The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-20
KN0CKER AT SIGHT
MIR. TAFT GUEST or CINCINNATI
 BUSINESS CLUB.
They Refused to AIlovv Him to Speak, rJ But Have Let's sf Fun With '
 --''i'.t4 s@F Him. .u'v , 'ts

Cincinnati. O., Feb. Is.--Prssident. elect William H. Taft was tonight made a "Kn6cker" at sight.
 Ills initiation furnished entertain ment for 100 business and professional men of the city at the Knockers An- nual dinner
 ClncinnatI's knockers organization Is an auxiliary ot It's Business Men'a Club, It's particular business Is to knock hard and effectively everything tending to hinder the material advaneenlent of the City, ndfto originate and promote ca tefpfises and undertakings for the city's welfare. It Is unique In that it has no known organization and no one knows who its members are. 1t makes members of whom 1t pleasss and dls- misses them at will The annual dln- ners of the Knockers Club have be- come famous for their entertainment features, and the stunts" which begin with the first course and continue throughout. though mirthful. are all calculated to have origin In some se- rious purpose of advancement. D -..
 The Presldnt-e -eleet was not allowed to make . speech. which was Interpre- ted as a delicate compliment from his townsmen, who were in fact saying farewell to him as a private citizen. As the guest of honor at the dinnoEs it
 
 twenty years. The tension upon Mir. Taft was made even lighter than free- dom from speaking, as . skillfully made up double" represented him in the entertainment features, occupying a conspicuous place at c raised table with Uncle Sam" and Miss Colum- bia."
 The rooms of the Business Men's Club were resplsndent in drapsries of A.. Ia. laA Rns 4 flo overs. At each of the sixteen tables sat an Appropriately costumed khocker to represent one of sixteen foreign na. lions. and during the evening a Ines- sage to the President elect wae made known from each.
 Emperor wllliam's wireless message was announced to Mir. Taft as q kiss for each cheek and the hope that the Senate wonld not find 1t necessary to reduce the presidential salary before the new President could get In. Miss Columbia got one of the kissea
 With hands upon Mir. Taft's cranium the Persian representative told the As- sembled knockers of the thought pass ing through his brain As this:
 He Is just now congratulating him. self that he was made a Mason ai sight and. so Is the goat"
 The cersmonS of declaring the guest of honor "a knock9f at BIght was con ducted in total darkness with rumb- lIngs of thunder and aAshes of light ning, and concluded the festivities at table The evolution of the Taft smile was afterwards depicted through nov ing pictures in the assembly hall of the club, through whIon the scenes of notification day" were fe-enacted. Vaudeville features followed until the hour was late. During the day. MT Taft made an address before the Cham Der of Commerce, on the floor of the stock exchange.
 Charles Nagle. of St, Louis, who is understood to be slated for Secretary of Labor and Commerce in the Taft cabinet, had a conference with Mir. Taft today. but neither would talk for pub lication Of Its purpOrt. AS thIs ls the first time the two men have been to- gether since cabinet matters were un- der consideration, it has been assumed that if Mfr. Nagie Is to be in the eabi- net. the matter has now been definitely arranged.
 Mir. Taft will leave here tomorrow afternoon for Philadelphia.