Smyrna times., 1906-07-04

A Democracy Where All, Regardless
of Income, Are Equal-Membership
In a First Rate Club Regarded as "a
Profitable Investment.
A good many country visitors are
disappointed when they learn the sober
truth that New York has no clubs com
posed exclusively of millionaires. 1t |
is harder still to make country folk |
believe that hundreds of men join the |
so called swell clubs in large part from |
motives of economy.
There are scarcely three clubs in the |
city that do not include a considerable |
number of poor men in their member
ship. The average income of the whole
membership of the ten best known
clubs in the city is probably nearer
$4,000 Il year than $4,000 Il year, and
almost every one of these clubs in
cludes some scores of men with incomes
well below $4,000 and a good many
with incomes we'll below $1,000.
There is Il real democracy of New
York club life Youths in their early
twenties and just beginning their ca
reers on very moderate salaries fire.
quent truly palatial clubhouses, break
fast in rooms such as few princes ever
use and lounge before fireplaces that
are to be matched only in the most
splendid buildings of Europe.
The poor mans credit at the club is
as good as the rich mans, and both are
impartially posted when they neglect
TO pay their bills in good season. There
are good many instances also in
which the monthly bills of the poor
man are higher than those of his rich
fellow member, for the frequenters of
clubs are apt to be the poorer rather
than the richer members.
Many u man of small means regards
his membership in a first rate club in
the light of a profitable investment.
Such a man, if Il confirmed bachelor.
has probably lived for twenty years
within half block of the club, paying
a few hundreds Il year for a small
bedroom and finding all his luxuries in
the apartments of the clubhouse.
Without being in the least mean he
makes of the club Il money saving in
SllLullOu
lOunging rooms save him annually
from $500 to 81 1000 year in rent, ac-
cOrding to the location in which he has
his modest lodgings. After that he
saves a fair percentage on everything
he eats and drinks at the club.
His simple breakfast costs him per-
haps 10 per cent less than it would cost
at any restaurant he would be likely
to frequent. and the same is true of his
dinners Ii he takes three-fourths of
his meals at the club he saves annually
about $lO0 in tips.
If he drinks wine at dinner he saves
from 10 to - per cent upon every bot
tie. If he permits himself the luxury
of a cab he saves a handsome per
centage by ordering it through the club
and avoids all possibility of u row
with the cabby over the amount of the
fare. Many a man writes all his let
tiers of a social character and some OF
a business character at the club, and
thus saves from SO to $40 year il
stationery.
He need buy no books, nor need hC
subscribe to Il library, for there is the
club library free for his use. He nevel
need buy periodical or even news
paper save when he travels, for al
that he reads are freely supplied b.
the club And the enjoyment of al
these things imposes upon him no con
siderable expenditure for eXtravagan
luxuries He is sure, especially in tn
college clubs. to find plenty of me
with like modest incomes and simpl
tastes as himself, and he may sit 70
hours with cronies over the cafe tabl
without spending money that he car
not afford and without giving Offens
TO the servants of the house committe'
Most club members probably do nc
keep q debit and credit account wit
the club but the man of modest NEAR
and moderate habits would find the e.
animation of such an account matte
of great satisfaction. Such a maj
paying $3.50 as an entrance fee and 81
a year in dues, is likely to find himse
at the end of twenty years long wa
ahead Of the game. The club in tive
ty years has cost him rather less tha
$4,000 for entrance fees, dues and co
tributiOns to the Christmas box, al
his savings by reason of the club ha'
been from $4,000 to $16,000-Ne
York Sun.