New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-31
THE UNION CLUB.
IT FOLLOWS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ~
THE MOVEMENT UPTOWN.

RI. Union club following the eAdilP'' Va
ri,,ilar organizations, will move uptown anu
lover Finh-avc. will lose one of lis h'''''
features This club is different from o'"e'
Nnv-YorL organizations not only because J" i''
resisted for many years the pressure 10 rei''o''
f. the club district, but because II mas never
sNerved from its purpose to keep aIooi from
public affairs. to take no sides on poh''ca
questions either National or local ana TO De d"
club for club purposes only
In ifs Younger DAYS it was considered the only
CLUB in New-Yorli where member could ""u
8 Injurious Iounging place and refined society
at times when he was free from business anu
sa,,aI duties and for many years few dlstlh-
riished visitors came to NeW-Nork VINO WIZ
NJ, "put M in the brownstone clubhouse, at
Twcnty-Grst-st. and Fifth-ave, when was
locked upon as one Of the ornaments Of that
r.rt # the city. The club had no pohilcal
leaning and no prcjudices, and its founders
made The point clear that il was open to any
gentleman"
The meeting which called the cIub mo eNISt-
encc took place in 1896. and in June of that
wear At a meeting held at the Athen@um Rooms
3 constitution was adopted. Samuel Jones pre-
sided and John L. II. McCrackan acted as sec
re.ary. and they became the first officers Of the
olranization The objects OF the club were set
forth in the following preamble:
70 promote social intercourse among its
roinlcis and afford them the convenience ana
advantages Of "A well kept hotel. in conjunction
w:;h reading room. library and baths, in some
proper hous" or apartments 10 DE procured ior
H., purpose. and in manner combining eIG-
Iancc and comfort with order ana economy. II
consists of not less than four hundred nor more
than six hundred members. cltH,nS ot the
United States. and foreigners after seven years
Ia he admitted as "a
member under the age If twenty-five years
Thc Committee Of Formation Of the club con-
sisted Of Samuel Jones. Thomas |. Oakley,
PhiIip Horn. Beverley Robinson, w. r. Law
renee Charles King. ogden Hoffman, +. r.
Throop. Il. f.. Brcmner. G. r. Anderson, q. NJ.
Wlkcns Thomas $ Gibhes. 5. c. Williams. r.
sheldon. j. Dereyster ogden and John H. II.
McCrackan.
The membership limit has been changed to
fourteen hundred. and at the last annual meet
ing the club had 1899 regular members. -
Army and Navy and 10 life members; in all
1l3S There is a large waiting list The law
as to the age of candidates was changed In
1874, SO that candidates were eligible at the age
Of twcnty-one.
The clubs first home was in rooms at No. 343
Broadway which were opened In 1886 The
organization gained in membersh hip, and in 1912
new quarters rented at No. $40 Broadway,
near White-st. where the club remained until
1850. Then it moved still further uptown and
t. larger apartments at No. G91 Broadway.
This place was satisfactory only for short
time, and within year after the change was
made there much talk Of leaving the bust
ness Part of town and securing permanent quar-
tiers in the upper part of the city. The first
steps in that direction were taken early in 1854
and in lS55 the house at Twcnty-frstst. and
Ffth-avc. became the home Of the club. The
removal was made under the administration Of
John A. King, who the third president Of
the club and who continued in office until 1861
when he succeeded 10y Moses II. Grinnell
The other presidents were William NJ Evarts
elected in 1873; William Constable elected in
1881; John J. Townsend elected in 1s>} and
Clarence \. Seward. elected in 1880 ON the
death Of Mr. seward in 1898 Edward Cooper
was elected To the presidency. his associates on
the board Of officers Icing j. Hampden R0bb
Wcc-prcsidcnt. Colonel Franklin Bartlett sec
rotary. II. DE Forest Wcckcs treasurer ana
William NJ. EVarts. John L. Cadwaladcr and
Louis Messier, trustees Of the clubhouse.
The removal Of the Union club to the club
district has been urged 10y the younger MEM
bcis for some time and while il is acknowledged
"H d. '"' WeHhcrS thdt an uptown nome VIII
make the club NOR" attractive. there is some
doubt as 10 the practirahility OF the movement
In order 10 make the club sclf-sustaining i'm
new and more expensive quarters its income will
gave t" be greatly enlarged. but this i'm the
opinion Of the promoters Of the scheme. will be
al easy matter. despite the Inducements held
out 10y other clubs in the neichborhood Of the
new clubhouse
THE THO-ELN BREECHLOlbING JINGiLH.