Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-28
Banquet of Frequenters of the
Amen Corner.
ENLlVENEO WITH SKITS
Conserving American Inconsisten.
cies and Absurdities.
ANANIAS CLUB ROLL CALLED
Senator-Elect Root, Frank Hitch.
cock and Senator Depew Among
the Guests.

NEW YORK February o1.-Thc dea-
cons and the brethren of the Amen Cor
ner, which was maintained in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel for years by newspaper
men. held their annual dinner at the Wal
dorf tonight. There were GOO OF them at
long white tables, which. running from
end to end OF the great red ballroom
gave the place the appearance of
gridiron. At the south end OF the bali
room was an elevated dais. approached
by steep flight of steps. on which the
president of the Amen Corner. Harold NJ
Anderson. sat and bossed the show From
time to time he changed a COW bell, whose
unlovely jangle was the signal for sue
cession Of burlesque, travestics, oriental
dances. monologues, solos and choruses
one-act skits. which had been very care
fully rehearsed. and hodge-podge OF
limitations, which characterized absurdly
the performances Of some OF the best
known statesmen and politicians.
Prominent Members and Guests.
The president was aided and abetted by
willing little performers, who started up
here and there in various parts OF the big
room. seemingly at dandom, but in reality
carrying out the details of carefully
arranged program. There was Bill Brady.
the show man; Tom McGill. who draws
pictures; Louis Seibold. Tom Smith the
secretary Of Tammany Hall: Billy Leary,
or William Leary, esq, the superinten-
dent of elections, as some folks know
him: j. p. Gilroy. John Mcdonald and
others who popped up to make fun while
the crowd fed. The Ameners kept things
moving from the moment that grub was
served until. the lights went out
Senator-elect Elihu Root, the principal
guest at sle dinner. was al the head Of
table d. with Frank Hitchcock. John
+. Carroll. Justice Mccall, Luther g.
Little and Serene S. Pratt. Benjamin b.
Odell jr., bulked at the head of table "E. g"
| the big Bosses Table, they called It to-
night. with State Chairman Woodruff.
William l.. Ward William Barnes 1r.,
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew and a few
others.
Among those at table OK were August
| BeLrS mt, Patrick F. MCGOWAN. OAea
George w. Aldridge, John III. O'Brien and
Brother Frank.
They were off at the oysters with q
tap at the cow bell from President Ander-
son. The amen corner welcomed every
| body In sight, but committed itself to
nothing. The chief possessions of the
nation being inconsistencies and absurd
tiles, the amen corner believed that these
Ahcuid be preserved. Therefore the
brethren would resolve themselves into
convention and congress for the con-
servation of American Inconsistencies and
absurdities. The rules of the house of
gentlemen would govern the stunts
| daughter and cries of Start some
thing!D Whereupon the ameners
stood up and sang THE Amen Corner
| Psater.''
Roll of the Ananias Club.
Up sprang a brother and announced
that he was an undesirable citizen. He
was told that there was no place for him
at the dinner and he roared like a cam
non. He was permitted finally to call
the roll of the Ananias Club. and va
| rious brethren disguised as frayed and
tattered parts of speech arose and an
| swered here" They were all there, the
short and ugly" the malefactor of great
wealth, the scoundrel, the muck-rakers
the soft body and the hard face, the
weakling and the mollycoddle, the libel
err the nature faker, the perverter Of
truth and the nation traducer, and they
stood and shook in their shoes, all save
the short and ugly" a thick-set brother
who scowled and sneered Electrically
around him.
Short and Ugly was heard to offer a
resolution that the Ananias Club disband
and turn over to Theodore Roosevelt
founder and chief patron of the club, all
Of its property and functions relying on
Theodore Roosevelt's well known ability
to sustain the record of the club.
The resolution went through like a tidal
wave.
At this point the Ameners were moved
to sing. to the tune of Give Us Drink
Bartender" moving ditty, entitled
Give Us a Rest
Then give us rest. dear Teddy. dear Teddy,
We're tired Of noise. you know:
They're going TO turn of the lmelight, Teddy,
And give Billy Taft a show
There were other stunts-in fact, they
came SO fast that the Ameners and their
guests had to hump themselves to eat and
take in what was going on at the same
time. Later they came to the more formal
part of the program-speeches from the
guests of honor.
MISS R0ACENEI ENGAHEn