Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1892 — Erudition Served at Dinner. [ARTICLE]

Erudition Served at Dinner.

At a dinner party given at George Crtim’s road house at Saratoga Lake, recently, a party of gentlemen, prominent in the political and the commercial world, were discussing their visit to the Pompeiian reproduction on South Broadway, known as’the “House of Pansa. ” l , “What curious names are attached to the different rooms,” observed one of the party. “Why, there’s the ‘vestiarium’ and the ‘tablinunj,’ and I don’t know what—too much foj me.” 1 Some of those around the table endeavored, in a learned manner, to assist his memory, but they made; an amusing failure, and all laughed heartily. One of the waiters,; a young colored man from Georgia, was an attentive listener, and the merry twinkle in his eye indicated that he was amused. One of the gentleman who was acquainted with the waiter said: “Charley, just enlighten these gentlemen. ” All eyes were turned upon Charley, who, somewhat diffident at flrpt, Anally said:

“Gentlemen, if it is your pleasure, I’ll do the best I can. The vqstiarium is simply the cloak room, and you pass through this before entering the atrium. The bedroofns are known as cubicula. There also the tabliDum, the alas, the sanctum, the sauces, the peristylum, the viridarium, the cubiculum, the bibliotheca, the trinelinium, the oecus, the balnaeum, the cullna, the larium, the hortus, and other portions. Shall I explain each?” The amazed banqueters looked at each other for a moment, when one observed: “Cm! Um! No, I thank you; life is too short!” When Charley Reynolds stepped out of the room inquiry was made about the young man. The gentleman acquainted with him said: “He is oue of the brightest young men in my district, is a college graduate, and can handle Latin and Greek the same as English; hut, like all bookworms, he is such a diffident mortal that I wonder he doesn’t refuse to give those jaw-breaking names, ne is simply here for the season, earning a few dollars to enable him to further pursue his studies next fall.” As the party rose from their twohour, fifteen-cover, wine-course dinner, a gentleman took occasion to remark: “If there is any subject you gentlemen are not clear upon, just call in one of the waiters.”—Chicago Tribyne.