The San Francisco call., 1895-07-28
SAN FRANCISCO CLUBS,
The Pacific = Union Is Very
Comfortable in Its Pres
ent Home.
MEMBERS TALK OF MOVING.
The Owl Is Happy on His Post-Street
Perch-Midsummer High
JinkS.

The principal clubs of San Francisco
seem to be content to dwell in their re-
spective houses for the present. In the
Pacific-Union there is more agitation than
in other club homes for change of base.
The young or progressive element OF this
institution continues to sigh for club
house pure and simple-a house without
stores on the ground floor.
There is great deal of discussion about
moving west as far as Van Ness avenue,
which thoroughfare presents enchanting
sites for clubhouses, but the talk has not
taken the form of proposed action.
The Pacific Union is one OF the richest
clubs in the world, Judged by the aggre-
gate wealth of its large membership. One
hundred members could be named whose
wealth consolidated would amount to
$500. 100000. Lack of means does not pre-
vent the institution from building and
equipping one of the costliest club edi6ces
of modern times, but there is no inclina-
ton to abandon the comfortable house on
Union square. The chief supporters and
habitues of the club are men beyond the
middle age.
They have accumulated wealth in active
business pursuits or prudent investments,
and enjoy the club mainly for the creature
comforts that it bestows. There is no
sentiment in favor of anything particu-
larly graceful and grand in architecture.
There is no languishing for lawns and
trees and fountains on the club premises.
There is no prejudice against mercantile
activity and commercial traffic in the
neighborhood. The members are satisfied
with food of the best quality, cooked to
perfection, with wines of superior excel
lence, and service prompt and intelligent.
These things they have in a home well
equipped to afford repose of the body.
An old-time member, who neither trains
with the progressive element nor sleeps the
hours away in an easy-chair of the club,
says: You can safely wager large sum
that the Pacific Union Club will stay where
it is for ten years. Joseph Crockett, the
Wilson's, the Crockers, Henry Scott and
some others may agitate the subject Of 60
ing out Post street to Van Ness avenue,
but the old men, who rule the institution,
will stay where they are"
The Pacific Union is not club that
cares for books, pictures and statuary in
the clubhouse. Many of the members
paintings, and the club is simply to them
iiounging- place. 1t is related
that dining-room picture OF great merit,
painted by Emil Carlson, was purchased
by subscription and presented to the Pa
cific- Union. At once it was placed on the
wall of q spare bedroom, and has remained
there ever since. A beautiful water-color
from the brush of Julian Rix adorns the
barber-shop.
The club is said to be in fairly prosper
Gus state, but is not taking in the money
that it did when the celebrated poker game
was on The rule was to charge each
player dollar for q chair, whether he oc-
cupied it an hour or all night. With three
tables running, each with five players and
"big kitty the club receipts from the
game must have been $4,000 a year.
Poker is played nowadays, but the win
nings and losings are slight compared with
what they were IN the "old game, wherein
player might win or lose a thousand dol
lars in o single session.
The Bohemian Club is tranquil, paying
in due ins.allments for the folly OF the
Sutter-street Investment. The Owl Is
said TO be happy enough in the Post-street
home, although many OF the mem bers
complain that the "bigh jinks" facilities
are not what they should be. Various
propositions have been discussed for leas-
ing adjoining property or putting another
story on the main building, but in the
light of recent experience building or
branching-out scheme will have to present
some rare fascination to catch the club
again. The old system oil literary ana
musical entertainments on the last Satur-
day evening of each month has been sup
planted by semi-annnal events, the Christ
mas inks and the midsummer outing.
The midsummer high jinks can hardly
be classed as an entertainment. 1t is
something more than a sylvan spectacle
or ceremonial picnic. 1t is characteristic
of California and of the Bohemian Club.
All efforts to initiate it by Eastern clubs
and societies have failed. The majestic
rcdwoods, the stately spectators of the
scene, can only be found on this coast.
The ceremonies observed in any other
forest than the redwood lose much of their
impressive character. The lights, the
music and the voices can be reproduced
elsewhere, but the soul or spirit of the
forest inspiring sentiment which eludes
definition, abounds only in the stately
groves of California.
Eastern magazines, notably Harper's,
have given much space to illustrations and
descriptions of the midsummer high jinks,
and it is not unusual for members of the
Bohemian Club residing in Boston or New
York to journey across the continent TO
join the outing.