Morning journal and courier., 1893-06-24
wAKEMAN,s WANDERINGS.

Palatial Club Headquarters of ths
Rtval Political Parties OF Britain
the Carlton with the Bluest Blood
| and She Reform with the Brightesl
! Brains In England-Famous Old
Whites and Its Curious Betting.
Winsome Green Room and the Ideal
Garrick Pleasantly Discussed-Gen.
uine Comfort the Distinguishing
Characteristic OF All.
LONDON, June 10.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Beaumont and Fletcher, Jonson, Shakes.
peare, Goldsmith, DR.. johnson and Bos.
well, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Addison,
Burke, Steele, Walpole and scores more
famous men of letters and art, in thei,
time resorted to little, dingy old public
houses for coffee, ale, gaming and e1-
change of a sort of intellectual savagery,
the friction of which undoubtedly provi-
ded virile and needful inspiration; and
the history of these ancient coffee houses,
the forerunners of the great Lon
don clubs of to-day, comprise almost the
social history of English art and ntera-
ture.
While there are at the present time more
than one hundred wealthy and noted Lon
don clubs there are really no resorts an.
swering the same purpose as "Tom's, n
"Will's" and "Button's" of the Augustan
literary period of Anne. The "joyous
neighborhood of Covent Garden" as
Thsokersy remembered It and inimitably
described it, is only joyous neighborhood
of mellow memories; and the old-time ge.
nial olubland about st. James palace is
transformed into a sombre neighborhood
which, like the newer clublands. of Plea
dilly 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 Coooa-tree, all located in ST.
James street, Whites is by far the most
noteworthy and aristocratic. 1t is olde,
than the Bank of England. 1t was real
ly the first of the great English clubs al
they are known to-day. But 1t was new
| or the resort of literary men and wits
1t is purely a social club and its mem
bers were chiefly noblemen and thos,
leaders of aristocratic government, inolu
| ding all of England's prime minister
from Walpole to Peel and their powerful
colleagues, who shaped national measure
and controlled natural acquisition. Steel
| clearly defined It's earliest status as we'll a
| that of the noted "Will's"And "Grecian
| when he wrote In the "Tatler" that cal
accounts Of gallantry, pleasure and en-
| tertainment shall be under the article o
| Whites Chocolate House." while -"Will's
was to furnish the poetry and the Gre
| clan the learning.
Whites is still undoubtedly the mos
exclusive and aristecratic club in tn
world. Its windows look out upon tn
| Corinthian facade of the almost as aristo
| cratic and architecturally more statel,
street. Its dinners are the most oeremoni
ous known. AL of the old-time Englisl
formality il here sacredly preserved
And undoubtedly more blue blooded Eng
lishmen have ogled fair ladies from 1t
famous bow window than from any 9th
er single place in Britain. Perhaps /
has not been the scene of the most dan
gerous gaming in England, but there
no other purely social resort In all tn
world where betting has been SO con
stant, universal and provoked on 30 sligh
prete1t. Its betting -book-whtch coult
be sold for thousands of pounds for 1t
noble and famous signatures-has bee
preserved and is still in use. Thousand
of these registered bets are of the mos
whimsical character, comprising ever
conceivable difference of judgment o.
affairs of love, marriage, intrigue an
politics. Here are a few literal transorir
tions with their dates:
"Lord Lincoln bets Lord Winohilse
one hundred guineas to fifty Ruineas tha
the Duchess Dowager of Marlboroug
does not survive the Duchess Dowager @
Cleveland. Octr. ye 5, 1743."
fifty guineas- that Lady Juxon has
child born alive before Lady Burleigh
June 8, 1749."
"Mr. Balfour bets Lord Coyngham te
guineas to Eve that Bonaparte Is aliv
six months after the commencement Q
hostilities between England and France
6Mr. Talbot bets Mr.. Charles Cornewal
ten guineas that we are at war with Amel
lea this day Elk months. August l, 1912.
"Lord Falmouth bets the Duke of Biol
mond five pounds that an esquire is qna
ifed to kill game. February 10, 1926.
s'Lord Glasgow bets Lord Bsntinck on
hundred pounds that Sir Robert PEI
continues frst minister Of the crown unit
three years hence. January 81, 1S4s."
"Lord Stanley bets Lord Bath fifty
twenty-five pounds that Mr.. D'Israeh doe
not continue to be Chancellor of the E.
chequer from this day until March II
1854"
sLord Bath bets Lord de Lisle fiv
pounds that Jew peer takes his seat
the House of Lords within Eve years frol
this date. June 1S, 1866"
is most notable with and between the Oar
ton and the Reform clubs, the pslatii
headquarters and homes of the two gre
political parties of England. They a
both located in Pail Mall, the windows ,
the one almost looking into those of Il
other; and entirely aside from the irrecol
, oilable disparity of their political teacl
ings and efforts, they are equally as I
,, nous in their rivalry as to what might
! termed the extravagancs of modern cit
life.
The Duke of Wellington was founder
= the Carlton little over fifty years ago.
gradually became the headquarters OF q
landed aristocraoy. Then those great 90
!, porate institutions of Britain, manufa
: turing and monetary, whose interes
| were identical with snoSe OF the ueteolta
: aristocracy, came to have. representatit
D in 1t. 1t is notorious fact that mo
money has always been instantly availat
q through the Carlton club for political pu
: poses than through any other single par
influence in Europe. Whether In or o
of power, 1t is the actual fighting hea
q quarters of the entire Conservative
o Tory party of Britain. The dignity a
grandeur of the Carlton are splendid. T
It exterior of the building is most impoein
J. Massiveness, strength, simplicity a
i splendor speak from the granite walls n
Ifashing columns. The interior IL gran
Il grave, stately and impressive. tRoe
Z rooted" the structure, appointments,
> gime and the very manner, air, dress q
: language Of the habitues seem to convt
But the splendid establishment Is somt
;. and duh, and only during general electic
T OF in times of great political excitems
:. are there Aash and 60 of . stirring char
:, ter about the fine, firm place. Then
- on-i locker Is made TO, know strength u
has tremendous outreaohings; q pov
q which is mighty If often silent; and to
" almost thrill of admiration for the "
q adamantine character of those men @
Do measures in England that have, by Sim
.. clutching, holding and warding, gained
es much and 30 long.