The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-29

From the New York Sun.
 T was only few days ago that Lon
 don cIubman bewailed the influence ' of restaurants on the clubs of the British capital. He found that all the old delight in a fine cuisine, good wines and quiet dining was passing away. Mem bers of clubs prefer now the restaurants to the less ostentatious dining rooms of their clubs.
 It would be idle to deny that New York clubs have been affected by the restau rants In the same way. The club dining rooms are nowhere so full as they were a score of years ago, when both the res- taurants and the clubs were much scarcer than they are today. The most noticeable change Is in the number of dinners given at clubs. Ushers' dinners which were in the past always given at clubs are now invariably held in restau- rants. It is true also that men who give stag dinners are much more likely to select a restaurant than club
 It is easy to understand why party of four or five men who meet in the even ing for dinner should meet at restaurant rather than a club In many New York clubs it Is impossible for any member to invite his New York friends in to din ner unless he has a private room and gives a special dinner. So several men who want to dine together are compelled to go to a restaurant.
 New York clubs, although they are com monly regarded as very expensive, allow their members to dine much more req sonably than they can at restaurants. The expense of a club kitchen usually depends on the extent to which 1t is patronzed. When the club is large and the members use the restaurant frequently, prices will be cheaper. It is a curious fact that glass of whisky costs at the Union club less than it does in a corner barroom. It can be bought at the club for 12 cents, and the quality is of course the best. The man who pays b cents in barroom may get a good drink, but it is certain that the quality will not be impeccabe The cheapness of the club price is due to the lack of desire tc make any profit. Wines are for the same reason much cheaper in clubs than in hotels, and many mem bers stock their cellars from their clubs. A doctor explained his membership in a club near his house by saying that his livery bills were so much cheaper that he could not afford to leave the club. It is in their restaurants, however, that the clubs offer the greatest bargains to their members.
 The Knickerbocker is not a large club, and it's restaurant, although accounted one of the best, has not the extensive pa tronage of some others. The difference between prices here and at Sherry's how ever, is very marked. A canvasback duck at the club costs $3.75 while at Sherry's it is S5 and at Delmonico's $4.75. Buddy duck at the Knickerbocker is $1.75 at Sherry's s2.25. at Delmonicos $2. at the Union club $1.75 and at the University $1 50. Canvasback ducks at the University cost only $3.50 and at the Union they are s4.25. The University can make such good terms for the members because of it's large patronage and it's excellent fla cilities. It gives it's members turkey stuffed with chestnuts for 80 cents, and the KniciSerbocker gives its famous breast of capon for only 60 cents. Such dish
 
 cost more than sl.
 The Racquet and Tennis club offers it's members a comparatively small menu every day, but it puts it's prices down to a figure much below the restaurant average in that Fifth avenue neighbor- hood. The customary dinner bills con tains such dishes as rack of lamb 30 cents: larded sweetbreads with asparagus tips, D cents; tenderloin steak with mar row. 60 cents. Terrapin, of which the club makes a speciality. costs s275. which 1 is 9 cents more than the same dish costs at the University, while it is seldom less than s5 at the Fifth avenue restaurants. | The Union offers a much more elaborate menu than any other New York club, and
 tine prices gre proportionatey greater | These are on the daily menu twenty-one | different ways of serving beefsteal and l prices range from 60 cents to S2 There l are sixteen ways of preparing chicken { Such culinary skill demands genius in a