The sun., 1916-12-17
TOO OLD
FOR CUTE CAPERS
Dinner Last Night May Be
Swan Song Of Famous
Corner.
DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT
Great and Near Great Got
Their Usual Annual
"Panning."

coincidentaily with the sixteenth annual
feast and celebration Of the Deacons Of
the Amen Corner and their 500 guests
In the waldorf-Astoria last night came
the intimation that the venerable Amen
es are about all in-that last nights
dinner. with It's accompanying satirical
filings at politicians and political events.
may have been the last Of a long series
Of such e%ntertaiping affairs.
The whisper 10 about that these an
clients Of political reporting. these gray
beards that knew Tom Piatt and hour.
ished before Roosevelt. are minded to
finger ever longer at their " fresidcs
while they ponder over the lively past.
Creeping age. II is said. has dulled their
enthusiasm for frivolities md has hlched
the energy necessary to originate and
rshearse p~retentious satires. with ad-
nncing years. grandchildren. a soberer
| outlook on life. there IL a tendency
| among most Of the Deacons I o accept
\ the role d bystander and let the world
drift by with no fieeting Jest.
The rumor was heard with sincere re-
eret by the confirmed guests Of the Amen
era In the Waldorf last night. for the
| A,scontinuance OF the Corners banquets
| viii mean the passing Of an interesting
institution Of New York. as affecting in
IA way as the disappearance OF a cher
shed and historic graveyard at the ir
| repistible pressure OF modern necessities
Since 1900. in the heyday Of Plat. the
Ameners ave sedulously and good tenn
peredly iabored to keep the heads Of
politicians down to the size Of standard
hats. Their service to the city and to
the State appears to have been ex-
hausting.
There was fare and spirit TO last
nights celebration which might have de-
Iceived the casual listener into thinking
nat the old gentlemen OF h Corner
sfl had their heads up. The Governor
snd the Mayor received a measure
Establishments and the rest of
the body Of guests was made up of per-
sons very welt known in the life OF the
city and STATE. The jests were elabor-
ately conceived n carried out with
something Niike patient seal under the
sage management Of Deacon Bill Brady,
VINO IL known along Broadway as VIII.
Am A. Brady. the theatre owner and
Deoducer. and with the assistance Of the
aderly Deacons. Patrick T. Rellihan,
1eesident This Year: James J. Montague
Walter Lauder. william Leary. Robert
Adamson. Fila Commissioner Ernest X
Coulter. Joseph a. Fitzgerald. James r
IGillroy. Job Hedges. William T.. Lewis
Luther r. Little, John w. Mcdonald
Thomas q, McGill. Justin McGrath. John
ICalvin Mcknight. o Marquis. Edward
IG. Riggs. Louis Seibold. Frank II
simonds. Thomas +. Smith. secretary Of
TAmmany Hall Charles Stecklcr. ant
|charles r. White.
As has been their custom. certain o.
Iuese appeared in the Guise OF wei
Known political leaders. much attention
being paid TO fidelity In makeup anS
dress. and throughout II dinner with
stunt between every two courses main
tanned their habit Of "~humanizing poll
IUcians."
The "Great' TO the BaP.
For last nights celebration the Deacon
had constituted themselves into tn
Electoral College and hailed before then
THE pseudo great. At the outset imme
Idiatcly after the guests were seated a
ong tables In the grand ballroom OF tn
Waldorf and when President Pat Refill
Ihsn had taken his place upon the alti
Itudinous rostrum at one end OF the room
q flock Of the Deacons CARRIED as COW
boys and shooting pistols disturbed tn
Icalm. They symbolixed the West ans
Southwest and Wiped In the JOY Of put
Ting II all over the East n North II
1.-THE recent election. When they swarmet
Iout Of the room an aged person whit
leaned upon a cane and mumbled tthi