A COSTLY DINNER IN A STABLE 



change, and of the Merchants' Club and the Colonial 

 Club. The stable was one of the best appointed in 

 the City of New York, and the horses which Mr. 

 Clark drove In single and double harness and four- 

 in-hand occupied roomy and well-ventilated stalls In 

 the rear part of the building. The big carriage room 

 In front was converted Into a dining hall. So scrupu- 

 lously neat was everything that the most delicate nose 

 was not offended by stable odor, and the coats of the 

 carefully groomed horses were suggestive of the spar- 

 kle of diamonds. 



The table was In the form of a big horseshoe, and 

 among the favors were golden horseshoes with bands 

 of satin to tie around the neck. The dinner was the 

 best that Delmonico could provide, and the wines 

 were of the choicest vintage. As Colonel Brown was 

 really paying for the entertainment, he sat at the 

 head of the table and acted as toastmaster. The fun 

 began with the speech-making. Every orator was 

 interrupted, and with mock gravity deputy sheriffs 

 were ordered to remove noisy objectors from the 

 banquet table. A vaudeville followed, and the crown- 

 ing act was leading a string of high-spirited horses 

 around and up to the head of the table, and offering 

 them champagne In a big silver bowl. At this stage 

 of the proceedings, E. R. Bowne, a stock broker, 

 leaped to the back of a fiery bay horse, and he cut quite 

 a figure as he sat erect In full dress. Cheers greeted 

 the bold adventure, and the horse was so excited that 

 he came very near wrecking the table. Ex-Mayor 



331 



