The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-08-23
THURSDAY MORNING. =. AUG. %, 1860.
wha, an Englishman Thinks of Saratoga.

w nav an EngitSHmnn HiHNs VI Fro'"
One OF the reporters of the LONDON Times
came over In The q reat Eastern, and is now
reporting the progress OF the Prince for thar
journal. Before entering Canada, he visited
several points OF interest in the uni'ea states.
or Saratoga Springs he writes;
SARATOGA. as a place Of fashionable resort. is,
I'm tho season one Of the most extraordinary
pIaces of its kind. perhaps. in the world. The
village is \ mere accident OF the situation the
hotels are Saratoga, and they are such hotels
as only America can show. After living At
those magnificent palaces at New York-the
81 Nicholas, the Fifth Avenue, the New York
or the Clarendon, in each OF which a thousand
guests land in the ST. Nicholas often double
that numher) are constantly stopping, one is
apt TO imagine that there is nothing further TO
be learnt of these "institutions of America
But At Saratoga your ideas on such subjects
receive an immense development. The hotels
are as grand, though totally different from
all others, Two of them, the United States
aud Union Hall, occupy five acres OF ground
The dining-saioons are bigger than the Floral
Han. and are laid with tables to dine 600
people the dancing rooms are larger, Iofter,
and handsomer than any two public rooms
Of the kind we have in all London. The
grounds attached 10 these are almost lit
tie parks, where between the trees are detaeh-
ed cottages all belonging 10 the hotel, land occu-
pied by wealthy SCulherners, and others will
Ing to pay any price for that lDestimaole luz
ury in America-a little privacy. To these
people come In the season 10 drink the waters,
10 dress, drive, lounge, gamble, and 90 away
again after a six weeks stay, TO Newport, Ma
CARA. or any other place where American eit-
zsns IN a holiday can epjOy that idle ana lux
urIous life 10 which they seem particular
given. The waters At Saratoga, unlike the
nauseous doses so mercilessly crammed down
visitors at other places, are not oniy really
good, but what is more, are really nice, some
thing like Sslryar water and .lohanuisberg.-
Visitors get perfect passion for drinking 1t,
and as il should be taken in moderation, the
effect on aot1e fksE IOpahle deYoteeS who tbrong
the fountain in the park all day and drink till
you get alarmed tor their sateiy, is, of course,
anything bat beneficial Taken moderately,
10 The extent of two or three glasses of
morning they are, / believe, justly reputed
10 be of the greatest benefit, and some thou
sands of dozens OF Congress water, it is
called, are annually bottled and sent of to
England.
In the evening Saratoga seems a charming
pace-a kind of rural Baden. Every body sits
under the cOllonades of their hotel until III
goes down, when the ladies saunter
through the streets in evening dress, passing
with their friends from hotel TO hotel, Joining
IN dances or lstIessly promenading between
the trees. Sometimes when | look on this
hotel life, brilliant AS il is, l cannot help con-
gratulatipg myself that we have no such no.
tells in England. To an Englishman it seems
an artificial, dressy state of existence--a kind
OF high comedy lie, where the curtain is al
ways raised, and critical rather than an ad
mining a0u'cASc, SisS, JuuEce, aiSeS, VI SOh-
demns. What it may be behind the scenes
do not know or care TO ascertain, beyond that
all the better class of educated and trav eled
Americans dislike hotel life for families and
can give their reasons for 1t. AS for Sara toga,
Of course such a spot is necessary, and seems
charming enough, not that it is gay. There may
be excitement but there seems no amusement.
The ladies dress "magnificently" three or four
times day, though there are only two or three
prOmenades through which to loiter and dis
play the toilettes-for the well in the morning,
for the drive, for dinner, and for the evening.
GeRtlemen OF course find ii a great centre OF
attraction, and the place is even more filled
with them then with ladies and Saratoga in
the evening, when the colonnades are lit, the
visitors all abroad, the bands playing and the
saloons filled with walters, looks WONDER
fully well. In a word il is al this season, not
only the fashion but the rage, and no visitor
who wants to see the out of town amusements
OF the Americans on the greatest, and what
passes for the gayeSt, scale, should omit a
visit to Saratoga. After his tour through
Canada, the Prince will probably remain
there for a day.