The times., 1898-12-31

have been erected on its New York Avenue
lots in the near future if this opportunity
had not come. The advantages OF pur-
chasing the club house are that ii is salts
factory in every way and cheaper than the
new building would have been, and that
il is ready for occupancy at once. The as
sociation has suffered financially ana IN
every other way because it had no build
ing. Its membership has fallen of badly.
1t is the prediction Of the officers that
the association will boom now, with the
good times and the splendid building, as
it never has before and Will be credit TO
the city in its large membership and in
fluence. The expectation is that there VIII
be membership of at least 2,000 in year
or two. Financially, the organization is
abundantly able to take care of its new
purchase 1t owns real estate in New
York Avenue, between Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Streets, valued at $l25,O00. and
has large surplus of cash in its treasury.
Ths New York Avenue property will prob
sbly be kept as an investment.
The plans of the Columbia Athletic Club
for the future are not yet formed. II had
hoped to keep the building, even after il
had been sold. as tenant. 1t is thought
probable that large number of the club
members will join the Y. NJ. C. A., espe-
cially the athletic set, who Joined the club
1t is the subject of much comment among
members of both clubs that the Athletic
has not been a success financially, while
the Y. NJ. c. A. has been able to buy II out
and still have money left in the treasury.
The membership fees of the Athletic are
double those of the Y. NJ. c. A. and ii has
always been understood that the bar and
restaurant of the former have been one OF
its principal sources of revenue.
A member of both clubs said to re-
porter for The Times last night:
Business management, luck and the
fact that the Y. NJ. C. A. has been able be-
cause of its nature to ask people for gifts
of money have all been factors in the diff
ferent fortunes of the two organizations.
The Athletic Club undertook much larger
contract than it should when it put up its
fine new building about eleven years ago
This was bad luck and bad judgment. The
hard times have been especially disastrous
to it as a purely pleasure club, in which
young men are supposed to spend what
. money they do not need for other uses.
And then, although an athletic club for
young men is perhaps almost as praise
worthy an organization as Y. NJ. C. A.,
it has not been considered feasible to ask
I business men promiscuously for money
gifts to support it.. IN
Undoubtedly, too, there he ,een much
in the innate influence of the two organi-
cations on their business prosperity. Both
are composed of the best class of young
men in the city. Perhaps, on the whole
despite the obvious differences of aim, they
have been largely of the same general char
acter of membership. But the entire at
mosphere of the Y. NJ. c. A. tends to make
its members careful and methodical, while
the club has been place of relaxation,
even of luxury
The new purchaser hopes to gain posses
sion of the property in few days.
The Y. NJ. c. A. will it is understood
discontinue the restaurant and buffet. 1t
has been claimed by great many members
of the Athletic Club that neither of these
auxiliaries were as profitable as they should
have been, and was in measure largely
the cause of heavy financial losses.