The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-14
THIRTEEN CLUB AND COLER.
BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT
DISCUSSES MANY THINGS.

Spelling Merry TESTS by Abe Grube
and Dol. sprawue-Siles Says IT'S One
OF the Greatest Nights OF HIS Life.
The Thirteen Club, which has grown to
Just 10 times IS, waged war last night in
Little Hungary in East Houston street will
knife and fork against old fashioned spell
ing and other superstitIons. Regardless OF
consequences the club placed the simplest
Of all spoilers, Col. Charles Z. Sprague-the
guest Of h~onor-undsr an open umbrella,
and around the restaurant were grave
stones, skulls and more open umbrellas.
The Hon. Bird 8. Coler also spoke.
Seated at the table with the chief ruler
Of the club, John p. Scrymser, were Gen.
Nelson A. Miles, Abe 0ruber, the Hon.
Reggie Doun, Judge Owen Finnerty OF
Coney Island, Bryan @. Hughes. the we'll
known cutup, and other distinguished men.
Mr.. Coler, although he delivered the long
est speech OF the evening. oottoned to the
air Of simplicity all about and confined his
remarks to the Japanese question, the
Storer affair, the B. r. T., simplihed spelling
in our schools, the Presidents policy, States
rights, the dangers Of a GENERALIZATION OF
governmental powers and Brooklyn as she
is to-day.
Mr.. Coler announced that he had brought
along a typewriter copy OF his speech
because he knew the press would be rep
resented at the dinner and he did not
want to be misquoted all over the country
this morning as to his views OF these Lead
ing questions.
Overshadowing the speakers was a lew
banner of the club which was painted by
hand in thirteen colors and a keyplate. IL
represented a figure that suggested frankie
| Bailey at her best in the closing burlesque.
The lady flashed a sword labelled -lnteli-
gence' menacingly at an Alice blue dragon
with three Did rose tongues marked "Ig-
norsnce," Prejudice and "Bigotry.' The
dragon seemed to be all In. 81
In front OF Gen. Miles a ~gravestone had
been arranged underneath which we're sup
posed to be inferred the old spelling books
This lest was received with peals OF hearty
I laughter, which were only equalled when
Joker Hughes tried to have a waiter respond
to a toast when one or the other OF the dis
tinRuished speakers was introduced.
Col. Gruber said he hadn't met anybody
outside of an insane asylum that favored
the simple spelling except the guest OF
honor, Col. Sprague, and Andy and Teddy. :
Col. Sprague asked Col. Gruber II he had
met many in favor Of the new spelling
Willis III lH0 hSylhIls IL bCoobhhaoeNt
replied that all the patients favored it,
And 40 the merry jokes went on until Col
Sprague said that IL Col. Gruber didn't
object to COLONEL as a bit Of foolish
photography, he. Col. Sprague, did, because
the a~bbreviation Col must stand Tor
eur"
After Mr.. Coler's extended speech, in
which the Brooklyn Borough President
showed his we'll known prediction for
religious matters by reciting a stanza OF
his own that ran:
Now glory to the Lord Of Hosts
From whom all blessings fell.
And glory to our President,
Theodore Roos-e-fell.
| and, further, the saying, The voice of the
people is the voice OF God, should be
changed to run, The voice OF Root is the
voice Of Teddy the Terrible and we can
lay aside the Almighty in emergencies
after all this Gen. Miles, who follow ed,
confined himself almost solely TO thanking
his hosts in a few brief remarks. He said
the reception he got from so distinguished
a body OF men" was -one of the greatest
honors that could come to a soldier"
Col. Sprague followed his custom OF
using his usual speech about Prof. Skeat
and the other distinguished gentlemen that
nave come out for the new spelling. He
is descended-certainly Decentralization
a literary gentleman named Hawthorne,
because the literary gent" does not favor
the new photography.
The Little Hungary wine fountains at the
tables of thirteen diners each went dry
about midnight and everybody filed back
through the East Side after the chairman
of the dinner committee, j.. r.. Abarbanell
carried away by his enthusiasm, almost
had a motion carried to bind all the mem
bers to the new spelling. But the motion
was finally tabled.
Col. John F.. Hobbs was elected Chief
Ruler for the coming year and the Hon
Reggie Doull was elected Vice-Ruler with
out opposition.