Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-27
BATCH CLUB GOSSIP

BATCH CLUB GOSSIP.
II Vas queer organization, . gathering
together Of kindred souls into . club fam
lily whose hearty good fellow ship had be-
come pfoverbiai- just Row j. came to be
an organization IT ali no person seemed
able to tell. II appeared 10 have come
about ~ 8 kind of natural growth. a few
choice spirits, DO lacked the ailurerienrs
Of . home freside and circle, coming tor
gesher through that strange affinity. that at
tracts come people 10 others. ard iudulg-
ing together In fne cigar and some good
stories nothing stronger The Bach Club
had never been afflicted with the evil that
has proved the ruin Of 20 many conyivial
organizations intended to provide 4 con-
genial social srmosph 70.
just bow the term Bach Club" or gius-
ted the records of the fraternity failed to
show. IL vas conceded TO Be very sppro-
pirate though. To be cure all the uiem-
ners we're cot baehe ors according 10 the
common idea OF tar term. Some Of them
we're ~ido~ers, few of them grass widow
ers. None Of them had families. Ali of
them were good fellows" a. the world
goes, and thoroughly Dc voted To the club and
It's associations
To be sure some of the envious young
men # the torn had referred 10 the mem
bers OF the club as fossils" but this was
natural The members Of the club were all
~e!i out IN the current of life's stream more
than one had r. aehed the shady site of it, OF
course they didn't want the frivolous rising
generation within their charmed circle,
most sssursdly rot, The regular member
ship Of The Bach Cigb-to put it in Il
dramatic sorm-wou.d read something like
this
Drsmasts Psrsonse.
Laforest Dyke-.Lsfe"-au II actor.
Rev. Phiietus j. nes-"rhs Parson7-re-
tired Clergy man
Col Anderson Arneld-"The Colonel
Of Mexican ssr fame
Capt james CsIbett-s'rhe Captain
OF the g. A X
Hon. Emory Jackson" The Senator
sx-statesmAn.
Commodore Dunkrk-''The Csmmo-
dore"-retired naval hero.
Leoaidss Jones-'Lon'-a granger
Alexander Cole man-'.Sandy "A drum
mer.
Lemuel Dean-"The Scribe"-an editor
Deacon Solomon Smith--'The Deacon
"A merchant.
Zedekish oakes-' Old Sports sport
ing character.
Henry Blitfns-'srhe Doctor physi-
clan.
Ezekial Henderson-"The Squire
local lawyer.
Jeremiah 0xley-"Jerry railroad
man.
Not a very large membership-only four
teen-yet a comfortable one and as the
meetings were usually grsced by the pres
sence of greater or less number of invited
guests No disparity of numbers was ever az
parent even when the full quota Of reRulars
AS rarely appened-failed to be in
attendance.
Certain young and rattle headed wags
about town noticing the absence Of a middle
name in the whole list of members. declared
that il was this negative chord which bound
the fellows of the Bach Club so strongly
| toge her, but of course this WAS only in rid
icule. and simply on n par with their charge
that the stories, for which the members of
the club were justly famous were ancient
history"
Of course these were drawn from the
great fund of personal experience but the
members of the club were keen
observers and never lost an uppor-
tunity, in their daily lives, to treasure
up any little It'd bit that would add to the
general entertainment of the club gather
/ ings. They had known many of the most
famous men in the history OF their country
and of course recalled many interesting
"reminiscences concerning them Many of
the me mbers. too, had seen stirring times
themselves and were never loath to draw
from them Interesting anecdotes for the
entertainment of their fellow members
| Several of the members-especially Sandy
and Old Sport-with an occasional rein
! forcement from LATE and the Colonel were
fled with wide reach of Imagination and
given some what to TO drawing the long bow
/ The other members, however, always dealt
I in bona hda articles, and their statements
were looked upon as fully equal in reliable
ity to those of Hoyle, whose disciples they
were to large extent. The imaginative
contin gent, however, was far from being a
discredit. Indeed it was q feature of the
club. The members of that wing were
always ready, while their more prosaic
brethren. who depended upon their mem
cries were not infrequently founI wanting
at critical points. Truly what barren
world this would be without imagination,
the styles in spring bonnets would never
change, McGinty songs would never be
sung, America would still oe undiscovered,
/ Columbus would have lived and died un-
known--even Mr.. Keely-but enough of
this. The Bach Club had discussed these
things many times and invariably settle
I rh.p ma n runu.ly in fa of 10
of soul-so the quartette above referred to.
were ever ready to initiate.
Its really astounding" said the Colonel
thoughtfully as he shutfled the cards for
the third time round at High Low-Jack.
what expedients dead beats and buns
will resort to sometimes in order 20 carry
their ends"
do you speak from experience, Colo
mel" asked Sandy with a eompsceut
smile a, he noted three aces and six
good trumps in his hand
SIN an observatory sense, yes. Two little
instances of this character have come to my
notice during the past year which have
greatly increased my respect for the genius
of the artists in the vagrant fraternity The
first one occurred at Chicago year ago last
winter. In company with q friend, | was
standing one Sunday evening on the steps
of the Clarendon hotel when very tough
looking man approached with weeks
growth of beard on his face and said
II am thief. bave just been released
/ from Joliet prison | want 10 cents for a
drink, 10 more for bed, 10 for \ cocktail in
the NOR ing and 10 for a sandwich, 40 cents
/ in all. My recommend is nothing extra am
aware. Talk quick, will you give it,
or shall have TO try further The su-
/ preme cheek of the man gained him the
amount asked. The other incident was in
/ Union Square Park, New YORK. as a party
of US we're coming from the theater. We
rere stopped by ragged individual with a
small kitten in his arms. He opened the
conversation Immediately and said gents
maybe You think | am going to spar you for
money but amt. | am not hungry or
thirsty and have place to sleep, but have
no cash. want few pennies, not for
myself but to buy some milk for this poor
little starving cat, which found crying in
this park" The party was for a moment
stunned, but amid roars of laughtera purse
of nearly dollar was collected and given
TO the guardian of the kitten
Both were probably beer workers" re-
marked the Commodore, as he lit fresh