Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-04
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE WEST END CLUB.
A Free and Easy, without Beer. FRO
family. or Gambling.

ffD
A Free and Easy, without Beer. Pro-
family, OF Gambling.
A PECULIAR INSTITUTION IN TIE WEST ESD-How
YOUNG MEN AND BOYS ARE KEPT OFF THE STREET
Tx cLCB ROOMS OPENED FOR The WISrEE-AoW
THE CLUB WAS oRGANizED.
sSRuIes-CleanliDess no gambling, no swear
ing This is the extensive code prescribed for
the government of the West End club These
rules are printed ON placards. posted conspleu-
ously about the walls Of the club rooms The
West End club has opened its doors again for the
winter season. II is an evening club, and as the
evenings are short In the summer and not favor
able to the development OF club life, the doors
are closed during that season. This club was
started wear ago. and within week after Its
life began the membership had grown so that new
and more councillors quarters had 10 be obtained
The quarters secured were two large rooms halls
on the second and third floors of the building
at the intersection OF pennsylvania avenue, .52d
and streets The club Is not very exclusive. Any
one who viii pay ten cents a month and observe
the rules announced on the plaearls will probably
be received without objection. There Is q Juvenile
branch OF the club that occupies the upper room
The juvenile members pay three cents month";
but no youngsters under twelve years OLD are adj
mitted, Unl'o1 II il BY special arrangement with
their mothers and fathers y visitor TO the club
on any cold highland IL requires no formality II
gain admission as "a vsitor-can witness interest
Ing sights In both club rooms. He had better not
venture up TO
THE JUVENILE DEPARTMENT
on the third hOor unless ne is pretty sure he can
stand considerable noise. There he VIII find about
nifty youngsters, OF ages Ranging from twelve to
sixteen, rOmpiug about or gathered around the
tables provided for members. DOninOeS, ring
toss, and hall dozen other games are in progress.
These youngsters are mostly the children OF poor
parents. who have no pleasant fireside to attract
their children in the evening. III they did not
belong To the club they would be- in the street.
ON the street many of them would be likely TO
Isu into EVIL ways >0ine OF the bows playing
there any evening may be recognized at a glance
goniI,s or street boys. There is the sharp,
knowing look, and unnatural precOStty that give
evidence OF wits sharpened by life on the city
streets. Some are DewsboyS and bootolachS. On
one bench The STAR reporter found one urchln,
about twelve years old, blowing clouds OF smoke
from cigarette, and another chewing on the
STUMP OF CIGAR.
ave let them smoke if they want to-" said a
h-val officer Who Is one of the managers OF the
club. ave make no rule against it. but we try to
discourage 10 In some way. When / see q boy
smoking make fun of him, ask him if he has read
wh,- she doctors say about cigarette smoking, or
something diseouraging- The chief aim OF the
streets. We want To make the club attractive to
them, and do not preach 10 them or make any irk-
some rules. Our rules are simple. and are COM
prised in the three you ST. posted on the
walls The youngsters in the Juvenile club
are admitted TO jhc club rooms at o'clock, and
can remain until g. little closet or storerOOm is
nlled with toys and games, To which they have
access. Then There - q baSateile table. boy
that takes part Ia game OF D3gatelle has TO pay
TWO cents. That entities him 10 nye turns, and he
rolls nine balls az each turn. When the boys come
In the evening they are expected 10 stay there.
10 permit 10 i'll ana out VIII would not
accomplish the great object OF the club-to keep
the boys off the street.
ON the lower door is the club room, for the older
members Here We VIII find young and middle
aged men assembled, reading, talking, playing
checkers or dgminoes, or gathered about the pool
or billiard tables There are coafSely clad lads
with snutty faces from the gas house regioIA
other youths with staggering air. dcnoting that
they belong or have Tendency towards the class
known as tough" and Others are steady young
fellows VINO like the innocent pleasures of thee club
room To Play pool each player has TO pay before
the game bcgins two cents cue The managers
made this IA requirement in order To prevent
a anything Ill like tho samhling or or, sticking,
the players want TO settle up among themselves
after the game, there Is no rule 70 hinder them,
but the managers say they have never known "A
case where such thing occurred. In ONE corner
OF the room Is movable stage or platform, which
was used last winter in giving stereOpticOn shows
and other entertainments for the members OF the
club. TO some OF these entertainments an admit
lance fee was charged 10 outsiders, and some
money was Melted in this way to help defray the
1rayed in part from the monthly
DUES PAID BY MEMBERS
and the receipts of the pool and billiard tables.
still there was deficit last year OF about three
hundred dollars, which was made up by the ladies
and gentlemen interested in the club. While IL is
In no sense church affair, the club conceived
and organized by Rev. Mr.. Barker. rector OF St
IdulS tnurcn. mat reverend gentleman can
often be found at the club, and sometimes with
coat off and a cue in his hand playing pool He
first opened club rooms In small house,
and the rooms were soon Overlooking The
police warned him that among those who as
sembed at his rooms were SOME OF the worst
CHARACTERISED the region That did not deter Mr..
Barker in his efforts; he took steps TO procure
larger club ROOMS, so that he could get more OF
them. Now the police or the netghbOrhoOd say
that they cannot find any young men
boys the street, around bar
rooms or poOlrooInS after nightTaf. They
have Joined Mr.. Barker's club. IL Is not intended
that the members OF the club shall feel that they
are in any way treated objects OF charity
so club dues are charged During the winter cot
and two thick crackerS-Such as the boys describe
IA having top and bott0a-ire sold Tor two cents.
The coffee Is the best that be bought and the
business Il a losing one, "A man must be- EN-
poyed TO prepare and serve the coffee Last win
Ter It is calculated that the losses On the coffee
There were 81 members OF the club
last year and IL Is expected that
the membership will be largely Increased this
year. To each member Is issued . regular card vi
membership with number. Many OF those who
Joined first and had the FIRST numbers last year,
INSISTED this year, when they got their
cards, upon having their old numbers. These
They had prize in being among The founders Of
the institution There Is d small library filled
with good books, and other reading matter pro-
vId-d. The members take great interest in the
welfare OF the club Il have never. said the naval
officer, heard "a profane word in the club room.
The few rules we have are well preserved. 1t is d
free and easy, open from : 10 10, with warmth
light, an abundance OF company, past lines OF vari-
Gus kinds, but 10 beer no gambling, no swearing.