New-York tribune., 1876-02-26
PHILADELPHIA SOCIETY
HOME AND CLUB LIFE.
CHARACTERISTICS OF OLD REsIDENrs-REsPE

4
| DrscENT-TIIE POLITICAL ASD.socIAL CLUBS
| QU 1T LIVES SOUGHT
lFKoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE IRIBUSEI
| PHILADELPHIA, Feb 25.-What newspaper
reader has not time and again, read Of the peeuartes
OF society in NewYork, In Boston, In Washington And
what number OF letters sees in PRINT describing
social dOings IN London Paris, Florence Rome. But
how it ind anything In the papers about Pha-
depbia society. l remember to have seen only two or
three letters this topic and they were by English
writers, and full of the absurd mistakes Engshmen
are almost to make when trying 10 tel their
trymen what they saw in America. There 100000
people within tie limits Of the Centennial cty-twee as
many as in Boston, more than in BerlIn--lud Of
there is what people call society here, with phases and
characteristics VI Its worthy Of study and descrp
ton II it has figure heretofore in the papers,
it is because Philadelphia has been the most provincial
city of its size-yes, OF half its sze-n the world
An expt trenced traveller and shrewd observer once
said: There five cities n the United States worth
living in-Boson, NewYork Washington, New-0rleans,
and San Francisco Each is sefcenered and IN each you
find a society with marked individual favor. All the
other cities marts Of trade and their sOcey
smacks of the shop" He unjust toward Pladel-
pha knowing nothing probably OF the npper crust OF
the pot pOrt OF its social lfendeed few do, whose
andiaIhers not born here. The society OF Phla
delpha accent the definite artice has its pecuari
ties the less marked because not obtusye and lie
monstrative The fret thing to be said about 1t is that It
arises from the fact that tie city has little centripeta
force draw to il people Of consequence from other
places. 1t does not attract men Of wealth like Newiork
nor literary and scientific like Boston, politicians
like Washn gtou. II Owsat the base, increasing its To
uaton rapidly because its proximity 10 the anthracite
coaelds makes IL great manufacturing CENTER but the
apex OF the social pyramid enaTges very slowly. The
men and in society to-day are, for the most part
the grandchildren OF those who composed the society OF
generations ago. Go to the Historical Society rooms
and look the signed to tue invitations to the
senbcs the time of the Revolution then glance at the
list Of committees for the last grand affair NJ the Academy
Of Music and you will be surprised to and how many
families have held the top round OF the social ladder
for "a century.
Great werht attaches TO family descent and in that
respect Philadelphia il more English than any other
American city. 1t is said that when young woman
"comes out' in HewYork people ash, /" Is she richp
in Boston, what does she knowp in Baltimore, els
she pretty 7" Here the question f., "Wno is she ~
which means, Who her father who was her
grandiatherl has she good blood ~ her yeinsP
Naturally society that lays such stress upon ancestry
s very exclusive. There is little admixtuIe OF new
elements-tOo little FOR fresh and sprlglty conversation
to abound People vino have each other from child
hood and others family histories for Eve
six gene ra0ns back, have not much 10 when they
meet and thus the talk Of the DRAWING groom and The
dnner-iable il often rather dun. 1t aycrses the ground
between the -chuylfi! and the Delaware again and
n Philadelphia do not find IL easy 10 get within the
charmed circle OF Upper Tendon. Wealth Is not
tain passport Their credentials are scruinlZd care
fully and II accepted they made 10 feel for tic
first five years Of their stay that they on prJba
ton Strangers visiting the city who bring letters OF
introduction Of hosp able entertainment Inyi
tatons 10 dinner about certain, as In En- gland, to
follow the presentation OF such letters. People society
are fond Of dining out anI in the best families the cook
cry Is always excellent and The wines sood Ia house
furnishing there is much less display than an New-York
md one muc a oener old furniture cherished for its
assOciati,as The plan and often u-ly eXerOrs must
not. however, be supposed TO be o." correct outward
oi tie interior oipydrince Of the houses. Leh'ld
me rel brick walls and White bUaid shutters you g
fud the spacious IoOns well filled With fnTutre ina.
often STRIKES iappy mciun between I.Hgitsii nd
French and tArre src c'dant e'id nces OF cub
tiyated liking ior art and brebIac s'me ot TIE nntst
private cole tions OF pictures IN this country are lond
G,ocl,,icaiiy 's%ur best society" DOS not extend
much beyond the narrow paraslogfgm t,Wod by
lh,,nrt and Pne-sts on the north nd south, Eighth
st. Oh IN, east aud the sehuylkl on o. wcsi. TleloIs
4 remnant Oh 7 liri AMI Fouhsts, ia ssh tho
ari,toc.aiic Quter in the last century ana the sa
Markets. aud a rev more in West Pradclp IA. The
center Nay Fair Is kueuh9uSo-, uaTe. and its
,r,erao in tbis ,frect ior an honr the Sidewalks,
throusrd with wcll-lr,S-9i people who 3l srrI 10
Sy the usssng grouls Mmgimg in one OF The counter
currents OF the s.OwmOyius procession, you are struck
with the number Of wo ,en Wno' are positively pncy.
Handsome faces and good ply siqueS lirdonnate lhe
costumes are tasteful aud ec.l ant tre is not as
much Over-iress.ng ~ Ncw-Nork. Tie men 30 MT
impress one as layoraoy. lley seem u ."'A ue hsh
Intellectual culture of tic East, aud have Dot the
strong individuality aud force Of character OF Western
men. TINS singular creation oi making sunday honlr
ward ordinarily Guet 20 the Ncrcc of nunotonY
is. told. very Old one II Is nntitcd up town,
where the inehocfs o. d IL "tac ~ a. "tl'.o-
rcy OF wealth got by recent -dccs n trade or 70 RE
devious pahS Oi pOoestaAc uicir aItcrehufch airing
The chs are not rs numerous as In New York and do
not play as pOrtaHt robe N the social e of the upper
classes The two great ponticosocal clubs-the Union
League and the Ret Jru-dre however, OF considerable
. lu flt lDt A
slcc haNe cOuncrparts III thus country. The Daue
tries keep rein upon the irresponsible politicians Who
control ty Republican party, but VIA .t9lHcfeht sue
the Reform opposes uirIn openly ana Vigorously,
but with much better success Once the League
a cldb VI geutemen brought together Dy the common
purpose oi a,liS the DOSerhl't III lc war, our llier
closed t.c men whO had come 10 t1e surface IN
municipal politics dung the Struggle gained atutttHoe,
peryrred tlt spirit the organization, caused a split
out of which grew the Reform Club, aud only
beaten BY close vote lew NreAs ago III an enoit 10
capture the organization Ile Leaepc nas nel1DcrsAip
of about 800. IT. Clubhouse u the nnes ~ the euun-
try. and good library and great number OF
figured largely in tie Rebellon IL Is capital place TO
eat and drink smoke and read the papers, Tor hcn who
have leisure ana money -dh elesSt plltae hoei,
IN short bat the membership Is too largc.and too mixed
for il to Ice social force You are just us s To meet
there with WHOM yoa nave nolhih III common ana
10 not any ont e. associate, as IA tie aGls Of
the continental Hotel or the Guard House Tie Reform
Club OWNS line double nuusy Oi White marble IN Chest
IL nts ;Out 900 mciubcrs and Ies 10 improve
politics by Aids.oyo methods. IL means we id tries
ana Inc wine ear well stocked hut there no b00Ss
or pictures, and htue soal converse goes ON IN tho
handsomely upholstered fOOibs peasant feature of
both these the Ocnair concerts IN gardens in
tie of TIE club-houses twice week Ia sumner,
which are attended by laulcs.
Oldest vi the clubs i, the Philadelphia inha5iting
venerable BRICK building on NdAia'-al. lac helhDcrs
number about zoo ana are an Socety mon There are
no literary. artistic, political features, and the eriti.
csm OF IT. members L. just II = an association Of
Of inferior cuu e. "ho are iona a. cdld. az ana
good living. It's antipodes is .ound n the Penn Club.
st itOn, composed OF aa' 1os' JOURNALISTS. unl-
NeIsy procssols urtlsts ana ld"S cs wan spthAuhs
of doctus and diyinoS. mlh must De cuSvt IA some