Arizona republican., 1909-12-12
THE GR|D|RON
 HEATED AGAIN For Gri|Ing of Clubs Dis
 dnguished Guests WISDOM AND HORSE PLAY
Curiously Mingled At One of the Famous Dinners of Washington Correspond ents' Organization. Many Vexed Questions Settled

Washington, Dec. 11-President Taft three members of his cabinet, sena- tors. representatives. diplomats. sol diers and other distinguished citizens of the nation were entertained to- night at a corruscating dinner of the famous Gridiron club. Among the guests beside the president were Vice President sherman. Speaker Cannon Secretary of the Interior Ballinger Secretary Nagel. of the department oi commerce and labor. Postmaster Gen. eral Frank Hitchcock. Clifford Pinchot chief forester. Senator Newlands, Mar quis Vilaobar the Spanish minister General Clarence Edwards. Charles S Diehl, of the Associated Press, and Crawford Hill. of the Denver Repub- lican
 The distinguished company was brought face to face with many a homely truth which the horse play did not obscure and the proceedings re- flected the various shades of senti- ment in the country toward men prom inent in public life.
 Many mooted questions were laugh ingly disposed. A quietus was put upon the Cook-Peary polar contro- versy. The instruments chosen to rep resent the principals of the polar quar- rel were two candidates for member ship-Edward L. Keen. of the United Press, and Ira F. Bennett. of the Washington Post and San Francisco Call.
 One of the explorers said he had identified the pole by the resemblance of the climatic conditions to inaugu- ration day in Washington He had qualified for his task by climbing Capital Hill to reach the appropria tions committee and was equipped with a fountain pen and megaphone. The pole was found to be as far dis tant from land as President Taft found it from the Insurgent Wigwam to Stand-pat Igloo.
 Strange discoveries were made. Santa Claus was found laden with heavy packages marked. My policies from T. R. to w. H. T."
 The Aurora Borealis resembled the halo that Taft put on Aldrich. while Cannon's halo resembled the midnight sun (without the sun). Matt Henson appeared, claiming to have located the pole in Savannah, and produced it in the shape of a barber's pole. tuneful- ly telling of his exploits. The ques- tion of identity being raised. barbers ruthlessly removed the enormous hir- sute appendages of the pseudo ex- explorers and disclosed the initiates. Then the electric bulbs were dimmed and in the brilIiancy of a calcium light Uncle Joe" Cannon was DOT trayed in a series of realistic poses on a pedestal as "The Iron Duke" with the inevitable cigar. grown to man. moth proportions and tilted upward at the familiar sharp angle. while the quartet chanted a ditty' to the the tune of Pony Boy" the first verse of which was:
 Tn the chair up in the air sitting there
 See the speaker, our own Uncle
 Joe;
 Hear him swear. see him tear all his
 hair
 When insurgents defy him;
 Every man in the house is as still
 as a mouse
 While Cannon is present:
 But when he's away for a day they
 all play
 And say they don't fear him."
 Scarcely had the guests turned again to their entree, when the dinner was interrupted by the noisy entry of dozen hard faced old danes, leading meek and henpeeked husbands. These turned out to be delegation of aggressive suffragettes. demanding Votes for Women" in strident voices. Several noted men among the diners were called upon to declare their po- sitions on> this momentous question, to the great amusement of the company Finally the president of the club de- cided against the womens claims, whereupon they announced their pur- pose to participate in the dinner and were only driven away through a threat to feed them after the British fashion through the medium of a gigantic stomach pump
 The Battle Royal" was a mirth- provoking stunt. Members of the club clad in regulation ring outfits repre- scented Battling Nelson, the Rhode Island Terror" Achilles Ballinger, the Siwash Sirocso," eff Pinchot, the Fighting Lumber Jack" Joe Cannon. the Danville Bantam" and Herb Par sons, the Candy Kid
 Before the mixup. which was very realistic, the cautious referee discover ed concealed in the gloves of the glad iators various articles. such as Jumps of coal. axes, knives, pieces of steel,