New-York tribune., 1910-01-14
HOTEL MEN DINE
FEAST HIS 700 At 1T.
Simeon Ford Lays Claim to
Some North Pole Credit.

The men who cater to the annual COM
poslte appetites of other bodies Of men, OF
women. or Of both ladies and gentlemen''-
be they clubs, fraternities societies or as
socfations-had a feast of their own last
night. In other words, the bonifaces who
make up the Hotel Association of New York
City. squatted themselves down in the rich
ly garnished grand ballroom of the Wal
dorf-Astoria to good dinner. with music,
guests, speakers. and all the other fxings
1t was the thirty-frst year the hotel
keepers tried this once-a-twelvemonth gath
ering upon themselves. and the way they
and their guests. the number all told being
about seven hundred. took the occasion. it
was plain that they've got this particular
Of the business down pretty fine.
They weren't all hoteIkeepers, either,
There were jurists there and statesmen
bigger or lesser-stacks of them; city Of
flcials, politicians in all degrees, from the
thoroughly irreclaimable to those of the
''morituri salutamus" stage; bankers and
brokers, brewers and lawyers, florists and
coffee growers, and several other species of
specimens of trades and professions. but all
OF them connolsseurs in the matter of siz-
ing up how and what big dinner should
be.
Herr Boldt, of the Waldorf-Astorfa, being
president. and being as the dinner was
given under his own roof, Of course, pre-
sided Oscar looked after the dinner and
Charles S. Berry wrote a fifteen stanza
song with choruses that rang in the name
of most Of the best known hotelkeepers
in the town and gave the diners chance
TO do a little complimentary hurrahing be-
tween bars.
Herr Boldt, after congratulating the asso-
,ga al, xxaf
which was his great pleasure TO report, as
If the hotel mon did not know it. had a
couple of things TO say to the legislators
OF the state. Of whom about twoscore were
present.
He didn't make any bones about saying
to the Senators and Assenblymen. a good
many OF whom were from up the state. that
the liquor interests are a necessary adjunct
20 the hotel business. which is good bust
ness and a benefit to any community, but he
let 'en know that said liduor interests were
not the primary object of a hostelry.
Also he thanked the legislators for their
uniform courtesy and kindliness toward the
hotelkeepers and begged to impress it upon
the whole assemblage that never a dollar
lad been spent by the hotel men to iniu-
ence legislation in their behalf. And the
bonifaces and all their guests thereupon
cheered heartily.
Simeon Ford, looking more like a Solomon
than when he wore waiskers. then set
upon the assemblage Sim claimed some
credit for the discovery of the pole by Com
mander Peary, who has stopped off and on
during the last two years at his tavern. be-
cause he said Peary's reading to the Esqui-
rnaus of Sims" after dinner speeches had
injected into them a thorough willingness
IN and -iS I,ai~ tto i~a
foes. Simeon advised DR.. Cook, whose eye
sight, he said, had been trained down at
Bradleys watching the little ivory ball drop
into the wrong compartment, TO take out
a liberal accident policy before going up
against Commander Peary, who was a man
OF great courage, because Mr.. Ford had
seen him go into a restaurant and take a
table by window without asking the head
waiter
The orator had some sad reflections to
make on the Hudson-Fulton celebration.
and what the hotel men did not make out
of If. because the newspapers got busy
and scared away all the crowds. He
warned them not 10 do it again. but 10
tell everybody that the hotels could turn
up all the accommodations sought for by
paying guests
The Hon. Jim Rogers. OF Bingham.
BroOnS county, LnOUBnC We were hNlnS IN
too brassy an age. The ex-Assemblyman
seemed to think going it too strong
in righting wrongs, and are getting TO
forget the loveliness of the sweet virtue OF
charity. He gave President Taft verbal
bouquet, but thought the Chief Executive
would stir the heart of the whole nation
if he would speedily grant a full and
complete pardon TO the plucky little man
now languishing behind the hope-forbidding
walls OF the Atlanta prison-Charles ".
Morse" At which statement there was
some applause.
The Hon. W. s. Witharn brought UP some
Southern humor from his home city OF At
lanta, and the Hon. Job E. Hedges kept
up his life purpose Of looking serious, If
not severe, in giving utterance to those say
ings that long ago were regarded as the
life of any party.