Evening journal., 1897-05-22
TIE JUBILEE GAMBLE.
Londoners' plans TO ..rIucis' visiting
Foreigners.


The queens jubilee has developed into
a great popular monomania, as Gar as
London is concerned The craze is by
no means patriotic one. It is n spec
ulation pure and simple. The town has
gone mad upon the subject of gambling
in seats for viewing the queens pro-
cession. / happen to know Of one man,
u 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 viii pass, and he has paid in
many cases as high as S35 each for them.
He is absolutely confident that he viii
more than double his money jubilee
week. Fifty dollars is now the market
price for a good view OF the parade.
This Fleet street speculator, and he is
only one of the scores who are in tha
same scheme. expects that before the
great day arrives would-be spectators
in thousands and tens of thousands win
offer SIS, Sl00 and even $3.50 for o chance
to see the historic spectacle.
With regard to hotel accommodations
in London, there is the same sanguine
anticipation. l know of Americans who
nearly n month ago tried TO engage ac-
commodations for friends at home in
one OF the well-known 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 first-clags London house. IL
is poor commentary upon the public
hospitality of the worlds metropolis
that such n condition OF things should
obtain three months in advance of
domestic celebration 10 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 TO 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 20 come 10
London to be swinded. 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 soYereigns have been
invited, and their subjects also viii stay
away.
The greatest disappointment of all
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 is
smaller than last year. There was then
falling off from the big record of 1895
! so that the prospect for the coming
season is dubious indeed. One American
is counted better game in London thar
20 provincial Englishmen or economical
Frenchmen. The fact, therefore, that
Brother Jonathan viii not intrude very
numerously upon John Bulls family
party is really very serious matter.
have a strong impression that the
spectators in hotel accommodations,
seats for the jubilee procession and
other things of huctuating value viii
, be a sadly disappointed lot by the time
Jubilee day arrives. As a matter of
fact, there arc accommodations for
many thousands still undisposed of in
, many Of the good hotels in London. Ap-
plicants at any of these houses are told
e either that everything has been taken
= for the month of June, or that "All our
accommodations will be required 10y
our regular patrons" This means
/, simply that hotel managers are refus-
ing double, treble and even quadruple
their usual rates in the hope that at the
I last moment stranded and reckless trav-
S elers will pay fabulous prices for the
z meagerest accommodations. The seat
spectators also are banking upon the
widest chances. The route of the pro
cession is more than four miles long
The windows, balconies, stands, etc.
which will be available for paying spec
tators viii afford seating capacity foI
scarcely less than 1000, 900 persons. II
is absurd on the face of IL to say that
, anything like 100000 people will be
e able or willing to pay an average OF $50
= each for an opportunity TO see the
I queens procession. And yet that is the
I most modest estimate made by the
l. crazy participators in this wild gamble
An aggregate of S5,OoO.OO0 instead OF
S5OOOO.00O would. ] believe, be a higl
, estimate of the sum which Londoners
and their guests will consent TO give
for the privilege of shouting greetings
o to Queen Victoria on the sixtieth ami
II versary Of her coronation day.-Londor
4 Cor. Boston Transcript
Z Modern Military BaiIOoniDE.
e The status of the military balloon
4 | eervice Of to-day is unouestionablS