The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-11
"My smile is all serene,
As plainly may be seen" =


sang the big. bold basso OF the Gridironr
Club, appearing in the role OF Mikado
Taft.
The real President Taft not only smiled I
serenely, but audibly Why not? Wasn't
it funny 10 Sc the living image OF 4
Champ Clark driving a pair OF fake
mules? Wouldn't you have laughed
even if the President did MOTTO see Tho 4
Retreat from Moscow forlorn process
sion headed by a dejected-loohdng char
acter labeled IT. R % wouldn't it have
amused you if you could have seen a,
real band wagon, with any number OF
prominent Democrats trying to climb !.
upon it, and with Miss Democracy. as a 8
husky female. endeavoring 10 decide be-
tween the wouId-be passengers?
If these things would not have appeal
ed to your sense of humor, then there
was no place for you ar the first Gridiron
Club dinner at the New Willard last
night.
The people who laughed last night
were men worth meeting and worth
knowing. Every name in the guest list
represented some one who had achieved
distinction somewhere or somehow. II
was a remarkable gathering, for it
included President Taft. Vice Presi-
dent sherman. Speaker Cannon. Speak
er-to-be Champ. Clark. four Cabinet
officers, Messrs. MacVeagh, Wicker
sham. Ballinger. and Hitchcock; two
ambassadors. representing Japan and
/
banks, and no less than six governors
and governors-elect-Tener of Pennsyl-
Ysnia, Stubbs OF Kansas. Osborn OF
Michigan, Foss Of Massachusetts,, John
son of California, and Harmon -of- EMO.
And then Senators and Representative.
and newspaper owners aud editors, aud
men prominent IN the commercial and
financial world. until the list presented
series Of names which could not have
been equaled anywhere except in Wash
ington, and then only al a dinner Of the
Gridiron Club
Much Opportunity for Fun.
| II was the first dinner of the season,
and there was something doing from the
time the big dinner bell sounded
its brassy welcome until the goodnight
| song brought the festivities TO a close.
| The elections, the Democratic victory,
| the Presidential aspirations OF the gov
ernors, the rout of the Republicans, the
! eclipse of Roosevelt, the thousand and
1 one things that have happened since the
| Gridironers last came together offered
ample opportunity for fun And there
was fun, plenty Of it; but nothing mean
OF malcious-just a real jolly time, with
music and laughter and good things to
| eat, and the most remarkable audience
ever gathered together in the world
I President Taft came early. Just as hes
always does, so as TO meet the club
members and their guests in d social,
way before the formalities, or. rather.
the informaIities. of the evening began
Then, when all the names had been re-
corded in the great Gridiron autograph
| book. President Bone. OF the Gridiron
! Club escorted President Taft past the
velvet curtain into the banquet hail. The
room never looked more beautiful. The
brilliancy OF myriad Of electric lights
was reflected in the polished silver and
crystal glass. while the floral decora-
tions, the handiwork OF Small. as usual.
| were simply superb. Behind the presi-
dents chair was bower of American.
Beauty roses, while the walls and the
| tables were resplendent with great
masses of richly colored chrysanthe-
NUNS. There was an artistic touch in
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