The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-06
PRICES up AT fH Gibbs
ROOMS, MEALS, DRINKS, AL
COSF 4 LITTLE MORg.
Devices Csed by H0ase Committees 20
onset the Increased cssa 20 tstsmg
Small DecaateFS HnSteaa &c UB-
hHnsteSi nrtnks-CluO mesaanranea

onset the Enereasea cSsa % tstsng
small Decaaters EnseeAa a. In-
hinsted Drsnks-c1uD messsnraats
Scores Of clubs. like thouuands Of
private families. sharply feel The In
creased COST Of living. Il comes houak al
once to the club nember and b ths ONO
management 7'''
club member~hip ~ not % saaiIy kspt
up 10 the limit a. Il wAs fsw yeMrs ago
and Nonresident msmberuhip. watch 70
profitable 20 most clubs, especially tsnds
20 fall Oh. The non-residene nasuober
feels the increased cost Of club living
perhaps even more than ehs resident
member. for the non-residsne when In
town often makes the oIllb his home and
quickly discovers any advance IN tho price
Of food and lodging The thing esssps
up ON the res'dent msmber rnSre 4
SidiOusly unless he happens TO be q IodeCs
! In the clubhouse. rs
Club lodgings have had an up~urSi
tendency for several years past Few
clubs now provide even anall rooms a.
less than 81 30 n night and perhaps most
really comfortable clubs iisve q minfraum
lodging charge Of at least % q niEh9
Restaurant prices have bssa quIstly
boosted in most clubs by means % enc
or moro little sub.erfuges. Ths covew
charge Of ten or fifteen cents q cover has
put some house committees On IT, right
side OF the ledger. Il means an exaction
OF something between $50 and siyo year
from frequentsys OF the stub restaurant
and an addition OF 10. Is o. 20 Pee cent
to the oocaAiouAl meals OF men Who drop
in now and then. Reduction - pceson
rather than the raising OF prices seems
the favorits i1sthod OF squss1ing more
out OF the restaurant, though both plans
have been workedwith eject In sonns clubs
There are not 90 many tnbles d-hots
as there used TO Do In NSw Ycgsf Gibbs,
and the table d'hote price ssnds upWard
There were a good many such dinnsrs
at rs cents q do1en years ago; thsge are
few nov At less than . dollar. ana She
table d'hote breakfast. although recently
adopted at one or two clubs. Ia no longer
regarded with favor by house comnittess.
Wine j. now seldom included In the table
d'hots dinner price and the table d'hote
luncheon has almost disappeared.
Prices Of winae as good clubs In New
York have tended upward for some time
because house committees havo thought
losses on food might thus DO reoouped.
In the few clubs where wine 10 ssrved
with the table d'hote a little trick has
occasionally been played OF dlhiting the
win oruinaire with water. N 10 pqs-
sible to buy n sound and relatively good
French claret ~ considerable body,
dilute IL With q percentage OF distiIlsd
water and serve II at a table dhote 80
the satisfaction even OF the critical.
In clubs where the table d'hote with
wine - largely popular the house cotn-
vine. for such vine then goes 90 fasi
that n u In no danger ~ suffering damage
IN being drawn from the wood A good
many American vince. by reason Of some
unstable aud snbjeot t0 diaAgupeable
alteration with age, though this V not
% often the case ~ II Vas fifteen or twenty
years ago.
some clubs are trying 60 nSake more
money on their drinks OF all sOrts The
decline Of mixed drinks has been q soErce
OF loss To many clubc within the last
twenty years 4 harkeepers time costs
lust 20 much whether he ~ busy or idle.
and mixed drinks. which keep NJ m buoy.
are usually pat az a higher price than
plain wine or whskey. beer or aie.
fe~ clubs cling % two for a quarter
ssrcktail tariH. bat others have edvnneeo
TO % cents strsisss. On, One q The larsss s
even yet sticks to a curious fee btu Ia the
matter OF drinks Here MIXED, dr4nlss
are served ri all sSrte Of odd prieees -
- OF ~ cents sppGreosiy upon the usorJ
Some ct the best clubs have tA@ hos
pitabie Old habit Of carving DRINKS IN. tns
bottle or large decanfer. 9nd perinEyslne
members 20 take what they VIII as dftrk
and Keep TAB on The nSrn v snsy eIks
and VI IS a little disconcarting 70 know
that walters have now ard than been
caught with bottle or decasaeer ae their
lips as they disappsarUd toward mo ceP
alter serving a member.
As a contrivance Of sconDny the pepy
decarteF has been found pruntsAhio N
some clubs. Cwic,tsly onou&h these
little decsntsrs, which are supposed -
hold A normal drink OF whia<eY. are sol
don, used for serving any other liquor.
Etiquetts or tradition reputrea that
por1 and sherry be served eiEheg IN
large decsnter from which ths member
pours his own drink OF IN . small conscal
'bat the iserry glass be fiIed 20 the 5rirn
by the bark eeper and thar the giamm 81
port shall not be quite full. AZ . matter
~ fAct port - seldom served at the clubs
except as an after dinner drink. and not
american ports and shevriss cut ne
great figure on the wine lists Of the bGEter
clubs. but are much used n the Kitchen
Tho current price OF IS cents q gtesN To-
good imported sherry y not highly
profitable 10 the club. 1hsce 10 n good
deal more profit IN hqneuEs ~ cHreny
ratss OF IS. ~ and IS cents for q tiSy giass.
which ~ often two-thirJis zee
Al the Accessories furnished by the
,lubs tend upward with meats and drinks.
Cub house committees are trying 60
make a little more on tobacco than they
Ised to make The billiard tariff 10
ooEed 20 more sharply AID the cardroon
hese gains are Offset. II not by Losses on
'oOd then by the increased comforts and
that clubs have been
orced 90 grant their members.