The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-25
WAEEMAN'S WANDERTNCS.
Graphic Accounts Of Some Famous
London Clubs.

LVHuUu IluUS,
The Palatial Club Headquarters of
the Rival Political Parties of Brit
ain, the Carlton with the BIuest
Blood and the Reform with the
Brightest Brains in England-Fa-
nous old Whites and its Curious
Betting-Book-The Stately Athena
mum, the Winsome Green Room and
the Ideal Garriek Pleasantly Dis
cussed-Genuine Comfort the Distin-
gushing Characteristic of All.
(Copyright)
London, June 12.-Beaumont and
Fletcher, Johnson, Shakespeare, Gold
smith, DR.. johnson and Boswell, Sir Joshua
Reynolds, Addison, Burke, Steele, Wal
pole and scores more famous men Of letters
and art, in their time resorted to little
dingy old public houses for coffee, ale
gaming and exchange of sort of intellec-
tual savagery, the friction of which I'M
doubtly provided virile and needful in
spiration; ane the history of these ancient
coffee-houses, the forerunners of the great
London clubs of today, comprises almost
the social historyof English art and litera-
ture.
While there are at the present time
more than one hundred wealthy and no
ted London clubs there are reallyno resorts
answering the same purpose as '"Toms,"
"Will's," and Buttons" Of the Angus
tan literary period of Anne. The '9oy-
Gus neighborhoOd of Covent Garden. 8 as
Thackeray remembered it and inimitably
described it, is only joyous neighbor-
hood of mellow memories and the old
time genial clubland about St. James pal
ace is transformed into somber neigh
borhood which, like the newer clublands
of Picadilly and Pail Mall, is oppressive
in its splendor and stateliness
OF the very old clubs of London still
existing. like Arthur's, Brooks Whites
and the Cocoatree, all located at James
street, Whites Is by far the most note
worthy and aristocratic. 1t is older than
the Bank of England. 1t was really the
first of the great English clubs as they
are known to-day. But it was never the
resort of literary men and wits. 1t is
purely a social club and its members
were chiefly noblemen and those leaders
of aristocratic government, including all
of Englands' prime ministers from Wal
pole to Peel and their powerful colleagues,
who shaped national measures
Steele clearly defined its earliest status as
well as that of the noted "Will's" and
"Grecian" when he wrote in the ''Tatler'
that 'tau accounts of gallantry, pleasure
and entertainment shall be under the ar
ticle of Whites Chocolate House, while
"Will's' was to furnish the poetry and
the GreCian the learning
Whites is still undoubtedly the most
exclusive and aristocratic club in the
world. Its windows look out upon the
Corinthian facade of the almost as aristo-
cratic and INTELLECTUALLY more stately
Conservative Club, opposite on St. James
street. It's dinners are the most cere-
monious known. All of the old-tlme En-
gliSh formality is here Sacredly preserved.
And undoubtedly more blue-blooded En-
glishmen have ogled fair ladies from its
famous bow window than from any 9TH
ef single place in Britain. Perhaps it has
not been the scene of the most dangerous
gaming in England, but there is no other
purely social resort in all the world where
betting has been so constant, universal,
and provoked on so slight preteXt. lis
betting-b ook-which could be sold for
thousands of pounds, for its noble and
famous signatures-has been preserved, |
and is still in use thousands of these
registered bets are of the most whimsical
character, comprising every conceivable
difference of judgment on affairs of love,
lnbtlSu anu pOllblCS. I1CI6
are few literal transcriptiops with their
dates:
lid. Lincoln bets Id Wiuchilsea One
Hundred Guineas to fifty guineas, that
the Duchess Dowager of Marlborough
does not survive the Duchess Dowager of
Cleveland. Octr. We 8, 1743"
p ''Iord Montford bets M. W. Fanquier
Fifty gulneas, that Dady Juxon has a
child born alive before Lady Burleigh
JuneS, 1749.
Mr. Balfour bets Lord Coyngham Ten
guineas to five that Buonaparte is alive
six months after the commencement of |
hostilities betwee England and France. |
May IA, 1907
'Mr Talbot bets Mr. Charles Cornwall |
ten guineas, that we are at war with |
America this day six months. August l, |
1912.
"Lord Falmouth bets the Duke of |
Richmond e5 that an Esquire is qualified |
to kill game. Feb. 10th, 1885"
"Lord Glasgow bets Lord Bentinck |
2100 that Sir Robert Peel continues first |
minister of the Crown until three years
hence. Jan. q, 1916"
lord Stanley bets Id Bath ESQ to
e25, that Mr.. DIsraeli does not continue
to be Chancellor Of the Exchequer from
this day until March 18TH, 1852"
"Lord Bath bets Lord de Lisle e5 that
Il
Lords within five years from this date.
June 10, 1856"
The political division of London clubs is
most notable with and between the Carl
ton and the Reform Clubs, the palatial
headquarters and homes of the two
great political parties of England. They
are both located in Pail Mall, the win
dows of the one almost looking into those
of the other; and entirely aside from the
irreconcilable disparity of their political
teachings and Efforts they are equally as
famous in their rivalry as TO what might
be termed the extravaganza of modern
club life
The Duke of Wellington was founder
of the Carlton, little over fifty years
ago 1t gradually became the headquar-
ters of the landed aristocracy. Then
those great corporate institutions of
Britain, manufacturing and monetary,
whose interests were identical with those
of the hereditary aristocracy, came to
have representation III it. 1t is a nOto-
rious fact that more money has always
been instantly available through
the Carlton club for political
purposes than through any other single
party influence in Europe. Whether in or
out of power it is the actual fighting
headquarters of the entire Conservative
or Tory party of Britain. The dignity
and grandeur of the Carlton are splendid.