The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-04-10
BTOadbTimS New York Letter
Special to the CARBON ADVOCATE.

Special to the CARBON ADVOCATE,
There are clubs of all sorts in New
York--rich and poor, high and low, pes
simistlc and optimistic, literary and geo.
graphical, religious and socialistic, ar
tistic and commercial, financial and
mechanical, ,valetudinarian and athletic.
Whole streets are lined with club houses =,
large, costly buildings, splendidly furn-
lshed, and kept up by corps of liveried
| servants like the retainGrs of some great
king or nobleman. The Union Club
easily heads the list as the wealthiest
and most aristocratic club in the city.
| All of its apartments are magnificent.
and its positions of such value that it
secures without trying the best service
that the market affords. The admis-
sions TO membership are carefully
guarded and are only acquired after
long and patient probation. IntroGuc-
tons are allowed members under certain
restrictions, and occasionally they bring
the introducers to grief. Not long ago
distinguished foreigner was detected
cheating at cards. and scion of nobili-
ty got gloriousIy fuddled at dinner, and
to the great disgust of some of the staid
old members, stretched himself ont in
the parlor, snoring like steamer. They
stood it just once, but when the gentle
man tried 1t second time he was re-
spectfnlly requested TO step down and
out, and Notwithstanding his abiect
| apology was not allowed inside of the
clubhouse again. 1t was this gentle
mans S treatment that caused the black
balling OF three American gentlemen at
one OF the swell London Clubs only a
couple of weeks ago.
But II you want to see life go to the
Athletic Club. 1t does not travel on its
wealth, though it has of lucre fair
share; nor on its intellect, though it is
quite up to the average of clubs in gen
eral nor OH its piety, for protesting
christians hold but limited portion of
its memberships: But it travels on its
music and Drawn, and on that il throws
down the gauntlet to all the clubs in the
city. The ablest member of the Ath-
letic club might not be able to argue
dialectlcs with Dr. McCosh, politics with
Judge Pierpont, political economy with
Henry carey, or the abstruse sciences
with Iyndall, but I'll wager a big apple
that he could knock any one of them
out in one minute by the tick of the
watch. The membership is large, and
embraces wholesome amount of the
element known as fast. The man who
can run or walk a fast mile, swing
around horizontal bar, perform grace
fully and rapidly on the rings, use the
broadsword aud small sword. and in adj
dition to all these accomplishments put
ON the gloves-the harder the better
and in two or three rounds knock his
opponent into several cooked hats, that
is the man on whom the club showers
its honors-tEe individual whom she
considers most worthy of distinction and
elevation. In its inception it was
school OF relaxation and physical in
slructlon FOR those engaged in sedentary
occupations, like doctors, lawyers and
merchants; gradually fast men from the
stock Board, and fellows about town
with plenty of money and nothing to
do, got in; and II has at last become lit
tie better than an incipient school for
plug uglies and prize fighters, where
knocking out is the principal business
OF the day. There is something inspir-
ing and enobling about a first-class ath-
letic exhibition; It shows the grand re-
suits OF proper physical training and
brings the human form back to ideal
perfection. But the great exhibitions
OF the Athletic Club for the past three
years have been boxing matches with
all the cOncOmitants of the prize ring.
On several occasions of late the contests
have not been confined to members or
| amateurs; professional prize fighters
have been engaged TO entertain these ex-
Tcellent gentlemen; the fight was to a
finish, and the elegant assemblage had
the satisfaction of seeing each of the
contestants covered with his gore and
eventually one of them carried off in
sensible, or in the choice classics of the
prize ring, knocked out. With such a
respectable backing no wonder Sullivan
is an aristocrat. Jack DEMPSEY entirely
respectable, and Blanche the Marine Is
looked upon with respect and even af-
lection by the elite OF Boston society.