The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-28
CLUBS ARE TRUMPS.
Places Where Choice Spirits Mingle
and Discuss Literature, Science. Poll
tics, Duck and Terrapin.

|
unless the Literary Society meeting at the
residences of members biweekly could be
counted in. The Metropolitan, then, as
now, our foremost social club, lived in
modest old-fashoned mansion which had
belonged to Commodore Morris,
The Cosmos, then, as now, our
| foremost literary and scientific club,
had rooms in the Corcoran office
building. Now the Metropolitan has a
handsome modern club-house, with an adj
joining apartment house for bachelors,
while the Cosmos has rejuvenated man
sion, once the home of Mrs. Dolly Madison,
and afterward of Commodore Wilkes, op-
posite the old Metropolitan Clubhouse
| But only two blocks away from the Cosmos
IS an entirely new club. The Jeffer-
son is an entirely new clubhouse,
even if it is made out of two old residences
and only two blocks away from the
Metropolitan; and right across the street
| from the Frelinghuysen house, which the
Whitneys have had during this administra-
ton, and which the Mortons may have
under the next administration, is the Merid-
| ian Club also entirely new, and comfort
ably established in fine old house. Two
blocks away from the Metropolitan Club,
| in the opposite direction, is the United
| Service Club, in a new house built for it by
| the restaurant keeper who has lunched the
| people in the state, war and navy depart
iueulS IOT yeas, rISDI HeNI Ills ToSCGufdQl.
COMPOSITION OF THE CLUBS.
These are, think, the only purely social
| clubs which have houses. The jefferson
| and Meridian took the overflow from the
| Metropolitan and the Cosmos The United
| Service embraces practically all the army
| and navy officers and reputable ex-army
| and eK-navy officers in town. The army
| and navy officers have always had peculiar
| prominence at the Metropolitan; but, never
! . l,4lnr fDlN ftN g 81
house of their OWL, and they are very well
content with what they have. Having
| restaurant right next door, with
| q hole in the wall, they are
just as well supplied with eatables
and drinkabes as the Metropolitan
with It'll elaborate kitchen and well-stocked
wine cellar. The Cosmos and the Meridian
have only buffets, but the jefferson has a
regular cafe system. A good many demo-
cratic officials went into the jefferson when
it was established, a year two ago, partly
for the name and partly for convenience. It
Is suggested that the new republican Off
| Gals, who will probably take their places in
the club as well as in the departments, can
just change the name to the Hamilton, and
it will keep right on as though nothing had
| happened. Otherwise | am afraid the
Jefferson may languish after March 4.
AN ATTRACTIVE NAME.
A club which am certain will flourish
after March is the Republican National
League, which has bought and is occupying
the large house on the corner of Fourteenth
| and Massachusetts avenue, looking down
from its terrace on the statue of Gen.
Thomas This is made up of republican
politicians, in and out of office-chiefly out,
who would like to get in again-and is the
gathering point for all the republicans in
town. Edward Mcpherson had the head
quarters of his congressional committee
! tba i'm, Shair
Quay is to have the headquarters of his ma
tloaal committee there throughout this ad-
minlstration. 1t was great place for the jul
biiant republicans on election night, in spite
of the ghostly carica lures OF Benjamin and
Levi over its front door.
WHERE THE wHEELMEN MEET.
The other clus having houses are the or
CARNATIONS of the bicyclers and tricyclers
| of which there are two of about equal
strength each having an attractive home.
Half of the 500 young wheelmen in Wash
| ingeon belong to one or the other Of them.
| don't believe the wheelwomen NOW almost
as often seen on bicycles as tricycles) have
a club yet. In the eight house clubs there
are from 800 to 1000 men, who. it is esti-
mated, spend SLOT. 900 a year in their clubs
a considerable sum, even though it is not
one-tenth of the club expenditures in other
cities.
SIMPLE TASTES.
Everything in our clubs is on the modest
scale of general Washington living-com-
Portable but simple and inexpensive. We
are as much astonished at the Whitney en-
tertainments as our country cousins. We
see California claret good deal oftener
than Madeira aud champagne. There is
very little gambling at the clubs and no big
play, and the drinking seems to be growing
more reasonable every day. Social swels
elderly affect the Metropolitan, social
swells young affect the Meridian. The
literary men, the scien fists and the artists,
with the more thoughtful of other classes,
are to be found at the Cosmos, while the
democrats and business men go to the JEFF
ferson, and the republicans and business
men to the National League. Next to tho
house clubs come the scientific and literary
societies.
cULTIvATING LITERATURE.
There is first of all the Literary Society
par excellence, made up of men from the
Cosmos, with their wives and daughters,
and the Fortnightly, made up of men from
the Metropolitan, and their wives and
daughters. Then there is the Rovers, a
conversation club, made up of few men
from both the Metropolitan and the Cosmos,
almost every one Of whom is distinguished.
Then there are the Philosophical, the Bio
logical and the Archaeological socie-
ties, made up of pretty much the
same men, most of them members of
the Cosmos Club. They meet weekly to
hear and discuss papers, and jointly give
course Of popular scientific lectures in the
National Museum lecture hall every winter.
There are numerous minor literary and
scientific organizations, one or two of which
are curious. For example, the Budget
Club, made up of society women too busy
to read current literature, who meet every
Saturday morning to talk over the events
of the world during the week, with clever
young woman who reads the newspapers
and magazines by way of preparation.
DINING AND DIGE5rING.
The dining clubs are becoming impo rtaut
First of all in position as in years stands the
Gridiron club, which holds the last dinner
Of its fourth year tonight at Welcker's
with every sign Of a long and prosperous
life. Thirty-four clever correspondents and
all the bright men in public life will main
tain its prestige this winter. A popular
edition of the Gridiron club is the Six
O'Clock club, which meets every Thursday
evening, eats dollar dinner at hotel, and
discusses some set topic in colloquial
style Seventy members and guests
discussed on last Thursday evening
"Whom does protection protectr winding
up with good-natured half hours cross
examination of Representative w. G. p.
Breckenridge, who kindly consented to