The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-30

AASAohJ oo HAASA tACJ Cdu OuJOy QuIot
social game.
One Of the express purposes of forming this
club, the gentlemen state, was for promoting
social intercourse among its members, and the
only social intercourse, they say, has been the
punch and beer and free suppers on Saturday
evenings. Almost every other day, or evening,
the club house is empty.
This frank statement and demand-which is
not an aggressive demand, for the forty-seyen
gentlemen declare that it is not their inten-
ton to force the matter upon the club but
only to suggest it, with belief that it will be
much better for the club if introduced-m
an interesting showing of the independent
position, entirely unaffected by the various
temperance or prohibition movements-which.
9 large class Of the community maintain, and
the fact that the club is at most times I'M
deniably empty, as is declared shows, also that
this large class do not centralize, 80 to speak,
socially without wines and cigars, to offer to,or
partake of with their friends. The temperance
people, ought to say the prohibition people,
for temperance means really different thing
will of course denounce this attitude, and
declare that the cloven foot of the very evil
one is in the protest, and that the fact that
these gentlemen confess their inability to be
social without the use of stimulants, is con-
fession OF their own weakness. don t propose
to argue or discuss this point. only wish to
show how curiously uninfinenced in every
particular certain large class of persons is by
one of the constant agitations of the day. 1
may say however that / believe that good
many of those who feel that the club is
failure socially because of this lack, do not
care SO very much for the individual tipple
and smoke as they do for the idea-the hospit-
able, entertaining element it introduces-an
element that is traditional in fact. One of the
artistic members, who is also one of the wags
of the club, told me that he resigned some
time ago, because the club was SO inhospitable
such dull, dry, empty place.
Many of my readers doubtless know what
beautiful house in structure and furnishing the
home of the Art Club is, 1t is much more ele-
CANT and comfortable and airy than the st.
Botolph club house, which ia only one of the
old Boylston street residences altered little;
but it is not nearly SO popular place of resort.
My readers also know, dare say, what a hue
and cry of excitement there was over the St.
Botolph at the start, because the members at
once stipulated for wines, liquors and cigars.
/ suppose that the fact that the names of Phil
lips Brooks and James Freeman Clarke, Ed
ward Everett Hale and other ministers, were
at the head of the list of the st. Botolph mem
bers, was the great cause of this hue and cry,
but the hue and cry, after all, did INT make any
difference. The "wines, liquors and cigars,'
became an established fact, and the ministers
still remained members, with the exception of
Mr.. Hale, who believe thought it best to re-
tire from the excitement although he never
Joined the protesting party. But Phillips
Brooks who has, I am told, as great following
of young men as Mr.. Hale, il not a greater,
held his place and took no notice of the ex-
element. A member told me the other day
that Mr.. Brooks drops into the rooms the libra
ry or reading room, for chat or look at the
magazines and papers very frequently, as also
does Mr.. Clarke. Everybody who reads the
newspapers knows that most of the distinguish
ed guests who come to Boston, Matthew Ar
mold and others, are entertained at the St.
Botolph. 1t is a grand meeting place for
friends and "the stranger in the gates" and
the wines and cigars do not seem to make it
Bottle Club" as Wendell Phillips called it
whom the excitement was at its height. Excess
oftany kind would not be permitted, the mem
bers say, and any man who did not behave
like gentleman in every way would be turned
out. So much for the club matters.
Another matter of interes. now among liter
airy folk is the new weekly paper which is to
make its appearance about the middle of Feb
ruary. The name of the paper is to be "The
Beacon" This doesn't mean that it is to be
a Beacon Street affair by any means. The
name is taken from the old signal spar which
used to stand on the summit of Beacon Hill in
the ancient days, when Boston was small
town. 1t was the signal, in fact, which gave
the name to the hill. Drake tells us that sit
was tall mast standing on cross timbers placed
upon stone founds ton, and supported by
braces. Treenails were driven through the
mast, by which it was assembled" There was
an iron receptacle at the top, to receive "a bar
rel of tar or other combustibles, which was to
be fred in case of invasion, or danger of any
kind, when it was necessary to summon the
surrounding country" Fancy the horror of
having such fiery agent ready to carry COM
But the new "Beacon" is to carry light of a
different kind. Mr.. Howard M. Ticknor, for
merly of Ticknor & Fields, is to be the editor
of this Beacon, and great things are expected
of it in consequence, for Mr. Ticknor is man
OF marked literary ability apart from his pub
fishing instincts. The paper starts with
large capital, the directors being men whose
aggregate property amounts to ten millions.
IL is to be purely literary weekly, without
gossip, scandal or politics. A serial novel. by
q well known author, will be feature. 1t is
meant to make it ND of original matter entire
ly, - poems, essays, stories, criticisms,
reviews, sketches, etc. Mr.. Page has left
lucrative position as business manager of this
Boston Museum to become the treasurer of the
new project. The names of the directors are
Ill of them very well known, being the names
Of professional and business men of the high
est standing.
1 suppose the paper will approach more near
~ to the style of Harper's Weekly than to
that of any other journal, but with the politics
eft out, as a matter of editorial consideration
Independent essay, etc., any and all matters
will be discussed The Beacon will be about
The size of Harper's Weekly. 1t will have
\ comic cartoon, and other serial illustrations
BY the best artists. This is the plan of the pa
per- and those who know best about it are en-
.h7siastic over it. One of these knowing ones
old me that there was no paper like itiin the
country. I suppose he meant equal to it.
II 1t will prove equal to Harper's Weekly, or to
hat charming little sheet that used to delight
Journal when it was week
" we shall not ask any more. That Boston
ought to be able to sustain and send forth a
ine literary weekly, everybody interested in
such things has long felt.