New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-23
THE PUiLADELPHTl HCMORiSTS.

THE PHILADELPHIA HCMORiSTS.
That was unique entertainment winch was
given one evening last week at the ilctcl Wal
dorf in this city by club OF fhiadclphla
gentlemen The club has National rcputl-
ton for the profuSc hospitality with when II
cn,clia!n> the taste and elegance with when
il, table, are arranged and decorated: the rare
wines and SLY yandS Of rs menu, ana, above
ALL, the ab)undng sense of humor ard over
flowing hilarity with which II acts the most ana
cxCIts itself TO promote the comfort oil Is
guests. It's members are gentlemen OF wealth
intelligence and culture. who carry on the club
at considerable expense No; merely for the
pleasures Of the table ard the cra'i'Cai"n OF
animal appetite and gro>>or sense. but because
# il, usefulness IN promoting intellectual d.
yclopmcnt. acS'hctr tastes facility IN conNc.Ni
ton and high order uf table manncr,. The
redundancy OF il, hospitality i lis most char
acterls.ic feature. It's guests get II first IN the
stomach then in the neck. and a safety IN
both Is entertainments have always hitherto
been given in Philadelphia. in which town 1t j.
regarded with some pride a peculiar ln>'Itu-
ton It's coming here last week 20 give wh1'
NAV be called an object lesson in social enter
tanmcn', in the cpnjolnlnG oi IN" highest IN
tecctual ights with tho fcctlng JOYS OF
sense was an especial favor 70 our citizens.
1t is n0 impossible that there may be those
who will deny that the intellectual portion "a
the entertainment has the merit Of novelty.
They may say that the same sort Of entertain
men. occurs nightly on Avenue 4 in this city
and That the humor # II is Of the circus variety
- IL, A.. h.f he hp -
or not. il will no, be denied that on Avenue
Five il was phenomenal, and Is a revelation OF
Philadelphia humor peculiarly delightful
The dispute ~ 10 what constitutes humor l.
time long and vorld-o old. IT. characteristics
differ with periods with nations, with neigh
borhoods and with changing customs. To The
m st refined citizens Of the Roman Empire the
bu;chcry If glad ator> in the arena furnished an
occasion for mrth In spain the spectacle Of
horses and men tramped and tossed and gorcd
20 death by bulls has for age, been SOlIic"
Of mcrrimcnt. And there was "A time IN the
Scotch highlands when 70 cut of an cncmy's
head and leave il on his own table with the
mouth stuffed with food was thought TO be
bit of pleasantly. These are. of course, cx-
IRENE instances of the sort OF humor commonly
UpIIcu cl!Ul. IL NC DfNdN>c INC IdNc
has become more cifcminatc with the progress
of what is called civilization that in Christian
countries these pleasantrics and pastimes have
in great measure ceased 10 amusc and have
become questionable The essence Of these
humorous diversions survives. however, III tho
form Of amusement known as the practical joke
The practical joke so called. recognizes and
makes use Of the great fact in human nature
that the summit OF human happiness Is purely
relative; that II consists entirely in the con-
trast offered by supreme misery and discOm-
fort that there is no real enjoyment, no down
right fun in the world except in seeing some
body else suffer. Formerly it was physical
suffering that thrilled tho enlightened soul with
the most exquisite delight That was in the
!usty youth of the race. In the softneS' and
eiicminacy Of these later days wo have come
20 be content with mere mental torture, with
the agonieS of a fcllow-fIan set upon by
crowd OF yepng entertainers who make him
the target for merciless sarcasm and satire
compiled jcsts prepared witticsms, turbulent
Interruptions, songs and cat calls until he sits
down, writhing under the sense Of wounded
vanity and lost self respect and sore with the
clubbing of hundred wagging tongues.
We are after all, manly race. We do not
shrink from INJECTING pain but get great
deal of boisterous fun out Of it, If Christian
martyrs are not bdtchcrcd 10 make a Roman
holiday" we have the satisfaction of knowing
that the Clover Club can put upon the rack
and make their life intolerable half dozen
after-dnner speakers to make Philadelphia
holiday. They do it well. No element of the
gastronomic art is lacking in the process of
stuffing their victims for the sacrifice Nor is
any quality of the Roman populace lacking in
the manner in which they greet him once he is
stuffed and trussed. We owe thanks to our
Philadelphia visitors for putting their peculiar
humOr on exhibition here. II is not to be de-
MED that we have something like it in festive
gatherings in Avenue A. where intellectual
exercises follow" working the growlcr." There
too. they have a great many chairmen, great
freedom Of discourse and facility of Interrupt
tiOn and there, too, the merriment is most
bcisterous and the sense of humor responds most
loudly when the merry makers burst in upon