II I'd rather live in Bohemia than in any other land."

- john 730yle O"R..eilly.

THE ANNALS OF THE BOHEMIAN CLUB

"-.- -.--~"-- ---- ~..•. "'-"-

.,."

This book is sold only bysubscription within the Bo­hemian Club.

The edition is limited to600 coPies, of which this isNo.~

~... -. -- .. . .

. " , "

ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF

CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR /898,

BY ROBERT H. FLETCHER,

IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF

CONGRESSAT WASHINGTON.

The Seal of the Club.M (C.

"Press of 'The Hicks-Judd Co.

San Francisco.

-~- --- '._~ ..".--

.,.....

THE ANNALS OF

, THE BOHEMIAN CLUB

FROM ITS BEGINNING, IN THE YEAREIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-

TWO, TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY,

COMPRISING TEXT AND PICTURES FURNISHED

BY ITS OWN MEMBERS, AND EDITED BY

THE HONORARY HISTORIOGRAPHER,

ROBERT H. FLETCHER.

THOMAS NEWCOMBFIRST PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB

1872 - 1873

Fj'om the T'ainting: by 'Benoni Irwin,

;SEP 1" 1913

TO

OUR TUTELARY DEITY

THAT ANCIENT BIRD dF WISDOM

THE OWL

THIS BOOK IS REVERENTLY

AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.

EXPLANATORY

THESE are the Annals of the Bohemian Club,the subject matter being its own history,

set forth in writing and pictures by its own mem­bers. Although about that latter there is this

much to be said: The laws of the Club providefor a historiographer whose dnties, as embodied

in the Constitution in severely parliamentary lan­guage, are to preserve all documents and maintain

a record of all matters of interest pertaining to theClub. N ow, it is well known that being "Bohe­mians " no one of the many historiographers ap­pointed by the Directors has ever done any of

these things, nor does it appear that anybody everexpected that they would. As a consequence ofthis singleness of purpose much of the early his­tory of the Club is lost in the obscurity of thepast. It is true that many old members can and

do recall, on the slightest provocation, memories

of this period, but they are so largely personal asto be unserviceable. Nevertheless, insomuch as it

lies in the power of one man, who, as it were,takes his life on his pen when he presumes to sift

and winnow out the grains of truth in such afield of contention, these are the Annals of theBohemian Club .

. .. . .. .- ...... ' , .. .. . "' "

•••

The socialgatheringtOIJe/herofpailliers,journalistsandmusicians.

~

~~

CHAPTER 1.

N the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred

and seventy-two, there were in the City ofSan Francisco, as in other cities, certain

men who made their living by the practiceof the arts. These men, writers, painters,musicians, and actors, drawn together by asimilarity of tastes, met, as occasion served,at each other's rooms, or studios, or as was

most frequently the case, in subterranean placeswhere beer was sold at "a bit" the glass, and thedrinking of it enlivened by an orchestra and vocal­ists. These places were much like Thackeray's "Caveof Harmony," for it was customary for the guests tosend the performers complimentary glasses and toassist the performance at intervals with their owntuneful voices. After midnight, when the morningpapers went to press, the company at these placeswould be augmented by a glad rout of newspapermen just out of bondage. Then would there be astir among the waiters bearing trays or' mighty sand­wiches of bologna sausage and cheese and hugeschooners of beer to these hungry midnight toilers,who each and all had a good story, or a song, clam­oring at their teeth.

Sometimes these gatherings were at the studios;at Mr. Wandesford's delightful home, for instance,where the guests were mostly artists and the talkmostly of art, and from which many a young bache­lor returning to his bare room swore in his beard

that he too would turn Benedict just as soon as asordid world did homage, in gold coin, to his genius.Then again, these bachelor artists, clubbing together,would give an entertainment in some dingy studiomade wildly, barbarically splendid for the occasion.The favorite location of these studios was generally

on the top floor of some sinister looking house inthe "Latin Quarter," where the odor of sour wineand the babble of Latin tongues, the darkness of thestreets at night, and the proximity of the "BarbaryCoast," all tended to make the going to and comingfrom the party quite an adventure. But the fun thatwas developed on these occasions was worth the riskof a broken head or a stolen purse.

Nor were the journalists behind hand in thesesocial occasions. Nothing, for instance, could be moredelightful than the Sunday breakfasts, of which achosen few were iuvited to partake, at the home ofMr. James F. Bowman, the editorial writer. Begin­ning at twelve, it was usually four before the guests

. adjourned to the parlor where some one, possibly a

In the"LatinQuarter."

Sundaybreakfastsat Mr.Bowman'shouse.

£6 THE ANNALS OF

THE BOHEMIAN CL.UB.

pale, slender youth by the name of Charles Warren

Stoddard, would play something on the Pia.n05~75~'·~i:··~., ;,t •. ,\,~.

suitable to tea and twilight. The artists (~,t.. ~{ \,.

at these gatherings were in ~he h:bit, while lA\~~\;:!\~~1the talk went on, of drawmg pIctures on!j~~\\\':" \·!'i.i/;.,~r~"·"• \j~\\~\i~,~\~< _.. :~..~;)~

the table cloth, all of whIch Mrs. Bow-~~~~;~':j~~~(~Y;~~\[". 'I

man loyally saved until she had an art gal- \~~~~~4.ffi:';~·~i.~''"

~,.~')u~' '.,..-

lery of table cloths but none for domestic ••..~'''':1~t. ~-'purposes. Then she tried the experiment t'\ "-of putting pens and indelible ink on the table .. {Mr. Bowman.

with the new cloths, in order that they might go towash and still preserve their art treasures. But forsome reason the artists did not take readily to the newmedium, perhaps because it lacked spontaneity. Onedeclared that they were not "wash" drawings, and an­other that the starch made them unnaturally stiff-palereflections of the humor of the day.

These were the men, then, who gladly, but infre-quently, met prior to the year mentioned, and by rea- How. the Club

onglnated.

son of the infrequency of these meetings arose theproposition to form a club. We have not the temerityto say who originated the idea, even if we thought weknew. Most probably it originated simultaneously inmany minds. At any rate, the proposition was oftenadvanced and invariably greeted with enthusiasm j mat-ters even going so far at times as the calling of a meet-

I8 THE ANNALS OJ.

The news­paper mentake action.

ing, in social guise, to put the project into shape. Thesemeetings were always a great success as regards en­

joyment; vigorous speeches were made, motions putand seconded, and preambles and resolutions drawn up

in fine style, after which everybody went away wellsatisfied, so entirely satisfied, in fact, that there allfurther efforts ended. Moreover, about this time theArt Association was founded and this diverted some of

the zeal of the painters, giving them, as it did, a sort of

gathering place where they could talk of their craft.And so the cause of the Club seemed like to die.

But at this critical moment certain newspaper men

came to its rescue, and determined to consummate their

long cherished plan, the scope of which was pointedlyaltered to include only journalists. Mr. Daniel O'Con­

nell, of the "Bulletin," known to the world later on asthe author of "Lyrics" and other books; Mr. Sands W.

Forman, Mr. Joseph N. H. Irwin, of the "Examiner"

(then an evening Journal), Mr. Thomas Newcomb, ofthe "Call" and Mr. James F. Bowman, of the "Chronicle"were the active spirits in the enterprise, and they, to­

gether with Mr. Frederick Whymper and F. G. Kenney,met at the" Examiner" editorial rooms on February 5th,

1872, and there took the first steps toward the forma­tion of the Bohemian Club.

And this was the beginning, and thus may these

THE BOHEMIAN CLUB. I9

gentlemen be regarded a,Sthe leaders of the great move­ment, the Moses & Co., as it were, who led the arttribes out of the Egyptian land of Commerce into thepromised land of Bohemia; although, like all greatprophets and reformers, they did not know the extentof their following, nor the real meaning of the proces­sion, nor how in its triumphal progress, delighting andamazing all who beheld it, it would gather to itself un­told treasures of wit and wisdom, even as the Emperorsof ancient Rome in their triumphal progress used togather in all they could lay their hands on. But ofthis, more in the next chapter.

The Ideal Bohemian Oub.

- From "Crimes in 'Blackand White," by Fren'{eny.

--.--- -~.. - _ .... _-~ ~_. -.

From "The Triumph of Col. Cremonyand the Bohemians."

1872-1873 .

CHAPTER II.

THE ANNALS OF

.,T the preliminary meetingreferred to, and a supple­mentary one held Febru-•

ary 17th, it was decidedto send forth a circular

inviting all journal­

ists of any standingto co-operate in the

establishment of the pro­

posed Club. This circular,which bears date of Feb­

ruary 20th, 1872, is signedby Avery, Bowman, O'Con­nell, Howe and Irwin. On

February 23rd a formalgathering of the originatorsand the invited took placeat the "Examiner" rooms,

-Fren'{eny.where these gentlemen pro-

ceeded to organize themselves into the Bohemian Club,

whose object was modestly set forth to be "the pro­motion of good fellowship among journalists, and theelevation of journalism to that place in the popular

20

'The organi'{a­tion ofth, Club.

THE BOHEMIAN CLUB. 2I

estimation to which it is entitled." Professional journal­

ists were to be eligible to active membership; artists,actors, essayists, writers of books, poets and dramaticauthors, to honorary membership upon the payment ofcertain fees. Proprietors of newspapers, being rich andin authority, were to be altogether debarred from mem­bership. By-laws were adopted in accordance withthese principles, but as all this was subsequentlyaltered it has only a passing interest.

The most important feature of the meeting whichwas not changed was the naming of the Club, and thisimmediately became a storm-center. That redoubtableex-Indian fighter, Colonel J. C. Cremony, of the" Com­mercial Herald," made the motion for the name" Bohe­mian," in which he was ably seconded by Mr. Bowman,Mr. Newcomb, and Mr. O'Connell. Mr. Avery andothers opposed it on the grounds that" Bohemian" wasnot a respectable name .. The popular notion of a Bohe­mian, they declared, was a fellow who buttoned hisseedy coat to conceal his lack of clean linen; a long­haired, impecunious person, of talent perhaps, but a

painter of pictures shivering in frosty attics, or awriter of poetry starving in cheap restaurants, or elsea predatory disreputable character who devoted hiscleverness to borrowing money from his friends which

he never repaid. No, clearly, the name" Bohemian"was not respectable.

How theClub wasnamed.

22 THE ANNALS OF

Mr.O'Connell

laudsBohemians.

Then Colonel Cremony uprose with fire in hiseye and invective upon his tongue. He drew a pictureof the Club as it was, as it should be, his ideal ofthe Bohemian Club, a sanded floor, a deal table,

a keg of beer. plenty of chairs, and plenty of goodfellows to sit in them. And from this position theold warrior proceeded to charge down upon the argu­ment of the opposition, and with characteristic fierce­ness demanded of them, in Heaven's name, what morewould they have! And without giving them a chance to

reply so cut. and slashed at their ideas that in ashort time they did not know whether they werestanding on their heads or their heels.

After which Mr. Daniel O'Connell took the floor

and, with a vocabulary that would' have abashedthe late Dr. Johnson, opened out the batteries of hisoratory. " What! " he said, "is it come to this? Arewe to truckle at the very outset of our career to the

ogre Respectability? Are we to button our pocketsagainst our friends, smooth our- faces into a smugsemblance of a well-to-do shopkeeper, and keep oureyes cast upon the ground lest some one point hisfinger at us and say, (Lo! he is not respectable.'Now, Heaven forbid!"

Then Mr. O'Connell went on to declare that the

very choicest spirits of the whole world were -Bohe·

-- - - ------- .~

COLONEL J. C. CREMONY.

From the Painting in the Club by Thomas FIill.

London,Paris, andother places.

THE BOHEMIAN CLUB.

mians. That the men who had made "Punch" brilliant

in its best days were men who gloried in the name ofBohemians. Were not Mark Lemon, Charles Lamb,Thackeray in his youth, De Quincey and the EttrickShepherd Bohemians? According to our own particu-.lar "Poet of the Sierras," Mr. Joaquin Miller (who, be itsaid, afterwards became and is to this day, a prominentmember of the Club, but who was at this time challeng­ing the admiration of London by his horsemanshipand long hair, no less than by his poetry), accordingto Mr. Joaquin Miller, London held at that very mo­ment a most charming coterie of Bohemian writers,

painters and musical people, all men of eminence andrenown. From London Mr. O'Connell took up other

cities, notably Paris, paying his respects to Murger andhis Bohemians in great style, finally concluding by ex­tolling the true Bohemian as a man of genius who re­fused to cramp his life in the Chinese shoe of conven­tionality, who loved art more than filthy lucre, whose

purse was ever at the disposal of his friends, and wholived generously, gayly, free from care, and as far fromthe sordid, scheming world of respectability as the southpole is from the north.

Convinced by Colonel Cremony's irresistible logic

and Mr. O'Connell's eloquence, the motion pre~ai1edand the Club became the Bohemian Club. A motion

21- THE ANNALS Or

was made at a subsequent meeting to reconsider the

question, but it was voted down. Thereupon the ex­ponents of respectability withdrew in withering silence.Some two or three years after, Paul Frenzeny illustratedthe stirring events of this period in several cartoonswhich now hang in the main hallway. He styled them"Crimes in Black and White." The first represents theideal Bohemian Club as seen by the prophetic eye ofColonel Cremonyand shadowed forth in his lurid rhet­oric. The next represents the triumph of Cremonyover the opposition.

It was at this meeting (March 1st) that the constitu­tion was referred back to the committee for amendment.

March 4th the new constitution was adopted and the

following circular sent forth:SAN FRANCISCO,March 5, 1872.

DEARSIR:-At a late meeting of the Bohemian Club your

name was proposed as one of a limited numberwhom it would be desirable to invite to becomemembers.

As an early answer is desirable you will pleasesend it in by Friday evening next, addressed toThomas Newcomb, "Morning Call," No. 517 ClayStreet.

This is signed by Newcomb, Cremony, Bowman,Whymper, Wells and O'Connell, and the following sig­nificant extract from the new Constitution is subjoined:

" The objects of the Club shall be the promo-tion of social and intellectual intercourse between

THE BOHEMIAN CLUB.

'The objectsof the Cluhdefined.

Hospitali!)!of"'The JollyCorks. "

journalists and other writers, artists, actor~ andmusicians, professional or amateur. and such othersnot included in this list as may by reason of knowl­edge and appreciation of polite literature and thefine arts be deemed worthy of membership.

c, Initiation fee, $10.00. Monthly dues, $2.5°."

Thus did the new Club at the very outset widen itsportals to Bohemians of all crafts and all degrees.

And so these weighty matters having been disposedof, the next question of importance was the obtainingof a home for the organization. It had been hospitablyoffered and had accepted temporarily the use of anapartment over the Standard Theater, on Bush Street,

pertaining to "The Jolly Corks," a social clubwhose name remotely hints at its nature. But theBohemians were most desirous of being settled in ahome of their own as quickly as possible, and spurredon the committee into whose hands the matter had been

put, to renewed efforts which finally resulted in the

renting of quarters in the Astor House, on the ../7:',\( i'" )

southeast corner of Sacramento and Webb .~l(j~i<f' !.it

Streets. This the committee decided "would . ( f~"'i\~~!{~

do very well for a beginning, the rental ... ~~.V4J..W\~{\l\'~"'~...~.being only fifty. dollars a month,. and the.. f '~\.~w. \.'\.'.apartments spaclous and su~ny.' (:f..\ \ \ \. "" .. ,2

As a matter of fact, whlle one of 1)'_, I,"'-,\~?I\' ~_\• ,~~ ~ ~\\~ l~ ".> I

t~ese rooms ~as of good Slze, with· \. ,~;"'- .', ~'\~,:~\,.,",wmdows openmg on the street, h~v- ,f'.~---,)" .. ' ~J T~\ ,.• -,,\,\\! I· \ ,! \

1;;.-, \ :~\ \r-~{, "'if\ '//), , ! ':7p \ \.,Mr. Joaquin Ovftllel'.

The firsthome of theClub onSacramentoStreet.

How theCluh wasfurnished.

THE ANNALS OJ.

ing in view an undertaker's shop and within hearing of"Buckley's Varieties," the other was an inner room andrequired a Bohemian imagination to transform it intothe "spacious and sunny apartment" of the committee'sreport-still they were rooms.

The purchase of furniture next engaged the Club'sattention .. General W. H. L. Barnes, who had been the

previous tenant, left his carpets as a legacy to theClub. Then one of the members secured at a great bar­gain a number of second-hand chairs of antique design,chairs for which (it was proudly stated) at one timewhen they were new, a great deal of money had been

paid. There was no money in the treasury to pay forthem now, however, and the anxious dealer made therounds of the committee men, who pacified him withrich promises of the Club's patronage in the future. Inthe same mysterious manner did the Club acquire ahandsome sideboard, and with these furnishings it con­tented itself for awhile. The lack of a table on which

those who were sitting in the elegant chairs might puttheir "light refreshments" was felt at first to be some­what of an inconvenience, but as was pointed out by oneof the members when a man got tired of holding hisdrink, all he had to do was to swallow it. Of course,

there was a table in the Club, but this was sacred to thetrustees and cards. However, these little austerities

THE BOHEMIAN CLUB.

were only at the beginning of the Club's housekeepingwhen it had to depend on contributions from the mem­bers for its financial support; contributions which theClub officials found it no easy task to collect. Aftera month or two, when its organization was complete, therevenues became larger and steadier, and the apart­ments gradually became completely and comfortably

-furnished.And so behold the Bohemian Club at last in its true

character, born, christened, apparelled and housed .

.Acting Treasurer Kenney driving 'President Newcombout in search of funds. - Fren,eny.

.Austeritiesofhousekeeping.