Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-16
A BEEFSTEAK SOCIETY.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE
SUBLIME SOCIETY OF STEAKS"


sole Purpose Seemed to Re To See Who
Could Eat the Greatest Number of Fried
Cut. Of Meat-Famous Men In IL.
The first club with the title "Beefsteak
OF which we have any historical record was
formed 10 the reign OF Queen Anne. Est,
eourt. the actor, was made steward, anu
for a mark ~ distinction wore the CLUB
badge, small golden gridiron, hung aiout
the neck by green silk ribbon. Estcoart
wis a character In his day.
Esteonrt opened q tavern in Covent Gar.
den, which lie called The Bumper, anu
here the club which, according 20 Chef
wood IN hi- History Of the Stnge,' lI49
was composed Of the chief wits and great
rlen Of the nation. used to meet. The sue
ces. Of these gatherings was 20 great that
IL led To the creation Of 'The Sublime So
ciety OF Steaks" which. after a century
nnd a half, still lives In the periodical
gathering, nj the Iycenm thcater.
The Sublime Society Of Stakes-which
so despi,r-s being called club that one Of
It's members once fought a duel with per
son who rersisted in 20 specifying twas
founded by John Rich In 1875. Rich vas
at that time the lessee and manager OF the
Coyent Garden theater. He was the father
of comic pantomime. and was very popular
with the idle aristorrats OF the town, who
liked To drop in on him in his private room
at the theater and handy with him while
be was inveuting new tricks and comic
scenes for his stage
ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY
One dag The earl Of Peterborough was
lounging Oh his settee, when . O'Clock came
round This was Rich's invarlable dinner
hour. from which he would no more have
departed than he would have refrHined
from eating altogether The manager,
calmly Indifferent To the presence Of his
noble visitor. spread his table with the
cloth. pokcd aud beat the coal fire ia the
CRATE down til il produced clear cooking
flame and then proceeded 70 cook q steak
which a servant brought him from the
butchers. on gridiron which he fetched
from closet
The incense Of this culinary altar piqued
his lordship's appetite Rich invited him
TO share IN the repast, aud he accepted
Another steak was sent for while they were
eating the first. and wine was brought
from n neighhoring tavern II was late in
the afternoon when the jolly old peer drove
home in his coach. and before he departed
he made an engagement for another dinner
OF the same sort the Saturday TO come. lie
brought three or four friends with him, all
men Of wit and pleasure about town. and
there and then they laid the plans which
resulted in the formation Of the Sublime
Society Of Steaks IL was TO meet every
Saturday during the town season.
The bill Of fare Wis to be restricted TO
beefsteaks. punch and port wine As the
club grew, the apartments OF Rich became
too restricted for its convenience, and the
meetings were held IL he painting room
OF the theater, This gave rise 70 the nc
count that Lambert, the principal scene
painter ~ Cnyent Garden, w4s the nr!si
nator OF the club. but Rich was really its
parent. Lambert, who was a champion
beef enter, being only an early. however.
honored member
SOME NOTABLE MEMBERS
Garrick was member, aud among the
club relics are still preserved his hat and
sword for tie part OF Ranger
The membership OF the Steaks was orig.
inally restricted 10 twenty four. In I7s5
the society celebrated its lftieth Runiyer.
sary by Increasing its number TO twenty.
five, Ia order to admit the Prince Of Wales
Otner royal and noble members were the
Dukes OF Clarence aud Of Sussex aud the
Duke OF Norfolk. The hitter was a truly
royal feeder, and before he came to the
Steaks To dinner would whet his apcetite
with n fish at a neighboring tavern. He
would eat two or three steaks, then graveIy
rubaclean plate with sbalot for the fourth.
John kemhle WIS another membe and a
great crony OF the dukes. Their rival feAts
nj the table, the enormous quantities they
conld consume, rendered. them noteworthy
even among men gifted with gustatory
powers which would awaken amazeuent
IN our own time.
IL was a hard living age The members
OF the Steaks belonged 10 the hardest
liyers OF the age: rich oilers, rollickinz
players, authors who dipped deeper into
the wine bottle than the ink pot Within
the society the most perfect equality
reigaed. The junior members, irresDeet.
i've OF title or station, bud to perform such
mental Offices us might he required OF them
To every one AZ table belonged the priv.
llege OF ehah cwho stood the fire Of
the Steaks IN good hunior was soon left In
peace. but woe befall the man who lost his
temper Him the ways never allowed a
respite, and We may read of members who
were literally joked ont Of the society Ina.
cause they could not take a. good an they
could give
HISTORY or THE SOCIETY
The Sublime Society Of Steaks, as NAV
readily be seen, soon outgrew the catering
powers OF Rich aud his grdiron. Then
Lambert came To help him. Next, regular
cooks were hired II to 1854, and prob
ably some years after. the steaks were
cooked In the same room with the eaters
thereof, curtain being drawn between he
IRE aud the company wien the room be
came too hot, In the early dtys the mem
bers put on a sort OF uniform coat of blue
cloth. with red cuffs aud collar and brass
buttons. bearing the initials "B. So
When the COvent Garden theatcr was
burned, ia leus, the society was given a
temporary home AZ the Bedford hotel.
When Covent Garden was rebuilt, the SO.
clety returned 70 II, and In 1850 il was
burned out again They returned 20 the
Bedford. when In due time Mr. Arnold In
yited them to take up their quarters ia Tie
Iyeeum theater, and there they remain
The old gridirUu, survivor OF two famous
ronilagrations, now forms part OF the dec.
orHtious Of tie meeting room ceiling. A,
one time the gridiron wa to he seen ON all
the paraphernalia of the society. IL was
carved on the panels OF the walls, woven
ia the tablecoths and napkins, burned
into tile dishes, engraved upon the glass.
ware and worn as N emblem by the mem.
bers- Tie early dinner hour OF . O'Clock
WIS gradually advanced "a s.
Wien the clock struck. a curtain drew
up, disclosing 10 the bauquetcrs tn the din.
ing room the cooks IN the kitchen. behind
grating, bearing the slightly paraphrased
inscription from Macbeth;