Evening journal., 1897-07-03
HE JUBILEE GAMBLE.
Lonconers' Plans to "PIucls" VISITING
Foreigners.

The queens jubilee has developed into
a great popular monomania, as far as
London is concerned. The craze is by
no means a patriotic one. 1t is a spec
ulation pure and simple. The town has
gone mad upon the subject Of gambling
in seats for viewing the queens pro-
cession. 1 Ihappen to know Of one man.
well-to-do merchant in Fleet street,
who has invested every penny of com
Portable fortune in what may be called
"procession futures" He has bought
hundreds of seats in windows and bal
comics along the route over which the
queen win pass, and he has paid in
many cases as high as S35 each for them.
He is absolutely confident that he will
more than double his money jubilee
week. Fifty dollars is now the market
price for good view of the parade.
This Fleet street speculator, and he is
only one OF the scores who are in the
same scheme. expects that before the
great day arrives would-bc spectators
in thousands and tens of thousands wiz
offer SIS, 500 and even $3.50 for chance
to see the historic spectacle.
With regard to hotel accommodations
in London, there is the same sanguine
anticipation. know of Americans who
nearly month ago tried TO engage ac-
commodations for friends at home in
one OF the well-lnown London hotels.
The reply as long ago as February
to all such applications was that moth
ing whatever was available for the
month OF June. It is now of no use to
offer premium or special terms Of any
sort at any hrst-class London house. It
is a poor commentary upon the public
hospitality of the worlds metropolis
that such n condition of things should
obtain three months I'm advance of a
domestic celebration to which the world
at large has not been invited, and. ac-
cording to present indications, will not
come.
The systematic robbery Of visitors
under the guise of special jubilee prices
for anything and everything is 20 be
so universal that, TO some extent, twill
provide its own remedy. The warning
has already gone forth through the
press Of the country, and the provincial
masses who were TO have been the chief
victims Of the plundering have become
resentful. They are declaring fatty
that they do not propose TO come tc
London TO be swindled. News comes
from various parts of the continent
also that Europe will take England
quite at her word when she announces
that her celebration is purely family
affair. No foreign sovcreigns have beer
invited, and their subjects also viii stay
away.
The greatest disappointment of al
which London has had in connection
with the jubilee preparations is the in
telligencee that the number of Ameri
cans who are coming this summer 3
smaller than last year. There was thei
a falling off from the big record Of 1so,
so that the prospect for the cominl
season is dubious indeed. One American
is counted better game in London thai
90 provincial Englishmen or economical
Frenchmen. The fact, therefore, tina
Brother Jonathan win not intrude YER
numerously upon John Bulls famil
party is really n very serious matter.
1 have strong impression that tn
spectators in hotel accommodation
seats for the jubilee procession an
other things Of fuctuating value wi
be u sadly disappointed lot by the tim
Jubilee day arrives. As matter o
fact, there are accommodations 70
many thousands still undisposed OF ]
many Of the good hotels in London. Al
plicants at any OF these houses are tol
either that everything has been take
for the month of June, or that "All on
accommodations win be required b
our regular patrons" This mean
simply that hotel managers are refui
ing double, treble and even quadrupi
their usual rates in the hope that at th
last moment stranded and reckless traV
elers will pay fabulous prices for tn
r meagerest accommodations. The sea
l spectators also are banking upon th
I widest chances. The route Of the pre-
cession is more than four miles lonl
The windows, balconies, stands, etc
which will be available for paying spel
\ tators will afford seating capacity fc
{ scarcely less than 1000, 600 persons.
s is absurd on the face of it to say thf
e anything like 100000 people will
able or willing to pay an average of s.
each for an opportunity to see II
queens procession. And yet that is III
most modest estimate made by tf
=, crazy participators in this wild gambl
e An aggregate of S5,O00000 instead {
r S5O,OO0.O00 would, believe, be hig
e estimate of the sum which Londonei
and their guests will consent TO gi'
T, for the privilege of shouting greeting
a to Queen Victoria on the sixtieth ann
= versary Of her coronation day.-Londo
e Cor. Boston Transcript.
Modern Military DnIIooninE.
The status of the military balloo
service OF to-day is unquestionab
y much higher than the average read'
r imapines. and should a war break OF