The sun., 1919-08-24

II ACH year during the month Of
August a picturesque pilgrim
age to California is noted in
the annals of clubdom in every city of
consequence in the United States.
Men distinguished in the field of art
and literature, claiming membership
in. smart clubs all over the country,
quietly take thejSdeparture from their
.haunts Of business and pleasure and
Journey westward to be present at
the annual performance Of the Grove
tPlay in the famous Redwood Forest
cTheatre on the Russian River, owned
by the Bohemian Club of San Fran
cisco, on the last Saturday night in
August.
4, This yearly pilgrimage to the Bo-
-hemian midsumer jinks in California
ehas come to be recognized as peculiar
phase of "art worship" among Ameri-
can clubmen, and the departure of a
flew of it's chosen members to partici-
pate in the event Is a matter of inter
eest to every club in the country.
Ilt STONe Is WIFI
ten and produced with no thought of
swhat dramatic critics will say of 1t;
sig%ith no eye or box Office receipts: :
awith no conventional, mercenary or
etraditionary shackles binding the in
SEPARATION of genius. 1t is neither pub
-hshed nor sold. though the author puts
rat least a year of work upon it's writ
ding, and it is staged only once-elab-
orately and expensively-on the last
might Of the midsummer encampment
sin the Bohemian Grove, for the pleas
sure of the members of the club and a
elimited number of male visitors (they
emust be non-residents Of California;
Ewhose distinction makes them eligible
-as guests, and whose appreciation is
equal to the entertainment they arS
ygiven the privilege of enjoying.
Known Throughout World.
So high Is the repute that has been
attained by these dramatic representa-
.tions that they are known to the dis
eliminating throughout the world, and
no man is too exalted to accept eagerly
IAN invitation to witness one OF them.
Many foreigner of distinguished
rank whose acquaintance with Bo-
hemians could procure for him the
Hcoveted visitors card has timed his
"trip to San Francisco to make 1t coin
xcide with the midsummer jinks in the
sclub's grove. Men retaining their
dnembership in the Bohemian Club
after transferring their residences to
3New York or Boston journey across
sthe continent each year to meet with
stheir fellows at the two weeks outing
sdn the shadow of the giant redwoods,
sand before the war a number of these
ILhad made the trip from London and
LParis annually for years to see this
unique and incompatible play which
marks the closing night of the forest
erevel.
.. For the last two years the "call to
Jsarms" has affected the size and the
snature of the audiences. Officers OF
Rthe regular army and navy, always
neonspicuous for their presence, have
xbeen missing since the 1915 play, when
sGen. Pershing was a light hearted
zguest few weeks before the tragic
accident that bereft him of wife and
schildren, and when the gigantic re-
ssponsibility so soon to be thrust upon
thim Of leading the American army to
ohght the German in Europe was un-
Thought of.
e Most OF the younger members, many
sof whom have fought and bled and
sfiied on the battlefields of France. were
out of the cast for the first time In
eyears. but otherwise the annual GUS
tom Of presenting the Grove Play on
ats usual date-the last Saturday night
sin August--has gone on.
- Many VIII He Missing.
;, When the men meet this year there
win be many missing who will never
return and the ceremonial Burial of
eEare" will have new Significance
fraught with the memory of brave and
loyal Bohemians who have made the
supreme sacrifice.
Ar for arts sake" has been the
rsiogan OF the group Of Western men