The Topeka state journal., 1908-07-13
Saturday Night Club Celebrates
Silver Jubilee.
Roof Garden Banquet a Notable
One.
WELLKNOWN ORATORS
Curtis, Anthony, Morgan and
Waters Guests of the Club.
An Exchange Of Amenities for
Which Organization Is Famous.

VMlCu OISdulLdtIOu AS dhOucs
The Saturday Night Literary club
held its quarter-centennial banquet on
the roof garden of the New National
hotel Saturday night and the event
proved that the club, like good wine,
grows even better with the passing OF
the years.
About one hundred and fifty repre-
sentative Kansans sat down to the
banquet board to enjoy an evening OF
wit, wisdom and good things. The
Saturday Night club is the Gridiron
club of the west The brightest men
In the Sunfiower state speak at its an
nual banquets and the shafts of wit,
satire and sarcasm fly as thick as the
arrows of the English bowmen at the
battle OF Poictiers.
Good fellowship prevails over for
mality and the speaker is always liable
TO assault at the hands of the wits OF
the club.
Saturday nights banquet was one OF
the very best of the twenty-four pre-
ceding ones. and this is saying a great
deal. as all who were fortunate enough
to receive invitations to these affairs
will heartily testify. The muster roll
of speakers was a notable one. The re-
tiring president, the Nestor of the club.
two talented attorneys blessed with
large sense of humor the brilliant con-
gressman from Leavenworth, the wit
ty McNeal, the eloquent Waters and
the famous Junior senator from Kan
sas were on the program and each was
able to hold his own against the on
slaught of club members and even
compel applause and admiration as
we'll as spasms Of laughter from that
critical audience.
1t is the hardest thing in the world
to write of the events of that jolly
evening. The brilliantly lighted BAN
quet hall seventy feet above the pave
ment was cooled by the breezes that
blow ever from the Kansas prairies dur
Ing the summer months; the banquet,
served in six courses. was superb; the
guests were in grand spirits: the oc-
casion Just right and everything pass
ed off with a swing and a snap that
have made these affairs famous over
the west. The dignity of the speakers
while under fire, the gravity OF the
club members as they tried blade upon
buckler in the battle of wits proved ir-
resistible and the roof rocked in the
gale of merriment. There was nothing
forced about this night of fun. The
spirit of the occasion took hold upon
the guests and they laughed and
pranked like boys at the old swimming
hole. The gayety was as spontaneous
as that at a husking bee. These men,
old and young, busy and idle, grave and
gay. cast aside all the cares of the
world for an hour and resumed their
youth Under mirth's magic wand the
tired look in their eyes frightened and
the lines in their faces faded away. Old
Father Time shook his head and skunk
away to rest for a season. He could
make no headway with his sickle and
hour glass against these jewellers VINO
Knocked him while drinking only wa
ter. But this water had been drawn
from the fountain of youth and
charged with the elixir of good fellow
ship which Is more potent and lasting
than any vintage from the most fam
Gus vineyard under the sun
Mr.. Bone as Toastmaster.
1t was after o'clock when Harry j.
Bone, the retiring president and pre-
siding officer called the feasters to or
der and began his address on Our Sill
yer jubilee After q couple of inter
ruptions at the beginning the speaker
started in to tell something very in
teresting about the freight rates be
tween Salina and Leroy and how they
ought to be changed. Upon the advic-
of the guests he changed the current
of his remarks to a presentation or the
new rules of the club which allowed
none to speak at the annual banquets
but retiring presidents. He declared
that the records showed that the ad-
dresses of invited guests had proved
to be dismal failures while the perora
tions of the retiring presidents We're
gems of eloquence and wisdom. ("This
Is the exception to the rule" declared
a guest) .. 49,.
club since its inception, has been
phenomenal" continued Mr.. Bone.
''The Improvement locally and
throughout the state and nation has
been inspired largely il not wholly
by this club" (This statement made
a big hit with the guests and they
made him repeat it couple of
times.) Mr.. Bone then proceeded to
gravely tell of the cIups influence
upon state and national affairs, con-
cluding his fight with the declara-
ton that the proceedings at the Chi
cago convention were but ratifica-
tion of the clubs work performed
long ago. He was interrupted at this
point to such an extent that he
pounded on the table TOR order with
the battle AK he was using for a
gavel and which he said had been
sent to the club by w. ]. Bryan from
Fairview.
After discussing the primary law.
state printer graft and attributes of
Ananias, he said: And now Kansas
has swapped hell raising Mary Ellen
Lease for hell roaring William Allen
White.
This club is against race suicide.
Its members are directly responsible
and 43 great grandchildren" (Cheers
and laughter and five rnotions.) The
speaker, who was also the presiding
officer, promised to consider the mo-
tions at thenext regular meeting.
Mr.. Fosters Loving Cup.
At this point John F. Switzer, in a