Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-14
CLUB LIFE AT THE HUE.
How Ulfra.Fashi0m8ble YOum4 Meu
Of Boston Spemd their Leisure H0aHs.

OF BOst00 spend their Letsufo Ho0Hus
DINING CLUBS TIE RAGE-PusHN8 IDEAS ovRR A
DINNER rABLE-AMATBURs N Art AND LrrKRA-
ruRB-swELL YOUNG HUNTERS AND SAILORS
HANDSOME CLUE BUILDINGS BEING EREcT.D.
Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR
BOSTON, Jan. Ii, 1888
This Is the greatest club town in the world
Every phase of the Intellectual activity for which
Boston Is 50 famous Is represented by . social Or
ganizarion. There Is going on here what might be
called perpetual fermentation OF ideas scientific
philosophical, literary, religious-every kind, in
short that interests highly civilized humanity
ton very much as the molecules Of gas strive in
cessantly to escape from the receiver combining
them Now, the most effective way to push an
idea, as every one admits, Is over dinner table.
The man who would otherwise regard your pet
hobby as no end OF q bore will listen to you pa
tiently as an accompaniment to the nuts and
ralsns, and, with extra-dry champagne and q
poIsse-cae 70 top on, your most undressing re-
1t happens that for dining clubs there is perfect
Who Il snVhody "a ~ eaas hal,
each OF which represents something calculated to
excite convivial enthusiasm. say, once a
month. The object to which this enthusiasm
is directed is OF comparatively little I'm
por.ance, SO long as the grub Is pala-
table and the wines OF good flavor. 1t may be the
please. Every religious denomination in Boston
has It's representative club, with the solitary ex-
@
ior the fashionable portion OF the town, though
hone comoed With more or less agnostic Unitari-
aniSm, Is prOfeSsedly devoted to the Church OF
England AT periodical intervals each pious So
daHty Is assembled for the purpose OF discussing
over the festive board such important questions Of
Sectar1an interest as may chance to be uppermOSt.
Likewise the literary coteries meet for mutual adj
mration, the scientific people for learned discus
sion, the politicians for the incubation OF Mach-
aveii an schemes and so on ad inhnitum. There
Is not, In short, an imaginable subject OF coDtem
poraneouS human interest which Is not repre-
sehted In Boston by club. 1t is however to the
more permanent institutions OF this description,
which occupy handsome establishments and are
devoted chiefly 70 righteousness, that the writer
proposes 10 confne his attention In this PARTICLE.
THE SOMERSET CLUB.
First on the list should be placed the Somerset
Club, the resort par excellence Of young men Of
fashion who do nothing. 1t is the Oldest institu-
ton OF the kind in Boston, and occupies the hand
soonest QuarterS-a big white granite pile with two
The interior is luxurtously furnished, and In the
rear cosy piazza overlooking a pretty flower
garden affords summer accommodation to idle
c0nee drinkers. unique feature OF this club Is q
ladies' restaurant, for the use Of the families OF
members. There are also private rooms for little
supper parties. The somerset has membership
OF go. ALI the swell young fellows who have
nothing more important to think OF than dress
and dancing, belong to 1t. The dude, with striped
best The atmosphere, 1t must be confessed, Is
not particularly Intellectual. AS a society man
remarked renal the other day, "If you want to talk
horse, wine ana women, the best thing you can do
Is to join the Somerset Club"
THE UNION CLUE.
marked contrast to the Somerset is exhibited
by the Union Club, which was founded in 1863 by
number OF gentlemen who seeded from the es-
tablishment on Beacon street-then strongly COP
perhead In sentiment-fOr the purpose OF Orvaniz-
Ing a rival concern OF stratght-Out Northern SYM
pathieS. Nevertheless, the constitution Of this
club forbids its taking any political action. The
building occupies, on Park street. is one OF the
largest club houses in the country. Its brown
stone front is unpreentiOus, but inst ie It is most
even by the somerset. Young men md the = MON
dull and stupid. Its members are mostly OF mid
die age-lawyerS, merchants and other solid,
naId-worAing citizens stronghold OF the mug
wumpS.
THE 81. BoroLPH
has just moved into a beautiful new clubhouse on
Newbury street. 1t IS the home OF the clever
young fellows VINO take an interest," professionally
or as amateurs In art, literature, music-every
thing, In short, that requires talent and brains.
Though mildly Bohemian, 1t stands par, so
cially, with the most exclusive OF the other clubs
and no amount OF money could obtain admission
special feature Of the st. Botolph is its
SATURDAY NIGHT SUFFERS,
at which are always gathered lot Of men well
worth meeting. The intellectual cream OF the
Somerset, Union, and the rest, forms the nucleus
OF the st. BOtolph. The club has fine picture
It was formed In 1850. after the model OF the Cen
fury Club in New York city. 1t has at present 400
members and waiting list
THE PURiTASs.
A rival to the younger element In the Somerset
is found In the Puritan Club, which was Started
haf-a-dozen years ago by few youngsters newly
graduated from college, for whom there was no
room elsewhere, yet the names upon its rolls Of
membership are OF the very best. The boys OF the
Puritan are mostly Harvar i-Ored. Their club
house Is OF modest brick and stands at the corner
OF Mt. Vernon and Joy streets The building is
nJted up lnexpensively within, the restaurant Is
made as small as possible. Men about town do
say that the name "Puritan" is q l,.cus u non and
tnat the representative members are bowling
dudes. Concerning such points, however, there is
no space here for discussion.
THE BOSTON COUNTRY CLUB.
There is nothing more entirely swell in Boston
than the Country Club, which occupies a fine old
colonial mansion at Clyde Park, In the suburb OF
Brookline. The house, itself luxurious. with big
comforatabie rooms, huge nre-paceS In the an
tique style and cosy arm-chars, Is surrounded BY
an estate OF nifty broad acres, which are laid out
WITH ay s ra ace Ths Country
fashionable outings. All the prettlest girls in
their gayest toys are driven out TO the course by
the most desirable young men, who handle the
ribbons fOur-in-hand ana OpenI he rrothsOme cham
payne with equal grace and dexterlty. Among
these yOuthrui lderS there Is quite rivalry as To
which one shall succeed In decorating his coach or
drag with the most effective display OF beauty In
petticoatS on such occasions. Parties drive out
both In summer and In winter to Clyde Park for
dinner or supper at the club stables are provided
for any number OF horses with groOns to attend
TO them, and bedrooms may be hired for few days
at time. There are about six hundred members
ASGLOMANIACs.
Nearly all the members OF the Country also
belong TO the Myopia Hunt Club, the latter being
the offspring OF the former. The chosen expression
OF Anglornania In Boston Is the MyOpia Hunt.
which is modelled in everything after the ultra
English On the clubs magnificent estate in Essex
county, known as "The Kennels" meets are held
real fox. Four geii,ieme Of the Hunt are actual
Englishmen, after whom the rest take pattern as
closely as possible. Once year ball Is given in
imitation of the Socalied tenants ballS' or the
mother country, to which are invited the families
OF all the farmers over whose lands and crops the
club has ridden during the year. This civility Is
very reasonably expected to Offset any amount of
damage 10 corn and cabbages which may have
been inflicted In the course or the previous twelve
month. Thus does the ariStOcracy OF the Modern
Athens not diSdain TO mingle with the rustic herd
and teach good manners ID those who never had
any before.
THE TAVERN CLUB
deserves mention next It's raison detre Is chiefly
fun. The MEMBERS 1t is said have a tolIier time
among themselves than those OF any other club In
town. The other night they had Christmas tree
long ago they moved into a new clubhouse in
Boylston Place The club was founded rive or six
years ago by cOterte OF painters, doctors and
musical people. 1t has at present one hundred
and nifty member5-clever fellows, all of them, In
one way or another. The Tayern's particular