The San Francisco call., 1896-03-12
Some Staid Members Disliked
the Horsey Set and
British Ways.
CIRCULAR FROM DIRECTORS.
It Will Explain the Clubs Condition.
Members Asked by Others
to Resign.

Within the charmed circle which con-
stitutes Burlingame-the fashionable, Sc
lect and restricted society "set" in the club
at San Mateo-all has not been harmony
and complete od-fellowship of late. For
with all the outward appearance of calm
and undisturbed social pleasures it now
transpires that dissatisfaction or some
difference of opinion upon matters usually
considered vital in a club has been making
itself felt among the members of the Bur
lingame Club.
AS rule the gentlemen who have taken
any interest in this aristocratic association
maintain a dignihed silence regarding
whatever divergence of views upon club
affairs may have arisen. And the same
can be said of the whole mem bership, for
it is evidently an unwritten law in
Burlingame to commit no breach of the
proprieties or to forget that ungentlemanly
lapses are at least bad form. So the club
lived on without ever a sign of social
revolution or startling detection of its
members.
The truth is, however. that the Bur-
lingame Club has lost in the last few
months more than forty mem bers. many
OF whom actually went out in a body.
While the names of the disaffected mem
bers could not be made public it has been
admitted that these gentlemen largely
represent the best element in San Fran
cisco society. They include millionaires,
prominent attorneys, physicians and mer-
chants. 1t is said that they were not alto
gether pleased with the more pronounced
horsey set in the club.
"The staid Californian" explained a
society man Yesterday who is familiar
with the Burlingame Club people and
their little differences-"th staid Califor-
nian did not find it at all congenial. That
is, his tastes were not in the same channel
as the ultra set with British tendencies and
a penchant for golf suits and nothing but
horses, you know, and English servants.
''The Burlingame CLUB is a country club;
ii runs to horses as every one knows-riG-
ing and driving, polo and golf The
Country Club runs TO dogs and game and
Is all right for sportsmen; but one can un-
derstand that when every conversation is
on horses and British sports, the pleasure
OF dropping into retreat out of town for
a few days was really doubtful. | knew
this was coming, but did not think it
would come SO soon.
''Some time since the club induced manv
nice people to become members. The ini-
tiation fee was TEN porarily abolished, and
several parties whom l know were talked
into joining. The proposition was really
good one and inviting. 1t gave the new
members prospect of ENJOYING them
selves in the country with every luxury of
city life round them and good fellows for
companions. But they found it often
livelier in Burlingame than in the Pacific
Union orIUniversity clubs. The gay set had
their four-in-hands and polo ponies and
swell traps and English servants, and fire.
quently English ways.
THAT may be the cause for the with
drawals, and it is all l have heard about
the matter. Anyhow, clearly the two sets
had little in common, and consequently
they were not congenial."
The directors disclaimed all knowledge
of disturbance or dissatisfaction, and were
unanimous in their assertions that the
club was never before SO well managed or
on such a sound financial foundation
Yet they have deemed it prudent at this
time to issue circular letter to every
member of the club, with clear and full
statement of the clubs present condition
with regard to finances and general status
of membership, management, and a re-
view of the changes, etc.
This letter was placed in the printers
hands yesterday and will be issued to-day.
1t is quite a bulky document. covering
several pages of typewriter paper.
The introduction deals with the club in
general way, and further on states that
the club suffered loss in membership of
over forty since last August. Finances
are explained at length. In 1894 the
clubs net assets were something over
$4,000; in 1895 they advanced to nearly
5000, ana now the estimate places them
between $1,000 and $SOOO The month of
February was the most prosperous one the
club had experienced. This showing is
made with pardonable pride by the direc-
tors, who draw attention to the fact that
''the designations have caused a loss of
$3.50 monthly in dues" That by the
way, at the rate Of So a month for men,
bership dues would make the number of
resienations fifty. Attention is directed