The sun., 1890-10-19
cHAr OF rHE oEURs

ure has not vet ceased to rock. In every club
cafe and parlor, In every uptown hotel lobby.
and in every other place whore club men do
congregate the earthquake has boen the ALE
absorbing theme OF discussion. By suspend
ing Col Elliott +. Shepard from the privileges
Of the club for ten DAYS the Executive Com
miteo Of the Union League has given TO tho
club world such n sensation as It has not had
in many year II Is safe to say that no club
happening OF recent years has been so widely
heralded as has been this exercise OF dis
cplinary power by tho Union Leaguers. The
officers OF tho Union League and the members
of the Executive Committee who passed upon
Col. ShepaId's case decline Co discuss the mat
ter but veteran member and ex-ofllcer oftho
club, who Is recognized as one OF lis pillars,
probably voiced their sentiments when he de-
clared the other day that the club as social
club has never taken o bolder or more i'm
portant step.
The case was most extraordinary one"
said he. and one which had no parallel Tho
cuprit in the case was one OF the most promi-
mont members OF the club was tho editor OF
widely known Republican paper. had most In
huential social connections. and had always
iiCan campaign funds To discipline such q
man required NJ little courage on the part OF
the members OF the Executive Committee, but
the almost unanimous sentiment OF the CLUB
demanded his punishment, and the committee
men fearessly did their duty. Col. bhepard's
quencies OF certain fellow members OF his club
was blow at the very heart OF club life. II
was somsthins sh absSloISy pnp1sseedOntsa
ample OF him. which should nip In the bud
any such tendency to. violate the secrets OF
own own interests. but did a. service to the club
world IN general and the importance OF Us ac.
IN club eSes 0c can hardly be
There has been a good deal Of wild talk about
this affair. but. as matter OF fact, there was
no personal feeling or anta1oni5m to Col. Shep-
fundamentSi law Of club ethics and the club
thSt se p6oones II oeneo might end in 'G Gs
EXPULSION. Such coprse was never
SH SsS % " soSRS sssysS ssfe that d h.
and was only auestleq Of Il the length Of his
cided that his suspension Tor ten days would
snd SensuEo hs once The o on he s
pension was not unanimous as has been IN
proval OF the members Of the club. Col Shep..
ard was given to understand that he must
his paper. on pain OF much more serious dis
cipline He has acted on this warning. and the
fortunate affair ali through. but now that It is
all oyer It may prove to have been good thing
for club life"
The cafe in the basement Of the Southern
Societys house, on Twenty-f fifth street is pop
ularly known in the society as Dixie" Invi-
generally couched in the form OF Let's 60
down to Dixie and have drink"
Fencing clubs are becoming lively once moro
now that the patrons OF the art are homo from
the seaside and mountains. The Manhattan.
New York. and Berkeley Athletic Clubs all
have fencing masters. and there are three
regularly organized fencing clubs In the city
as the OS the
Club. Aside from these formal organizations
there are dozens OF impromptu fencing clubs
man athletic organizations and the attendants
at the various private gymnasia In this city
A very pleasant feature Of the Aldine Club 10
the provision for the reception Of women in the
dining room OF the club houses. As was an
nounced in this column last Sunday. this in
novation in club life is steadily growing in
favor. and the Aldine Club 1s one q the latest
Of the Club house on Lafayette place Ladies'
accompanied hy members 9f tho ciub, have the
e9tree to tn tae dining 3 F9om between the hours
their wives and daughters.
There are clubs and clubs. but OF all the clubs
in the universe the Eccentric Club OF this city
is prominently entitled to term itself unique
Its objects are variously stated as the abol-
ishment OF myth and the substitution therefor
OF science and reason" and the universaliza-
ton and Capitalization Of the oneness Of the
whole" Perhaps the latter definition gives
the clearer idea Of It's aims There is q dis
position on the part Of each Of the 362 resident
members and 1s1 nonresident members which
1t has, according to it's official announcement,
TO believe that some one OF the 542 other mem-
4. l.. IL q -. L.
and bylaws. but nobody has ever discovered
this mythical custodian. None OF tho 643
members has any idea of the location of the
club house-for club house the Eccentric
Club has none. The club meetings arc held
wherever and whenever two or moro
members happen to get toGether-,two MEM
amember a is surprised to read in the papers
Ing Of The Eccentric u6 last " night. seS1 as, in
emergencies one member may amplify him.
self into "a largely attended meeting" pass
resolutions, and give report OF his proceed;
constitution OF the Ecceptric Club are caicu-
lated to make man doubt his sanity on first
eran orss Of ysorscn Mako Is tho shs fsthsr Gss
McElra,h. son Of Horace Grselsy's old-time
club was orGanlzed July 4. 1876 and nobody
TroceoTg pleEs oua DOZEN fq1Ga names t6s es
80 and elects the owners Of these names 10
memhsrship In the club The sole requisite
didate-not necessarily the candidete-must
he known TO some momber OF the club The
q still bigger one In hand. ft-at least one
member OF it-Grew tired OF hearing tho
denounced the squeak by resolution. and ad.
yertised. IN the name OF Col. Ham, for somo
device to stop II. At the last dinner OF the
the Eccentric Club rose up and presented or.
oneF MESSENGER with cane eccOntrically said 10
have been whitfield out OF an orange Il 90 plant.
ed on the gIRyO Of Columbus a lew hundred
years ago. just now committOe Of the club
Imeri' ans 10 put asIds the GreeoriaS Caisa.
dnr a. 4 stalt hirnsh from tie. date Of the sign
ing OF th" DsclurAtlOn OF IbdSp, ndence Ma.
tho idea a. an innate OF BloominGdale on a r.;