Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01

LONDON, June 81, 1905.

LONDON, June 81, 1905.
A FTER achieving a phenomenal sue
- cess. the Empress Club, which
- was for years the SWEETEST wo-
y mans club in London. went down
with q crash. An official receiver
has taken possession OF the gorgeous rooms
where titled DANES and their attendant
satellites were wont to hold high reveis.
and creditors are rudely figuring on their
probable losses.
The story Of the rise and fall OF the EN-
press Club sheds an Illuminating light on
certain phases of English society. which
Lord Charles Beresford. In his blunt I'M
compromising sailor fashion. declares to be
eaten out with the canker OF money and
rotten from top to bottom" The Empress
Club bowed down at the shrine OF the gol-
den calf and when disaster overlook Ii was
repudiated by It's idol Though In Its earlier
wears the management exercised sufficient
discrimination concerning the moral quail
iacations for its membership to satisfy the
by no means stringent notions of what con-
stltutes responsibility in modern society as
speued with the big 81 in English jour
mails. latterly IT threw its doors open wide
u those who could pay the price ana go
the pace. In consequence, for a time money
poured into it's Golfers and the receipts of
the departments which catered 10 luxurious
tastes in the matter OF solid and liquid re-
acknowledged the latter-increased
enormously.
But among those who obtained admission
b. means OF the golden key were several
women who committed the objectionable
sin Of being found out. Then discreet peo-
pie began 10 whisper unpleasant things
about the club which scandaimongers car
rled far and wide. The management. blind
- everything but the financial condition OF
the club allowed matters 10 drift from bad
20 worse. The club fell under suspicion.
Titled folk began to drop out. Those who
had joined the club for the sake OF gaining
social prestige followed the lead OF their
ladyships, with many protests Of righteous
Indignation against the contamination to
which they had unwlttingly exposed them
selves within its portals. As long as the
dUchessss and countesses tarried they
cared not a Jot to what extent their skirts
were besmirChed by brushing against the
garments OF women OF dubious regulations
but when the peeresses vanished their NOR
ais were shocked and they betook them
selves elsewhere in pursuit OF virtue and
sociaI eXclusiveness. The management
found Itself poweriess to stop the STAN
pede. The golden stream was damned and
the club was-wel. something that sounds
just ike It. There was nothing left TO do
hut wind up and turn the assets over TO
creditors.
Inc CAND Was tOuHIeO rs u sort OI SOiL1-
memoration OF the sixtieth anniversary OF
the accession 10 the throne OF the empress
queen. At least that Is what its promoters
asserted and thereby justified their assump-
Jton OF the grand old lady's Indian title.
Philanthropy was just at that time be-
ginning to be the fashion. aud another
happy idea OF the executive was to do
nate one shilling Us cents out OF every
members subscription 10 the Prince OF
Wales (now the king'sl hospital fund. Few
people figured out what very small per
Centage OF the subscription fee % cents rep
resented, and the action was loudly ap-
piauded as evidence OF praiseworthy loyalty
and self-denying devotion to most deserv-
Ing charity.
Sttil shrewder was the wisdom displayed
In getting together a lot OF titled women
20 MI the ornamental positions In the club.
1t opened Its doors with list OF twenty
vice presidents. every one of whom was a
peeress headed by her accomplished grace,
the Duchess of Leeds. the original of Sarah