New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-19
THE COSMOS CLUB.
SCIENTIFIC MEN AT THE CAPITAL-CLub
CHAT AND GOSSIP.

SCIENTIFIC MEN AT THE CATALOGUE
CHAT AND GOSSIP
| ruou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE IhiboS"',
WASHINGTON. Dec ls-Their getting Into new ciu"
house the other day reminds OF the short but success
fu career of the Cosmos OF this city, club when
probably has more science TO the square inch IN IL
than any social organization In tho United States Inc
| Cosmos" has some features which are unique anu"
fairly oyerfows with every kind and degree OF tenN
from the man who Is intimately acquainted VIVID tno
domestic habits Of the seaserpent and his friend VINO
knows how make appetizing dishes OF locusts up
those sayants who have every OF tho ologies t
their fingers ends least never Will Acknowledge
| the contrary when talks with them weilAho""
NcwYork editor complained OF the uHcuily no our
countercd In getting frs sclass reporters "but saiu
he going over to the window and looking down into fak
Row. could throw stone out OF this WINDOW az any
bour OF the day and hit very fair editorial writer 80 Id
| attending sny large gathering at the Cosmos the
chances are ten to that the next man one 'oucne
elbows with made name for himsefin MS specially
whether it in dissecng the alimentary cana' vi o
larval bullfrog graphing with the vagsries OF sonar
physics wrestling with " Social Dyhamics' Vi 'AA"o
| wind TO the galleries OF Congress.
Few Congressman, by the way, indulge much IN cuo
life at Washington The Cosmos year or two ago. be-
eve contained small representation IRON inc oenA0o
and House But they rarely to DO met there now
olive politicians little time and taste for the do'ce
| far MIN d
ably always remain their favoe stamping ground mere
loud talking Is not against the rules II the CONVEX
saton should be interarded by few bad words no one
presumes to from his newspaper ana cast gances
OF pous horror Besides. politicians seem 10 snu 'no
| Cosmos" be afraid OF IT, IL may so
| express 1t. year or two ago pouucian
| NJ very high standing but somewhat mldewed
renutaton was proposed at the Cosmos Awed by bis
official position and influence the Committee on Admis-
sions was for sliding him through gentleman al tha'
time member the club presented what appeared DO
indubabe evidence that the candidate or admsslon u
been guilty certain fiscal transactions when wouid put
any honest man to blush The committee argued That
# could not afford stir up such scandal as the TO
lection OF the honorable gentleman would raise and so no
| was duly voted In and admitted, on Recommendation vi
the however to have the pleasure OF as
socating the member before mentioned WHO prompt
ly resigned gave other excuse for bis Withdrawal
than that he did not in his lot with what pn
der further pursuit OF the process just employed might
| soon be converted into a den OF thieves.
As To art the Cosmos bears poor comparison WIN bs
nrototype tho Century OF NewYork should except
perhaps one OF the most capable OF the younger
architects the capital who deserve praise TOT cutns
loose from old and hackneyed models in city houses even
II occasionally their passion for novelty runs away WIN
their good sense and betrays them into erecting struc
ures which are as bizarre they are uncomfortable 10
live in Though carefully searching the lists OF COS
mos have been unable to find single representative OF
literature, pure and simple, excepting perhaps honi
Adams who ia cons picuous by his absence at the meet
,ngs Neither he nor John Hay, who live in adjoining
houses Just the square seems 10 nave
least for club life at washington InouHn a uos
| takers they are supposed to prefer small anu seec
audience Of friends to the queries to when tney wou W
exposed In almost any cub-and for one do not DIAM
them. . . . a.. :, .o,oosoo, survav 10 on,
Of the bestknown figures GU she s.es he ~ one o
tSe few men I'm official life who like President Jefferson
OF o ng Of the city His MANAGEMENT
the reins is the more remarkable as he has on!
on the battle field. Captain c. f. Dutton
who is in charge of bureao in the survey perisc
Hercules physical strength and mcdel aIker' ni
annual excursions the Far West on Government wo
him S t cH fq Z. sSy conssna
gronp of listeners buttons specially IS earthquakes an
pSrans In a aas Sl
says Who wanted descend the OF yesuvus to re
cover his lost umbrella Professor simon Newcomb tn
| mathematician, may often be seen here, short man
with dark full beard and the large. dreamy, blue eye
Of the poet rather than the astronomer His iayorlt
philosopher and botanst ideal scholar In appear
ance tall thin with sleht stoop OF the shoulders AM
patient thoughtful expression to his refined features
Dr. j. s Billings. editor OF the great Index Catalogue
Army Medical Library work OF stnpendous proper
tons president of the club lie Is Iltan standing
least feet two In his boots with mDs ana head 10
such trunk The average height OF the members OF IN
Cosmos, by the way, seems 10 sufpass that Vi mos
D clubs point which some OF the learned members cal
n doubtless account scientific principles Dr. Ca
iadct president of the Deaf Mute College lisa noticeab
good looking member bearing some resemblance TO th
or the late LOUIS
Then there arc Professor Graham Bell OF telephone fame
General Mel" Anderson Bancroft Davis and host
. othera unknown TO the world President yelling
the Columbian University OF the abitues OF the cul
he only reads the papers and maSaznes as become
so austere dgnihed man. and rarely has anythin
to say Theodore Gill; the Smithsonian. enjoys the req
utation doing the honos of the club to ali conner
gracefully than other member or the cu0 an
Il that saying great deal Garrick Mallory ar authort
Indian sign language is greatly liked by bis co
leagues and is said to handle or shuttle rack
cards with all the proficiency OF an outside Philsune
learned man Of the Vest that he is might easily cor
| tha lisfo NJ ofed
the present will suce PERHAPS for the purpose OF show
: ing what sort OF club the Cosmos Is. DID,.
When life less than decade ago, the Coinos
occupied suite OF rooms in the old CorcOran building OF
posie the Treasury Three or four years ago u mo
brick house fronting on the large square near he MI
4 | House both known Jackson square ana Lafayett
. | Square IL modest and comfortable that was al
TIE Wilkes house. which the club has just purchased
Is is located on the in the city, dag
naly from the Arlington Unfortunaleythe room
not all that could DO desired Tor size anu arrange
;, ment and compared To any trstclass New FOR
~ club they present almost painful contrast But In ne
story added the main building Is fine reception
Il lecture hall which promises when eompeted to he one
the features house. AS the front OF the new part
entirely made OF glass ono has wickedly suggese
that tnis is why members VI the Cosmos do not fec
like indulgng In gossip at the expense or their negi
bors. The main house was originally owned ana occupie
=, by the wife OF President Madison whose EN- in'
~ Commodore Wilkes afterward lived there, and Congress
y man Phelps rented the house when he first came
Washington, In 1872 being the youngest neoer Oh III
n | Hou.< OF Representatives,
y Years ago the " Cosmos had the good fortune
achieve enviabe reputation for punch ooncoced
n coored steward who by constant practice mas reache
tho sublime degree OF Master Mixer for all the thirst
scientific Of Washington Ever since the Cosmos
invented the members have elt that they Ia
a precious name maintain. There Is q lingering TRAD
. zion in Washington that some Colonial worthy once
marked that eternal vigilance IL the price OF liberty IN
is undoubtedly why the Cosmos goes regularly onee
' week. II not oftener into committee OF ne whole to al
whether not the punch has deteriorated nom
. | pristine purity and excellence.