Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-07
Of Washington Entertains
At Its Silver Dinner
Distinguished Guests Not Spared
In GoOd-natured Fun.
Twenty.fifth Anniversary Of Club
A Unique Occasion.

Washington, D. G., FEB. 1.-THE Grid :
iron Club gives Two dinners each year
and it fell ont that the one given Satur-
day night at the New Willard was the
Silver Dinne,,-marking the twenty
fifth anniversary OF the foundation of
the Club. Wherefor there was great
gathering of nOtablcS-a President,
cabinet officers, ambassadors, jurists,
grave and reverend senators, frivolous
representatives in Congress- and a
number of simple newspaper men
gathered from many states of the
Union. Each and all bore off a re-
membrancc of the happy event in the
shane of a souvenir silver ash re-
ceiver. crossed by the mystic Gridiron.
The dinner was inaugurated at s
O'Clock with the ringing Of an old
fashioned dinner bell. President Taft
came a little before that time, and
shook hands with all the diners as they
filed past him to their places at the
gridiron- shaped tables.
The guest list included the Vice
President. the German ambassador,
Justice Lurton of the supreme court,
Speaker Cannon, Atty. Gen. Wicker
sham, Postmaster General Hitchcock,
Secretary Nagel Senators Beveridge,
Bourne, Burton, Cummns. Dolliver,
Depew. Guggenheim. Gordon. oliver,
Scott, Shivley and Stone. Cows. Stuart
of Pennsylvania and Hadley of Penn
sylvania. James J. Hill of the Great
Northern Railway. the Chinese min
lister. w. J. Calhoun, United States
minister to China: the Netherlands
minister, Admiral Schley, Maj Gen
Gillespie. l.. r, CLAWS. former special
agent, now figuring in the Rallinger
investigation, and many representa-
tiveS in Congress.
The New England guests were Fred
f. Shedd. George s. Mandell, Frank s.
Baker, Gerald Bement and James II.
Hustis. all of Boston: Representative
Samuel w. Mccall. Roland B. Hazard
Of Rhode Island, Frank II. Chappell Of
New London, CT, John G. Walker of
Concord, \. H.. and DR.. George o.
Smith of Skowhegan. Me-. director of
the geological survey.
The great banquet hail of the New
Willard was a bower of flowers. 1t
was decorated profusoly with southern
smilax palms and other greens. The
tables were piled with mounds of roses
Back of the Presidents seat was the
electric gridiron, wreathed in a wealth
of American beauties. orchids ana
lilies.
Lights went out as soon as the
guests We're seated, the GridirOn Quar-
tet sang a song of welcome. and Scott
c. Bone, editor of the Washington
Herald. the new president OF the club,
flashed the electric gridiron
Before the oysters were eaten, Presi-
dent Bone sprang the first surprise of
the evening. He announced the rules
of the club as only two the first being
that no reporters are present and sec
ond. that ladies are always present.
AS he announced the second rule. the
great curtains at the north end of the
hall were drawn aside, showing the
balcony at that end Of the room. The
astonished guests at the table looking
up at the gallery beheld a group of
ladies. all stylishly dressed in evening
costume and gazing at the diners.
When it was found that the ladies"
were wax dummies, loaned and ar
ranged by local establishment, the
joke was greatly enjoyed.
When the curtains We're drawn again,
out the view of the gallery,
the quartet started song. to the music
of the Silver Wedding" and members
of the menu committee entered the
room, carrying great trays holding