The Washington bee., 1907-02-23
DINNER OF THE PEN
AND PENCIL CLUB, COMMEM-
ORATIVE OF THE ANNI-
VERSARY OF THE BIRTH
OF FREDERICK
DOUGLASS

DOOOLASS.
The seventh Of the annual dinners Of
the Pen and Pencil Club commemora-
tive of the ninetieth anniversary of the
birth of Frederick Douglass. was held
in Odd Fellows Hall on Thursday ev-
ening of last week.
While the clubs entertainments have
always been of an exceptionally high
ORDER the function this year was on
all sides conceded to be surprisingly
| fine.
Five toasts had been assigned. COW
ering points in the life and times of
Douglass and their bearing on present
day happenings The toasts and speak
ers were "Esau Brown, martyr, one Of
John Browns men," Lewis H. Doug
! lass: Douglass and COlOred soldiers"
Gilchrist Stewart; Douglass and the
race" Thomas L.Jones; "reminiscences
of Douglass" Daniel Murray, and The
Douglass Memorial" James A. Cobb.
Because of illness. neither Mr. Doug
lass nor Mr.. Murray could be present
| Mr. Douglass toast was submitted in
writing.
The speeches were of a very high
order. They were attentively listened
to and appreciatively applauded. The
rules of the club preclude their publica-
| ton.
A delicious menu and the salient "fea-
ture" part of the evenings program
| gave zest to the occasion.
As a starter. the reception room where
the guests had assembled, was invaded
by the clubs Disciplinarian BOrde ]"
! (members disguised as rufians), seek
ing the person who had divulged secrets
| of the last dinner. He was found, seiZ-
ed, and rushed out to be disciplined.
! Falling into the hands of the clubs
Lightning change artist" he reappear-
ed almost Immediately. so changed in
| appearance as not too be recognized as
the same person who had been SUM
marily ushered from among them a few
moments before. He tremblingly stated
that he had been roughly handled, and
! transmitted. as it were. and that he was
released to them only as sponsor Tor
their probity. He then told them that
by reason Of his Precipitation no one
else would be disturbed and that they
, would be permitted to enter the sane
tum sanctorum in response TO the roll
call
Entering the beautifully decorated
dining hall, they were directed. by the
lettered and numbered tickets. to their
seats at one or the other sections of the
large gridiron table. President W L.
Pollard stated that a copy of the com
memorative edition of Pen and Pencil
Pointers" the magazine published BY
the club, would be found by the diners
at their respective plates. He then call
ed on the chairman of the governing
board, who had assumed the roll of
editor, for further report as to the edi-
torial work. and was told thar another
and finer edition was about to be issued.
He then invited the guests to be seated
to the edition de luxe" which, of
course, was the dinner.
The magazine, a booklet Of eight
! pages and cover, was much commented
on as a production of artistic ypog-
raphy and ingenious composition. It
included the announcement, a poem on
Douglass by Joseph s. Cotter, the toasts.
the menu, a puzzle page, answers 10 cor
respondents, and the list of club officers
and members and guests, purposely
yelled in epigram, quotation, or refer
ence, making their Interpretation III con
neCtiOn with the head lines under which
| they appeared. somewhat abstruse. all
of which was in keeping with the an
| nOunCement on the cover that it was "a
magazine Of doubtful purposes and, pur-
| pOseful doubts" This theme was ai-
I parent throughout its pages. Under the
| cut Of Douglass on the cover was
| quotation from his Life and Times"
which made him state the doubtfulness
of the date Of his birth. Even courses
of the menu were clothed in doubtful
terms, made the more confusing by the
ambiguous turn given by the interlinear
quotations. The connection between the.
two was, however, easily established
when the food was eaten.
On the puzzle page were q double
acrostic, an acrostic, and a numerical
enigma. Prizes were given for the so
luton of these puzzles. 1t was stated
that the words of the double acrostic
formed the name of a well-known mu-
tual admiration society. This. of course,
was the Pen and Pencil Club. The
hidden words "Pen and Pencil" mod
estly revealed the foibles of its members.
The prize was combination pen and