The New York herald., 1877-03-20
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, March ~, 1877.
THE SALE OF THE WASHINGTON CLUB house.
HISTORY OF THE ENTERPRISE.
Tho sao OF the Washington Club House building and
furniture took place this morning, beginning at ten
O'Clock. AZ that hour n miscellaneous crowd, COM
posed for the most part OF women who
were attracted by curiosity more than anything
else, gathered in the parors aud reception
where the members OF the ato District Ring fov so
many years hold high rovclry Not single m.
ber Of tho old Ring present; not one OF the
hundreds Of congressman, politicians and men,
bers OF tho old administration who for
so many years were d.ncd and wncd within
its wallis The furniture sold At rdicuously low
figures. In fact, everything was simply sacrificed Tho
two or three billiard tables, upon which the statesmen
of tho Ring played the most innocent Of
their games, and which cost each between
$500 and $500, sold for about one third their
value Two sets OF furniture which cost $1,000 sold
for less than $500 Card tables carpcts bar furniture
&C., brought similarly low ngurcs.
curious incident of the saIc tho contest among
some coorcd men for tho portraits OF cx-Prcsdcnt
Grant and Boss Shepherd. They largo imperial
photographs No one elsc seemed to want them and
they were knocked down for 81 and So apiece.
Tho salo took place under n mortgage held by the
American Life Insurance Company Of Philadelphia,
amounting to s25, 900. The furniture did not bring
a very large amount and the building bid in by
Jesse q. Hammer OF Philadelphia, for $50 0O0 about
500 900 less than It is said to be worth valua
ton. Every effort made to tho club, but tho
Ring too impoverished to porpctuate it.
This was not tho first Of the clubs financial troubles
Some years ago II got into difficulty and Boss Shep
herd came the It was on the eve OF the
.turst up Of the Ring. Contracts were NOS
as numerous as they used to be- Jay Cooke
l. Co had Rank nd
become straitened, the pressure OF tho hard
times beginning to be felt all around The club
house was the social rendezvous of the Ring and Mr.
Shepherd could not Afford to let 1t go down. II was
there that converts were madc among democratic men,
bers Of Congress to tho Improvement policy of
the District managers, wherc wealthy strangers
entertained and told of tho magnificent chances
for investment IN District real estate where all who
had the least influence In legislation or in directing
public opinion were invited and made 10 feel at home
1t had large outside honorary membership
among the republican Ring politicians in different
parts Of the country, and distinction whatever was
made as regards party. II embraced democrats as
we'll as republicans The Tammany man Of New
York welcome the intimate OF Kellogg
in Louisiana. II grow as tho Ring grow and
1ourshcd rs It nourishcd, nnh when tho
Ring began to show tho first signs OF weak
ness, 1t began to tottor. Tho failure OF tho
Cookies was a tremendous blow to tho washin gton
Ring. II was about this time that It's first financial
embarrassment began, and that Shepherd brought
IL out Of ITS difficulties One evening he in.
vitcd forty or nity Of the principal mem.
bers of tho club, numbering the richest
Contractors the largest operators in real estate to
dinner Each ono OF them supposed that he
had been invited to one OF the small and
select parties which Shepherd had been in
tto hnI,it of 0ty tl,ou 1..L
assembled the large dining room Of the club house
cach one OF them suspected that something unusual
was on foot, and they waited patiently the end
OF tho last course to DO told what IL was
Not man knew tho purpose OF the
boss UNTIL when the champagne began to cIrcu-
late Shepherd read short statement OF the financial
condition OF the club told them how some of its cred.
itors pressing and that II was necessary that
something DO done. lie closed by informing his
guests that he expected each ono of them to make
contribution. and in few minutes large amount Of
money was raised and tho club again put on the high
tide Of prosperity
The club started about 1871, shortly after tho
form Of government in tho disric opcr.
There at the time several organizations Of
tho kind in the city, but the members OF them were
not In sympathy with tho regime. Some
of them too small others too select.
others were class organizations ana 1t determined
to form club. With that object view the ato
club house was bought AMI stock company was
formed. Its stockholders were for the most part the
avorito contractors OF tho ring. and No option
gwen them as whether they should become members
or not They given to understand that they
should contribute, and they did to the OF some
500 coo or $4,000. The contributions were in pro.
portion 20 their and tho favors they obtained
from tho Board OF Public Works. Where all this
money went has been Tor some years
past matter OF speculation. 1t has been
charged that the club badly managed, and that Its
failure is owing entirely to absence OF busi-
ness ability In It's conduct 1t Is alleged that the books
OF tho club show that large amounts OF money are
due 1t by its members, and that If all It's debts
were paid 1t would not owc n dollar TO any
one. But the trouble Is that tho cx-Rpg mon
who indcbod to II have gonc into bankruptcy long