The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-02-01
PRESIDENT ON eRIDrRoN
Nations Chief Executive Overcome
With Merriment.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-Pres-
ident Roosevelt was so over
come with merriment at the din
ner Of the Gridiron Club Saturday
night that be nearly fell off bis
chair. j. P. Morgan and H. H.
Rogers, the victim of a prank, en-
joyed most heartily the shout that
went up at their expense.
President Roosevelt, in his of
fetal capacity, has been at dagger
points with the dictator of Wall
street and the oil trust magnate.
But Saturday night these worthless
and many others, cabinet officers,
diplomats, professional and bust
ness men from all parts Of the
United States, met in a spirit of
comraderie that mark the meetings
of this famous dinner club of news
paper correspondents.
The incident just related occur
cd during the carrying out Of the
principal skit of tn evening,
which was based on President
Roosevelt's Capitalization a.
The:year was 1917, and a ceremoni
al session was held Of the court of
"His Gracious and Imperial Maj.
esty, Emperorof All the Americas,
Champion Of Capitalization, King
of Kings and Monarch of the High,
the Middle and the Low
The room was darkened, ,San
after ten strokes on q gong the
lights came up and o georgeous
gold throne was discovered, be-
side which stood a herald, who an
nounced the members of the court
as they came in. There we're four
officers Of the kings privy council,
courtiers, pages and jester, and all
the panoply Of court.
A spirited colloquy was inter
rupted by the entrance Of two rag
ged and woebegone men, both of |
whom prostrated themselves be-
fore the king. One said:
BE mercifnl, for once owned
all the railroads in this land"
The other exclaimed: ''And
| controlled the oil productions
They were identified by courtier
as Fl. H. Rogers and J. P. Morgan.
This was when the shout Of
merriment went up. II was de-
cided by the court that inasmuch
as these men had been deprived Of I
all their profiting they should be
given employment. Rogers was
billited as first oiler Of of the i'm
perial special train" and Morgan
was made 'sofiicial photographer
of the Panama canal, with instruc-
tions to get all the steam shovels."
CoURTIERs TESTING.
The laugh was long and furious
at the jesting which followed at
the Presidents expense between
the king and his courtiers.
Courtier: "Your majesty's am
at the Court Of st. james
reports by submarine telephone
that the Rt. Hon. James Bryno
lid six feet four inches in the pole
vault Yesterday.
King: 1T is not enough. Sew Il
ID feet orswe wont receive him.
Wasn't the French ambassador to
De here BY this timesn
Courtier: .'IIe is In the garden
putting the II pound shot"
King: Inform him that | will
bot sign that treaty of alliance IN !
less be does better than he did
yesterday" !"
The sIxit ended with the recital
i au epilogne and the ''Star =
'pangled Banner from the orohes Q
ra Everybody 1T the table rose, ;
heefed aud waving napkins at s
resident Roosevelt, who was i'm !.
aediately introduced. He made :
speech which was received !,
gith tremendous enthusiasm. Sec
etafy Of War Taft came in for A
ome attention. Inanimate stat !,
'tes which later became much I
minated, carried on a cross fire. 9
nn Of personal comment with the 4
guests as victims: r