The sun., 1890-12-07
CLUB LIFE AS SEEN INSIDE.
THE CLTQUEs, CLASSES, AND ODD
WAYS or THE MENBER&
A wonder That There Area. More Co.

WAYS or THE MEUBERS
A wonder That There Ar..,t More Cen.
piaints fer the House Com1ittee-Hsrs
mits, Dinner Shnrps. and Other Craahs.
A governor OF a prominent club sat in a cor.
ner OF the oaf6 the other day softly swearing.
He was Chairman OF the House Committee.
and had Just looked over lot OF complaints.
After few moments his eausnimity returned
and he smiled as he said:
After all. It is no wonder that these conn
plants should be so numerous and so oppo.
site. 1t must be remembered that the club In
the home OF It's members. It is presumed. In
fact to be the home OF each individual mern-
ber Considering that every man has peou.
liarites which he Is most apt to indulge at
home. 1t is a wonder that clubs are MANAGED
with SO little friction as they are Every club
has certain members, though. who are more
peculiar than the rest, and whose oddities
distinguish them from the average Of man.
kind. 1t is In the large clubs. like the Union
League. the Union, the New York. the Man.
haitian. the University. and the like. that these
persons flourish. Recently came across this
bit OF gossip In one Of the daily papers, which
struck mo as being peculiarly true.
"'Some man who has fondness for looking
into tho oddities Of the civilization OF this par.
ticular era said the superintendent OF one Of
tho prominent clubs. might.make remark.
able article by plcturing the lives OF what are
known as club hermits No man can toll how
tho article would be received. but It is certain
that somo really remarkable facts would b
unearthed. There are In every club In New
York three or four mon who are identified with
the organ nization as closely as the club mono.
grams, and live amid busy scenes In ab.
Bolute and inviolate retirement They know
very few OF the members, resent introductionA
have their tavorite chairs, corners. periodicals.
and bedrooms, and In some instances do noS
venture out OF tho club houses for weeks ct Q
time The habit OF seclusion Rrows on
them 30 that they will not venture
out even to be measured for their clotheA
They are all men OF advanced years. and
doubtless some OF them have had lives Of tur.
bulence and excitement before they settled
down to safe anchorage in their favorite club
house. While they refuse to take part In the
government OF the club, they are inveterate
critics Of the management Of the house. and
not particularly modest In the manner Of COM
plant Hence they are valuable to the organic
cation. though II can't be said that the servants
are inordinately fond Of Them
Every large club has a number OF these
mon. They came In when the club WAS found
ed, and really amounted to very little then.
They were kicEers from the start. and are aw.
fully Jealous of the prominence Of others.
They dislike the new members. especially II
these happen to be men Of high standing. and
they are inclined to be spiteful. They are all
gray haired or bald headed, and are invaris-
bly, wrapped up in themselves. as all pessim-
lists naturally are They get together sometimes
like lot OF old grannies and exchange ma
lioious gossip They are picturesque. but not
particularly desirable members, and the tom
dency is to frown them down.
=" In every large club there are sets or cliques.
but these fellows belong to none OF them.
Every other member naturally drifts into one
OF these sets very soon siter he joins tho club.
They may be defined in this way: First there
is the billiard set. Its members rarely visit
any other part OF the club than tho billiard
room. and every other member knows jus1
where to find them. They are usually evening
men, for the billiard tables are not much used
In the daytime. They are very intimate, but
| resent the intrusion Of outsiders Most OF
them are billiard experts-gentemen EXPERTS
OF course-and they cannot tolerate the ordi-
nary billiard player They look upon him With
scorn as an interloper who ought never to pisy
| the great game except In private.
"Then there is tho card set. Not all tho
clubsallow card playing. but most Of them do.
In good many OF the clubs whilst Is nominANy
played. but actually al rrte - gambling ga rnao
with cards are permitted. The members Of this
o. ass fG set is incn.d 70
breed bad feeling. The members are even
Whssss ey 81
body knows that man who is playing either
doesn't want to be dstarbed Re must
sss. shs sar DsSsss Il =. oSa sSe
snsy ssssat s9s
bers Of the eard f - set and their presence Is not
-" It will perhaps surprise you to know that
bsrs uSs who oS
ise en- Into the habit oi breaifas;ins at their
Ue4s oey to s.
places OF business are not remote from the
% and aSy dF0 Ehs Ssy ~
a good time. This is q pleasant se'. Men
than members IN a large % eiut usnall @ y are. and
their heir ob!eSt being both plsasan. and Innocent.
The set containing the men who hang
Ground the clubs in he daytime - very pscu-
young You nf follows %so sSink Il benes.h them
engage In any useful occupation or men who
pre- sw to tes osers woE q ba
men Or the husbands OF heirssses who i've up
their wyss Thfss The
gaze ont unon the fashionable throng with
k1o@ ANY 10
They are family men. who go home TO dine.
| ouo oVCupy CNeuluko Will bCClo1 One
Rsgements or domestic affairs. It 10 no nm
usual thing to see iiity men drop into club
between half past 4 and o'clock. just for the
purpose Of taking little champa&pe and Bit
ters, or loss aristocratc cocktail. These men
rarely stay more than half an hour. Tbs
reading set CONTAINS O. very desirable elems1e
Of the slHb: Its members are quiet, gsntis.'
the Club. and are always we'll informed.
The dinner set Is not 40 well defined a. the
others. II iuclndes men OF all kinds. but there
are particular men who come only then. and
who are lex experts @ In good living These are q.
know Them, A man who dimes W ell must be .
good fellow in his heart, and usually Is An In
| teIestin9 one. too.
"Some OF the clubs devoted TO special pur.
poses have the most highly developed species
az well as OF this club, and often wonder for
what ths majority OF members ever, Joined.
sy paronno he o Gay baS. EoSs
70 great expense 10 have every device for the
improvemsnt Of sthlstics, and have the pest
iew men who take advantage Of these. Many