The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-07
CLUB LIFE IN LONDON.

Old and New Clubs-ThsIr Origin and
PeculIaritIes Amcsent Coffee. Houses
and Curious Signs.
John limbs has lust published, in London, a
fketchy aud pleasant book, entitled "Club Lite
in London, with Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee
Houses, and Taverns of the Metropolis during
the 18th, 18th, and 10th Centuries" The first
volume contains notices of hundred London
clubs and their most famous members and the
second has variety of miscellaneous gossip
about London coffee-houses and London taverns
Mr.. limbs begins by controverting Carlyle's
speculation that the word club is a relic, ''in a
singularly dwimdled condition. of the VOW or
getubde of the chlvalrous societies common six or
seven hundred years ago. The Templars, Hos
pitallers, iand others never called their orders
clubs; and the noun is held to be derived from
the old verb Ito club" that is to JON in part
nership for anything. The word club in its
social sense comedies in its spelling only BY an
accident with the quite different word club, that
means bludgeon or cudgel. The two words
are OF different origin. The social idea of club
bing, applied to the division of an expense
among sevsral persons-as when Steele wrote in
the 1dtleri "We were resolved to club for
Coach"-is from the Anglo-Saxon cle0fdn, to
cleave or divide. 1t was applied in that sense
to social meetings at which men dubbed to-
gether their several shares to produce some
common result.
The fanciful clubs described in the Spectator
were hardly hey ond the truth. There were the
Beeisteak Club and the October Club, where,
says Swift, 'above hundred Parliament men
who drink October beer meet to consult affairs,
and drive things on to extremes against the
whigs;" the Saturday Club, OF which Swift was
amember, although he grumbled at the number
of its members and the weakness OF its wit, and
the Brothers Club, of which he himself was the
founder. "We take in none, " he said, "but men
Of wit and men of interest, and if we 60 as we
aAI rplt. ~
talking Of" The Brothers was broken up in
17l4, to be followed by the Scriblerus Club, also
founded by Swift with Oxford and St. John,
Arouth not, Pope, and Gay for members
THE OLDEST CLUB IN ENGLAND.
The Royal Society Club is the oldest now in ex
istence in England. 1t originated with DIR. Hal
ley, who FUSED to come on a Tuesday, from
Greenwich, the Royal Observatory, to Chld's
Co1ee-house, where literary people met for con-
versation." The talk lasted SO long that they
were often troubled where to get their dinner
AT last they arranged, according to the old let
ter-writer quoted by Mr.. Timbs Ito go to a
house in Deans court between an alehouse and
tavern, where there was great draught Of
porter. 1t was kept by one Reynell. II was
agreed that one of the company should 60 and
buy fish in Newgate street. having first informed
himself how many meant to stay and dine. The
ordinary and liquor usually came to half-a-cro Hn
and the dinner only consisted Of fish and pud-
ding. DR.. bailey never ate anything but fish,
for he had no teeth.n That was in 1881. Before
Churchyard. DR.. HALEY and his friends went
with HIM, "and they began to have little
meat" On Halley's death hls friends reno We 1
to the MlIre, in Fleet street, and there, In l743
established the Club OF Royal Philosophers.
Fifty years later the name was changed TO the
Royal Society Clue, and as such, in various
houses, it has fourished to this day.
GAMBLING AT WHITES CENTURY AGO.
Arthur's and Whites originally coffee -heuses,
became famous as clubs about the middle OF the
eighteenth century. Boobies was founded about
1878, and Brooke's in l778. All were great
gaming places, and famous az the resort OF Fox
and sheridan, Seiwyn, Garrick, and others OF
that time, about whom Mr.. limbs collects a
number of curious anecdotes,
There was heavier gambling at Whites than
at Brooke's. Mr.. limbs says:-
"At Whites the least difference of opinion In.
variablY ended II q bet, and book for entering
the particulars of all bets was always LAID upon
the table; one of these with entries of date a.
early as 1744 Mr.. Cunningham tells us. had
teen preserved. book for entering bets il
still laid on the table.
''In these betting books are 10 be found bets
on bilths deaths, and marriages. the length Of
a life, or the duration OF a ministry; the place
mans prospect of corOnet; on the shock OF an
earthquake; or the last scandal at Ranelagh. OF
Madame Cornelys. A man dropped down Al
the door OF Whites; he was carried into tho
house. Was he drad or not? The odds were
Immediately given and taken for and against
1t was proposed TO bleed him. Those who ha,
taken the odds the man was dead, rotesteC
that the use OF a lancet would affect the fairness
of the bet
''Waloole gives some of these narratives a.
good Gor'es made on Whltes.' A parson com
ing into the club on the morning OF the earth
quake OF 1860, and hearing bets laid whether tn
Shock was caused by an earthquake, OF th