Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-10

been called the city Of magnificent distances.
Lately people in New York. that place o; hurry
and hustle and 1oise. have taken to calling it
the city % magnificent leisure we'll.
Certainly it would BE- a difficult matter 20
pick city in the United States where the con-
dItons are more favorable So the enjoy
ment Of club life than Tbs. The public Offices.
the armv and navy and the scientific branches
OF the government bring 20 Warrington a iargs
number 81 the sort of men that are known a.
elubable. That is to saw that thev have certain
tastes Ia common aud a certain amount Of leis-
IRE, for their work l. Of such sort that II
leaves a reasonable amount Of time in the after
Moons nud even nK. at their Disposal. and they
have the time a. well as the inclination for the
enjoy msnt Of the pleasures OF a club. Further
more. Washiugton l. admIstcd more aud more
eyerv wear o. be the most delightful residence
city in the countrV. and This brings a steadily
Increasing number Of people who have made
their fortunes elsewhere end are glad to come
and live in city where life - not altogether a
tiresome scramble for wealth and position
All tins means -tsady Increase In the class
OF citizens thai fJi~uishe- men eligible 10 mem
bership IN c.ubs OF the tirr; rank. That the in
tsre-t in eluo llfe hs, kept pace with this II not
gained upon &C.. Heels no more demonstration
than mere Cl-y.Il glance at the handsome
club b0uSc= around the city. Whether OF not
clubs are desirable Institutions is a question
upon which some women are sEid TO have very
grave doubts. bat the men are practically
unaninou- ~ favor OF them. Then. too. it
should be remembered that the ladies of Wash
ington have tried their hands q; 4, clIb Of their
own. Ia which men are not expected For many
n mSn q cub ofIsrs some OF the comforts of a
home that he woulc Otherwise not enjoy. and
some one has said that when n mans home il
ra0re attractive han his club he prefers the
home tn the club. so the merits OF the system
sabicct tina; need not be considered here.
Certain u j. that the Average club is not at all
the sort Of place that the wives We read about
Ia the funny papers are supposed to consider
H. IL Is pleasant for man TO have place
where he NAV drop in Of an afternoon or even
Ing to read the papers or the magazines or to
smoke AMI chat or play game of billiards with
cougraial friends and among pleasant surround
ing. where one Il attended 20 By polite servants
and where everything Is conducted on tie plan
Of a weli-ruu house
DIFFERENT KINDS OF CLUBS.
OF the clubs u Washington that conform
strictly 10 the definition of a social organiza-
ton there are four that especially worthy Of
mention These are, OF course. the Ge;ropo,i-
tan. the Cosmos. the ARM and Navy and the
Iniver-itv T. addition 10 these there are a
number q clubs Thai have special aims and OBJ
bet IA view. There = the Columbia Athletic
Club. fer example. that. a. its name implies
and every oas know. n an athletic Organi-
zation Thai Mss IT, seal attractions A. we'll Its
cln5 house l. one OF the most imposing and
elaborate IA the cit-. and it has a large number
Of msubers who would hardly be eligible if
certain physical requirements we're demanded
Then there j. the National Capital Press Club
made NJ OF Washington correspondents and
Lea newspaper men. and while Il l. one OF the
most IOpliS- Institution, IN the city its mem
bers must bc Newspaper men or in some way
connected with he guild. 80 tnst 1. can hardly
be -aid 70 come within the category Of purely
social clubs. The Capital Bicycle Club. the
Columbia Bicycle Club ard the boat clubs are
also open 20 the same criticism They are all
useful auj decidedly attractive in their Way
but they ali draw their memberships from GER
tain classes oi men.
The Down Town Club holds G Uaiqne position
IN local ci1bdJHI. IL l. club whore the bust
ue- men u she city meet for luncheon, AID its
Eald-os1c IUar;ers On the top floor % the
Mashiu .;toH Loan and Trust building are
usla u FILED IN The early hours Of the after
noon. u i a ignch club FOR busy men, like the
LaNycTs club AID the Insurance Club Of New
York and Institutions Of the sort in other large
cities u = uOroVeu In the evenings. however
and a. i cslers its neuIbcrs no Inducements to
stay oat late At night II Is also excluded from
the list.
An article written some time ago on thi.
matter hs.s the following: Are the clubs of
Washington. then. th- famous institutions OF
the United States2 Not AZ all Because Wash
ington itseif Is not comparable to the great
EuroPeal cities around which struggling peo-
pies have combined into nations. At least
this i trae u the Washington OF the past and
o; history Il IL singular IN bsing Younger
than the nation whose seat o. power and whose
creature :; i. IL sas obliged. therefore. to
grow ~ 20 its position. and 10 was many years
In doing Il, for u had neither commerce to at
tract the busy and bes; life Of the country nor
beauty TO begulle those who bad money enough
20 be idlcrs- All this i changed. however and
Washington Is now In some respects the most
charming and beautiful place in the country.
IL = the center Of tGe kind Of society which has
recently becoms an iuportau, feature Of our
hfe- IL u the most popular OF the winter re-
sorts % The msa and women who in summer
tod and dig for pleasure on the rocks of New
port and The hIlls OF Bar iiar0Or. So its great
club. the one club that IL founded on the social
pnneiple. l. one Of the most distinguished and
Interesting organizations OF the country"