Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-08
The Cosmos Club
BY Frederic ]. Haskin


minutes later the car swings down II
street. and he calls. Cosmos Cub
nothing but eranks here"
This in one OF the mepaphone man s
favorite quipa, for it always gets lnugh.
His brief summary Of the Cosmos Club rs
not of course, to be taken seriously, but
there is record of one middle-aged
tourist who put mp her classes and re-
marked with disfavor, "Timphi ] should
think even cranks could find n prettier
flower than COSMOS To name "A club after"
Cosmos Club members tell this story
with gusto Eighty per cent Of the club
are scientists and the flower and crank
joke happens to appeal to the scientific
mind.
The name Cosmos. ms Won probably
guessed, was chosen because it means
universe, and not for any floral associa-
ton The Cosmos Club is a national
organization Of men who have distin-
v,Isihed themselves in science, literature,
the fine arts, and IN public service, FIX
President Taft, President Wilson, and
number Of cabinet officers and supreme
court justices are members, as well as
such men as Bell, The inventor, OF the
telephone, Frank Chapman. the bird
authority, William Jennings Bryan. Cen
eral Gorgas, and twenty-odd presidents
now THE rREsDENT JOINED.
Members Of the club who tell the tour
iat story like TO follow it up with the
account of President Wilson's entry INTO
their ranks When MIR Wilson was first
elected 10 the Presidency, they tell YOU
he received word from n Washington
country club that he had becn taken into
its membership This move did not alto
eether please Mr.. Wilson lie told .
friend that the club should have inquired
whether he wished to join before electing
him. Then no added If it had been the
Cosmos Club. now, ] should have es-
teemed IL an honor.
The club learned Of this and promptly
extended an invitation
The Cosmos Club regards itself as
friend Of science and art especially
science. It opens its lecture hall to
scientific societies. and it offers rs hos
pitalify to congeniaI spirits who vlsr
Washi ngton 1t Is the national haven for
scientists, ono 0f the few places where
large numbers of the learned gather to be
relatively frivolous.
The atmosphere Of the Cosmos Club Is
dipnIfied and scholarly In its softly
lighted halls mon Of science relax md talk
of things which rest their minds, but
which would reduce BRAN fag ~ any
/ ordinary mortal
Thore Il no record to show exactly what
discoveries Of science may be Traced 70 the
| quiet discussions in the corners of the
+ cIuhrouns. But members say that when
such men rs GalIaudct, the great teacher
i Of the deaf, General Greely, the explorer,
/ and NeWcomb, the astronomer. mct AZ
/ the club. there were bound TO be advances
In scientific lines.
THEORIES THREsHED OUT.
When the Elnstein theory of relatively
vas first introduced. for example u
created wide stir among the club : men
of science. Nothing was talked 0f but
whether tFfs new theory could be accepted
IN place Of the old IDEAS ri the solar sys-
tenn Tor weeks there was uninterrupted
technical discussion, conducted more or
+ iess In rela ys As one member retired to
gct his breath and drink ot water
another would take his place Members
sad iokInglv that several baskets of
| fragments Of the old solar system were
| swept out Of the Cosmos Club by the
! ianltor every morning Finally, the new
| theory won over the best takers, and the
excitement died down, but here i always
a nes- controversy IN some tleld q seicnco,
| and Einstein VAS never missed.
The home OF the national SCIENTIFIC
club Is tie old residence III that plctur-
eSatie persun. Dolly Madison. The old gray
manson stands at the corner q II street
| and Madison Place overlooking Lafayette
square Here. Mist ress Dolly lived
! twelve wears as i WIDOW Her reccpuo on
room the c uh has always kept as she eit
! II. bat the rest Of the house mas been
remodelci and enlarged In the end,
Mistress Dolly house proved inadequate
and several pieces oE ADJOINING property
were brought at different tunes 70 TnaSt
room for d restaurant, auditorium, II
brurles and bedrooms.
AsIde from tW0 portraits q Dolly
Madison. lev relies OF her are IA Inc club
One of these paintings vas made tor th'
Nhlte House hut Congress, for SOM
forgotten reason. refused 10 pay for tht
work when finished. ears later, IN
artists wllIed his picture 10 the club, .
that II might hang IN the old Nadisoi
house
The Cosmos Club Is forty-two year
old Back IN the seventies, there va
already a large number ol scientific men
IN Washington not only those IN IN
federal service. but men who came 70 q
business With the government and E
work n the Congressional Library n
most complete library IN the country
some a# tiEG@ss Attn At#E iifttA = tattst
Society. and met IN Ford TheatTc WhlcI
had been turned into he Surgeon Gess
eraI Oalcc s.nec Lincoln 5 assassination
there
NEEDED a cLUH
These meetings With their heav,
technical papers. were not altogetht
satisfying. even II the Philosophers, !
one ri the members SAID. the army othe
with Is endless TONS ot stiff black houn
book aud scarcely more cheerful colore
pictures ii human anstamN, Ma q
Austera for n recreation center. even
scientific one Tor a while the fhlios,
pliers sought t, dtspei the gloom OF th
medical atmosphere IN adlourning - II
corner e. drink beer and cxtol scieu.
n a more informal meeting III Isn
tbs auti.lotts lost souc ri lis power y
finally some philosopher whose maine
auhapp1v forgotten. thought Of haNt
Il club house. Since them the hlsforN
the club Is respectfully. seicnQtc2ll