Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-15
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.


The New Club ScandaI-John Kelly
Again-The County Democracy-Jum-
hos JOy-The Railroad King-The
James BOys-Een. Fisk's Arrest-Ned
Stokes HOtel-American W0men-EOx
Hunting, Etc.
Special Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK. April IA, 1882
Public opinion is growing very strong over the
institution here known as the Turf Club. The re-
cent exposure of the row over the election Of the
board OF governors and the president gave the
place partial airing In the morning papers, but
I'm afraid it will not do any material good The
club occupies the premises vacated by the Union
League Club when 1t moved to its new home up
town. For many years the location was, there
fore, frequented by gentlemen, and a glamour Of
arfstOcratic club life hung over it when the Turf
moved In. The membership was largely composed
OF gentlemen at first. The interest centered In
horses, and all the prominent respectable horse
men were members, but the Initiation
fee was suddenly lowered to thirty dol
lars, and in short time the club
boosted 1900 members. Then baccarat
table was introduced and in a twinkling the place
% Was se oSe anew hut
mate with club life knew of its practices Then little
Thos. B. R, whose father is a well-knOwn Wall
baccarat table. This was high play for any table
in the world and frightened the youth so that he
made an uproar about 1t, but of course, he never
manded any return, but took his loss like little
man when his head cooled. His father, however,
followed by 'n number OF Of other fathers. The
place Is SO well-sltuated, has such respectable
time to keep up It's tone. 1t Is rapidly going down
now, though, and don't know that any one need
lament, for it contains more bad men than one
m q ha cft ho1 ipoa
there are number OF gentlemen still there. They
III 1t convenient place to play poker and have
this purpose any of its members can hire one of
the convenient little card rooms and play all night
by paying S rent for the room. The influence OF
agined disastrous. Take it all in all il is dis
reputable den and ought to be suppressed But
VINO WILL DO III
Our learned and honorable aldermen have
recently come into notice by wrangle over the
imperturbable John Kelly. They got their Qrish)
blood up to white heat, and, metaphorlcally
speaking, knocked each other on the head. Alder
man Roosevelt began the circus by declaring that
the Tammany boss was the means of disintegrat-
ing the democratic party. At this the Tammany
the Uslntegrating force (they did not use this
phrase) was Samuel j. Tilden and no other. The
show went on for two hours or more.
1t Is amusing to go to meeting of our aldermen
any time as they are droll set, and have queer
antecedents Alderman Sauer sits in the chair OF
might as he Is president OF the board The honor
appears to rest on him easily enough considering
that his previous training was not of a nature
duties HIS FORMER OF was thas Of
bar-keeper. He had no superior as a mixer of
fancy drinks, and few men could cope with him
never reached the proud position Of owning
place Of his own AS he does just as John
X Kelly wants him to. he is thought as much
OF as pet poodle. One does not
have to be told who the five or six men are who sit
at the end OF the chairman's desk. They glory in
they were moved by him by means OF invisib le
wires. You could pick them out for Kelly men in
any crowd. Some OF them are as familiar with the
man. There is Alderman Martin, who has grog-
shop OF his own, and Alderman Kirk was clerk
In There to be vital
rum business. But the board is not one-sided by
any means In this regard Alderman Pat keenan,
has three or four places and finds his constituency
among his customers He can make a cocktail
himself In the most approved manner. The GEN.
trail figure among
THB COUNTY DEMOCRACY
members twho are adherents Of Tilaen) is Alder
man Roosevelt who belongs to one of the ''oldest
families" He Is Of short stature, has a well-fed
look, and his face, which is full OF COLOR is some
what suggestive Of high-liv1ng Englishman. He
Is endeavoring to be statesman and politician
with the energy that a boy tries to learn how to
swim. At present his fame rests on the fact Of his
being an epicure. His palate has been cultivated
to such high degree that he can only satisfy it
by. going into the kitchen and taking hold OF the
pots and pans himself Meanwhile the cooks
swear at him. Without doubt he Is the best Judge
OF fish flesh In the city, and was president OF the
Fish Cultural Association until his efforts to be
statesman compelled him to f0rego the pleasure of
this position. The most conspicuous republican
member, although he is a little man, is John Nc
Clane, who belongs to Police Commissioner Mason
Ishould have excepted Pat keenan,. McClane is
AS If conscious OF his littleness, he reminds his
hot n Is Hot ath woo
thirteen children. Turn the whole lot 1.-TWO or
three excepted) loose at horse race and they
would be perfectly at their ease and fall to betting
The pivot the town turns on just now Is Jumbo.
The brute'S name stares at you from every bill
board and blank wall that the bill-sticker could
reach with his paste-bru5h. Oscar Wilde wasn't
talked about half so much, even when he put on
his silk stockings and posed in languishing atti-
tudes. The ineffable poet, were he to return lust
now, would not be noticed at all Jumbo has a
monopoly OF attention. A crowd surgeS around
the Madison Square Garden every afternoon and
evening, and unless you are an early conner you
have to content yourself with what you can see OF
the monster over the heads Of a struggling mass.
ons is Obliged 0his tlme to admit that the old old
Snowman had good deal to base his great claims
on %;,d went TO- see him last evening" and found
OF the Vanderbilt family In front Of his PEN The
railroad king remarked that Jumbo had very long
IcbS-d very Idut TtiIldEk, as tQaG IS WlaG every
man, woman and child says that goes to see him.
Later In the evening saw the Vanderbits In their
private box. William H. was looking at the
antics OF pair OF clowns through his opera glass
and laughing heartily. But to return to Jumbo
Conkling has been to see him two or three times
He manifests deep interest in the huge beast,
but turns away with deep sigh. JumbO's pop.
ularity sadly reminds him OF his own former
greatness Another visitor was Gen. Grant who
Is particularly fond Of this class OF amusement
given by Mr.. Barnum. He has been at the garden
three or four times OF late. Since JumbO's ar
rival there has been a great rush of
clergymen. AS the menagerie is at one
end OF the building and Jumbo at the
the other they have to pass through the circus to
get from one to the other. Some OF them are
long time making the journey. While was at
JumboS pen short man, with a scrubby nous
tache OF sandy color, stood at the beasts head
He wore d!ngy Derby hat This man, who is
JumbOS keeper, Scott, II physiOgnOmy goes for
anything, has less intelligence than the elephant
Everything the monster does is given In detail in
the papers here, and the shrewd Old Snowman
makes the sensation perpetual by introducing one
thing at time. At first Jumbo was kept in his
pen. The next thing was to take him around the
track, which Is still kept up But there are other
things In reserve. On Saturday Jumbo is to be
introduced to the herd OF elephants belonging to
the show, and when the interest begins to lag a
hoWdah will be strapped on his back and hildren
will climb up on him and ride. By the t.Iae the
novelty of this has worn off, Mr. Barnum's fertile
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