The Collapse of a Parting Speech
A surprise party for a departing resident ends in a slapstick moment when his chair gives way.
Grange Hall was the scene of a very enjoyable party last Saturday evening given in honor of Jack Jones who is leaving this week. It was a surprise party in charge of a committee composed of Roma Barrett, Elizabeth Moede, and Oveda Ranes. Music for dancing was furnished by the Princess Orchestra and several laughter-provoking games were played. Supper was served some time after midnight on a long table in the center of the room. After repeated calls for a speech, Jack obligingly got up and gave us one ending with the famous words—which proves that he has wisdom beyond his years—'Let’s eat.' Unfortunately, the dignified effect of the speech was lost by the fact that his chair collapsed as he sat down. It has not been learned yet whether this part of the entertainment was arranged or was an accident. We all join in sending our best wishes with Jack wherever he goes.
“After repeated calls for a speech, Jack obligingly got up and gave us one ending with the famous words—which proves that he has wisdom beyond his years—'Let’s eat.'”
Local social life in White Bluffs during the 1920s centered on the Grange and community halls, spaces that fostered tight-knit neighborly bonds. Today, the townsite is largely empty, a casualty of the Hanford project's land seizures, leaving these halls as ghostly echoes of a vanished social fabric.
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