.
OF all the originality displayed in the
planning and carrying out of the feast,
no more was displayed than in the
compiling of the menu. This was in
book form, printed and bound in Fill
Pine cloth, decorated with a spray of
palm and entitled THE Second Voyage
of the Taft Philippine Party"
Between the covers were all sorts of
funny caTicatures and others depicting
the voyage, a view of the presidents
| daughter, ready for the voyage, lead
ing the series, likenesses of Queen Lii
iuokalani, the sultan Of Sulu, and
many funny hits, the final being list
of toasts. Mr.. Shirley was postmaster,
with following speakers: Mr.. Taft,
pleasant Memories" Miss Mabel
Boardman, THE LADIES'" Represen-
tative Foster, "The Trip and the Trip
pers;" Representative Grosvenor,
Somewhere East Of Suez;" Represen-
tative De Almond, Guided by the Ma
gician Into Wonderland, Wonderful
Things Happen" Representative Ches-
ter |. Long, Praise the Sea, but Keep
| on Land"