THE JERSEY CITY ATHLETIC CLUB.

A FALSE START.THE JERSEY CITY ATHLETIC CLUB.

A FALSE START.

BY CHARLES LEE MEYERS.

TENyears have elapsed since the idea of an athletic club for Jersey City had its origin in the brains of two gentlemen. These were J. McF. Tappen and D. R. Van Winkle, and to their number they added a third counselor, W. J. Tait. From the action of this triumvirate sprang the present flourishing organization known as the Jersey City Athletic Club.

Support was quickly afforded. Soon some forty gentlemen were at work on the scheme, and quickly organized themselves into a regular body. The following officers were elected: W. J. Tait, president; J. McF. Tappen, vice-president; E. N. Wilson, treasurer, and E. F. Emmons, secretary. Matters immediately assumed such a flourishing condition, that the membership reached a century before the second meeting.

The idea uppermost in the minds of the originators, from the first inception, was that the club should unite the social element with physical culture, and so afford the exercises the air more of a pleasurable pastime than simply hard work for muscle’s sake. Acting on wise counsel, the executive officers of the new organization made but a modest venture, and finding that the higher they went the lower the rent, they secured a large garret over a row of brick buildings, at 723 Grand Street. Their first home was, however, admirably adapted for their purpose, for the rafters were very high, and afforded ample space and accommodation for the disposal of climbing-poles, trapezes, and other gymnastic paraphernalia. The work of fitting, ventilating, painting, etc., was undertaken with a will; a new floor was laid, an instructor—Mr. Louis Kline—engaged, club colors adopted (red and blue, with an emblem of a red Greek cross on a blue ground), and the club was in full swing.

Directly the premises were completed, they were put to practical use, and to the good effect of this vigorous action may be attributed the fact that the club gave its first outdoor games in the spring of 1879. These games consisted of five club events and four open events, and were held at the West Side Driving Park. All the noted athletes of the day competed, and a great success was scored. From this time the club may be regarded as having established itself on a firm footing financially and otherwise. Shortly afterwards it joined and became a prominent member of the N. A. A. A. A., but has now, however, thrown in its fortune with that of the Amateur Athletic Union.

Meanwhile, in its private life, the club was thriving. The membership increased, and more accommodation was needed. Room after room was added on the floor beneath the gymnasium, among them being a billiard-room, card-room, music-room, with piano and other instruments, and an office for committee meetings. The original policy of an admixture of social attractions was thoroughly carried out, and receptions, skating parties, and a varied round of amusements followed each other in quick succession, all serving to maintain the interest.

So matters moved smoothly and pleasantly until the roller-skating craze infected the city, and as the seductive influences of the slippery floor, and the novelty of the fashion made themselves felt, gradually the attendance at the club fell off, and it seemed as if a period of darkness were in store for it. And indeed to the determined spirits who, by their devotion, tided matters over, a deep and lasting debt is owed.This danger, although at the time it looked really great, soon disappeared. One by one the rinks closed, members of the club returned to their proper allegiance, and affairs resumed their former prosperity.

JERSEY CITY ATHLETIC CLUB HOUSE.

In the latter part of 1885 an epidemic struck Jersey City—it was a “club fever.” All the men in the city were either organizing or joining clubs. Clubs were formed for almost every purpose, social, intellectual, literary, athletic, bowling, etc. The social element so strongly developed by the ten or a dozen rinks, had to find an outlet, and the movement flowed clubward. Among the first to recognize and direct this curious fever was the Jersey City Athletic Club, and as a consequence its membership filled up so rapidly that in November, 1885, its rooms were entirely inadequate for the uses of its members, and it was decided to build a club-house.

The scheme for the enlargement of the premises had a very modest beginning, for in the spring of 1885 a demand for further accommodation in the matter of bowling alleys had been put forward. To meet this the proposition was made that two alleys should be built on some land adjoining the Alpha Rink. This by no means met with general approbation, and it became evident that the membership was falling off, and that the club was being deserted for its more enterprising rivals, notable among which was the Palma Club, which had just completed a new building. When, therefore, the “club fever” broke out, a club meeting was held, and a proposition made that a committee be appointed whose dutyit should be to raise the large sum of $25,000 for building purposes. Though the scheme was much derided, the committee was formed, and comprised the following gentlemen: Messrs. J. C. Appleby, C. H. Dickson, H. Hartshorne, and E. R. Grant. When this prompt and timely action became known, it enlisted so many desirable recruits that in six months from the inception of the building scheme the membership had trebled, in spite of the fact that in the city four other large and well-appointed clubs offered their attractions.

WALKING TO WIN.

The plans were finally passed, and ground purchased for a sum of $5,000, while the building to be erected was to cost $20,000. On the first night the amount subscribed was $6,000, and thus assured of the success of the venture the various committees perfected their work, and on Thanksgiving Day, 1886, the building was finished. Then the question arose how the completed building was to be furnished. The solution of the problem proved easier than might have been expected. The ladies came graciously to the rescue. A fair was organized to raise the necessary funds, and the good work which had been done during the months of preparation was apparent when, after the close of the fair, which was open for ten days, the sum of $8,000 in cash remained as a monument to its success.

The new club-house stands at the corner of Crescent and Clinton Avenues—almost the highest portion of “The Heights”—upon the brow of the hill. The site is superb, commanding from the eastern windows and tower a magnificent view of New York harbor and the surrounding country. The style of architecture is modern Queen Anne. The basement and first and second stories are of undressed brown-stone, and the upper stories wood, with a slate roof. The tower forms a notable feature; a roomy piazza on one side of the house and a large porch are popular parts of the house in summer. The entrance is very spacious, and opens into a large vestibule, and this again leads to a wide hall running through to the billiard-room.

In the basement are the bowling-alleys, six in number, fitted with all the latest improvements, and built by the best makers in the costliest style. In fact, so well is their construction carried out, that the claim that they are among the best of their kind in America is fully justified. The active use to which they are put every night vouches for the interest displayed in the pastime by the members. On the left of the bowling-alleys is the wheelroom, which affords storage for a large number of wheels, and gives easy egress to the street through the side-doors.

PUTTING THE SHOT.

On the first floor, the offices and the card-room are on one side of the hall, and on the other the parlor and the library. The last now contains some three hundred volumes of standard books, and additions are constantly being made; in addition, a large supply of monthly and weekly periodicals is taken. A large open grate is a feature of this room; the furnishings are throughout easy and luxurious, while its situation, being in the base of the tower, allows the light to enter from three sides, rendering it most comfortable and suitable for its purpose. The entire wing is occupied by the billiard-room, which contains four billiard and two pool tables. The room is lighted directly from three sides and indirectly from the fourth, and therefore has the best facilities for lovers of the game to display their skill with the cue. Off this room are coat-rooms, etc., and a complete barber’s shop.

THE RUNNING BROAD JUMP—LANDING.

On the next floor is the gymnasium, which is one of the finest in the country. From the floor, which measures eighty by fifty feet, there is a space of forty feet to the peak of the roof. Every kind of apparatus that has been invented for exercise and to further muscular development is represented, while the lofty rafters make the swinging rings, climbing ropes and poles a notable feature. Off the gymnasium and in the wing are the spacious locker-rooms and baths. Around three sides runs a spacious gallery, and on the mezzanine floor is situated the large music-room, at the back of the gallery, and looking out on the gymnasium. On the fourth side is the stage—while the gymnasium itself makes a splendid auditorium. It is used on the occasion of club performances, and having a seating capacity of 800, with the large gallery and music-room as a foyer, it makes an ideal amateur theatre; and again, when the annual receptions are held, it makes a capital ball-room—all the apparatus being removable. The stage itself is replete with every convenience—handsome drop-curtain, scenery, etc.—and there is a fine wardrobe of costumes. The method of construction permits the wings to be run out when occasion demands, and while not in use the stage is lifted back against the wall, and the proscenium shuts up flat against the stage, much like the closing ofan accordion, so giving the entire floor except a few feet for other purposes.

HIGH JUMP NO. 1—THE RISE.

The value of the club’s property amounts to about $45,000, and its income reaches $18,000, a sum large enough to allow considerable addition each year to its possessions, besides paying current expenses. The membership, which has a limit of 650, reaches 625. The original object of the club has been fully attained, for it has added greatly to the social life of the city. An element of its success has been the absence of internal dissension; all work together for the common good, sinking personal differences, and never allowing them to hamper any public project. The rules are strict: no liquor can be brought into, sold, or drunk in the house; no gambling or games of chance are allowed by the State laws, and are also prohibited by the club rules under penalty of expulsion.

The bowling team is the club’s joy and pride. At the close of the season of 1886–7, however, the team was last on the list, having won only four out of twelve games. This was to be expected, as the alleys had been in use only a few months; but in the season of 1887–8 the team won ten out of a possible fourteen games, and gained thereby the championship of the Amateur Bowling League. This league is composed of the Jersey A. C., New York A. C., Orange A. C., Brooklyn A. A., Roseville A. C., Elizabeth A. C., and Palma Club. Of these the Elizabeth Club had never been beaten on their own alleys until the Jersey City Club lowered their colors, rolling the highest score in the tournament upon their alleys in contest with them. The tournament commenced in November, 1887, and the twelve scheduled games were finished with a tie for first place between the Jersey City, New York, and Palma Club. The Jersey team won the deciding games in good style, defeating successively the Palmas and the New Yorks, and winning ten out of fourteen games.

HIGH JUMP NO. 2—OVER.

After the tie was made, the three clubs drew as to who should play first, the J. C. A. C. drawing the bye. The New Yorks played the Palma Club, the latter winning. This left the J. C. A. C. to play the Palma Club upon the alleys of the N. Y. A. C., and it was a game worth recording. At the end of the third frame the Palma score was 102 pins ahead, and it looked as if the game was won. Neither score changed much until the end of the sixth frame, when the score of the J. C. A. C. began to show a little improvement. By this time the excitement was growing, and the spectators began to be interested. All eyes were strained upon the pins at the end of the alleys as one of the crack bowlers carefully poised the huge ball in mid-air, taking careful aim, when suddenly, with an eerie screech, a wild-eyed, consumptive cat, with arched back and bristling fur, darted likea streak of darkness diagonally across the alley. All the boys shouted, and were convulsed with laughter at the strange apparition, coming from nowhere and disappearing as mysteriously as it had come. The claims of the rival clubs were loud as to the significance of the visitant, the Palmas claiming it as their mascotte, the J. C. A. C. boys claiming it as a “hoodoo” for the Palma score, and so it proved. By this time the excitement had spread all through the house, and the men swarmed down into the alleys.

Slowly the score began to change its aspect, until, by the final frame, when the Palmas had finished their play, they were eleven pins ahead of the J. C. A. C., who had one more man to roll. When on the first ball he made a “strike,” counting ten, he was seized by the enthusiastic team and carried around upon their shoulders. Each of his following shots proved to be a “strike,” and brought up the score of the J. C. A. C. to a total of 43 pins above that of their opponents. A large model of the cat, done in cotton, five times the size of the original, with heroic verses telling of its famous run, and its “hoodoo” influence, is one of the proud possessions of the club, and adorns its rooms.

Among other trophies are the prizes for a match contest between the Orange A. C. and the J. C. A. C. The team is composed of Messrs. A. M. Ryerson, captain, F. Cavalli, J. H. Curran, O. D. Stewart, A. H. Brown, E. R. Grant, G. E. Hogg, J. A. Davis, E. Klein and H. W. McLellan. Bowling tournaments between the members of the club for prizes help to promote good play and develop champions.

The baseball team has won a number of local victories, and interests a large number of members. Having, however, no regular grounds to practice on, the team contents itself with playing against local club nines.

The club is extremely strong in wheelmen, having among its members 75 per cent. of the Hudson County Wheelmen, who form the largest and strongest cycling organization in New Jersey, and one which is hand in hand with the J. C. A. C. It was proposed at one time to amalgamate, but the H. C. W., not wishing to lose their identity, compromised by nearly all becoming members of the J. C. A. C. Among their wheelmen, Charles E. Kluge possesses a world-wide fame. His records on the “Star” and tricycle, and latterly upon the crank machine, are well known, while his world record for twenty-five miles stands unrivaled. Others who have carried the club’s name to the front upon the racing-track are E. P. Baggot, E. M. Smith, W. P. Smith, and C. A. Stenken. On the whole, however, the members are more devoted to rolling up mileage on the road than rolling down Father Time on the track.

The achievements of the athletes of the J. C. A. C. belong rather to its past history than to its present. For the first years of its existence the club gave spring and fall games and their success was unquestioned. The novelty, however, wore off and the great difficulty in reaching the trotting track, which was the only available ground, prohibited an attendance sufficient to make them a financial success. So, after money had been lost steadily for the sake of the sport for some years, the games were abandoned, although the club athletes continued to score successes in the field and on the track. Among these were Hugh McMahon, whose best on record at the hurdles stood for a number of years, A. D. Stone, G. Y. Gilbert, and Charles Lee Meyers. A feature of the club athletics consists of runs from the house across country and return, and a series of races in its gymnasium, such as obstacle and potato races.

In the spring of 1885 it gave an entertainment which brought together all the noted athletes of the day as performers, among them being L. E. Myers, F. P. Murray, Robt. Stall on the rings, G. Y. Gilbert, and many others of the same class.

In 1887 the Boxing and Wrestling Championships of America were given under the auspices of the club and in its gymnasium.

The original idea, which has been mentioned before as existing in the minds of the originators of the club, has been well carried out. In order to obliterate from the minds of the ladies the inherent prejudice against all men’s clubs, the rooms were at first thrown open to them every Thursday evening, a dance was given every month, and a ladies’ class formed in the gymnasium. The result of this diplomacy was made apparent when the furnishing of the new club-house had to be accomplished. After their noble efforts in this cause, the question arose how to recompense them for their devotion, and how to place them in possession of all the club privileges without cost (for the club’s gratitude could do no less), and yet not make them members.

This difficult problem was solved by giving up to the ladies the afternoons ofTuesday and Thursday of each week and also Thursday evening, and having an informal dance once each month. At these times all privileges are free to ladies, and numerous groups enjoy themselves bowling, playing billiards, pool, cards, and often getting up an impromptu dance in the gymnasium. This feature is naturally one of the most attractive to the members, and among the ladies themselves the club is a very popular place. It has not so far interfered in the smallest degree with the exercise of the members’ privileges, as they can use all the club’s advantages on these occasions, courtesy of course giving preference to the fair sex, and indeed it has been of unexpected benefit to the club. Ladies, by telling their friends of the beauty of the club-house and the enjoyment to be obtained on its ladies’ days, have induced their male friends to join the club. A grand ball is given annually to the ladies, the first one in the new club-house being in honor of the ladies’ services during the fair. In January, 1888, Governor Green and all his staff of State officials honored the Club Ball by their presence.

Another prominent characteristic of the club is musical ability. Almost the first action of the club after its organization was to give an entertainment which took the form of a minstrel show, with only the members as performers. These shows grew better year by year, until in the fall of 1885 the club produced “The Mikado,” which had a run of two nights and splendid success. These plays were given in a local theatre and were “in black,” with most of the dialogue localized. In the fall of 1887, having its own theatre, the club took a step forward and produced “Erminie,” in black, with a remarkably successful run of four nights. Shortly after this the club orchestra was organized, and is now one of the notable features of every entertainment. In April of last year, “Patience” was produced for three nights, but this time with the assistance of the wives, sisters and sweethearts of the members, and exactly as written, with every detail. Such a splendid success was scored that its repetition was almost a necessity, so it was again given the month following, making four performances. The entire performance was marked throughout by the most careful attention to artistic effect, and in this it was quite a triumph.

In such ways the club has retained the sympathy and co-operation of the ladies. For instance, when “Patience” was produced, they contributed a major part of the attraction by splendid singing and acting.

The club is in the height of its prosperity. While the substantial reasons for its existence continue, there seems no doubt of its standing and permanency.

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