New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-18
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL.
WOMEN IN LONDON CLUBS.


-~r,tpTs TO MAKE WAY FOR THEM IN SOCIAL
ORGANIZATIONS NOT A SUCCESS.
~ the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. Your reference to-day. and recent remarks
l., other papers 10 women members guests OF
london clubs would seem TO infer that II Is new
xneriment likely to be tried. Permit me to say
,hat i.ts no new thing. The question has only been
evived II was not only talked about within the
last twenty-five years. but you can go back over
a hundred years and find IT Is referred to. Serious
0oris were made TO start mixed clubs for men and
,rornen within fifteen years past without success.
The best remembered. perhaps, will be the Lotos.
a ronlon-irreverently styled the Cock and Hen
r,ub"-and the Lyric Club This last should have
80, a success but was run on too cxtravagant
csle and this. with financial irregularities OF the
.ocretary broke II up. There was enough good
,,oher left Of the wreck to start anew. but II
rot done There small clubs besides these
.or,ed and failed also Outside OF mixed clubs,
r,sn's clubs in London have tried women guests.
making II select, restricting them TO relatives OF
,nar,bers or trying do The rule all
tight but was never strictly observed. Like the
ssrvant girls visitors cousin" would DO to make
,bom all relatives Some of the members had OBJ
,actonahle cousins" who were good 10 swell the
s,,,er bin for more wine than was convenient for
tho lady: so the legitimate relatives stayed away.
They had separate dining rooms. etc. but II was
failure 4 serious effort these lines made
nv the salisbury club No. 10 St James Square. It
penses 1t was dropped and I am not sure II the
club survives.
There are societies for women Of various kinds.
virtually CLUBS Really club. think. open TO both
men AID women. IS the Grosvenor Library md
restaurant on the ground floor OF the Grosvenor
gallery No. l36 New-Bond-st. 1t comprises all the
essentials OF a cub at very moderate fees and very
Nne rooms Even the very restrictive. conservative
Savage Club started ladies' entertainment evenings
on June C. lS1 and kept II up for some time. They
dM not hip the club financially. The lady relatives
used 10 suppose all kinds Of high links"
AT our usual Saturday evening entertainment. so IT
was voted 20 have occasional ladies' evenings with
the same attractions. bar smoking They fully
snioyed but the ladies' never believed 1t was a
sample o. The FACT is sayao Satnrlav e r,,r
ing is unique IN several ways. An early dinner at
So five six courses. costing 62i2 cents. and from
D m 10 about Il an entertainment not 70 be
eonalei anywhere. Usually clergyman OF one
denomination or The other was present as guest
and IL was surprisingly orderly strangers notions
Of the Bohemian club Of London SO that the ladies
really did get fair sample OF the entertainment
Even on rare occasions. when. for reason the club
lets itself oqse as It were Ike on SATURDAY even
ana the committee had the club celebrate the
rsb Of ' United States t Mins fH snowGen the
Rev Myson Read. Of Denver; \. +. Burbank. James
guests who made the eagle scream VIII testify 10
very orderly sObersled lot OF savaSes. since they
stayed with until midnight The smoke
little thick. 70 be sure, but good cigars or pipes
mainly. very few cigarettes
Many doubt if mixed clubs will be success
ladies' days. with our I4otos a success. but
they are an expense 70 he club The home
question comes into the discussion very forciby.
The only miXel clubs that success IN Lon
don are the so-caled might clubs and supper
clubs" From II p. m. TO or a. m.-musc, dane
ing eating. drinking and cigarettes; and although
evening dress Is the rule In the swell ones. the
Gardenia the COrinthian, etc. and a degree OF re-
fnement In conduc; and language prevades New
York can well be content without the same kind OF
clubs They mixed In every sense with very
Nite of good for any one, bu' visited as matter
OF curiosity sometimes by both and women
from this side who had better stay away. l; il
quite likely that shall soc mixed clubs. men
and women members. a success here. and there
also started literary. scientih, art lines but
more likely exclusively social lines the men
clubs Of he past and present. But opcn - women
as guests. all clubs will benefit By the refining In
elence. ana L Is well worth little extra expense
for suitable rooms and refreshments
Brooklyn. June C. 1891 SAMUEL +. TURNER