New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-08
ON THE RIVIERA.
LORD SALISBURY EUGEvu
THE GAMBLING DEN.

Il
Nice, October .,
| Every year sees some addition to the numb,
Of foreign householders on the Riviera perbs,.
the most notable Of this years recruits IA -.
British Prime Minister, whose splendid viii, Ss '
just been completed, under Lady Sslisbury's os,'
| sonal supervision. The place is COMMONLY snor.-
Of as the Villa Beaulieu, at villefranche. which
is not correct 1t is at BeauIieu, near vilcfrancbs
| and villa Salisbury is the only name by wbIcs
| it is known on the Riviera. 1t is masni6ce,,
residence, commanding perhaps the finest vossibI
view of the coast and sea but it will never h.
| much visited, save by the guests Of Lord Sali.
bury Not only does it stand in an out of4he-va,
| place. far of from the main road, but its own,
has purchased a large tract OF land lying abou,
IT,, in order TO keep the rest Of the world a, a
distance and to enjoy the solitude that is 80 dea,
| to him. Lady Salisbury designed the mansion ana
its furnishings, but her husband attended person.
! ally to the electric apparatus. It may not h
generally known that this statesman is one OF N.
most accomplished Of electrical engineers and tina,
his Elizabethan country house, Hatfield, in gns
land, is a perfect museum Of electric appliances
It is lighted and heated by electricity, and N,
doors and windows arc opened and closed And
all the operations about the house and the barn
are conducted by the same force. Here at u.
Villa Salisbury a similar system is in use, on
scale even more elaborate.
Sir Edward Malet will before long he a hoas.
holder here also. lie has bought fine bit N
land near La Turbie, and architects are prepa,
ing plans for a mansion to be erected on H. 81,
Edward tells them that the place must be read,
for him to occupy within three years, thus int.
mating, as is believed, that he will at that tim
retire from the diplomatic service in which he
has been SO conspicuous a figure.
Another eminent parsonage who is about ID
become a permanent resident of the Riviera !,
Eugene, the ex-Empress Of the French 81,
has grown tired of Chiselhurst, and indeed o.
England itself. Everything that surrounds be-
there revives memories Of suffering and bereaye
ment. Moreover, the cold and stormy clims,
is painful to her, and she longs, more and nor
to return to the genial sunshine Of her natv
south Last season she lived for time at
hotel ON the Riviera, at Cap Martin. So greatly
was she pleased with it that she is coming
spend all this winter at the same place. She will
occupy wing of the hotel entirely cut Of frua
the rest of the building, so that she and hss
guests will enjoy the privacy of a villa rsi
dence. She has also bought large plot q
ground on the eastern side of the Cap Martin, ard
there will erect villa, which will be her perms
nent home. She was careful 10 select sr
giving the finest possible outlook toward the lard
Of which she was once the sovereign.
At Monaco there is an unusual air of progrea
New buildings are going up everywhere, and 5000
every available site in the principalty will h
occupied. The Casino, or gambling -den,F as
is commonly called elsewhere than on the Ryiers
is being re-decorated in splendid style, and The
hotel connected with it has been considerably a.
larged. And yet there are rumors that The
gambling tables are to be abolished next sprn,
In these rumors there is probably no truth what
ever. The Casino Company has in late years ~
quired reputation Of economy, not TO say pans.
mony, and it surely would not spend such lans
sums In improvements if it were not sure Of IN
tenure for a long time TO come. The fact is thar
the present Prince would like very much 10 stop
the gambling, but is powerless to do So His
predecessor granted to the company a hard sad
fast concession, which remains in force until 1918,
and so, unless some revolutionary event occurs
gambling is likely to go on undisturbed until that
time.
There is loud cutlery against the raising Of
prices at Nice with little or nothing IN the way Of
improvements TO show for it. Rents have gone
up since last year from 30 to 80 per cent and 50
great Is the demand for houses that these exorbi-
tant prices are readily obtained There is how.
ever much grumbling especially since there a.
pears no good reason for the increase. The mum.
cipaity has done nothing for the health and pleas
ure of the people. The sanitary condition Of the
place is no better than IL was A year or two ago
work was commenced on a new sewer system Il
was planned to carry the discharge pipes coli
siderable distance out TO sea. The work went
on well, and some of the pipes were partly laid
Then work was stopped. The winter storms IN
did all that had been done. And now the cor
tents of the sewers discharged, OF old, d.
rectly upon the beach, pollutng the beach and the
air. and making the whole place an abonination
Serious-minded people consider this grave men.
ace to the public health and fears entertained
of an epidemic. Moreover, il is recalled that b.
the same plan OF high prices ana no Improvements
Nice was brought almost 10 ruin few years ago
and people now wonder if the whole process Is tok
repeated.
Certainly Nice is in danger Of suffering from the
rivalry of other towns. At Cannes for example
progress and Improvements invite the visitor o.
every hand. A splendid sewer system and water
supply are provided, and electric lighting has bee,
introduced. The roads and beach have received
much attention, and the extension Of the ses'wl
and other harbor improvements will make II
the finest rendezvous for yachts on the whole coast
Another new feature at Cannes is the casino
This establishment includes theatre. ballroom
reading-room, etc, and il Is expected that roons
for gaming will be added this season. The cor
sentative element of the population look upon ne
Casino with horror, as tending to cheaper sai
vulgarize the place. But most Of the frequennH
of Cannes hail it with delight as atfOrdng poo
for social entertainment of which the need hs
long been felt.