The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-09
AsHINGToN, December s.--tspe-
 cial.)-The annual December dinner of the Gridiron club this


 w dinner of the Gridiron club this afternoon was perhaps the most success full and jolly ever given by the club. One of the club of forty-four for more than sixteen years said 1t would be like a forty-day fast to miss a dinner, and judg- ing that which interests the writer will in terest readers, I give the story of to- nights dinner as told by Harry West Of the Washington Herald.
 "The President of the United States" As the toast was given, the entire assem- blaze. amid great enthusiasm, arose and drank the Presidents health It was a remarkable company, including not only President Roosevelt, but Vice President Fairbanks, Speaker Cannon, the Italian, British, Russian and Japanese ambas- every walk of life.
 The Time-Last night
 The Place-Banquet room of the New Willard.
 The Oecasion-The annual fall dinner of the Gridiron club.
 Where shall the story begin? Shall it begin with the Presidents characteristic speech, or with the Gridiron's laudable attempt to establish stable government in CubaV Or shall there be related the pathetic narrative of how a number of prominent gentlemen were asked to stand right up and turn around, and then sit down again? Or shall we drop into poetry, like Silas Wegg, and rehearse the songs that were sung and which had for their texts President Roosevelt and Secretary Shaw, and Secretary Taft, and other famous men? Or, perhaps, best of all, ought not the first place be given to ''the simple speller and Gridiron Dikshunary?
 But this deserves a chapter to itself to be told later. To begin at the beginning, the guests of the Gridiron club gathered together in the White and Gold reception hall of the New Willard, with President Roosevelt mingling among them in true democratic fashion. He shook hands cor dially with the foreign ambassadors and chatted with the railway magnates, nodded to five or six of his cabinet of fcers, spoke to senators and represen- tatives almost without number, and then, to the music of the Marine band, took the arm of President Fearn of the Gridiron club and led the procession of 225 mem- bers and guests into the banquet room.
 The way led through Cuban jungle of palms and other tropical plants into an apartment made beautiful by the florists art. The table, bright with cut glass and Silver, was one mas sof flowers and fol- iage. The vast ceiling and wall were hung with a profusion of southern smilax, while great clusters of American beauty roses surrounded the electric gridiron suspended behind the president of the club These decorations, the handiwork of Small, transformed the room into a picture which appealed to the eye and gratified every aesthetic taste. While the guests were still standing at their chairs the lights were suddenly ex- tinguished and the excellent quartette be- gan to sing a welcome As the song came to an end the great gridiron flashed bril- liantly forth and then came a rousing chorus, which gave the keynote to the evening entertainment. For a few mo- | ments the guests were allowed oppor- tunity to discuss the oysters and also to glance at the "Dikshunary," an artistic volume in black and white, which was the souvenir of the occasion. More about this volume anon-and it Is worth reading about, even if you skip all there Is be- tween.
 But verbum sapienti, as we used to say In school don't skip anything. Nobody skipped anything at the dinner, and It is a pretty good story to read. The club members did most of the entertaining. of course, but the guests were not slighted. For instance, there was song about walking in and turning 'round-you know | the rest-one verse of which bore lightly on the recent trip of the President, for 1t told how he sailed right in and turned around and then sailed right home again. After d few more incidents of the same kind had been related, the secretary of the club read the roll of those who had re- quested an opportunity to make speech. Here was the list:
 The Italian ambassador, the British am- bassador, the Russian ambassador, the Japanese ambassador, Liuet. Gen. Henry c. Corbin, U. S. A., Stuyvespt Fish, James Speyer, E. H. Hartman. John w. | Gates, Oscar Straus, James R. Garfield William Loeb, Jr. Paul Morton, Theodore P. Shonts, Timothy L. Woodruff, Cover nor-elect Conner of Alabama, Senator Tillman, H. St. George Tucker, David R. Francis and then some.
 When these distinguished gentlemen were standing, expecting the heavens to fall or an earthquake to happen-and perhaps wishing that it woud-a solo and | chorus was addressed to them in this wise:
 | I've greet you gentlemen, tonight, and
 bid you welcome here,
 | Where form and dignity are barred by | humor and good cheer.
 | We cannot hear you all crate, or tell your 1 stories new
 Such happiness would be too great, so
 this we'll have to do
 | Please all stand up, then turn round,
 then sit right down again.
 It's often that we entertain so many
 noted men.
 You'u not offend us in the least, if you're 1 silent through the feast.
 | Please all stand up, then turn round, and | sit right down again"
 l At the conclusion of this pleasant ditty the distinguished gentlemen all sat down. l Of course they never made speeches. It