Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-30
N HIS SHIRT SLEEVES
Member of Fashionable New
York Club Has Raised a
Great Issue
DINED WITH HIS COAT OFF
He is Severely Called Down for VIC
Iation of the Proprieties and the Con-
troversy Has Entirely Displaced Pol
tics in New York city-offending
Member Obstinate.

New York, Dec. 30.-It Is a question
of summer etiquette, but 1t Is still
mighty disturbing to the Century
Country Club of White Plains, even
tho there are snow drifts on the golf
links and the winter wind whistles
shrilly up and down the Landers road.
And the question Is:
Ought perfect gentleman, In the
presence of ladies, one being his wife,
dine at his club on hot summers
night in his shirt sleeves; and If he
oughtn't and does, should the house
committee, if they also are perfect gen
tlemen, take the erring member to
t. SIX in a typewriter letter dictated to
stenographer?"
Like every great question this will
never be settled until it is settled right.
The first part Of the question has
been raised by the house committe, of
which Albert M. Wittenberg, wholesale
coal dealer, is chairman, which includ-
es Harry H. Meyer, president of the
club and member Of the stock exchange
house of Seligman s. Meyer; Benjamin
Stern, Of Stern Bros dry goods firm;
and Harry Rindskoff.
The tail end of the question has been
raised by Henry C. Bernheim. 1t was
Bernheim. who according to the story
so far violated all presidents of sum-
mer etiquette as to dine at the club
one evening last summer in his shirt
sleeves.
According to Bernheim's friends, he
and his wife visited the club one at
ternoon last August. Bernheim play
ed several sets of tennis. When the
play was over he and his wife decid-
ed to dine at the club, and he ordered
the dinner served on the veranda.
When it was announced that dinner
was ready, it appeared to Mr.. and Mrs.
Bernheim that they were the only
members in or about the house. After
they sat down, Bernheim felt the heat
was oppressive, and, always mindful
If the courtesy due from a husband to
his wife, he asked Mrs. Bernheim if
she would mind if he dined without his
coat. Mrs. Bernheim, having wifely
sympathy for her husbands super
heated condition, and having, more
over, some real knowledge of how we'll
her husband, who is still one of the
younger alumni of Columbia looked in
tennis flannels minus a coat, said she
didn't mind in the least.
FinicaI Male Person About.
Therefore Mr.. and Mrs. Bernheim
had delightfully."- comfortable and
quiet dinner, supposing they were the
only persons except the servants in
the building. 1t happened, however,
so Bernheims friends assert, that there
was finical male person In the house
who is so great a stickler for form that
he wouldn't shock himself by appear
ing even before his wife without
coat. He saw the Bernheims dining
and promptly reported to the house
committee that the Bernheims were in
utter ignorance of the first principles
of propriety.
The house committee, or some of its
members, particularly Harry H. Meyer,
the clubs president, were properly
shocked and resolved that strong mea-
sures should be taken at once. The
shirtsleeve habit must be nipped in the
bud. 1t is asserted the shock sus-
tanned by Meyer was so powerful as
to pass clean thru him and penetrate
the feelings of some Of the rest of the
committee.
Bernheim Gets Letter.
This would appear to be true, for
not long afterward Bernheim received
a note typewriter on the club paper,
which read in substance as follows:
Dear Sir: The house committee
has been informed that you recently
dined at the club in the presence of
ladies in your shirtsleeves. This is to
inform you that such conduct will not
be tolerated"
The letter was signed with the name
Of Albert w. Wittenberg, club secre-
tary. Underneath the name was per
G." &C." it is said was the initial OF
the stenographer.
When Bernheim got the letter he be-
come good deal hotter than he was
on the night Of the dinner. He lost
no time in replying that he felt quite
willing to admit it was hardly good
form to sit down at dinner in ones
shirtsleeves, but he regarded the Ian
suage of the letter as highly imperti-
nent.
To this the house committee, or
somebody representing it, replied to
Berrheim that it was impertinent to
call the committees language imperti-
nent, and he asked him to withdraw
his impertinent impertinence. UP to
late hour last night Bernheim hadn't
Withdrawn anything.