Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-28
An Englishman's Opinion of nm American
WaterlnG-place-His Views Of Fashiona-
BILE Life nc Saratoga.

An Englishman's Opinion of nm American
waterIng-place-His Views Of Fashions-
BILE Life at Saratoga.
One of the reporters of the London Times
came over in the Great Eastern, and is now
reporting the progress of the Prince for that
journal. Before entering Canada, he visited
several points ofinterest the United States.
Of Saratoga Springs he writes: .
Saratoga, as place of fashionable resort,
is in the season, one of the most extraordi-
nary places Of its kind, perhaps, in the world.
The village is mere accident of the situa-
tion; the hotels are Saratoga, and they are
such hotels as only America can show.
Two ofthem, the United States and Union
Hall, occupy five acres of ground The
dining-saloons are bigger than the Floral
Hall, and are laid with tables to dine 1000
people; the dancing-rooms are larger, loftier
and bandsomer than any two public rooms
Of the kind we have in all London. The
grounds attached to these are almost little
parks where, between the trees, are detached
cottages, all belonging to the hotel and
occupied by wealthy Southerners and Others,
willing to pay any price for that inestimable
luxury in Americas little privacy. To
these hotels, and to Saratoga generally, some
$4,000 people come in the season TO drink
the waters to dress, drive, lounge, gamble,
and go away again, after six weeks stay,
| to Newport, Niagara, or any other place
| where American citizens in a holiday can
| enjoy that idle and luxurious life TO which
they seem particularly given.
In the evening, Saratoga seems charm
| ing place-a kind of rural Baden. Every
body sits under the colonnades of their botel
until the sun goes down, when the ladies
saunter through the streets in evening dress
| passing with their friends from hotel to hotel
| joining in dances, or listlessly promenadine
between the trees. Some times when look
on this hotel life, brilliant as it is, / can moi
help congratulating myself that we have nc
such hotels in England. To an Englishman
it seems an artificial, dressy state of exist
ence-a kind, of high-comedy life, where the
curtain is always raised, and critical, rather
than an admiring audience, sits, Judges
| praises, or condemns. What it may be be
hind the scenes do not know or care to as
certain, beyond that all the better class Of ed
ucated and travelled Americans dislike hote
lie forfamili(s, and can give their reasons fo
it. AS for Saratoga, of course, such a spot Il
necessary, and seems charming enough-no
that il is gay. There may be excitement, bu
there seems no amusement. The ladies dres
"magnifcently" three or four times day
though there are only two or three prom
enades through which to loiter and displa
the toilettes-for the well in the morning
for the drive for dinner, and.for the evening
Gentlemen ofcourse find it great center 9
attraction, and the place is even more file
with them than with ladies' and Saratoga i
the evening, when the colonnades are lii
the visitors all abroad the bands playing an
the saloons filled with walters, looks won
derfully well. In a word, it is at this season
not only the fashion but the rage and n
visitor who wants to see the out-of-tow
amusements of the Americans on the creates
and what passes for the gayest, scale, shoul
omit visit to Saratoga.