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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1894)
10 THE COURIER and said. "There will be seventy-four cove lights, six clusters and twelve brackets for gas." A vision rose of a scene when these six clusters, twelve brackets and seventy-four cove lights would send their steady white glow upon the banquet table where the silver ser vice would shine and the wines sparkle. One thought of the toasts and the responses which shall be giveD and the wit that will have' birth within those walls. The basement will have every amusement that can divert the mind of man. Across the south front is the billiard room, 25 by GO feet. The room is well lighted and has an elegant mantel and grate On the east are two large card rooms. Like the billiard room their floors are to be of marble. On the west, some feet below the level of the others, is the bowling alley. It is 80 feet long and has two beds for balls. The bar room is rather small. The cold storage, wine cellars and the engine room occupy the rear of the basement. The glory of the first floor will be the main hall. From it the grand stair-case starts, a massive structure of quarter sawed oak, and it makes its way with large landings to the second and third floors and then to the roof garden overlooking the city. For some years to come there will be no passenger elevator and all members and their guests will be compelled to bo in a condition to walk up stairs. Midway between the first and second floors will be a large landing lighted with a bow window of stained glass. It will be provided with seats and can be an ideal gossiping place if the men are so inclined. Below the landing will bo a small recess with teats for the pages. The fireplace, mantel and grate will be a work of art The mantel will be of onyx with old copper metal and candelabra. The fireplace is a large recess, curtained off with heavy silk draperies and provided with tufted leather upholstered seats. On each side are pedestals for statutes. The hall will be provided with seats, and will, most probably, be the grand lounging place. Off this hall are the gentlemb n's cafe and the parlors. Tho ladies' cafe is entered from the Twentieth street entrance and gentle men without ladies are debarred from it. The ladies have cloak rooms, toilet rooms and a small reception room. The rear of tho floor is occupied by the kitchen and the cold storage rooms. The The food, as cooked, is sent by elevator to the steaming and serving rooms on the second floor. On the second floor are four private dining rooms, the library and the main dining room. On the west the three dining rooms can be opened into one by large sliding doors. The sleeping apartments are on the third floor. There are ten of these all provided with closets and baths. The loggia opening off these rooms will be the delight of the bachelors' summer evenings. It is on the east and overlooks most of the city of Omaha and across the river to the high bluffs of Iowa. To the rear the servants have their quarters. Into the woodwork of the building quarter sawed oak will enter chiefly, but cypress and ash and birdseye maple will break the monotony. In the sleeping apartments the casings will be of hard pine paint ed white and the two sideboards in the main dining hall will be of cherry. In the ladies' rooms the hardware will be antique silver, the rest of the first and all the second floor will have old copper. The upper floor and service rooms will have Bower-Borff. Great sense and judgment have been shown in the selection of the upholster ing and draperie3. None of the prevailing fads have been noticed. AH the upholstering will be of leather except in the ladies' rooms and the parlor. The floor coverings will be Moquette, Wilton and Brussels carpets in many of the apartments they will be made into rugs to fit the rooms. On the first floor the curtains will be full length of antique lace with heavy silk hangings. On the upper floors will be sash curt&ins and copper rods. Regarding the table service the club's object is to purchase Ameri cau goods. It is already in possession of an elaborate silver service for ono hundred persons. All the service will bear the monogram of the club. One article of furniture calls for special mention. It is a table made from an elm tree grown on tho ground where the club house stands. The club will have a complete corps of servants. The livery will will be green with brass buttons. The employes will include one steward, two cooks and three assistants, two in the laundry, ten colored waiters, one porter, two pages, two chambermaids and two clerks. The electric furnishings of the house are the most modern and perfect and the total amount of wire used is five miles.' The archi tect k an Omaha man, Chas. E. Beindorf. The sleeping apartments will rent for from $30 to WO per month, and -the cost of making the club house a homa is estimated to average about $1500 per year. The total cost of tho new-house including tho furniture is $100,000. Of this $50,000 was raised by contributions from members and the other $50,000 the club borrowed. Aside from this liability there is no debt. The members are divided into four classes: resident members, non-resident members (outside of Doug las county), honorary members and U. S. Army members. For resi dent members the initiation feo $100 and the yearly dues $G0. For non-resident members the fee is $50 and tho yearly dues $30. Officers of the army pay a fee of $25 which is returned to them upon their resignation; their yearly dues are the same as resident members. The business management of the club is vested in a board of nine directors and a house committee of three. The present officers are: Thomas Swobe, president; W. V. Morse, vice-president; Frank Murphy, treasurer; D. J. O'Donahoe, secretary. The total membership of the club is three hundred, and, among these, are many of the leading men of the state. There is ono honor ary member, Bishop Worthington. The history of the Omaha club is rather devoid of romance and dates back a little over ten years ago when some society young men, among them Luther Drake, Dick Berlin, Robert W. Patrick, John Wilber and Al Patrick allied them selves and rented rooms in the Ware building. From the first, it was a success, and about five years ago there was a union with the Union club and the new club took up the present quarters, the fourth floor of the U. S. National bank building. Of the ex presi dents of the lub none was more favorably and kindly known than the late Judge Savage. The members take special pride in speaking of him who was once one of their number. Henry W. Yates sat in the president's chair for three years, Guy C. Barton for two, end L. M. Bennett, W. V. Morse and R. W. Patrick each for one year. Among the well-known names that death has taken from the roll are Gen. George Crook. Chas Shiverick, Clark Woodman and 31. C. Hamilton. The death of of a new member, Will C. Wakely, lately cast a gloom over the club. This club does not seem to be such a very wicked place A man dare not play poker in the rooms, and gambling is a sin the members presumably know nothing about. The club does not seem to keep fathers and husbands from home in the evenings. The attendance then is very light and confined chiefly to bachelors. The principal thing is the noon luncheon. Billiards and cards are then enjoyed as long as tho members and their guests have time. At the card tables high five and hearts are the favorites. About three-fourths of the members are billiard players. The club is an ideal place for a member to take his guest, especially when the latter is a non-resident. In these cases cards are issued entitling him to all the privi leges of the club for a stated time. Before "hard times," the ladies were given a yearly reception, and this custom will be continued in the new house. The nucleus of many an enterprise has been formed in the rooms of the club. It was there the mining and irrigation in terests of Sheridan, Wyoming, were first talked of, and later on assumed practical shape. The club has always kept free of pol itics and always intends to be- nothing more than social in its nature. At times it has given banquets to political leaders. When the national populist convention met in Omaha, the lead ers were tendered a banquet by the club. Just before they came o the rooms they froze the blood of their entertainers by their silhouette-like speeches, the burden of which was that they wore no purple and fine linen and drank no champagne. They went to the club rooms. "Well," a member said, "Don nelly sat next to me, Ignatius Donnelly, I mean and I tried to keep up with him the last I remember I was full and Don nelly, sober, was still drinking. With one exception they out drank us, and they did not show it either." One of the great magnets of the rooms seems to be John M. Thurston. There he has many satelites. The talk of A. B. Smith is said to always draw a Crowd about him. Some of the most active society members are Joseph and Pierre Garneau, Frank Hamilton, Victor Caldwell and Frank Clarke. At pool playing Mr. Buckingham, the U. P. official, is king. At the billiard table Dan Farrell is victor, and it is whis pered that the club has not a better card player than Luther Drake. C. S. Raymond has a fund of funny stories which seem to have no limit, and the toasts of Editor Hitchcock are as fam ous there as elsewhere. The sweet singer seems to be Col. C. S. Sharpe, and many say the all around favorite is Pierre Gar neau, and D. J. O'Donahoe is "the nicest man in the world." 4