New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
HEARD AMONG CLUBMEN.
WHAT MEMBERS OF wELL-KNOwN ORGAN.
IZATIONS ARE INTERESTED II.

WHAT MEMBERS OF wELLKNOwN ORGAN.
IzATIoNs ARE INTERESTED II.
The Century Club rarely gets into print but IL has
emphatcaly become Of the important clubs OF ths
town since 1t removed to its home in Fifty tn nd
st. 1t then raised its limit OF membership TO 500 and
decided to admit the election OF ten instead OF five
members in single month These changes have not
suiced to bring about any material reduction Of The
long waiting-list, which now contains nearly "oo
names. The demand for membership continues I'M
abated, and 1t is proposed 10 raise the limit OF
membership to / 900. The proposed amendment pro-
vidng for this increase will probably come up for
action at the first fall meeting Of the club, next month,
and it is not unlikely that action will be taken In
the direction Of widening removing the restrictions re-
garding the number Of memoirs 10 be elected each
month. There is ample room in the clubhouse for 1t
least double the present membership When the Century
set about building new house uptown 1t had nearly
100000 in its treasury and did not owe dollar.
The 100000. of went for the new building a.
did the 10000 which the club received for It's old
house. but the bonds issued to cover the rest OF the
cost Of the house were quickly taken up. and the
club to-day In a thoroughly sound financial condition.
Even with its limited membership 1t has an iSssne
more than s~ac ept % defray its running expenses
and meet its nr-,rest and should 200 more members
he taken in as now appears probable. the club vii
be able to build up its sinking fund rapidly.
It was expected that the Alcyone Boat Club would
act upon the proposition to consolidate with the Marine
and Field Club at the meeting called for last Friday
evening" but found that the constitution required
the sending Of printed notice to all the members
thirty days in advance OF any action looking to the
sale or disposal Of the clubs property. The subject
has accordingly gone over until october. II is ex-
pected that the consolidation will be effected with lttle
opposition. No club in town boast OF so large at
tendance In proportion TO membership as the Marine
and Field Club. This club has less than 275 members
but from 10 to 100 members have been in the habit Of
dropping in at the clubhouse daily for the lasS month
or So
The Union Club has made haste slowly in the mat
ter of taking in members In the last year. Twelve
months ago 1t had ,194 members, all told: there
only 1900, Notwithstanding the recent increase Of
membership limit fr N 1900 to 1900. year ago
there were 342 the waiting list and now
there no less than 3o7. With the exception OF
the University Club, no other New-York club has
waiting list of equal length Nobody in or out OF the
Union Club seems to know definitely whether or not
that organization is going to move uptown though
the general opinion is that its days downtown aro
numbered However that may be, the club has gone
to work to redecorate its rooms.
Affairs are dull at the Aldine Club nowadays. ana
the sole subject of small talk is the new ciuD-oook
that has Just appeared. 1t is neat volume ana
shows that the club has seadily ADVANCED IN every
direction in the year.
club for men of English birth will meet tomorrow
evening at No 80 Union Square, provided the weather
does not prove TOO much for them.
No one not familiar with club life has any idea Of
the amount of money which some men regularly
spend at their clubs. There are many men who
consider that they get of lightly their monthly bill
docs not call for than $3.50 or 300. and not
few spend thousands Of dollars year at single one
OF their clubs A certain member of the Manhattan
Club who is particularly well known aside from the
fact that his wealth into figures. thinks
nothing OF buying twenty cigars a day at the club.
lie never smokes cigars that cost less than 30 cents
and those who ought to know say that his annual
outlay for cigars at the Manhattan Club foots up
SO 900 or $4,000 There half a dozen other Man.
haitian members who are as prodlgal in the way Of
wine-buying this man is in the matter of cicnrs
and hence Il is that the Manhattan takes the lead
amorg NcwYork clubs In the matter Of her bar receipts
and cigar business
The Insurance Club, which opened its doors on
August IL, has already ceased 10 be a baby club.
Although 1t is the youngest club In town, must now
be ranked with the larger clubs, II has reached It's
limit and now hns Its eye on limit OF 1000 mem
bers month before the club opened Vice
President William ]. Swan. who Of the or
ganlzcrs, ventured the prediction that within ono
month after the opening OF the clubhouse the limit OF
500 would be reached Mr.. swans prediction has
been verified. with something to spare. the hmtt
wns reached last wcdnesday-that is TO say Just III
teen days after the doors were opened. II was
originally intended by the organizers TO provide cuo
house for the younger men in the insurance business
and the dues and initiation fees accordingly
placed at exceptionally low figures. Somehow the
clerks for whom the club was organized did not ap-
prcciate the opportunity, but the Older men IN se
business and the solid merchants near the proposed
clubhouse on Cedar-st moro than made up Tor uo
apathy Of the younger The reasons Tor the
clubs extraordinary evident In Tie hrs'
place. the behind II experienced clubmen VINO
understand Just what Is wanted IN the second place.
there only two other dningclnbs In the hesnoor
hood, namely the Lawyers Club and the po"h,owMn W.
Association. The club has two wears lease on ~
present building. at No. SO Cedarst. ana az t'o 81.
plratlon OF Its lease win doubtless consider 'a'
advsability OF securing o building OF its OWL
II has been the experience Of the larger ciuos u'"
nonresident members are by far the most proh's-
ble and. OF late some OF he moro progressive eiuns
have systematically gone to work to build up 'ci'
non resident memberships, leaving the resident mem
bershlps TO take OF themselves. Tie heiorm
Club the Democratic Club and the southern society
have been particularly active In this drecuoh rsr ms
the results OF their work beginning 70 ten' th S
fact Is particularly true of the southern society
has lately electng nonresident members ~ ~
rate Of thirty or forty q month