Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-03
Feast and Germ Fest
Delights at Smoker

A new light was shed on science at the
New Willard last night. 1t was the light
of many candles carried in the hands of
an army OF convenient servitors. who also
carried great quantities of cigars and
cigarettes and who moved in and out
between the groups Of delegates to the
International congress on tuberculosis.
the guests of the District committee at a
great big smoker.
And there was more enthusiasm and
| more real redhot talk at that smoker
| than there has been at any session of
the congress this week, for there fs
nothing that makes a man, be he scientist
or not. warm up to his neighbor so much
as a glass in one hand and a great,
Dig fat cigar in the other. There is moth
ing SO pleasing to even scientists as the
sight of buffet which seems to be hum
dreds OF yards long, piled high with lob
ster salad. chicken salad, sandwiches,
fried oysters and every item of delightful
and indigestible provender that opens the
way to mans heart via the stomach.
And all those things were there at the
Willard last night for the thousands OF
delegates to enjoy for a brief space of
time. while the District of Columbia
could act the part Of host. 1t made a
good host, and chose good representatives
so every one said. DR.. c. w. Richardson
gave all the credit to DR.. Woodward.
and DR.. Woodward raised his hands sky
ward and swore by all that WIS virulent
in the sacred realm of bacteriology that
DR.. Richardson was not only responsible
for the good time, but that he ought to
get all the credit for everything from
the floor to the ceiling.
And what noise, Two thousand men all
talking at once in every language OF the
civilized globe make quite small shud-
der. Two thousand men all talking at
once about germs let loose enough talk in
five minutes to be liberal education If
IL could all be caught and imprisoned be
tween the sheepskin covers OF a scientific
book But IL was not germfest alto
gether. There were doctors who talked
about the ball game. there We're scientists
who claimed that Delehanty was the best
of the bunch, and that Johnny McGraw
ought to go away back and compose him
self on the bench. There were men, re-
markable men. who could not only talk in
French. German. English and Spanish.
but could gesticulate in those languages.
so that even the eye could not detect
what nation claimed their votes.
Was there "A band there?
Well. rather The Marine Band was
therefor some purpose. too. IL played
and played and played Ii played rag
time and softtime. intermezzo, allegret
to. moderate. valse tempo. tempo lente.
retardo grandioso. smash bang foot
toot. rubby dub bub. singy ii zing zing.
cymbals and drums. French horns. sax
horns, bass horns and comets. oh. il
was there all right. 1t played opera and
musical comedy. 1t proclaimed in
rnWful tones that masSa was In the cold,
cold ground. and followed IL up with the
joyful musical news that there was "A
gent named Thompson who would much
rather two-Step than waltz Spanish
senoritas peeped between the bars Of "A
series of Spanish dances played by them
and ponderous Germans seemed to pur
long pipes and urge huge steinfuls into
their thirsty clay when Die Wacht am
Rhine flowed forth from the walking
delegates Of melody The tricolor waved
when La Marsellaise brought forth
memories of the Champs d'Elysee and
the Place de la Concorde And il ever
the Merry Widow Waltz was heard, IL
was heard last night
There DR. Wiley. sampling the
food on the buffet at intervals of two
feet from Pennsylvania avenue end and
to + street end. To see If IL was pure of
course There was DR. Flick, who was
rid of his crouch on the newspaper men
who persisted in declaring that live
children. There was Smith. oh. yes Smith
Of the London Lancet. His whiskers
monocle and staid frock coat his moroc-
co-covrred notebook safely at hand
where he could get at il. There was DR.
Fulton. who has the entire congress on
his shoulders. but is bearing up under IL
better than even Atlas could, even II
Atlas did have much practice in carry
ing the world his shoulders. And
dear old mot really old. you know DR..
Barlow of Los Angeles, weighing 200
solid pounds. and who himself WAS
patient in a sanatorium until he found
a way to chase the germ out. And every
body talked to the newspaper men. Civ
ing away secrets that they had all sworn
to keep forever. especially about the
secret meetings