The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-16

Freak Organizations Excited In Len.
don IN QIden TImes.

London certain clubs which protested
10 have no other reason for existence
than the qualification OF whIms ano
pecullaritIos on tho part OF membor4
says the London Globe. A work pub
lIshed In 1909 and entitled THE Secret
History Of Clubs IN London" sheds
somo curious sideiights on this cccen-
tric grCgariousnoss. Coming first 70
tho Virtuosos's club. we learn that
| that Institution was established by cor
tain members of tie Royal Society
with the object Of promoting useless, as
wei as useful experiments. Some,
By those hermetical bellows cnrd an
AeopiIe, would be trying with an
I empty bottle whether nature would
admit of a vacuum. Others, Ike busie
chambers, would be handling thelr
scales TO discover the difference be-
twixt wine and water A third sort Of
/ philosophers would be condensing the
/ smoak Of their tobacco into oyl upon
their pipes and then assert the same,
In spite Of her nine lives, to be rank
/ poison TO a cat"
The NirtuOsos drew together as mot
ley a company Of men as ever filled
clubroom. On a full night there might
have been seen sitting side by side the
peer and tho trade5man, the doctor
and the mechanic, each one bent On
some fatuous experiment. For years
the club enjoyed a large patronage,
but We are told that latterly its mem
bership fell away, owing, it appears,
to the affronts Of the town and the
general ridicule levelled against. its
adherents.
Another Of these eccentric iastitu-
tons was the order OF the Golden
Fleece. This club was composed Of
tradesmen, who net together at the
conclusion Of the days work to drink
themselves into forgetfulness of any
sharp practice of which they might
have been guilty during the day, so
that, in the words Of the chronicier,
they might sleep without repentance"
But, like the Virtuosos club, this i'll
ustrious society fell upon evil days.
The first blow to its prestige came
when its leading member committed
suicide, and then members seem to
have fallen into the melancholy
dumps" to such an extent that they
neglected both their appearance and
health, became the butt Of the appren-
tees, and finally migrated from the
Fleece tavern to the less appropriate
ly named Three Tuns, on the other
side Of the river
A third club Of somewhat curious
character was the Surly. That some
such society is in existence some
where today will probably be the
opinion of most readers when we say
that the Surly club brought together
carmen, lightermen and Billingsgate
posters, for the practice of strong
language for use during the perform
ance Of their professional duties. The
more contrary the disposition Of a
member happened to be, the more
was he respected. "He that could put
on cOuntenance like boatswain in
hard weather and growl and snarl like
a cursed mastiff over oulloCk's liver,
was member fit for the thwarting so
ciety, and the more indirect answers
or surly, impertinent returns he could
make to question, the more he was
respected for his contradictory humor
and cross-grained abilities"
Another club which was based on
the whimsical idea of bringing to-
gether a company of men to whom ma
ture had not been kind, was the Club
of Ugly Faces The title of this as
sembly sufficiently indicates what was
the chief qualification for membership
Had photography been in vogue at
the time of this worthy institution
existence, a group snapshot would
have made a most interesting picture!
The Ugly clubs end was brought
about in curious manner A person
Of most repulsive appearance had been
put up for membership, when the club
blaclballed him. This so incensed the
president, having regard to the I'm,
doubted qualifications Of the candidate
that he resigned But, alas. his Tosig.
nation had the effect of SO greatly in
juring the prestige of the club that
shortly afterward it decided on disso
luton.