Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-28

lied that certain fraction of the working
time of each day was practically wasted
in struggles with Indifferent food at lunch.
con. involving extravaganza Of time,
money and digestion. They began to con-
slider the possibility of devisng some plan
of both satisfying their appetites ard en-
gagement lists, and result the Or
ganization known the Down Town Club
was formed, almost without prototype
in this country.
1t was fortunate that at just about
this season the Washington Loan and
Trust Company building, at the corner of
+ and 9th streets. was drawing near to
completion, and by happy thought the
two facts were united and the new club
was as soon as possible installed in the
most ideal quarters The club is still
there, and will probably remain as long
as it and the building exist. Both being
constructed of the most solid and sub
stantial materials there is no thought that
they will not become landmarks together,
the one of the architectural stability of
Washington and the other of the pecu-
liarly delightful social founda ton that is
at the base of Waslrington's business en-
terpriscs.
The Down Town Club is in itself really
little more than a restaurant run for the
exclusive use of certain men who have
banded themselves together in order to
obtain the advantages OF good surround
ings at meal time and an excellent cuisine
not accompanied by threats of bank
ruptcy. 1t is composed of two hun
dred and seventeen members, and the roll
is practically condensed business direc-
tory of Washington. Every profession
and line of business is represented. The
requisites to membership are not I'M
reasonably strict, and any person of good
standing in the community known to
member of the board of governors can be-
come member of the club after surren-
dering the usual initiation fee of $40. This
fee and the monthly dues of 81 each are
required to meet the current expenses of
the club such as rent, clerk hire and other
attendance, and the prices charged for
meals are as. near the actual cost as Il Is
possible for prices to be.
Principle of Cooperation.
In this way the club, being cooperative.
is enabled. by abandoning all profits, to give
the greatest possible return to its members
for the least possible expenditure. This of
course, attracts good many men, but it is
G curious fact that in the hard times that
have recently swept over Washington, along
with the rest of the commercial world,
there has been a slight falling off in the
membership, club expenses among
the first items of luxury to be cut off by
business men in a financial stress of
weather.
But there are advantages other and great
er than those of economy and gastrOnomy
that attract the doctors. lawyers, mer-
chants journalists, clerks and other repre-
sentatives of the business world to the
tenth story of the Loan and Trust building
at all times between the hours of S in the
morning and at night. At lunch hour the
Down Town Club is practically a great
business clearing house for the city of
Washington. 1t is no eXaggera ton to state
that some of the most important business
transactions of the capital during the last
four years have been planned, discussed
q n tod 1Ir,.,, III 81
this popular organization.
1t is about the only place in the city
where business men can meet at meal time
and talk over commercial matters in per-