The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-26
Clubs and Club Life In New York.
of the Chicago Evening
Journal.J
New YoRK, JuHe 20.

Within few years, beds and l0dg
ing appointments have been attached
to many of the London clubs. Though
we have not got to that point yet
there is here In New York a rapidly
growing tendency to club life. Ten
wears ago it was the exception to be-
long to club, now it is almost the
exception among single men of any
means not to belong to one. Many
young as we'll as advanced In life
make point TO join as many of these
organisations as possible, from bust
ness considerations purely. The law
yer and doctor join to extend their
practice, and the merchant to form
business acquaintance. To all such
the influences of club life are not
directly injurious. There are great
many of our young men, however, who
are irretrievably ruined by the asso-
Citations and habits which they form
at the club. Its billiard and card
tables, its Ottomans and easy chairs
and festive surroundings, come to have
a powerful fascination for many of
them. so that they are on hand every
night. This is especially true of
young men employed during the day
AUllu LU6 Whit anu C4OAAChACAU VI
Wall Street. When night comes they
crave a continuance of artificial slim
ulants and repair to- the clubs to OBJ
tain them. Many of our most prom
ising youths are started on their
downward course. Believing that it
may interest your readers, | purpose
giving you a brief sketch of the vari-
Gus clubs in the metropolis. The
Athenaum, which has just ceased to
be, was perhaps the most inviting of
all for men Of culture. There was
an air of refined sociability about it
which attracted many educated mar
ried as we'll as single men. 1t was
organized in 1853, under a charter
from the Legislature, and located in
Fifth Avenue. Subsequently it was
removed to % Union Place, next to
DIR. Cheever's old church; the ad-
mittance fee was $50 and the annual
dues $25. In an unlucky moment
last year, in May, the club decided to
move up to the superb Leupp House,
corner Twenty-6fth Street and Madi-
son Avenue. This is a most,
palatial building, filed with
choice works of every description,
and the costliest appointments. The
rent was $4,000 a year. This was
too much for the club to lift, mas
much as it had an old indebtedness
of several thousand dollars to meet.
The impression began to prevail last
Winter that the club would alternate
IL succumb, and members consequent
" began to withdraw and connect
themselves with the Union League
oAIxo-. H. An0%ho~ oo,,sa 80
dissatisfaction was the Increasing of
the admittance fee to 500 and the
annual dues to $50. In the new quar-
tiers were capacious chess, billiard,
reception, reading, dining, aud loung
ing rooms. Many young lawyers,
journalists, and other professional
men have been accustomed to step in
on their way up town and read the
various periodicals IN the reading
room, or engage In pleasant conversa-
ton. Many artists, including Mast.
belonged to it. A capacious and we'll
managed refectory was likewise con-
nected with the club, The furniture,
pictures, etc., have been sold at
auction this week, and the club will
probably be recognized under its
charter on a more limited basis.
The Union League Club has now
become the most powerful organiza-
ton of the kind in the metropolis,
and is still rapidly growing. Last
year it had membership of 600, and
there is now a rush for admittance.
When the number reaches 1000, the
admittance fee will be increased to
$780, This club is by no means a
purely political organization, as the
name would seem to indicate. On the
contrary, 1t has social and other at
fractions, which draw Democrats into
it, and since the impending dissolu-
ton of the Athen9um many literary
men have connected themselves with
it. The club until recently occupied
side of Union Square. In 1866 the
charter was so amended by the Legis-
lature as to permit the club to hold
property to the value of three hun
dred thousand dollars. 1t has now
purchased the marble nondescript
looking building on the corner of
Madison Avenue, aud gorgeously fur
nished it at an expense of fifty thou
sand dollars.
The Manhattan Club, located on the
corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifteenth
Street, is, as you are aware, the resort
of the wealthy Democracy. Here Bel
mont, Barlow, Marble and others be-
longing to the Wall Street ring, meet
to discuss the political situation and
lay plans for the future. The eoun-
ellis of the Manhattan are more i'm
portant by far than the old Tammany.
If the World suddenly veers about
YOU can infer at once that a meeting
of the Democratic magnates was held
ct the Manhattan on the night pre-
vious. The club was organized ahont