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Show 4 The Passing of an Ancient Punch By Frederic J. Haskin. ANNAPOLIS. Md.. March , S'L A punch that lias l-een solemnly concoct, d nceor-1-iric to a secret recipe, ard as soiomnly iiuaffed by a company of diM Inu'uished ueiitlemen four times each year for al-tnest al-tnest two centuries, is one of the venerable venera-ble Institutions whi.-h is threatened bv the coining of the sreat national drought neTt July. This punch, which Is repute! to be the most potent and delicious ever brewed, is the special prido and luxury of the old South River club, a few miles from this town. No one knows for certain liovv old the club 1?, but it Is a matter of record rec-ord that the clubhouse bun:.d down and was rebuilt In 1 7 4 J . and la IT II Ye Maryland Mary-land Gazette rnentioned It as tb.e "ancient South P.lver club!" At any rale, the club Is much older than this nut'.on. and the fire did ft no serious Irirm, for the punch bowl a"d the punch re.-lpe were saved from tbe flames, and the records chow that a committee com-mittee wa.s nppo Intel to commie a new list of th niemheri. That li-t. bv the way. is a distlr.'-T'tiphed one, for the South filver club lias Included In its mrmt'ir-ship mrmt'ir-ship distimrui.-hed men of every :;.'nera-tlon :;.'nera-tlon In tbe history of America. The euih still number i:reat men amonc; Its members, mem-bers, but tho mem! ership Is not so Important. Im-portant. Tho punch Is the thii.c! The club was built about Vs punch bowl and Its cuard-'d rc-lpe. ns Ivy proiv s avout the oak. It hecrnn with tho discovery or Invention of th" punch. a:.d H meet primarily for the di.c'issbin of said punch. The flienssion takes place four times a year, and each of the numbers serves a bo-.-t In turn, llis Prst duty Is to provide the materials for aud to concoct con-coct the pun-'h. And now tbe welchly oucstlon nrlre. can this punch still be li--allv nod ethlcnllv mule nod drunk? True, the law s ivs nothinfr nl out maltimt or drlnk-lui- punch, hut It fill's much about the maniifaclM, im; and transport ii-u of Honor Mayhap 'he ills! i mtaislied members mem-bers of the South l'.lver club will forestall fore-stall the catastrophe by slorim; he nci.i-ed nci.i-ed liutredlcots In sufllcient ouantdy to last a couple of more centuries. If not, the club wl'l. In more than one sense, lose lis punch. The "Knl.-s of fonduof." apptrent.v adopted when tho cbib v. as foi'-m.-I. contain con-tain this provision for the s.i I Is! a ot ion of the Inner man: "That the steward that nnpoars not In person or by his proxy at tbe usual place of meetlmr. provided with two and n half en linns of spirits wilh Ingredients In-gredients 'or to.tdv. by t o'clock, and with a sofd. ienl dinner, wilh ri.on pines and tobacco, shall s.-rvo tin- followim: idob dav for audi .lefau't." So the "toil.lv." now procr.-se, to punch. was evidently con'. lorod at least In the order of place in (he rules.-ahead rules.-ahead of tbe .llnne-. llow.-ve-. that the nierrv (',-n'lenien "ho fin mod I he club rccoriil7.."l Ibe dcadhness of their secret brew' and the dnmt-is In too onr;thv a pea-Ion over lis persuasive call. Is Indicted Indi-cted bv another rule which sllpnlalcs thai "Ihere be no Honor mixed after o'clock In summer and t o'clock In winter win-ter and thai there be no swcarliur, III-lanitiiafe III-lanitiiafe or any Kind of pa mint; In the said I'oolctv." The meellnrs are held In the n im I n t little old clobl onsc cro-lcd In 17 1'' "O Ihe site of the ur-.t mec la,; nlace. which had been ilctroiol bv lire at about thai I lino I" "'Is elub1ii.it.' '. which i lands In the middle of some iircil ..alt Irc-s several miles ft run , iin.i nobs. I hero r-1 ill remain In a. live service interest Inn relics of II ailv tin vs.- These Include Ihe ,,1.1 punch bow! fl "in which Ibe ,-,,va r."l - a rteil I" have drunk Ihe health and to the vletoty of Ihe doke oT Cumberland ; Ihe bunon suuee...,- of Ini-pre'-slve wehjht and site: tiie punch ladle, mlvlni--sl!ck. rusb-holloinid .-halts. , eon-bot d.-red l-ai-:li"h plalters. and an ob hroder Not tbe least Inl.ueslliie id the possessions oT tbe club are the l.rntss lt preseole I lo- a visitor (mm 1'blla-(lelphia 1'blla-(lelphia lii I. 'Ill mnl !' u-e-l o:i mi'. I da's bv lb" mcmbei" The rubs. In an ,'ld frame, arc al"o still III p.c'.csslon of the or.c.nl-'atioli Tin- loeMiOev bio of the club Is ts.iv limited lim-ited to twrlilv-ln'c. b . cam .. of tbe snuiM- ;..,.,. f ,1", ,.,,;-l,o,,."o. Mil I!. I". "I'd liia been for Mens, a ivillilie bit several limes the size .of ill" adlve 1 1 hi 1 1 be rsb I i roll p,e clubhouse, lo- I nr. Wat-. I I well . worth a Irlp lo Ihe club, oven II ,1, one ,, ,,, . f'.l I ' 1 1 1 .' i ' a" to be- (. 1, 1,1, -.I noiom- tlie lucllod i.-ue-'ls. of which a llnihe.l number In nll"cil each m. inher ,, tbe dnv be Is ..'II b"' l steward. It I,, ,,,ie-"l..rv and I. Mlo I .i ; i ' , I i 1 1 , will! ,.hlni:l-'l r.."f mi'l '"' ' ' ' ,, 1 n t oe In' - e . ol 11.,. In. i n" ' ., one of ll.e old f.i hlo'i. d 11: I'lco" In which n o.b.iler ol a . or. I ..f w I .'..n'.l - Hv I... placed. im II'" v..,! li.iM!--i a ' e,,,,, ,.1,-te f" lor Of th" ' bib !. o I', I", rlvlii- III- "-im"". . '"' '.ill llilrly 1 ,;.,!.,., prior lo tli.,1 .tale. , ,,, Ii,,," ' e-.' li ', ..u '" r-'c.!"l Tl lie lo lb- on .nil... "' ,.,,., .ml ircinbcr p.iThrrs tncrtfier th rountry- J U'iiioJ hni:s, tlio proni'tiy fatfoneil ntivl i wonilcrl'iiih- -''kM tiirUfv, the (.'hosa-i (.'hosa-i vakii bav ovsIh'm, tho c: i!p c'Ktv nnd nil I ho other' (liicu-s ncrfssiiy, which nre fonkril I y an old foinhcrn "niamniv' ' a :i) tsorvcil by "m.wnmy V huhaiul. Thn conii'o t)-. M l ano and dliuh I f ul hvcw nii'.iln from "two and a half Rtilons of spirit ami tho innM'ents fur toddy." Ihn piiiIht ciullo pmvUlo that, nt tlie chf ol" lis stewardship of a day. he ".ha!l .-i-'-ino tho honso, lake care of tlio bnwls, ths's, ole, and ho fdiall send tiif ko R and tho booit b tho fuc-oodinil :.lia;d a t li ant oi; i 1 1 days previous lo tlio tiino of siT iim, and in default thereof there-of ho (d,:i;l Forio in bin :;teid." Tlio spirit and purpose ot tho club are slinwn mi l!io rub- which docrors lhat "hIioiiH any iiilj'iindoi'Ntandir.c: or difference differ-ence hap' -n bi'twoon any of tho members in tho club, 4' voi' niotubrr brlonuini? to the society shall be In duly bound to endeavor en-deavor to briiuT about n reconciliation." Ibnv the sanctity of tlio meoiinn was uard.'d when tho Rcntlomon of old pot toi;.-il,. r for a dinner, a hmvl and a chat, is shown in tin' provision lhat no member shall "in ito his frlen I or friends Into tho club" until he lias "reduced their names in writing and tlie name shall bo han ib-1 1 miiiid to tlie members piev ions 'lo uiniiu;." Kurthor. it is provided that tf any siranuer or strangers invited shall, "after lea v In, k the olub, mak o known or disclose :uiy pa rt of the com ersa t ion during the eoui'so of t h e' a I't ernoon, tending tend-ing to tlie prejudice of any mom her or members, ho can never thereafter be admitted either as a friend or aa a mem-her mem-her of tho HO'dely." Ibit while a!l liie-o rules are befnir ear-rled ear-rled out to the fullest measure po.isih'io, what is uoiiik' to hapieii to the yerin member on Jul " 4 nel when lie, lor Ihe til-.t time in the history of the club, ap-h'iii-m minus his strictly en.loined "two mnl a hull' Kd'"1 "I" Mdrit and tho iti-ei'i'd iti-ei'i'd ifii Is for makinv; todd v V" . lit 1 l.' " |
