Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/614

 608 LONDON is the City Carlton (1869), with 400' members. The Conservative (1840) has 1,200 members. The Keform (1834, liberal), with 1,400 mem- bers, acquired additional celebrity through its culinary department as organized by Soyer; and a Junior Reform is projected. The Trav- ellers' club (1819), having about TOO mem- bers, is frequented by distinguished explorers and scientific and literary men, and is a favor- ite resort of foreign ambassadors, who alone have free admission to all clubs. The Uni- ted University (1822) has about 1,100 mem- bers; the Oxford and Cambridge (1830), about 1,200; New University (1864), 1,000, half Oxford and half Cambridge men; and the Thatched House or Civil Service (1865), about 700. The Oriental (1824), with 800 members, and the East India United Service (1848), with about 2,000, are the chief centres of the East India service. The Garrick (1831), with about 700 members, and the Junior Gar- rick (1867), with about 500, are favorite re- sorts of authors and artists. The Union (1822), with 1,000 members, is frequented by lawyers, merchants, bankers, and gentlemen at large, but is declining under the rivalry of more fash- ionable clubs. The City of London (1832), with 800 members, and the New City (1862), with 600, are frequented by City men ; and the City Liberal (1874), with 1,000 members, now in Queen street, is to be permanently located in Walbrook. Among miscellaneous clubs are the Windham (1828, 650 members), Gresham (1843, 600), Cocoa Tree (1853, 350), National (1845, 500), Whitehall (1865, 800), and Medical (1866, 700). The new St. Stephen's, at the cor- ner of the Thames embankment, for members of parliament, was completed in October, 1874; among other clubs are the Temple, Arundel, and Whitefriars. Purely political clubs exist, such as the Fox and Cobden, and exclusively artis- tic, like the recently established Burlington fine arts club; and there are various professional and scientific clubs. A new athenaeum with lec- ture rooms and music halls was opened in Cam- den road in 1873 ; and in the same year arose in George street, Pimlico, the Grosvenor, the first club ever established for the distinct use of working men. The headquarters of the Lon- don swimming club is at the City of Lon- don baths. There are several clubs for chess players, who also frequent the cigar divan in the Strand. The Carlton, Reform, Army and Navy, United Service, Athenaeum, and Trav- ellers' are the most magnificent of all the club houses. The Army and Navy has externally the most gorgeous, and the Travellers' and Uni- ted Service the most graceful appearance. Of the hotels of London, Claridge's (late Mivart's), Brook street, is patronized by royal personages ; and the Clarendon, Bond street, is also frequent- ed by persons of the highest rank. Long's, in the latter street, is famous for its wines and for being patronized by sportsmen; St. James's, Piccadilly (Francatelli's), for elegance and supe- rior cuisine. Maurigy's, Regent street, is much frequented by the clergy and gentry. The Pal- ace hotel, opposite Buckingham palace, is large and fashionable. Fenton's, St. James's street, and the hotels in Albemarle, Dover, Jermyn, and Cork streets, are more or less frequented by the higher classes. Others in Piccadilly, Cock- spur street, Charing Cross, and the Strand are less fashionable and cheaper. The Piazza and other old-fashioned hotels in Covent Garden are noted resorts of connoisseurs of old port and sherry wines. There are also many rep- utable commercial hotels in the City. For- eign refugees and other aliens abound in the hotels and lodging houses in and around Leices- ter square. The Westminster Palace hotel, opposite the abbey, is much frequented by rail- way and business men. The Langham, Port- land place, is a favorite resort of Americans. Morley's (Trafalgar square) and other former- ly famous hotels have found powerful rivals in new hotels near the railway termini and the new embankments, especially the Charing Cross and Grosvenor. Among the most re- cent and extensive of these is the St. Pancras, inside the colossal terminus of the Midland railway. Crockford's, once a famous club no- ted for desperate gambling, was afterward de- voted to other purposes, being for a time a di- ning room ; and restaurants abound in all the fashionable and miscellaneous regions of the west, as well as in the Strand and in the City, where some of the taverns and the excellent chop and steak houses enjoy a high reputa- tion, and where Crosby hall, hallowed by in- teresting memories, has been converted into a dining room. Blackwall and Greenwich hotels are famous for their fish dinners, and the Star and Garter at Richmond is a favorite resort. Lodging houses of all descriptions exist in the cross streets of Regent and Oxford streets and Piccadilly, and all over London, except in the most select quarters of the nobility. The royal palaces are far less attractive than either the large club houses or the mansions of the nobility mentioned in connection with art treasures, or even those of the principal ambassadors, such as the French, Albert gate, Hyde Park corner ; the German, Carlton House terrace, formerly known as Prussia house; the Russian, Chesham house, Belgrave square ; and the Austrian, Belgrave square. The queen's town palaces are : Buckingham palace, which she only visits on great occasions ; St. James's palace, where receptions are held; and Ken- sington palace. Her out-of-town residences are at Windsor, at Osborne, Isle of Wight, and at Balmoral, in the Scottish highlands. Buckingham palace was commenced under George IV. and completed under William IV., who however was so displeased with it that he .would not live in it. Subsequently it was enlarged and improved ; the marble arch was removed to Hyde park, the whole building was converted into a quadrangle by the erection of an eastern front, and the con- servatory was converted into a chapel. The