136 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



and to the club in which he figured, this book 

 could have been filled. But though interesting, 

 it was only one phase of his long and varied life 

 — the recreation of a hard worker — and I must 

 hasten on to its close. The last big event in 

 this connection was the dinner held on November 

 4th, 1905, "To congratulate W. B. Tegetmeier 

 as a Founder of the Club on entering his ninetieth 

 year this day " — the last time he attended the 

 Saturday night dinners. It was a great night ! 

 The chairman was E. E. Peacock, the then 

 hon. secretary, who, with scarce an apology for 

 breaking the " Savage " rule of "no speeches," 

 made a most eloquent one eulogising " Brother 

 Tegetmeier." Peacock, although as secretary he 

 must have known that the official age of the 

 club was then only forty-eight, adopted the 

 oldest member's view, for that evening at least, 

 and said that the club had been in existence 

 fifty years, and that Tegetmeier had enjoyed 

 fifty years' comradeship of all that was best in 

 literature, in art, and the drama. " What 

 memories must come back to him as he thinks 

 over the past ! To-day, entering on his ninetieth 

 year, he is able to say to himself, ' I am the 

 Father of the Savage Club,' and he must feel proud 

 of his parenthood." Peacock concluded a grace- 

 ful and eloquent speech by proposing Tegetmeier's 

 health, the toast being drunk with enthusiasm 

 and the singing of " He's a jolly good fellow." 





