Omaha daily bee., 1885-07-06
COUNCIL BLUFFS.
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.
CLUBS WIN.
Some Pointers About Successful Organ.
izahOlS Of Business Men,
Shall Council Bluffs Try It2

bhO hA1lOhhLbS IAhbas SuGA oil tIbNllu
ton was some time ago given an i1cipler
start here, but failed to reach q complet
organization for some reason now forgo.
ten. A visit to one Of these club room
Eerves to give N a very good idea
what all of them are. Take one st Fon
du Lac for instance. There several year
ago the merchants Joined together to tn
number of one hundsed for th%epurposes G
forming a cub, each one paying $40 q
entrance fee, and agreeing to pay a Tx
amount each year for the keeping up o
expenses. Three rooms on the secont
floor of one of the most centrally | ocateC
buildings In the city were secured ant
fitted up In very attractive and convenien
manner. One large room serves the pur
poses of a parlor, and Ia handsomely fur
nished, carpeted and adorned, 10 as to max,
a fit reception.room for any dtgnitarie
who should chancs to viait the city
OF course the BEE man was shown int
this psrlor, but saw no spider, and go
away with all Of his wealth, as there wa.
Eno gambling In or about the place, ant
nothing to tempt the prohibitionist. Be
sides this parlor was a large room, In
which were tables and chairs, conven-
iently and comfortably arranged fol
those who wanted to engage in q friendly
game of whist, euchre, chess or checkers
Still another room was fttec
up for billiards and pool, there
being one table of each,
There was also q cigar stand, and 9
%jsnitor constantly In attendance cared fol
the rooms and attended to the wants and
Wishes of the members.
Here, as in other cities in the state
where these club rooms are kept up, it Ia
8 fsvorite resort for the business mon Of
the place, and il after the business of the
doy one want, to find any body this
Is the most natural place to look
for him, for a large portion of the men,
bsrs drop in at least, during some por-
tion of the evening. Here are not only
amusemsnts, and a furthering of social
relations, but there Is also many an en-
terprise of great value to the city, which
has Its ~inclpiency is this informal and
happy gathering. The evening that the
BEE man dropped In, there were, besides
the social grouping around the tables,
several knots of citizens chatting
over the prospect of the city securing
the location of o new state institution to
be built for INDECENT boys. Steps were
there and then taken, In this informal
gathering, to offer the state a suitable
site, free of cost, and The earnestness Of
the men and their apparent public spirit
indicated that the city would be o strong
aspirant for the location of the inssitu-
ton.
Aside from the local side of this club
there is also a reaching out and grasping
onto many outside OF the city limits.
Not only are strangers visiting the city
given a chance to meet the business men
under the most favorable conditions and
made to feel that he Is welcome, but
frequently there are visits from other
clubs coming in q body from other cities
to have a friendly contest In whilst, or
to take part In o business mems lunch,
thus throwing the business men of differ
ent cities together In a happy informing
ling of social courtesies and Interchange
Of views and purposes. These mutual
visits of the clubs of the various cities
present many advantages, besides that of
the social side.
The fact that these club rooms differ 30
greatly from the ordinary club room,
CAUSES many of the best citizens to Join,
for the nam Is not q mere cover for all
sorts of Bacchaualisn i~ndulgencies.
With n drinking or gambling, those
who under ordinary circumstances would
have nothing to do with anything
bearing the name of "club room," gladly
join these organizations. The moralists
that it provides a pleasant place fer men
to spend a social hour, and robs the
saloon of Its attractions. 1t keeps alive
an organization through which steps can
be taken to build up the city, and its So
cial strength seems to keep the ~organiza-
ton alive and enthusiastic where In other
places more formal organizations of busl-
ness men have gone to pieces.
The expense of naming such an instl-
tuition has surprised the members them
for instead of being called on to
pay the $40 apiece, each year, as
at first planned, 1t Is found that the nom
inal sums collected from those who use
the billiard and pool tAbleF, and the
pAohLo VI IN SiSoL otuioJ / buhiStOho w
meet the running expenses of the club.
Such clubs are fonnd In such cities as
Oshkosh, Milwaukee and Appleton, and
In fact the Badgers seem to make a suc-
cess of them wherever tried. There is no
such trouble In securing a quorum for tho
transaction of business as is felt hers In
the so.called board OF trade. 1t matters
not what evening q visitor chances to be
the city, he cannot have any diff ,ulty
In meeting a goodly number of the bust
mesa men II he desires 30 to do, and if
any matter arises of general interest and
Importance to the city, it does not
take forever, and one day more, to
the business men with the fact,
and to get them Interested In taking
some acGion. The chief danger Ia in the
management of such q club, that 1t msy
not descend unto the ordinary club, which
such a terror to the wives of the land, |
but In several of the Wisconsin cities
they seem to have succeeded in prevent
Ing any auch Decentralization.