The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-05-15
ON THE RIVIERA.
Democracy of Distinguished People "a Ii
Appears to q Plain American


Appears to Plain American.
Ballad Smith writes to the New
York World from Beaulieu: This nar-
row little strip of France-4O miles or
so from Cannes to Mentone and not
above four or five miles wide anywhere
between the blue sea and the practically
impossible mountain chain beyond
might be called during any winter sea-
son the Republic of the Great From All
Lands.
The democratic fashion of it is lit
tie startling to the newcomer. You may
sit at the next table in restaurant to
an ex-president of the republic. You
may come suddenly in public pathway
upon an emperor and empress walking
arm in arm together; you sit in the next
chair in hotel meeting room to the
great ex-premier of England. Politicians
from all countries, serene highnesses
from every monarchy in the world,
great artists-their faces become as IA
miliar to you as those of the convention
al people whom most of US have the for
tune only to be brought in daily contact
with.
1t has happened to me, a very plain
American citizen, to have had the three
experiences mentioned above within the
space of "a hours, together with some
others as interesting, and the fortune of
it all, the reader being the judge of what
measure of fortune it is, may come to
any other plain citizen of any land who
forms part of this little republic with
in republic
In a former letter I described how alb
solutely democratic is the daily wa K
here of Casimir-Perier, until only the
other day president of France.
In the rotunda of the Hotel Cape Mar
tin we are to see greater man than
any hereditary king or emperor or po-
tentate of today, of yesterday, of the
century. Luncheon is just over when
Mr.. and Mrs. Gladstone come down
from their rooms and take seats among
the other guests before the fire, await
ing their carriage. The venerable states
man looks much older and more worn
than when l saw him in London as he
started for the Riviera.
The arduous journey in the bitter cold
weather which met him in France and |
its extraordinary continuance here in |
the Riviera have evidently been most |
to him. He walked very
feebly to his carriage, escorted on the
one side by his faithful wife and on the
other by the hardly less faithful Mr..
George Armistead-many times mil
lionaire, who seems to have no object
in life beyond this friendship and almost
constant attendance-and now for the
first time III his adult life looks all his
age
1 had come to the hotel hoping that
Mr.. Gladstone might wish to say some
hing more to the American public on
ihe prospects of home rule in Ireland,
0ut Mr.. Armistead pleads that the
statesman is in too feeble condition to
ak upon politics, and that his restora-
ion to health demands absolute rest
rom all political concerns for the pres
ant
The ex-Empress Eugene is another
guest at the hotel, except that she oc-
,upies cottage in the grounds, and she,
100, takes her daily walk abroad with
. single attendant or more often alone.
She also seems very feeble and looks
,ery old, supporting herself with a
trong crutch stick. She has lost every
race of her former beauty and graceful
arriage.