Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-30
MARSHAILTOWN CLUB TENDERS
DINNER TO OVER 100
TRAVELLERS.
ESPECIAL STUNTS" FEATURE
OF ENTERTAINING PROGRAM
Cpcniru Joke Threaten to DisorganIze
Entire Dinner-Menu Served Made
Up Almost Entirely of Marshall
tovvn products-E. NJ. Wentworth, Of
Stale Center. Principal Speaker.

4 over 100 travelling men residing III
I this city were guests Of the MARSHALL
town Club Friday evening, when the
first annual banquet for the travelling
men of the city was rendered by the
| club at the rooms. From the time the
l guests arrived. registered at a hotel
desk" bearing Il potato into which they
! stuck their pens until the close of the
| program. the affair was Il great sue
! cess.
stunts" arranged with great care
and delberation on the part of the en-
tertainment committee. added much to
the enjoyment of the dinner, altho the
| very first one threatened to disrupt the
gathering.
Police Nearly Get" Milhiser.
! Had it not been for an extraordinary
! precaution on the part of the banquet
committee, the evening might have
been spoiled at the start. When Toast
master John V. Bass requested Rev. B.
+ Martin to ask the invocation. the
| latter remarked that he thought an
explanation was due him as to why
cocktail glasses were found at each
plate. filled. and ready to drink. Mr..
| Bass endeavored to explain. but before
| he could finish Chief of Police Breckel
entered. stalked thru the crowd. and
presented a warrant for the arrest OF
George T. Milhiser, chairman of the
| banquet committee. charging him with
| serving intoxicating liquors.
iltho q few had Caught on" by this
]
! ;rihC anxious. especially in view Of the
| fact that the wives of the travelling
men were serving the dinner Toast
master Bass then pacified the rising
fears by announcing that the glasses
contained a non Intoxicating beverage
| made 10y a local FIRM. and proposed a
| toast to MarshalltOwn." This was Gag
| crly accepted. and the climax of the
stunt was effected when the guests
! found the glasses contained vinegar.
Have Typical Hotel Menu.
| After quiet had once more settled for
| q time on the crowd, the guests be-
| gan to examine their menus. and found
to their dismay that a typical small
| town hotel bill OF fare had been pro-
vided with the title of Hotel
| Stngem." and the regulation unappe-
tizing dishes on the card. The cross
ing out of one or two articles of food
which would provide a decent meal.
and the statement that Our Mattresses
are all married. added to the gloom.
but upon looking more closely the
guests found regular menus under
| their napkins. with fricassee Of chick
en- as the piece de resistance and
other tempting viands. The added at
traction Of having all or most of the
food made in Marsha lltown" served to
make the dinner all the more dclic-
ious. The dinner was prepared in the
club kitchen. and served by the trav-
cling mans wives.
In addition to having a menu COM
prised entirely Of goods either made
in this city or else jobbed by local
firms. many Of the articles We're
donated. The olives, pickles, cider, and
vinegar were given by the Marshall
Vinegar Company, the oysters by the
Oppice Fruit Company, the chilli sauce
and waters by Let's Fletcher Com
pany, The baked beans hominy, and
coffee by the Western Grocer Com
pany: the maple sugar butter by
Bailey Bros, the flour by the Benedict
Four and Feed Company, and the
cigars by the Hawkeye Commercial
Mems Association.
With each menu card was enclosed
a brilliantly colored paper cap, which
the guests promptly donned, as we'll as
printed card inviting each man to
take an inspection trip thru the West
ern Grocer Company mills. During the
entire evening a Western Union mes
h,rr Ia1i oil ar
kilograms, which were read aloud. and
proved TO be "r0dsts' al the expense 0f
| travellers present.
Varied Program Of Speeches.
Following the dinner Toastmaster ].
| V Bass introduced President F. NJ.
| Wilbur. Of the Marshalltown Club, who
| spoke briefly in welcoming the travel
| ing men. He emphasized the need Of
| a travelling mems organization to work
III conjunction with the club. THE club
needs you and you will find that you
need the club" was the advice given
| by Mr. Wilbur.
| E NJ. Wentworth. Of State Center,
| western freight agent for the Penn
| sylvania lines with offices in Des
| Moines. gave the principal address Of
| the evening on the subject Of "a
| Travelling Mans possibility to His
| Town Mr.. Wentworth reminisced Of
| old times in Marshalltown, especially
| following his coming here in the spring
Of 1894 1t was the opinion Of Mr..
| Wentworth that the early beginnings
| fostered by those residents had been
the occasion for the splendid growth
| OF this city. "kickers are valuable
| men because they do something for
general betterment, but knockers are
| At for treasons, stratagems, and spoils,"
was Mr.. Wentworth's statement.
MARK the selling prices of your town