were limited to the I.C.S. and military services. As time, however,
moved on and things changed they found that this particular form of
exclusiveness was rather an expensive luxury, and very wisely threw
open wide the heavenly portals and admitted within their celestial and
sacred precincts members of other government services, save and except
those of the Bengal pilots. Why the club ever made this invidious
distinction, of course I cannot say, but at a later period,
recognising possibly the injustice of their action, they rescinded
their prohibition, and now the pilots sit in the seats of the mighty
amongst the members of the other services. The club house, as many
people will recollect, originally stood on the site of Chowringhee
Mansions. It was quite an ordinary looking dwelling enclosed by a
brick-wall skirting Chowringhee Road, and the building extended for
some little distance down Kyd Street. In addition to the club house
itself, there were several other houses in Park Street attached to it,
and I think where the Masonic Lodge has now its habitation was once
their property. Before the war the members in the cold weather used to
give an "At Home" once a week which was looked upon as one of the
society functions of Calcutta. It took the form of a garden party on
the lawn from about 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock, and a band was always in
attendance to brighten and enliven the proceedings.

[Illustration: _Photo by Johnston & Hoffmann_ McLeod & Co.'s new
premises, Dalhousie Square, West]

[Illustration: Alliance Bank of Simla.]


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