| Show WAKEMANS L LONDON june 12 1893 beaumont and fletcher johnson shakespeare Shak speare goldsmith dr johnson and boswell sir joshua reynolds addison burke steele walpole and scores more famous r den of letters and art in their time resorted te sorted to little dingy old public houses for coffee ale gaming and exchange of a sort of intellectual savagery the friction of which undoubtedly provided a virile and needful inspiration and the history of these ancient coffee houses the forerunners of the great london clubs of today comprises al anost the social history of english art and literature while there are at the present time more than one hundred wealthy and noted london clubs there are really no resorts answering the same purpose as toms wills and but tons of the augustan literary feriod period of anne the joyous neigh I 1 of covent garden as thackeray remembered it and inimitably described it is only a joyous neighborhood of mellow memories and the old time genial E anial about st jamess palace Is transformed into a sombre neighborhood which like the newer clu blands of piccadilly and pall mall is oppressive in its splendor and stateliness of the very old clubs of london still existing like arthurs brookss white s and the Cocoa tree all located in st james street whites is by far the most noteworthy and aristocratic it is older than the bank of E england n g land it was really the he first of f the great english clubs as they are known today but it was never the resort ot of literary men and wits it is purely a social club and its members were chiefly noblemen and those leaders of aristocratic government including all of glands En prime mini ministers from walpole to peel and t their ir powerful colleagues who shaped sh aped national measures and controlled natural acquisition steele clearly defined its earliest status as well as that of the noted wills and grecian when he wrote in the that all accounts of gallantry pleasure and entertainment hall be under the article of whites chocolate house while wills was to furnish the poetry and the grecian the learning whites is still undoubtedly the most exclusive and aristocratic club in the world its windows look out upon the corinthian facade of the almost as aristocratic to cratic and architecturally more stately conservative conservative club opposite on st james street its dinners are the most ceremonious known all of the old time english formality is here sacredly reserved preserved vu and undoubtedly more blue e blooded englishmen have ogled lai aur r ladies from its famous bow window P than an from any other single place in britain perhaps it has not been the scene of the most in ost dangerous gaming in ingland england but there is no other purely so social cial resort in all the world where betting has been so constant universal and revoked on so slight pretext its etting betting book which could be sold for thousands of pounds for its noble and famous camous si signatures natures has been preserved and is is still in use thousands of these re registered e T i estered bets are of the most whimsical ca character comprising every conceivable cei vable difference of judgment on affairs of love marriage intrigue and politics here are a f few ew literal trant captions with their dates ld lincoln bets ld one hundred guineas to fifty guineas that the duchess dowager dow ger of marlborough does not survive the duchess dowager of cleveland ocar ye 5 1745 1743 lord montfort bets mr W fauquier Fan fi fifty guineas that lady juxon has a child born alive before lady burleigh june 8 1749 mr balfour bets lord conyngham ten guineas to five that Buona parte is is alive six months after the commencement of hostilities between england and france may 14 1803 mr talbot bets mr charles corne wall ten guineas that we are at war with america this day six months august i 1 1812 lord falmouth bets the duke of richmond xa 5 that an esquire is qualified to kill game feb io 10 1825 lord glasgow bets lord bentinck aioo that sir robert peel continues first mi misi sister sier of the crown until three years hence jan 27 1846 lord stanley bets lord bath 56 to 25 that mr disraeli does not continue to be chancellor of the exchequer from this day until march 15 1852 lord bath bets lord de lisle xa 5 that a jew peer takes his seat in the house of lords within five years from this date june 18 1866 the political division of london clubs is most mosi notable with and between the carlton and the reform clubs the palatial headquarters and homes of the two great political pofi parties of england they are both located in pall mall the windows of the one almost looking into those of the other and entirely aside from the irreconcilable disparity ot of their political teachings and efforts they are equally as famous in it their rivalry as to what might be termed the extravagance of modern club life the duke of wellington was founder of the carlton carlto n a little over fifty years ago it gradually became the headquarters ot of the landed aristocracy then those great corporate institutions of britain manufacturing and monetary whose interests were identical with those ot the hereditary aristocracy came to have representation in it it is is a notorious fact that more money has always been instantly available through the carlton club for political purposes than through any other single party in europe whether in or out of power it is the actual fighting headquarters of the entire conservative or tory party of britain the dignity and grandeur r a of the carlton are splendid the it h e exterior of the building is most imposing massiveness si gi veness strength simplicity and splendor speak from fr om the he t granite walls and flashing columns the interior is grand grave stately and impressive rock rooted the st structure appointments regime and the very manner air dress and ana language of the seem to convey v ey but the splendid establishment is sombre and dull and only during general elections or in times of great political excitement are there flash and go of a stirring character about the fine lo 10 firm rm place then an onlooker is made to know strength that has tremendous outreach ings a power which is mighty it if often silent and to feel almost a thrill of admiration for the very adamantine character of those men and measures in england that have by simply clutching holding and warding gained so much and so long the reform club is about sixty years old its origin was through the influence of cobden cobain and bright and was a direct national response to a pr pressing essing need for a reform headquarters during the intense interest awakened by the famous bill of 1830 32 its members co comprise more mor e london and provincial editors and political writers than perhaps belong to all other clubs in london but it has tremendous wealth and many titles in its membership carte blanche was given for the construction of its building which is at one side of the entrance to carlton house terrace the carlton standing on the opposite corner and for its interior decoration and appointments no other london club possesses so diversified a membership in station vocation and views but as it represents the concentration of all opposition to though it comprises at times almost countless factional elements its wealth strength and permanency have been remarkable the building is in the pure italian aki style massive rich and simple the central hall open from floor to dome and surrounded by massively colonnaded galleries is one of the richest and most stately interiors in england A splendid staircase leads to the upper gallery which opens to the princ principal apartments of the club the occupies the beautiful garden front on carlton house terrace and the drawing room which runs the entire length 0 ot t the building is just above 0 one ne 0 of f t the h e galleries of the central hall is filled with full length portraits of the heroes of reform and the other possesses magnificent frescoes illustrating the fine arts while the statuary the richest and most frequent in any london club houses immortalizes immortal izes the great leaders like cobden bright palmerston russell and gladstone there is only one just appellative to us when speaking of every feature ot of this great club that is magnificent ht both the carlton and the reform are famous for their cuisines cui sines and chefs and the reform is said to have the most famous public wine cellar in europe with the extraordinary prestige wealth and influence of both these clubs and a limited membership for instance the carlton is limited to 1600 members and the reform to 1400 ovet overflow flow clubs were a natural sequence with the carlton which contains iia the bluest blood in england death vacancies are the only means of J securing entrance men wait foort twenty to thirty years for admission save in in cases v when rhen some great le leader adera TO the tories tones dies when his heir is usually elected to fill the vacancy the junior jun ilor carlton was consequently establishes established as a chapel of ease for the carlton and the national liberal with the same sam relation to the reform the former has a membership of 1100 and the latt latter erv with its splendid establishment overlooking the thames has eions for members there are aso with conservative or tory affiliations the conservative city carlton cariton national city conservative S st t stephens stephen s bea be cansfield cons field and the constitutional bitile among those taking the reform as their leader and model and possessing various banou phases hases of liberal sympathies ar aw brookss grook brookss ss Nat national iQual liberal cobden city liberal and the devonshire the athenaeum club is the chiet chief literary c lub club ihnot the resort of london condou its huge timeworn time worn wom walls and stately artico portico have a sombre look in the asplen did d pall mall mali region where it stands stans at the park entrance of waterloo place just opposite the far sunnier looking home of the united service club it occupies part rt of the courtyard of old carlton house the architecture is of the grecian order and of severe grecian order at that the frieze is is copied from the parthenon over the doric portico is a 1 colossal figure of minerva the only cheerful things in the whole place are two huge fireplaces in the main hall or exchange over these are the diana robi and venus in marble the he entire atmosphere of the place suggests marble and ice it is a resort of venerable professors philosophers scientists antiquarians and authors out of whom the life cheer is already well filtered the club has the finest library of any club in the metropolis and a story which hatton tells illustrates its value to A member desiring reference to the fathers on some theological point inquired of a club official if justin martyr was in the library 1 I dont think he is a member sir the latter latier politely replied but I 1 will at once refer to the list sir there is a large number dumber of thoroughly enjoyable clubs in london some of them really famous which have brought socially together strictly professional people or men of means who are liberal patrons of the arts in the main their frequenters are persons who have really accomplished something men who as authors journalists actors artists singers and even in law and physic are progressive ambitious independent in fact the genuinely cultivated gentlemen of london these clubs do not always possess palatial establishments entrance tees lees and annual subscriptions are not equal to ordinary incomes and their exclusiveness does not comprise questions of bl od title political opinion or wealth in these I 1 believe exist elisi in in a greater degree those true and laudable principles which are the life and preservation ot of genuine club association than in all other great clubs of london combined I 1 refer to such clubs as the garrick green room savage arundel lyric and beefsteak the latter unique little club which has its home over tooles theatre sprang out of the honorable society of beefsteaks Beef steaks in the old beefsteak room of the lyceum theatre which still exists and is used by irving for his exquisite private dirner dinner parties the beefsteak over tooles is is distinctive in being a one room club and admitting no guests whatever the arundel has to members it was once exclusively literary and artistic ambitious solicitors and amateurs of all sorts are now admitted and while its promiscuousness is a bar to especial influence it serves as a sort of necessary training school to higher club honors while affording man many y a deserving feblow fellow a foothold and b beginning at professional recognition which would be difficult in conservative london to otherwise secure the lyric has a magnificent clubhouse in in piccadilly and with its entire appointments including a large theatre and concert hall is among the finest buildings for this purpose in the world it also bas an annex called the lyric club at barn barnes es on thames from which boat racing and other river fetes can be witnessed the lyric is a dramatic and musical club with nearly members perhaps ten per cent of these are actors lord londesborough desborough Lon fred cowen and sir arthur sullivan are members the well known savage club literary and artistic which interchanges privileges with tite the lotos club of new forkl york has about members about 01 of whom are leading london actors who are also members of the green room club it had its origin twenty four years aboin ago in a public hou house senear near drury lane theatre since then it has wandered to Hax ells hotel thence to the savoy and finally to the adelphi terrace overlooking the thames the garrick in garrick street covent garden venerable rich stately mellow and grand has no membership limitations as to profession perhaps no more than twenty five actors are at presen among its members although all london donnia managers of any prominence are upon its rolls it undoubtedly possesses the most valuable collection of souvenirs and paintings relating to the stage and its most famous representatives of any association or institution in the world indeed the garrick is a perfect museum of art treasures you can read upon its walls the entire history of the english stage harlow hayman ney de wilde cotes and dance are all represented in priceless examples there are several Hogart hs not the largest it is the most exquisitely beautiful clubhouse club house in ih london and its club life genial dignified almost dreamful is positively ideal the green room club in bedford street which had its origin about fourteen years ago from disagreements in the junior garrick and the I 1 arundel clubs is the real actors club of london it is already one of the wealthiest of its small clubs and owes its great success to the administration of its honorary secretary georgd debacher De nacher a gentleman of ample means a genuine art lover with boundless sympathies for actors and their profession persons in all the liberal arts are admitted to membership but na no active manager can become a member unless he was formerly an actor of good standing pinero and lord carton dramatists farjeon the author and charles dickens editor and author and son of the great novelist are among its members saturday nights and d saturday house dinners the latter splendidly served at but three shillings and sixpence are the kindliest kind liest brightest mellowest mel lowest and most genial occasions of our time among men of heart and brains gathered here will be found such men as pinero sant matthews irving john hare royce carleton kendall paul merritt wyndham charles hartburg Hart bury bancroft I 1 fernandez beerbohm tree tell gardiner and henry howe the oldest actor on the english stage besides these are hosts more clubs upon each of which an entertaining article could be |
