The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05
COST OF RUNNING A CLUB.
ENORMOUS EXPENSES OF SOME OF
THE GREAT SOCIAL HOMES.

Many of Them Deep in Debt-Ihe
Restaurant is Generally Run mt
Loss, and Many of the Members
Fail 10 Pay Their Bills.
From the New York World.
It costs over $4,000 a year TO run the
Union League Club. II costs rather less
than one-third that sum to run the Cen
fury Club Clubs like the Calumet, the
KnickerbOcker. the Reform and the CO.
lonial are run for less than the Cen
fury.
The Union Club, the New York Club.
the University and the Manhattan are
among the most expensive clubs TO MAN.
tain. So are some of the athletic clubs.
The Metropolitan is run at large ex-
pense, and with increasing membership it
will be as costly a club to run as there
is in the country. The cheapest and most
economically managed clubs are the Greek
letter clubs. Most of these clubs are run
upon less than $4,000 year. A few small
clubs with agreeable houses are run on
a little over 5000 a year, though $500 is
a small income for a comfortable club.
even when there is no attempt to main
tain restaurant.
Most of the large clubs have con-
siderable bonded and mortgage indebted
ness. The Century's new house, with
its furnishing, is worth about 100000, and
the debt of the club is about half that
sum- There was an epidemic of club in
debtedness shortly before the panic of
1893, and several clubs have found their
interest account since that time ser-
Gus embarrassment. 1t is usual to place
a clubs bonds, if possible. in the hands
of the members, and the hawking Of club
bonds about the street is esteemed a
scandal. 1t is believed that only the
strongest clubs could now obtain takers
for any considerable bonded Indebtedness.
The Union League Club of Philadelphia,
one of the strongest in the country, was
able recently to float $4,000 in bonds at
A per cent, very low rate for club
bonds. The issue was greatly oVer-SuD'
scribed, bids to the amount of more than
81, $4,000 having been put in. There are
few New York clubs that could market
their bonds on better terms than these.
1t is pretty we'll understood when weak
club asks its members to subscribe Tor
bonds that the subscription is likely TO
turn out an assessment. There are sew
eral New York clubs with bonded and
mortgage Indebtedness Of $5O0OO, and
several others with property approach
ing in value S1000,OOO.
Almost every club in New York loses
money in conducting It's restaurant. The
Union League Clubs restaurant usually
shows a small loss even after II mas Deen
credited with 5000 for the feeding of en-
ployes. This restaurant, with the bar and
cellars, takes in from $4,000 to $4,000 per
year. There are Tour OF uNe OtneT cluDS
that take in as much or more. and there
are a few that make a small profit when
the receipts from wines, liquors and cigars
are accredited to the restaurant and prop
er credit is allowed for the maintenance
Of employees. About one-third OF the IN
come of the Century Club is from these
sources. Nearly all the large clubs receive
from 5000 to $25, 600 from lodgings. This is
an extremely profitable feature OF large
club. as the cost of maintaining lodgings
is small, and the presence of permanent
ToA in ms good order
and helps to maintain the restaurant. rev
New York clubs have greatly developed
the nonresident list, though 1t IS becom-
ing more important in large clubs. Those
clubs that make a specially OF non-resl-
dent membership find that ii is highly pro-
fitable to fix nonresident dues and lnltla-
ton fees very low. The club with largest
nonresident list obtains about $l3,OUO
year from nonresident dues and has so
constant demand for its lodgings by non
residents visiting the city that permanent
dodgers are no longer taken. Such nom
resident list, made up of men from all
parts of the country, most of whom occa-
sionaIIy visit New York, gives a variety
and interest to club life that nothing else
can give. One sees from time to time at
the club strongest in nonresident mem
bership cabinet officers political leaders
from New England, the south and the
west, army and navy ofhcerS on leave,
leaders of the bar from half a dozen states
and business men from nearly all parts
IT is dificuIt to conduct club com
plete in all it's appointments and func-
lions with a membership of less than
400. and such a club cannot be comfort
| ably run upon dues of less than $40 per
| year. Out of the income from dues must
| be paid rent, wages cost of repairs and
| whatever deficit may result from the
| conduct of the restaurant If that deficit
! is not to be pretty large the club must
| have a. considerable proportion OF its
members regular frequenters of the house.
| If such a club can have an average of
| fifteen or twenty men daily taking break
/ = 10 NJ To sI-aIw
! with economical management in all its
| departments, to live within its income.
| Expenses may be set down roughly in
Rent ........................... $1,000