Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10
THE COUNTRY CLUB.
A Social Luxury That is Expensive,
But Always Beneficial.
SOME LEADING ORGANIZATIONS,
Ladies as Expert as Their Brothers in Cross
Country Riding.
RARE KENNELS AND FANCY STABLES
WRITTEN YoR THE DIsPATcH.l

RARE KENNELS AND FANCY STABLES
WRITTEN YoR THE DIsPATCH.l
"God made the country and man made
the town." At least that was the opinion
OF wise man not so many hundred years
ago. If he was living right now and saw
the country made over to suit the taste Of
city folks, it is just possible he might re-
wise his estimate Of landscape gardening.
For the country as it comes from natures
hand is mighty different thing to the
country of seats and clubs and other appur-
tenances Of millionaires and mlllionairesses.
1t augurs well for the future physique OF
this Republic that the folk in it who, by
good hap, have leisure spend SO much OF
it in cultivating the manners and
muscles of English country gentlemen.
Gentlewomen too. The "other sex
OF man." to quote Miss Baker,
takes quite as kindly to country life with
modern improvements as does the bearded
one. Indeed it is quite as important part OF
it, for the country club in its best estate Is
no mere selfish agglomeration of bachelors
misanthropes, who go to grass and its delight
free Of social and feminine trammels, but
an organization of persons reasonably well
bred, more than remarkably well-to-do,
whose object is sometimes sport with incl
dental society-oftener society with Incl
dental sport. Tuxedo is the full-blown e1-
ample thereof-so full blown indeed that it
needs no further exploitation. Nearly
every considerable city is circled with them.
Boston knows them almost as we'll as she
| does beans. Philadelphia rates member
| ship therein pretty we'll along with grand
fathers Chicago was mighty proud of hers
until she took them all within the city linn
| its, and turned them into Browning societies.
SOME OF THE NOTED CLUBS.
In New York terms, to be q country
clubfee is to write yourself socially Brahmin,
of Brahmin's Notwithstanding the caste
| is not q narrow one, there are clubs galore.
Within q radius OF 30 miles from the City
| Hall, are the Rockaway and the Meadow
Brook, up on Long Island; the Richmond
| County, whose local habitation is Mr.. Erastus
Wiman's principality of Staten Island; the
Essex County habitat. the Oranges ofJersey;
the Far and Near, up at 1rvington; the
Duchess County, the Queens County and
the Westchester. A little further away
come the Genesee Valley and Buffalo
County clubs.
Boston has the Myopia, sportively 50
named for her spectacular population and
the Brookline. Philadelphia swears by the
| Radnor, of which that good sportsman, A. j.
Cassatt, is president, and the Rose Tree, with
Biddles and Winners q plenty. Out
in Pennsylvania the Lima is but
one of many. Baltimore has the Elk
ridge and the Maryland. At Washington
the Dunbane hounds have set music in the
| -. Ill ,iy,kar nd
tomac to teach Virginia rough-riders TO hunt
the fox in style. For almost all of them are
hunt-clubs-have hounds an M. f. 81.
huntsmen whippers in and other truly
| British appendages. The members talk Of
good going, finding, killing, drawing covert
drawing blank, chuks faults being in at the
death, and SO on quite as though born in
Leicester in Melton -Mowbrey. There is
some hunting in the spring. Fall though is
the real season. The dogs, whether hounds
or beagies, are imported or bred from such
stock. Hunters for the most part come from
Kentucky or Virginia, and if not thorough
l bred show good deal OF blood. Fox-hunt-
ing, though, is by no means the only diver
sion.
wESTCHESTER IS NEW.
Bowling, cricket, tennis. polo, divide hon.
ors with it more than fairly. Some clubs
the Westchester, for lnstance-have no
hounds as yer though doubtless park will
soon be added to its other attractions. 1t
has something over 400 members and one OF
the finest polo grounds in the country. The
clubhouse is q stones throw from Pei
ham Bay, so is accessible by yacht as we'll
as by carriage. The grounds are not fin
ished vet. Many new houses are going up
for the members, for much the larger half of
them are resident. A few owners live there
the wear round. The clubhouse itself is
long, low and rambling, built OF brick and
stone and wonderfully picturesque in its
green setting. 1t has handsome parlors, a
big dining room, library, billiard rooms, in
fact everything you may look for at we'll.
appointed clubhouse. Besides there are
suites of rooms Tor nonresident members.
Albeit there are no hounds, the stable is a
mighty important feature. 1t stands at the
edge Of the polo ground, is long and low and
gray. and altogether a mighty com iortable
place for the small steeds, as well as Tor
horses of ordinary size and extraordinary
merit. For there are riders of renown on
the clubs roster-men and women plenty
whe know and love good horse and are
willing to pay roundly lor him.
A typical Eunt club is the Meadow Brook.
It is the oldest of them all. In 1877 lot OF
hsrd-riding rich men brought over a pack
L
near Hampstead, L. ]. The late William
r. Trayers was its first President and A,
Belmont Purdy, master of hounds. There
were 40 members in all, who soon got them
selves a clubhouse and club colors, and the
reputation of being excellent good fellows.
The pack was ten couple of fairish hounds
and the drag was laid over lines OF light
fences.
THE MEADOW BROOK TO-DAY.
Things are different nowadays. Colonel
William Jay, who holds the seat left vacant
by the death of Mr.. Travers, may reasonably
be proud OF his sporting palatlnate. Its To-
cation is singularly fortunate, within an
hour of New York City, yet wild and lovely
enough to arouse all the halt-savage hunt
ing instinct. 1t is an ideal country to ride
over when not too wet. By consequence
everybody does ride, not merely in the hunt.
but at all times and for all reasons. The
| members spend the autumn and make merry
with dinners and dances, lawn meets. hunt
break fasts, and SO on, with an occasional
ball at the clubhouse by way OF variety.
1t is double wooden building, quantity
| picturesque. There il an archway betwixt
the two halves, under which carriages drive
to deposit guests. Inside there are the
usual apartments and big ballroom, used
also for hunt dinners and as place to tell or
hear something new. The pack has grown
to 20 couple, all bred from imported stock.
The present master of hounds, Thomas
Hitchcock, Jr., is one of the most ardent
sportsmen in the club-possibly in the
United States. That Is saying good deal,
since the club includes such notable person
| ages as Theodore and Elliot Roosevelt, the