The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-05-12
Terms $500 per annuna, in od,onoo

powering fragrance. Wines OF the choices,
Vintages were not absent from the banquet The
Suo ~. ceilar having been stocked by c0nBoiseurs
hhe guests began to arrive about nine O'Clock
anu the last ones left at five n the IN orniDg.
hpeakIhS OF wines it will be rene mbered
~. a.; ln June, 1867, there was great excitement
torv I, 10 the enforcement of the Prohibi-
y ,o'y Law. At that time the following vote
was passed in the Union CIub. SAftsr io' 6sy
| CJi ia'oxicating liquors will be sold in inc
~ An account will be kent bv ,bs stsw-
nro,oy,e ~ Ge na1ded in to the Treasurer, of the
pioPortioh OF the common nrona,t. : . ~
Club consumed by each memhnr a,,.Y ~, ~ .,e
Board oil Directors be authorized to r.onira 'n9 3
each member OF the club a contributior os Ia.
share OF tue common expense IN prom ,rtian to
the use he makes of the common prop.rtv ar
the restaurant or elsewhere" 1t will be seenhv
this vote that the institution was prepared tor
any visits from the State officials iu those
times when rooms were hired all over the city
and small clubs organized, every member oI
which carried list of tickets in bis pocket
each one of which had to be punched when he
wanted to take suth in
AT the annual meeting Jan'y 4th 1868 1t
was voted that all members thereafter be elect
ed oy ballot of the members instead of the vote
OF the Directors and another innovation made
which had tendency 10 weaken the interest
OF the older members in the organization, In
.ne spring OF 1869 grand billiard tournament
came on TOR rosewood cue, gold mounted,
wnien was won by Mr.. James Hopkins Smith
anu winch was competed for by some fifteen
@ o@ntnesiasts On the 9th of March of the sams
year u was decided to reduce the initiation fee
10 500 which had good effect aud several new
members were admitted. During the formar
year the large house in the rear Of the Cmb
was leased for the use OF the servants and it
was connected with the main house.
In January, 1870 it was decided to give up
the house In the rear and to allow the steward
to run the restaurant in place of the Club. On
January 7th. 1871, the financial exhibit was
not satisfactory, and on the 20 b it was voted
TO go into liquidation. The following Rentls-
men have been officers:
Presidents-1865- 10, George r. ShepIey: 1870
James L. Carter.
Vice Presidents-1s65.6 SO, Philip H. Brown; 1862
", James f. Carter; 1901 Henry II. Furb,sh.
Ireaswers-1s65-66. j.. Z. Carter; ts66-6s, Msnas-
sab SmIh; 1s6S-69, George F. Moody; 1st9-7O,
charies s Davis, Davis, Jr; M m mls7G-7.. Henry P; Wood.
~, Henry - Machn; 1ses-7o. G. Davis, Jr; 1s7o n,
After 1853 tue office, of Treasurer and Secretary
:, Directors-1ses-ss. j. M. Churchill; 1ss5-7o H.
M;,dh Ehar6iss; ,a lssSS7 A. Maean 1895 g. A. r.
rill; is11.7i. Manassih Smith; 1867 CO. neorge IT.
STAR; 1sS7-69 H. N. Jose; ls67-6s, j. e. C.iter;
,sSS-7 1sSS-z5 - NJ Brown; IsSs,ao, Mutton;
u, r, II. Brown; 1870, W. II. Anderson; Is7o-7f L.
g Lougeei 1871, II, J. Murray; 1871, j. W. Deer
The club at the last annual meeting number.
"
member. The following gentlemen have been
members OF the institution.
George +. Shepley. P. Ii Brown, Fl. Fl. Furbish,
=; Marshall. Brown, james N. Churchill, nenIy j.
James Henry .aSa
4. Mitchell, Manassah smith, Charles b. Merrill,
Edwad N Rand, Geo. II. Starr, Charles D1vis,
Manson, 1. d. N. Swat. Louis @. Lousee, Johu B.
Churchill, ; SIR A. T. aalt, y. Bridges. John Rhy-
Dana, A. NJ. DeZea, james d. Fessenden Henry
Bailey, Jr., James Hopkins Smith. Samuel Hanson,
William Ii. Fessenden, Clarence Ii Corning. ),
Hickson, Payson Tucker, William II. Anderson,
john Henry Day W. c
Z. Morrill,, Frank Fessenden. Geo. Bucnham. Jr.,
7. I. Snow s. 5. Marble, Edward E. Preble, VIM q.
Atwood, Lieut., b. X Roberts.
The number of members with which the
club started was % resident, and 2 non resi-
dent. in the above order. rhe net receipts
have averaged from $1,000 to $4,000 per year uu-
til 1869 when they fell to $1,000. Among the
distinguished names upon the Visitors Book
which was opened Christmas Day, 1S65-we
find the Army represented by Gems SHERMAN,
Hunt, Horace Porter, Weitzel, Devens, Ayres,
Totten, Gordon Granger, KIRBY Smith, Griffin,
and others; the Navy by Admirars Farragut,
Porter ana Palmer, Hon. Capt. Talbot r. N.
sou of the Earl OF Shrewsbury, Commodore
j. B. Hull, Captain Melancthon Smith, the
officers Of the Monarch" plymouth" mi
antonomah," "Terror," .Tsenicia," and "Aias-
ka," composing the Peabody fleet, among
whom were especially noticeable Capt. Com
merell aud Commander Curtis of the "Mon-
arch aud young Childers, sou of the First
Lord OF the Admiralty, who was afterwards
lost in the ill-fated "Captain"-jolly Billy Ma
comb the ladies favorite, Shufeldt, that model
of manly beauty and vigor, and Ransom whose
courteous manners reminded one of the old
school. Nor must we forget honest john Web
ster, as fine sailor and as noble man as ever
walked quarter deck, and whose removal from
the command OF the "Mahoning" on this sra
tion was a source OF deep regret to ALL For
the past year the photographs of Commerell,
Macomb, Shufeldt and Ransom, with John
Webster in the center, have occupied con-
spicuous place on the walls OF the Club House,
token of the esteem in which they were held
BY the members. We also find the names OF
Capt. Geo. H. Preble, and Chief Engineer
King OF the same branch of the service
Among men prominent in civil life are the au-
tOgraphs of the lamented Gov. Andrew, of our
own Ex-Gov. Chamberlain, Hon. w. w. Vir-
gin at the time President of the Maine Senate,
Judge Tapley of the Supreme Court, Hon.
Lewis Barker the poet, Hon. w. p. Frye, Judge
Rice president of the consolidated Mains Cen
trail and Portland and Kennebec EJads, Hon.
j. NJ. TobiD, Mayor OF Halifax, N. s. and Gen
Matt. Head, Adjutant Gen. of New Hamp-
shire. Among artists we find j. o. b. Ibman,
w. E. Norton and III. b. Brown; among edi-
tors George William Curtis of Harper's Week
ly, William HI. Hurlburt of tie New York
World, j. r.. e. Hazard of the New York Tri'
buue, j. M. Bundy of the New York Evening
Mail, Geo. w. Butler formerly dramatic edi-
Generalt to Egypt, E. Willis OF the st, John
News, Washington CT the London, Eog. Tele-
graph. "Toby Candor" of the Boston Jour
nal and Z. o. Halle of the Mobile Tlmes;-
among diplomats are w. Tasksr Smith, III. d.
N. Consul at Savannah, Marquis Lousada, II.
Is. NJ. Consul al Boston, j. NJ. de Satrdstegui
her Catholic Majesty's Consul for Spain al
| New York, and several OF the attaches of the
Legations at Washington; among the actors
| Thos. Placids, Dan. Setchel, Nine. LaGrangt
| ga, Miss Adelaide Phillips, Miss Isabella Nc
| Culloch, (now Mrs z. Brignol) Brignoli, How
| ard Paul. and HI. L Bateman. There are also
the names Of Geo. Ward Nichols, the autbo
Of "Shsrman's March to the Sea- Gen. Sutto'
Of Peabody apd-but it IS useless TO aitemp
to 60 further. Many very distinguished mel
have been introduced whose autographs wer
never secured and therefore do not enrich tn
| pages of the volume. II will be noticed tina
several ladies' names are mentioned OF high re
| nOwp as mEsical artists. In 1867 when tn
Mercantile Library Association gave serie
of three operas at City Hall, the members .
the Club invited these isaieBt9 a supper whic
| was participated in by the w'ves spd sisters o
4 the hosts, and was sumptnous aud feeterch
\ tistIs banquet. But it would be impossible
l mole th&p bint at few Of the entertainment
4, that haye graesS the halls of the Union. y
| viii the menibefS eyer forget the time whe
| wee assembled togetbet pnder one roof ChaS
q. 6rown tArtequs Wardl pa9 setchell-
los, at sea that same aptumn-Cale LoriDI
| tho ., .aek shot of the ScaTboro' Marshes who's
s.bantv " was one OF the historic spots in th
vicinity n, I'd one or two less noted but equal
ready. .witted IF our own citizens. story SUI SUI
ceeded lest and lest story, convulsing the vs.
eners with laught.r until they fairly begge
for quarter as they he'd their aching sides o
| the three not one IL nov living; they sleep il
/ peace Under the auspices Of the gentlemel
belonging TO the Club the most perfect reprs
| seDtations of opera ever given in Portland
/ were presepted to the pubic at City Hall. Tn,
l Bateman opera bopBe troupe, nun ber;ng sew
enty-fiye performers, with ap orchestra of i
picked musicians led by Carl RergmSn, an,
| with the irtepressible TOstee as prima dopns
produced the orsIjs Duchesse and Bell
Helene as perfectly as they we're broaght on
/ in Boston or New York, with the exception 3
the magnificent scenery that is such a featur
OF metropolitan theatres nowadays. Tb
| public, however, failed to support the company
and the speculation proved financially disas
trous. It was intended by several of the gen
tlemen who undertook the speculation, that
the public supported it, they would 0ulid
new theatre, but the want OF encouraeemef
was SO marked that they abandoned the idea
The difficulty was that they judged from wron
| premises, the French Opera not proving TAI
| cntsrion of pabic tastes and sentlment'
Bnf We have already far exceeded the limit
| Of a ne wsbaper @-tcle. We trust that its DE-
tail NAV not prove dry &nd fayorless as th
| dried meat of the cocoa-npt from WHICH th
| milk has been extracted, but may serve as IL
membrance of the "good old days" OF tn
Union 70 its members as they con it DER, viii
| 10 the general reader, who has often gazed viii
wonder ''upon that wicked place which is IL
abode of gamblers. libertines and drunkards
it may perchance interest some what in the d
rusal, and show to'them that the establishmei
was the resort of gentlemen who were prob
bly, as Of good principles, correct deportmen