Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26


complished large and noble purposes in the
world. And its dinners serve as the excuse
to bring this about.
Composed of Sportsmen.
The Camp Fire Club, another typical din
ing club, is made up of sportsmen. To be
eligible for membership one must have
campsd IN the wilderness and have either
killed or painted big game. The club has
no constitution bylaws. Among those
things prohibited by the common consent Of
its members dress suits and long speech
es While the promises are no membership
fees to speak Of, "a camp fire and feed once
month with something of general interest
to each camp fire." it is also explicitly stat
ed that every desirable lion who sets foot
IN the jungles of Manhattan will. if posi-
BILE, be caught and compelled to roar at the
nearest camp fire. This club was the idea
of w. T. Hornaday and G. o. Shields. the
former an eminent naturalist and explorer,
and the latter one of the foremost big game
hunters of America, a recognized expert in
the use of the rifle and an author whose
writings are counted the first authority on
sporting matters.
Some of the other famous men of the
club are Dan Beard, the artist: Col. c. A.
Woodruff of the quartermasters depart
ment. U. S. A. and one of the heroes of
the remarkable fight in the Big Hole Basin
of Montana, in which Gen. Gibbon assault
ed and conquered the Nez Percez Indians
under Chief joseph: yellowstone Kelly.
at one time Gen. Miles chief of scouts, ana
W
spent many years with the Indians of Ari-
IONA and New Mexico.
Among the lions who have "roared' for
the club are famous soldiers sailors and
explorers. Months before he sailed for the
north, Lieut. r. E. feary outlined tue
plans and purposes of the expedition to the
club. Paul Du Chaillu has told the same
audience how he discovered and brought to
this country the first gorilla and Prof.
Carl Lumholtz of his explorations in Aus
tralia Since the wind-up of the war with
Spain the club has entertained most of the
naval heroes. Captains Sigsbee, Chadwick
and Fighting Bob Evans have each roar
cd with becoming modesty for its benefit,
The Thirteen Club.
1t was to fight the petty supersttions
that We all cling to with varying degrees of
teracity that the Thirteen Club was or
ganfzed. It's founder was Capt. William
Fowler When he first took stock of his
friends to find twelve men who would dine
with him he discovered that the thirteen
superstition was a deeply rooted one. The
day for the dinner was fixed upon again
and again. only to be postponed. ami IL
was eighteen months before the fearless
thirteen sat down to their first repast Ih1s
was on a Friday, and the 18th of the
month. Thirteen courses were served In
deed, fate was tempted to the utmost.
When the club given its organiza-
tiol-fOr it is not exactly dining club, or
perhaps it is nearer the truth TO say that
1t is that and something mCre-th" dues
we're fixed at thirteen cents month, and
in other ways the malignant numerals
were repeated as often as possible.
At present the club has 100 members.
and perhaps no more prosperous or Well-tO-
do body of men were ever gotten together.
AT its DINERS, at which several hundreds
Of persons may be present, only thirteen sit
down to a table, and they always sit down
to thirteen courses. When Friday and the
18th OF the month fall on The same day, the
club clngratuiates itself-thats just the
sort of a combination it is looking for The
carefully kept statistics of the club show
that its death rate is actually below the
average. The club has also waged war on
the Friday superstition, and to such good
purpose that in many Of the states murder
ers are no longer sentenced to be hanged
on that Gay They probably die just
comfortably on any other.
OF u Different Character
A dinner club of rather different char
acter is the Congregational Club, which has
for its purpose the encouragement of a
more friendly and intimate acquaintance
among the members of the Congregational
churches and societies in and around New
York. 1t was founded in 1879 ami IN the
twenty years covering its existence has eX-
e. ted Il wide influence on the affairs of the
church. There is hardly a distinguished
man in the country who has not appeared
before this club at one time another.
Thinkers writers statesmen and soldiers
have given it their best.
These clubs ana the hundreds O others
like them exist because of the mercural
activities that fill the air of the metropolis
and make sregar!ouSncsS inevitable.