The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-12
Largest Banquet Ever Held in
Keokuk with Five Hundred
Men Enjoying Program
Enthusiastically.

man hall, the old Gibbons oper
house, made the largest banquet eve
Iseryed in Keokuk last evening.
1t had a chicken pie supper, witt
all the trimmings, ending with des
sert and cigars, given under the aus
pieces of the Keokuk Y. NJ. C. A., a!
sequel to the work of its indus
trial committee which put on tn,
boxing and wrestling bouts and mo
ton picture shows recently.
| The arrangements were so perfec
that there was no crowding, it al
worked like clockwork, and the din
ner was served, and later the table:
cleared within a few minutes. Be
sides the dinner there was splendid
program, and the birth of the Keokut
idea.
They chcered the Musicians.
| On the stage, where VanAusdall's
orchestra played during the dinner
a program of music was presented
with the cigars that enthused the
large audience. n. c. Brown, presi
dent of the Y. M. c. A., made a little
address of welcome in the begin
ming.
Mrs. o. W. Samdberg sang a song
so we'll that she was compelled to
irespond to two hearty encores.
Miss Mary Curtis of Memphis, No,
played a piano solo and It was the
resounding cheers of the five hundred
men that compelled her to play an
other.
The song Of Miss Carlfne Bode
was also encored yociferously.
Mrs. Florence Wright Schouten
sang two little songs and the con-
tinued applause brought her back 10
sing third about her vacation
Then pandemonium broke loose, and
the loud cheers of the men continued
until she appeared for still another
number.
A Great Patriotic Scene.
All the musicians who had SO much
pleased the big audience were then
brought to the stage and given the
chautauqua salute. The big hall was
a beautiful sight as the air was filled
with the waving handkerchief OF the
men.
Then all stood by their chairs. Mrs.
Schouten took the center OF the
stage. With the first note of Amer
lea, the whole five hundred men
Joined her in the hymn, and sang it
with deep spirit and devotion to
their country. It was something
never to be forgotten to hear the old
patriotic hymn roll out from the five
hundred threats in great volume and
perfect cadence. Also, it was notice
able that every man there seemed to
know the words Of the hymn and to
mean them as he sang them.
They Gave tho Skyrocket.
Then the whole five hundred gave
the slyrocket. 1t was the biggest
rocket ever exhibited here. Some
people in town were still asking at
noon today what that noise was last
evening about 9 o'clock.
Fellows, we've certainly had one
grand evening so far were the open
ing words of the speech of E. 8.
Phillips. and everybody applauded
In the middle OF his speech he
paused and told how the number of
tickets taken for the banquet para
lyzed the Y. NJ. c. A, who could not
see how it could be carried out on
go large scale. Then, he said
somebody asked Charles S. Abel
and Mr.. Abel took entire charge of
the arrangements, did the impossible
made it perfection of detail, and
deserved the credit for it. He called
for Mr.. Abel to be brought to the
stage to be given three cheers, but
that ultra modest man had dtcked at
the first sentences and could not be
found.
The Athletic Artists.
In one corner of the hall was a
/ special table reserved for the men
who put up the bouts at the Y. M
G. A. gymnasium this winter. They
had lots of fun for themselves, cast.
ing challenges across the table and
joking one another.
Those at the table reserved for
ring and mat artists were: Parson
| Nelson, Silent Smith, Hub Nelson
Grinner Carlson, Fiji LaPorte, Spike
Marlin, Clamper Clayton. Happy
Laws, Danny Harrington, Smiling
Goode, Bicep Ketterer, Awful Long
Terrible Sharp, Fluffy Plug, Misty
Hays, Clincher Clark, Slim RAIDER
Lightning Of, Fatal Starr, Silent
f'eldman, Stormy Petrol Grogan
I OySiOh NOHISy, IOTCuy stephens,
/ Slasher Allison, and Athletic Man.
ager Ben Kirch.
Not only was it the largest ban
quet ever given in Keokuk, but never
! before were five hundred men ever
i gathered together here that were Sc
uniformly manly looking men-real
Americans" said one of the specta.
tors last evening.
1t is expected that the committee
will take couple Of weeks of hard
work to work out the blueprints and