Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22
WHEELING IN ENoLANn.
what Wsshinstsa Bicyclist Sac o. tAs Way
From London 10 the Consinsus.

" .cs Vv~sAsHBs~u DsC yC1bot B0W On y110 " Nv
From London 10 the Csntinsus.
LONDON rHEArKRs or roDkr-a VISIT TO Al STRAND
AEsrAuRANr-FRoN LONDON TO PORTSMOUTH
n wHEKt--aAasLrNu ABOUT rHH CHANNEL
IsIASps-AS ANCIENT oAsrL1-oN 10 rnAScf.
Special Correspondents Of The Evening Star.
ST. MALo, FRANCE. August 1, 1891.
THE AMERICAN, WHEN HE GOES
l. abroad, is prone to brag of his own coun-
try, its superiorities and the advantages there.
and It 10 seldom he sees elsewhere anything
that cannot Be equaled by something in his
native land.
Americans have acquired such Q reputation
with Englishmen that every story that is re-
garded as Of abnormal proportions is dubbed
IAN American tale" Yet we are appreciated.
The funny things our humorists give to the
world are treasured up and. in spite Of the
Englishman's proverbial want Of acumen,
are laughed over as heartily in England
a. In our own country. In n recent mum
Der Of a popular English weekly we noticed
column Of scraps Of witticisms, scarcely
one OF which but was credited TO some
well-known American journal or periodical
Our black face minstrelsy introduced by the old
Christys Ministries Of years ago ''afoh de wah, :"
survives IN the troupes Of fantastically arrayed
britishers, who with a broad English accent
ana blackened faces sing plantation melodies
to the accompaniment Of bAnjos and guitars,
bones and tambourinss.
LONDON ruEArERa
When you 60 to the London theaters you no
tice that everybody in what we would term the
orchestra and the balcony or dress circle il in
full dress: and that 1t is only in the pit. the
seats under the balcony or dress circle and in
the gallery that ladies are privileged TO
wear their bonnsts. But where the
ladies are privileged in this respect
the men are equally so. and the lords
OF creation may wear their head covering or
remove it. they please. Explanations of
Bravo. bravoF' are seldom or never heard
from an American audience. but it ia Q common
form OF applause in the English theaters.
There is usually charge Of pence for a copy
OF the program, and probably YOU will be shown
your seat by pink checked young girl clad
in q well-ftted black dress, with q dainty white
apron and just the cutest little scrap of
cap resting among her crimps and curls. The
Zee system IA the London thsaters received q
death stab when Henry Irving, upon his return
from his American tour few years ago, put
his foot down on it as it existed at the Lyceum
iheater. We noticed that a number Of other
theaters, among them the Gaiety, the Opera
Comique and Terrys are following suit, fur
nishing the programs free and by printed no
tees in the programs and by placards on the
walls informing their patrons that there are
mo fees"
INA STRAND RESTAURANT.
Let rs look into . Strand restaurant for
moment. After studying the bill Of fare bull
letined outside we venture in. The establish
ment, with frsscoed walls. pillars mirrors,
&C., and 80 on, make considerable pretensions
to elegance. Selecting table in q retired por-
ton OF the room, we await the approach of an
oily waiter. who seems to have noticed our en-
trance. With our initial orders Charlie s.
orders cup OF chocolate. ''And say, let
It come right on, please" he says.
comes, but not the chocolate. aHow aSou. that
chocolate? queries Charlie. Chocolate? Yes
sir, and he majestioally beckons to Q small
boy, bearing q towel on his arm, lettering in
the rear OF the apartment All This is the
key to the situation. 1t is not Oily's function
to serve liquid refreshments. "a cup of choco-
late for the gentleman" is his direction to the
small boy. Small boy retires. The next course
is brought and the minutes slip by. "How
about that chocolate9 Has that boy
ns rssasSns a. Sess e
late9 Yes, sir. Coming, sir, !" and the lost one
heaves in sight through q swinging door. The
chocolate is delivered. -Four pence, please"
You are assessed for your liquid Refreshments
separately You are also expected to subsidze
are to have napkins" It was George A
who wondered. "A napkin. please" Ser
viette, sir' Yes, SIR" Serviette! Oh. yes |.
French for napkin; but this was an
English establishment in the city Of Lon
that .'serviette" went for a napkin there. As
in all the affairs Of men, so with meals there
comes a time Of reckoning, and Oily applies his
mental arithmetic to the task Of ascer-
tanning our Indebtedness. His result
is four pence greater than ours. 'where
does that extra fOur fprr
we make bold to ask. 'Serviette, sir, penny
each, is the answer. Leaving penny or two
all around for Oily's personal benefit. with the
philanthropic hope that it will enable him to
have his shirt renovated-for, thanks 10 the
prevalent custom, he receives no wages for his
services, only his board, perhaps-we speedily
mln8le with the thropg in the street, lest it be
remembered that we have rendered no COM
pensation for the table cloth.
WHEELING FROM LONDON TO PoRrsMourH.
The ride by wheel from London to Ports
mouth. England's great naval station, was not
especially inspiring. We crossed what we be-
lieye are called the South Downs. though
most vivid recollections are Of hills and dust,
and that c., for the second time in
the history of the expedition, forgot the
kodak, and for Ave long miles perspired
sented only by heavy dashes were we to repeat
them, while he journeyed back to repair his
omission. Where We now rode the silent steel
horse a half century 60 stage coaches, as many
as twenty-five a day, numbered to and fro
between the metropolis and the channel,
and where the coach passenger was once
the prey Of the inns along the route,
we now see 1.-THE Good Intent" 1.-THE Joviai
Sailor" and 'The jolly Drover" and all the
rest striving to catch the cyclists eve with
Accommodations for Cyclists, I" Entertainments
for Cyclists" Cyclists Headquarters, Cyclists
Rest or Ginger Beer" the pet beverage Of
the English wheelman, all displayed in con-
spicuous places where he who rides may read.
TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
From Portsmouth's suburb, Southsea, We de-
termined to pay q flying visit to the Isle of
Wight by crossing by steamer to Ryde. The
En- glish railway or steamer ticket agent sells
not one-way tickets or round-trip tickets. but
'single" or "double" tickets. There is a story
told OF a jocular American. who, when
q ticket agent inquired Of him, ''Single?"
responded with, "You bet I am. Did you
think I was married?' The system Of en-
barking and landing passengers in the coast
wise traffic OF Great Britain includes. in some
instances, the exacting Of pier toll of penny
or tive from each passenger. One pays TO 20
on the pier to embark, the steamer carries him
to his destination or, rather, dumps him on an.
other pier and leaves him to pay to get ashore
All this one pays in addition to his fare
And We cyclists are obliged to pay pier
tolls for our wheels a. well. Il seems
difficult for the Englikhmau and his
continental neiglb 20 combine aaveral i<oms