Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-02
CLUBS OF THE CITY.
THE POPULAR IDEA BOTH ABSURD
AND UNJUST.
Their Management and ExclusIv.uess -
Expenses, Rules. Reg alton and Dis
cipli Penalties Carefully Con-
sidered and Enforced.
New York Times


and be merry, AMI escape from their wives
or their creditors (sS shown in a recent trial
in local court as the club dopr i a portal
that none but the privileged can pass. rhs
ladies as a ruls are particularly suspicious
about the inner life OF clubs, excepting
possibly those VINO have been favored ith
invitations tp the ladies' receptions at the
Union league or the l. JtoS club or TrayeTs'
annual reception at the Rsquette club. 1t
is supposed that a man inclined to club life
is more or less dIssipsted AMI fast II Is
thought that n Nom bers APP Of n fashion a bic
club entails large expenditures. From the
fact that a club house Is the one place into
which a lady can not enter except during a
ladies' reception twnen 1t i whispered
everything is prepared for a favOrab bic i'm
pressIOnl, 1t is assumed 1t /, Il place that
will not bear inspection.
ABSURD AND UNJUST.
How absurd ami un just and at the same
time amusing. all the vagariou' ideas Of
the uninitiatsd are clubmen know the same
a. members of lodges are aware how much
the outside world misunderstsnds their
formula FerhaIS the erroneous impression
gains from the y, -versity of a disappointed
nature which has its curiosity plqusd be
cause it is not p r>sible to crafty it A
clubhouse aud = lod ge room are really the
only places in the world lady or an out
slider can not intruie If determined TO do so;
for and outsider can not pass the man at
a club door or ths tiller at a lodge unless
under exc optional CASES
Clubs, indeed, are vigorously governed
bodie> and there Is more law or order in them
than the outsi lie wIrli FOR a moment imag
ines Otherwi>e clubs would not have
pro,pered as they have. The club is lndee
a resort for social intercourse between the
mem5ers whose eligibility Is first deter
mined by board selected for the purpose;
and sny violent language, disorderly con-
duct, or any procee ling unworthy of
gsntIem III Is promptly punished either by
suspension or expul ion. The riOtou' gath
erings that the out,iiers imagine occur in
the clubhouse never do take place except
in private dining Rooms, AMI then seldom.
There is little gambling in the club for hIgn
stakes In many Of chem poker an high
play are prohI blted. Nearly every club
has its cot re OF poker PLAYERS, but they
alwayS go outside of the club and play in
private quarters.
1t i generally supp y ii that, being a sort
Of close corporation members get their
supplies (iquorS, cigars. and meals
Cheaper in the club house than outside, but
this Is generally mistake, as the custom
is necessarily limited. 1t is the case in those
.lubs that run their own cafe and bar, en-
poying men to atteni to them, and selling
at about actual cost but such clubs gensr
ally lose mo Iey by the operation, AMI the
deficiency is made up by the general fund
III the clubs which grant the privileges t"
stewards who provide the supplies and take
=.
ence from the outside places; for the stew
ard. who. Of course, takes the place for the
purpose Of making money, claims that
while he is free from rent and suuiry eI-
pense,. he Is at the same time limited to the
patronage of the club, which generally set
ties down TO a certain number Of habltues
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
As a rule, talking in a CLUB room Is m
fined to a conversational tone. Generally
the most profouni etIq I,tte Is observed
excepting, of course, among intimate.
Any offsnse or insult in a club house is at
tended to" by the governing body and not
by the member troubled 1t is remembered
that as long a. a memher is in gOoi stand
ing his rights are equal to any and every
boiy else's as q matter Of fact, whatever his
influence may be The rules and regulations
uuulotOu>s bdscl Oh
sense, aud the penalties are carefully CON
sidersd and enforced. Indeed, the social
administration Of clubs is a molsl Of gool
rules for government
The rules in most OF the clubs are so rig
Orou5 that the members are never allowed
to INTRODUCES any outsider. excepting a. that
he is a non-re,iisnt, C2t to the private dining
room on the occasion of a private dinner
fharain The rIlaS a tha I'ninn Taagra ma
the Union are so rigorous in this respect
that at the former a member is under su>-
pen ion for ten days for violating toe rule
while at the latter two of the members can
not invite some Lotos men to a return game
OF billiards without special permission from
the governing committee, 1t is permi, i,sible
for the members Of the LotoS and the Lambs
to introduce a resident twIcs during the
year. Il Is this rigid exclusIvensss which
renders club memberships attractive to 6
large degree i'll addition to the social rsla-
tions aud the comfortable dinners insured
not to mention the status eligi bility and
election establishes, according to the posi-
ton occupel by the club.
In nearly all the clubs Of large member
ship there are many members who have no
speaking acquaintance with each other, and
though they have met in the club for years
only know each other by sight Indeed, 1t
may be stated that this Is the case in all
the clubs in the city, excepting the Lambs
AMI the LotOs, where the social etiquette j.,
that all shall know each othsr. Tn re Is
always some member offending one or the
other of the rules, and there Is always a
number of delinquent debtors in all the
clubs. Tue names OF delinquents ara posted
on a lit con>picuou,ly displayed, the limit
of Indebtedness varying IN the several club,
As well as the period of contracting and Of
leniency. Excepting in the hot-bloode
Union CLUB 1t Is seldom that any personal
encounters take place between members in
the clubhouse or that the numerous
scandals ever get into print How these
club scandals ever do get out is q mystery
to the members. The truth Is that 50 many
men belong to several clubs, and, going
about from one TO the other and naturally
induiging in the current gossip with their
friends in the clubs. the scandals of the
others are discusssl and so soon become
common talk.
.N.E II. - H..