CLUBS—THEN AND NOW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19876, 18 February 1920, Page 9

CLUBS—THEN AND NOW.

it is the fashion to decry our own day and to compare it with the past to its disadvantage. The enchanted distance fallacy always makes other times

seem better than our own. But if we vent to see how far we have progressed on the path of sweetness and light, we have only to compare Londou clubs to-day with what they were htty or sixty years ago. Momen, no doubt, are largely responsible for the transformation. They were alvays jealous of clubs and regarded them as their natural enemies But now they have clubs of their own aud they have invaded men’s clubs. The modern young man’s idea of a club is a place where he can feed and jazz with the girl of his choice to the accompaniment of a Negro band. The young 1 blood ” may think he is seeing life by supping at Giro's or having champagne and oysters at Buck’s. But his most lurid idea of enjoyment fortunately falls far short of that of the young men of a few generations back. Nearly all the famous old' clubs of Pall Mall, St James’s Street, and Piccadilly, now highly decorous and respectable institutions, were originally gaming houses. Brookcs’s, Boodlq’s and M bite’s, established about the same time, were particularly “hot stuff.” It nas at Brookes’s Club that Charles rox, great statesman and inveterate gambler, lost several fortunes. He is said to have been the finest player of whist and piquet of bis day. He played cards with one Fitzpatrick from ten 0 clock at. night till six o’clock the next afternoon, a waiter standing by to tell them whose deal it was, both being too sleepy to know. At White’s the games of hazard and faro were the chief attractions. There was nothing they would not bet about at White's. Births, deaths, marriages, political appointments— any thing was made the subject of a bet. A man dropped down at the door of White's. He was carried into the house. Was he dead or not? The odds were immediately given and taken for and against, The Cocoa Tree was another club where play ran high. In 1780 Mr O’Birne, an Irishman, won £IOO,OOO from a young Mr Harvey, who had just come into an estate through his elder brother’s death. ‘‘You can never pay me,” said Oiiirue. *1 can, ’ replied the youth, “mv estate will sell for the debt.” saicl “I will win You s^ throw roe for the odd £90,000.” They threw,, and Harvey won. r<i Y roc kford E )” how the Devonshire Club, whose chronicles have recently been written by Mr H. T. Waddy (Eve-ll-qll - Nas !? ) ’ was starte d by its founder, \Vilham Crockford, som of a. London fishmonger, for the purpose of gaming. It was. a splendid affair. The decore ations of the dub cost £14,000, the whies in the cellar were valued at £70,000, and the chef, an artist called tide, was paid £I2OO per annum. TheJ annual subscription was £25. In addition to the game of hazard which formed the chief attraction of the dull, cards were also played. It is on record that Lord Rivers lost on ono occasion £3IOO at whist through forgetting that the seven of hearts was still in. Theodore Hook was a frequent visitor at Crockfqrd’s, where play did not begin until late. “I was very ill,” ho once said, “some months ago and my doctor gave me particular orders not to expose myself to the night air. So 1 came up every day to Grockford’s and made it a rule on no account to go home until about four or five o’clock m the morning.” No wonder women objected to clubs! ]S i'elated- of a member of Uintes that he used to sit up until three or four in the morning looking on at piquet but never playing. Adi * pute arose between the players and they referred to him. But he protested that he knew nothing of the frame “ Zounds,” _ said they, “ and° you sit here until this time!”

“ Gentlemen,” he replied, " I’ m niara writer in the “Daily