The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-07
TENDERLOIN LANDMARK GONE.
OLD TENDERLOIN CLUB. RiZED
no MAKE HOME FOR POLICE.
For Years II was q Famous Rendezvous OF
Newspaper Men. Actors. Artists anu
Other Founders Iintil One C0mstOclt
Hutted In-A New s1ub or -Four Now.

Other Founders l'nth One e0msioclt
Buttrd In-A New t1ub or our Now.
The original Tenderloin Club house, Just
opposite the Tenderloin police station III
West Thirtieth street, was sold ii few days
ago for SO %. Outside the wood for KIND
ling the building wasn't worth % cents
All there was left Of the original club were
some dusty bottles in tue cellar and a few
panes of glass.
Yesterday the building was torn down,
along with Nos. lSs and l4o to the west OF 1t u
A new Tenderloin police station Is to be
built ON the site.
1t was lust seventeen years age that lhe
Tenderloin Club was started, Inspector
Ma SchnittbeTger was then a sergeant
in the Tenderloin station. Capt. Reilly
was the Gar. The newspaper men VINO
were assigned to cover" the police station
found it necessary to have a meeting place,
| aud one that would command a view OF the
| station h ouse. That was in 1889. They
rented a room in the frame building ac l3o
West Thirtieth street. II is said that the
building was once a farm house and was
one Of the first buildings erected above
Twenty third street.
The newspaper men met nightly. Some
of the congenial spirits in the Iehderioih'
| actors. politicians md self-called M
soon found put the place and began 10
drop in. They furnished the spa
men with many stories. h idea oil a
pla &c to exchange yarns Of the White Light
district grew, and within a month one Oh
the writer's conceived the idea OF starting
a friendly game TO pay the office expenses
Then the club was formed. For a "hlle
il was 50 limited in membership that II
was CO allied the lonely dozen" Within u
wear there were 30 many members that IL
had become the Tenderloin Club, and the
old building wat too small. Eleven hum
dred strong, the club leased ia West Thirty
second street, now occupied by a branch
post Office.
The club, in its new quarters, prospered.
The membership increased waiter NC
Dougall and Archie Gum decorated the
walls. Loie Fuller did her shadow dances
and Jennie joyce. then a great faVorite'
war ii frequent visitor. Among the mem
bers were Digby BELL, Francis Wilson.
Thomas Y. Seabrooke, o Harrison,
Robert Mantell, Jefferson De Angels,
Sol Smith Russell, Marshall p. Wilder,
De Wolf Hopper, former Mayor Grant
and hundreds OF artists, lawyers, singers.
Judges and wine agents. Lillian Russell
was a frequent caller. The president was
John W. Keller and william Sulzer was
viCe-president.
The club had concerts and smokers.
Some times they had prizetights. The
annual dinners we're held at the Casino
Theatre, but one particularly wild one
was held in Madison Square Garden.
For five or six years the club prospered.
Then there was Internal strife, and the
newspaper men gradually found that it
was no logger their club. As a final blow
Anthony Comstock raided the place and
tore to shreds the famous "datto' on the
walls.
The club struggled along for a few months.
Then the building was torn down.
There wasn't much left of the old club
in the Thirtieth street building RACED yes
terday. Over the steps leading upstairs
was a painted sign: Who enters here
leaves care behind" Underneath two or
three thicknesses of wall paper were car
toonS and illustrations drawn by famous
artists. For many years the second story
had been used az a colored mission. A car
penter shop occupied the ground floor.
There is another Tenderloin Club now.
1t il called the Don't Butt In Club from
the sign over the door at its rooms, 1870
West Thirtieth street. 1t is generally
known as the shack" II has four MEM
beers. each representing a newspaper.
Although the clubrooms are well deco
rated, it has no dinners or smokers. Poker
is unknown. When the members get real
devilish they occasionally have u four
handed game of pinochle after the morn
ing papers have gone to press, or before.
The old Tenderloin Club is not forgotten.
Two or three times a year some actor or
newspaper man who has been away from
New York for ten or twelve years goes
through Thirtieth street looking for the
club. Several of the old members went
to the ruins of the original building last
night looking for souvenirs.