The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-20
keokuk Daughters Enjoy Annual
Washington Day Luncheon
at the Hotel Iowa
Yssterday.
MANY TOASTs ARE GIVEN
Mrs. Newcomb Presides az Toastmls-
Neutrality-suspicious. Peace Ship
and Our Country,
Toasts.

Keokuk chapter D. A. R. yester-
day held their annual luncheon il
honor Of the birthday anniversary of
George Washington. The chapter
Lo'ds the annual luncheon on the
Saturday nearest the twenty-second.
There were covers laid for thirty
| five yesterday at the long table in
/ the main dining room of the Hotel
Iowa. In honor Of the occasion the
room was decorated in many flags.
The table had for centerpiece and
at either end great bouquets of red,
white and blue flowers. Four groups
of red, white and blue candles in
colonial candle sticks lighted the
table. A decoration of wide red satin
ribbon and trailing smilax was used
very effectively down the center Of
| the long table. The menu card and
program served also as place cards.
Mrs. Virginia Wilcox WINS sat at one
end Of the table, while Mrs. J. F.
Elder, vice regent, sat at the other
| end. Mrs. e. B. Newcomb, the re-
gent who served as toastmistress, to-
gether with the speakers on the pro-
gram sat near the center Of the table.
Mrs. B. J. Woodson of ST. Joseph,
Mrs. Beverly Dickinson, Mrs. Harry
Reiner, Mrs. Florence Wright-Schou-
ten and Miss Topping of Ottawa,
kans., were the only guests at the
luncheon outside of the chapter. The
only suggestion of the day in the
| menu was in the last course which
was red cherries glace, white grapes
glace and candied violets. The menu
was:
Blue Points on the Half Shell
Olives Celery
Chicken Bullion
Halibut Potato Straws
Roast Turkey
Asparagus Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Ice
Head Lettuce, Russian Dressing
Iowa Ice Cream Cake
Demi Tasse
Glace Fruits
Mrs. B. B. Newcomb, regent,
served as toastmistress and in intro
ducing the program she spoke with
regret Of the absence of some Of the
Daughters who are almost unfailingly
with us, who are detained by illness
or bereavement or absence from the
city She said: I'VE meet today to
celebrate Washington's birthday. 1t
is fitting as Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution that we shall keep be-
fore US the life and work Of this
greatest patriot"
She then introduced Mrs. Jane
Ewing Blood who gave a toast ITO
Our First President"
Mrs. Blood's Toast.
In introducing the subject she told
number of clever stories. Among
them she said:
"a joke about Washington came
from Fl. Madison the other day, an
elder D. A. r. told Of making soap in
Virginia years ago as all our grand
mothers did. She went through the
process carefully. put the fat accu-
INFLATED bit by bit in the big kettle,
added water that had been poured
through wood ashes, carefully boiled
and stirred, but soap would not come,
jeu. On investigation she found the
trouble to be that the wood from
which the ashes were procured had
come from Mt. Vernon and there was
no Ives in those cherry trees"
Responding to the toast Mrs. Blood
said:
In stage parlence, we are all
aware of who created this part Of
first president, and Of how we'll he
acted it. Ever since 1t has been the
ambition Of every small American boy
to attain this rank, but alas only
twenty-eight have been able to reach
the goal, not counting vice presi-
dents.
Two presidents stand out head
and shoulders above the others, the
oh IN OF nj
Lincoln. Each born in February, each
devoted soul and body to the work
in hand, each cut down just as that
seemingly impossible task was &C
complished, just when the Kisses
changed to cheers, the taunts to
tribute. the abuse to praise Some
times I think they were fortunate in
their deaths. to be cut down in their
prime. No anti climax could mar
the pages Of their biographies; no
slow deterioration of mind and body
could be caused by age. Some Of the
great heroes sprung into life full
armed, inversely; our two hero presi-
dents passed out Of life without lay
ing their armor down.
"Apropos of The Birth Of a Nation
and the discussion that has arisen in
regard to it. Someone inquired what
Is the birthday of America and &C
clamation answered July 4, 1875
Washington is the father Of this
country and II the nation was not
born until the sixties, 1t was post
hume child. A divorce between
the north and south was averted by
the civil war, but there is no use try
ing to push forward the nations
birthday after the manner OF some of
her fair daughters.
His Manifold Activities.
when We think of the manifold
activities of this first president we
are amazed He was an army build
er, a constitution builder, nation
builder and a home builder.