Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
BY JAMES HAY. JR.

had invited them to reception at the club. But the
members figured that, nobody spoke French, the
would not be particularly interesting and
Austin Cunningham had the struggle of his life per-
suadng thirty men to be on hand.
The doors of the club closed, and
of the varying hours of newspaper work there is al
ways merry crowd in the grillroom cafe The
who work for afternoon newspapers begin to drop for
breakfast at half past seven o'clock in the morning. and
they in they the guard of the morning
newspaper men, who have just had what they call their
supper and on their way home to go to bed. Per-
haps the merrest hour of the twenty -four is at three
in the morning when the correspondents for out-of
town papers have closed their offices and assembled for
a few hours talk and relaxation.
The gossip is about everything and everybody. These
men know things that, if printed would prevent the
reelection of members of Congress and would
give other officials lot of trouble One of the greatest
characteristics of Washington newspaper men is the
chartableneSS of their attitude toward big and
public affairs. 1t is this very thing that leads prominent
to regard the club safe retreat, and place
where they and themselves to their
hearts content
You drop in there at almost any time and
whom the public regards with and veneration
Representative Moore of Philadelphia and Representa-
tive Lafean, president of the Chocolate Drop Trust
take breakfast there every day. Dr. Wiley, the Pure
Food man, and Willis L. Moore, chief of the Weather
Bureau it their lunching place and in the even
ngs such Senator Broussard of Louisiana, Rep
resentatve Roberts of Massachusetts, and Representa-
tive Stanley of Kentucky chairman of the Steel Trust
investigating committed stroll in enjoy the jovialty
that is peculiar to the club Diplomats and assistant
secretaries of the executive departments regard it
of their homes, and the assembly room is where
John HAYS Hammond the celebrated mining engineer,
tells stories of his experiences in South Africa, where
Chief Wlie of the Secret Service reels off anecdotes
about his work. and where the President cracks jokes
from time to time.
Few of the visitors of the club have gone away with
hearing the expert analyses of crime made by Jesse
Carmichael who reads every story the papers
the morning and solves their mysteries by nine o'clock
in the evening, no matter whether the murders have
been committed in Hongkong, or have been staged in
New York.
Occasionally the newspaper mans Indifference to set
speeches and lectures gives rise to amusing situations
Shortly after Charles Warren Fairbanks former Vice
President of the United States, had returned from his
trip round the world he delivering speech in the
club In the of his remarks, Governor Judson
Harmon of Ohio, who then famous for his guberna-
toral victory and for his chances for the presidential
nomination, entered the grillroom. Whereupon Har
mon being Give wire" and full of possibilities to
interest and entertainment, the audience of Mr.. Fair
banks melted one by until the distinguished trav
eler found himself hurting rounded periods at few
hearers and large and choice collection of empty chairs
TT is almost impossible to describe the atmosphere of
this club 1t is the home of sparkling wits and warm
hearts. There is probably other place exactly like
it in the world The membership is made up of writers
and the friends of writer's all of them who by their
very calling lead nervous, crowded lives, with their
brains working FAST and the club the place where
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