Evening star., 1915-03-12
MERCHANTS PLEDGE
TOBUY IN DISTRICT
Also Promise to Boost City at
"Better Acquaintance" Din
ner of Retailers.
ORDER OF YELLOW DOGS
IS FORMALLY INSTALLED
Copies of an Extra Star Dis
acknowledgement Full
of Features.

of Features.
a soiemu pledge to "bu. and boos;
for Washington the installation q Il
now ct::pter o. {. uatiou;, secret societ..
ski,s In which well known business men
OF Washington we're the actors. Iocsrl
selections Canned ;.nd ot4crW.ia.
"rnovies aud an absence OF al
..spncciIeS we're features Of better
acquaintance. dinner held u, The .'o.i-
nerrial CLUB last nisht Ds he Retail!
Merchants Association. = -,;}s = q Hnei
1t which the title '.iniSter" was not
heard. The co;nnlittec in charge o. u .
affair saw 10 it that every ons ber:li'ie
better acquainted soon IS tHey
stepped foot in tho Commercial club and
Tom Dick Harry. Bill and
other familiar forms uf address Hcre the
only ones which prevailed.
One Of the most effective OF the Various
numbers on thc program OF the even hS
designed to promote peter ii'Iuaih'-
snce'' was the installation of Il new chap
ter In this city of TIC improved Order Cf
Yellow Dogs, feature which preceded
the dinner.
The new chapter is to be known -
the Retail Merchants Association Ken
mel and is to he Z subsidiary of Poto-
mac Kennel. the original b-aucl, of the
order in this city. Maj. =. Fred COOK,
.chief cur Of Potomac Kennel, and
Capt. Louis c. Wilson. custodian OF the
bone" were on hand TO estah'sh the
new kennel aad Initiate its members.
Practically all of the diners joined the
order.
When the business men sat down 10
the banquet table L. e. Graham. Who
was POSTMASTER, announced that X. T.
Andrews, president of the ftctan Nier-
chants Association. wished to say a
few words When assured that he had
no intention of making L speech he VAS
allowed to carry out his wish II Dc
veloped that Mr.. Andrews wanted the
retail merchants to take q pleose TO
buy in and boost for Washington
He read to them the following pledge
to which all subscribed:
Pledge Taken by Diners.
Eve. retail merchants of Washington.
whose houses are stanch members OF
the Retail Merchants Association, do
hereby pledge ourselves TO do some
thing special every day in the year and
every year of our lives for the promo
tior of our city in all of its ramifica-
tions
.sue commend to our feIlow-cIt;zens
generally the heartiest announcement
and cooperation in the 'buy-ln- " ASH
ington' movement and in our personal
capacities pledge ourselves to make al
home city. whose interests have
Kripped the heartstrinSs of our tore
fathers and whose utilities constitute
q monument to their laborS ana
source of inspiration to US
I'VE not only owe this to our fore
fathers, but to the children now grow
ing up and to come. that they may
more fully enjoy the fruits OF citizen
ship in q city richly endowed as the
National Capital should be.
The stability of our financial ana
commercial houses and the welfare of
Washingtonians generally demand the
exercise of cooperation that effaces
and comprehends the Development OF
Washington commercially.
I'VE appeal to all of our fellow-cit-
isens to subscribe by deeds and voice
70 the complete fulfillment oftthe ideal.
Buy In and boost for Washington
Extra STAR Distributed.
Newsboys then rushed into the room
shouting Extra Star" and to the aston
ishment of the diners full-sized copies
OF special edition Of The Evening Star
were distributed. The first page was de-
voted exclusively to the better acquain-
tance" dinner. 1t contained a. complete
account of the affair, including re-
port of the taking of the Buy in and
Boost for Washington pledge, the in
stallation of the new kennel" and
jokes about various members of the
association list of the guests and
the names of those participating In the
entertainment features of the evening
also were given. The Extra Star
was prepared under the supervision OF
Charles J. Columbus. secretary of the
Retail Merchants Association. and was
fa1 .rfn f,-F
Bergman.
Words of greeting" and remarks
were made by f. c. Rrandenburs. presi-
dent OF the Board of Trade, and T. 1.
Moran, president OF tine Chamber OF
Commerce. Toastnaster Graham was
allowed to introduce them to the diners
only after u solemn promise that they
would not make speeches"
Mr.. Graham announced that the din
ner committee had hoped to have
George OConnor at the dinner to amuse
the merchants with some of his popu-
lar songs. At the last minute Mr..
ne said. but before leaving he had
turned over to the toastrnastcr some
phonograph records OF some of his
songs. and had asked that they pc re-
phouograph into the room and soon the
oanqueters We're listening to Mr.
OConnor's songs in Canned FORM
In the midst OF the playing OF the
declared he had hurried back 10 town
SO as to attend the dinner. He arrived
just IN time to sing the second verse Of
n song, the first verse of which had
been presented or the phonograph Ar
thur 3. Pierce sang several song hits
and impersonated stage favorites.
Sketches Also Given.
The unfavorabie attitude Of the Re-
tail Merchants Association to various
so-caIled trading societies by which the
members receive special discounts at
certain stores was shown in a skit In
which Chris Columbus played the