The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-04
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu RE AU
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. G
PASSING OF AN ANCIENT PUNCH
Washington, d. C.

Anna polls, Nd, March IA punch
that has been solennly concoeted ac-
cording to Secret recipe. and as sol
EMMY quaffed by a company of distin-
guished gentlemen four times each
year for almost two centuries is one
of the venerable institutions which is
threatened by the coming of the great
national drouth next July.
This punch, which is reputed to be
the most potent and delicious ever
brewed, is the special pride and luxury
of the old South River club, a few
miles from this town. No one knows
for certain how old the club is, but
it is a matter of record that the club
house burned down and was rebuilt in
1742. and in 1F46, Eye Maryland Ga
zette" mentioned it as the ancient
South River club"
AT any rate, the club is much older
than this nation, and the fire did 1t
no serious harm, for the punch bowl ,
and the punch recipe were saved from
the flames. and the records show that
a committee was appointed to COM
pile new list of the members. That
| list, by the way, is distin guiShed one,
for the South River club has included
in its membership distinguished men
! of every generation in the history of
America. The club still numbers great
men among its members, hut the
membership is not so important. The
punch is the thing! The club was
built about its punch bowl and it's
guarded recipe, as ivy grows about the
oak, 1t began with the discovery or
| invention of the punch, and it meets
primarily for, the discussion of said
punch. The discussion takes place
four times a year, and each of the
members serves as host in turn. His
first duty is to provide the materials
for and to concoct the punch.
And now the weighty question
] ST he w
and ethical1y made and drunk? True.
| the law says nothing about making or
| drinking punch. but It says much
about the manufacture and transport
| ing liquor. Mayhap the distinguished
members of the South River club will
| forestaI the catastrophe by storing the
needed ingredients in sufficient guam
| tity to last a couple of more centuries
| If not, the club will in more than
one sense, lose its punch.
The RULES of Conduct" apparently
\ adopted when the club was formed,
contain this provision for the satisfac-
| ton of the inner man.. THAT the stew
| ard that appears not in person or by
his proxy at the usual place of meet
| ing provided with two and If gal
Ions of spirits with ingredients for
| toddy. by 1 o'clock, and with a suf-
ficient dinner, with clean pipes and
! tobacco, shall serve the following club
| day for such default"
So the 'toddy," now progressed to
punch, was evidently considered-at
| least in the order of place in the rules
ahead of the dinner. However, that
the merrie gentlemen who formed the
club recognized the deadliness of their
secret brew, and the dangers in too
lengthy a session over its persuasive
call, is indicated by another rule which
stipulates that there be no liquor.
mixed after s O'Clock in summer and
4 O'Clock in the winter, and that there
be no swearing i1l-language or any
kind of gaming in the said society,"
The meetings are held in the quaint
little old club house erected in 1742.
| on the site of the first meeting place
which had been destroyed by fire at
about that time. In this club house.
which stands in. the shade of some
great oak trees. several miles from
Annapolis, there still remain in active
service interesting relics of the early
days. These include the old punch
bowl from which the royal governor
is asserted to have drunk the health
and to the victory of the Duke of
Cumberland; the lemon squeeZer of
impressive weight and size; the punch
ladle, mixing stick, rush bottomed
chairs, green bordered English plat
tiers, and an old brazier. Not the least
interesting of the possessions of the
club are the brass quoits presented by
"a visitor from Philadelphia in 1742
and still used on mild days by the
members. The rules in an old frame
are also still in possession of the or
ganiZation.
The membership of the club is now
limited to twenty-five because of the
smallness of the club house, but there
is, and has been for years, a waiting
list several times the size of the active
membership roll.
The club house, by the way, is well
worth a trip to the club even tho one
be not SO fortunate as to be included
among the invited guests, of which a
limited number is allowed each mem
Der on the day he is serving as ste
ward. 1t is one story and attic
building, with shingled roof and a
small kitchen attached. In the larger
of the two rooms is one of the old
fashioned fireplaces in which a quar-
ter of a cord of wood could easily be
placed. On the walls hangs a COM
plete roster of the club since 4742,
giving the names also of about thirty
members prior to that date.
Four times each year. on the second
, Thursday in the month, the dinners
and club gatherings are held. The
serving member gathers together the
] country cured hams, the properly fat
tened and wonderfully cooked turkey,
the Chesapeake bay oysters. the crisp
celery and all the other things neces-
: sary, which are cooked by an old
5 Southern NANNY and served by
"mammYs" husband. Then comes the
strange and delightful brew made
from two and a half gallons of spirit
and the ingredients for toddy.''
: His further duties provide that, at
I the close of his stewardship of day,
he shall secure the house. take care
of the bowls, glasses, etc, and he shall
r send the keys and the book to the
= succeeding steward at least eight days
previous to the time of serving, and
in default thereof he shall serve in his
e stead -
vi The spirit and purpose of the club
are shown in the rule which DEGREES
that should any misunderstanding OF
difference happen between any of the
4 members in the club, every member
: belonging to the society shall be in
duty bound to endeavor to bring about
a reconciliation"
How the sanctity of the meeting was