The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-05
FAMOUS CLUB WILL
FIGURE IN HISTORY
Alpha Organization Establish
ed Long Ago Soon to Be
No More.
PROMINENT A LONG TIME.
PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN
REPUBLICAN AFFAIRS SINCE
THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM LIN
COLN-lTS PURPOSE.

New York. April 4.-After having
been in existence nearly half centu-
ny and having played a prominent part
in republican affairs since the days of
Abraham Lincoln, the Alpha club, one
of the first permanent republican
clubs organized in America, will pass
out of existence soon. The club
house, at 60 avenue D, now deserted
and surrounded by tenements filled
with poor foreigners, will be closed
within a few days and the furnishings
and funds of the club will b divided
among the ten or twelve members who
have remained faithful to the old or
ganization. 1t was in 1861 that the
Alpha club was organized. It's CON
stitutiOn states that the two greater
purposes of the club are to inculcate
the principles of the republican party
and to furnish a gathering place for
the young men Of the community, so
that they would be prevented from con-
gregating i'll saloons. When the club
was organized it took quarters at OBS
Fifth street. then in the heart of the
shipbuilding district. Within few
hundred yards of its doors the famous
ironclad ram, the first of it's kind, was
built for the United States navy dur
ing the civil war. Later it was sold
to England With the most promi-
nent business men of the district as its
members, the club attracted a great
deal of attention. Whenever Abra-
ham Lincoln. then president, visited
New York city, he called at the Alpha
club rooms. Several pictures of him
adorn the walls of the old club house,
and in a place of honor is an Oil paint
ing of a dog called Sport" which Mr..
Lincoln gave to member of the club.
The picture was painted by John
Squires. OF the 100 or more charter
members of the organization, there is
only one who is still faithful to the
club or is still living in New York
city He is Richard Smith, who re-
sides in the same building in which the
club now has rooms in the basement.
Smith is a civil war veteran. After re-
turning from the war, through Alpha
club influences he was made a clerk
in the postoffice, and has remained
there since. With ten or twelve other
members of the club who have been To-
Gated through Smiths efforts, he will
divide the $500 in the club treasury
and the many invaluable relics of cam
paigns long since forgotten. Among
these relics is a picture of Henry Clay,
painted in 1910, and presented to the
club by a prominent Wing of Clay s
day. With tears in his eyes Smith
told yesterday of the days when the AL
pha club was the most prominent bus
mess mems republican club in New
York city. On the register, in addi
ton to the name of Abraham Lincoln
theere appears frequently the name OF
President Arthur, who was close
friend of nearly every memer. James
G. Blaine stopped at the Alpha club
house frequently on his trips from
Maine to Washington. Besides
Smith among the few remaining mem
bers of the club are Charles Page of the
election commissioners office. Jacot
Katzenstein, it's last and present presi
dent; Albert Koppel. Henry w. Far
mer and Samuel Young.