Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1906-11-16
CLUBLIFE ECONOMIES
POOR MEN IN THE SWELL oReAHl'
CATIONS OF NEW YORK.

A Democracy where All, Regardless
Of Income, Are EquHI-hembership
In a First Rate Club Regarded as =
Profitable IAVestnsent.
A good many country visitors are
disappointed when they learn tho sober
tyuth that New York has no clubs COM
posed exclusively Of milllonaires II
is harder still to make country folk
believe that hundreds OF men join the
90 called swell clubs IN large part from
motives Of economy,
There are scarcely three clubs In the
city that do not include considerable
number OF poor men 10 their member
ship. The average income OF the whole
membership Of the ten best known
clubs In the city Is probably nearer
$4,000 q year than $4,000 year, and
almost every one Of these clubs In
cludes some scores OF men with Incomes
well below $4,000 end a good many
with incomes wen below $1,000.
There is a real democracy OF New
York club life Youths in their early
twenties and just beginning the: GA
reers on very moderate salaries IRE
quent truly palatial slubhouses, break
fast in rooms such as few princes ever
use and lounge before freplaces 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
impartlally 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 a man Of small means regards
mis- membership in a first rate club in
the light Of a profitable investment
Such man, II confirmed bachelor
has probably lived for twenty years
within half block of the club, paying
a few hundreds 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 a money saving In
stltution for himself. Its comfortable
Longing rooms save him annually
from $500 to $1,000 a 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
dI s. II he takes three-fourths Of
bis meals at the club he saves annually
about 500 in tips.
II he drinks wine at dinner he saves
from 90 to % per cent upon every bot
tie, II he permits himself the luxury
Of cab ne saves a handsome per-
ceDtage by ordering it through the club
aud avoids all possibility Of a row
with the cabby over the amount of the
fare. Many man writes all his let
tiers OF social character and some Of
a business character at the club, and
thus saves from S15 to $40 year in
stationery.
He need buy no books, nor need he
subscribe to library, for there Is the
club library free for his use. He never
paaH b,x, N Nortodioo1 an AVIAN q nou-S
paper save when he travels, for all
that he reads are freely supplied by
DE club. And the enjoyment of all
these things imposes upon him no con-
sldo"aile expenditure for extravagant
Injuries He is sure, especially in the
college clubs, 10 find plcaty Of men
with like modest incomes and simple
tastes as himself, and he may sit for
hours with cronies over the cafe table
without spending money that he can
not afford and without giving offense
to the servants of the house committee.
Most club members pnSbably do not
keep debit and credit account with
the club, but the man Of modest means
and moderate habits vorlt 7rd tue OK
animation Of such an account matter
OF great satisfaction. Such a man,
paving $3.50 as an entrance fee ana SIS
d year in dues, is likely to find himself
al the end Of twenty years lorg way
ahead Of the game The club In TWEEN
ty years has cost him rather less than
81, COO for entrance fees. dues and con-
Hlbutions to the Christmas box, and
bis savings by reason Of the club have
been from $4,000 to $16OOO-New
York Sun.