Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
ENGLAND'S COMFY ISLAND.
BLACkPOOL Is THE PARADISE OF
THE COTTON SPINNERs.
crowds at a Lancashire Resort-The
SimpIe Delights of "PaddIinE,,
"NfgEer MinsfreIs" and
"UncIe Toms Cnbfn,,

Ihere are some mistaken ideas about the
eoiemnity of British crowds as contrasted
with the gayety OF French gatherings.
ieople think the English do not know what
10 10 with themselves On a holiday, and
alat they get drunk from sheer ennui.
ihoSe VINO think this have never lived in
Inc cotton manufacturing districts Of Lam
cashlre, and still less have they been to
Blackpool, the Coney Island OF every fact
Dry hand from Accrington to Blackburn
For even TO be in this delectable spot IS to
DC happy, apart from any amusement
offered there. Every factory town gives
Its hands a vacation of d week in the sea-
t"n, and they betake themselves to Black
poor. Not A soul among the factory peo-
pie Is left In town-man. woman or child
save the sick or bedridden. Each town
must choose a different week forts holiday.
Tor Blackpooi. though quite a large place.
could not contain sll the hordes that de-
scend upon IT. and, ii would be Impossible
10 get the people TO go 10 any other place
Tor their outing. For days beforehand the
'Iasses are seen on the street, their heads
bristiing with crimping pins or curl papers,
preparing the marvellous holiday bang
which sticks out indefinitely in front. a.
nentabie haystack- The shawl worn over
Inc head on working days Is, scornfuIly cast
ssloe and in its place is worn a hat unlike
anything ever seen by American eyes-even
on Division street. Monstrous in shane
and huge in size is this hat and covered
with bows of ribbon startling in color.
yAdd feathers and flowers galore. and you
pave a strncture which merits a holiday.
IT is difficult to recognize the meek-look-
ing workingwomen in these
GorseousIy Gotten Up
individuals surmounted by these rro-
tcsque structures. At this time Of gen.
eral exodus. trains start at 2 and 3
O'Clock in the morning. filled with joyful,
noisy, singing people. They seem never
10 stop eating. drinking and singing, and
iney keep 1t up during the entire week.
Blackpool is an elongated town, stretched
out three miles along the coast. and en-
and pubiics"Wmyriads OF "pubIics," eyerS
other house being of this description and
sach and all are damned with people. The
ing being that as soon as one man gets out
OF a bed another IS ready to occupy II. For
what use is a bed to one. after all, when
one isn't In it? 1t would be snobbish to wish
10 retain II. In B%lackpool there are no to-
boggan slides or other such manifold shows
as we get up to tickle the fancy of our
suffice the cheerful Lancashire lad and his
broad-faced, buxom lass. Chief among
unwonted American eyes the bathing beach
Is a strange sight. The men and women
hattie on different parts of the beach. The
while that worn by the women is of some
Light LIGHT cotton : bI0,s material ter generally pink II
short sleeves and drawers to the knee
no stockings. no skirt. Those who nave
,hese costumes are considered quite arts
gather their skirts high around them in the
most naive fashion and paddle away serene
~. But 1t Is on the promenade that the
crowd swarms thickest and the noise is
greatest This is a broad asphalt walk.
raised
From the Sand,
and stretching from one end of the
town to the other. Here is a never-ending
procession. They come showing and push
Ing eight or ten abreast. every one singing
Daisy Bell" THE Old Kent Road" or
some other a~ntiquated topical song. II
takes some time for a new song to make
IT'S way, to Blackpool. The people jostie
and push and poke each other in the ribs.
and all are good-natured. and s~hining-faced
and vulgar. Introductions are not neces-
fhey pass aSsai w S5rahg sSe c ShaT eaeh other as
suck oranges or blow whistles. But with
all this riding and strolling and singing one
. public at hand. You hear the tWansss
ing OF a banjo in the distance and YOU
join the crowd which fiocks around it. 1t
everywhere in England. Their faces are
coal black, with bright red lips. Their
trousers are striped red and white. and
they sing:
oh. we're am Maria?
Whatever am she doin'7
m sure she is unhappy and alone.
Mid the storks and sweet potatoes
An the COWS and alligators
or our Apply little 'UdSon river 'ome.
This song, ar American burlesuue on En-
Rilsh negro melody. has gone back to En-
gland. as
The Real Article,
straight from the plantation. The crowd
applauds and throws pennies, for It is a
generous crowd and doesn't care what IL
spends. Then you hear some one suggest
ing a visit to Uncle Toms Cabin" and you
get into the electric car-the pride of Black
pool and the only one nearer than Liver
pool. and most wonderfully slow 1t is. In
the car the singing and the good-natured
horsepiay continues. Uncle Toms Cabin
proves TO be a little hut on a bluff, in front
OF which stand images of Uncle Tom and
Little Eva. Inside the principal attractions
are marionettes. and ginger-pop and the
sucking OF oranges are redoubled. Outside,
groups of men and women are throwing
the image three times you get a cocoanut.
This is all the attraction there is to draw
one TO Uncle Toms Cabin" yet it is filled
DAY in and day out with a never-failing
crowd. You must not forget to visit the
1sifel tower-the browning glory of Black
pool-and exactly like the original one in
Paris. only half its size. Afterward. If You
are bold and enterprising, you can go out
for a sail" There are plenty Of little sail
boats on hire, and the people who go out
rather upset. Blu this halcyon time cannot
last forever. and all too soon the week is at
an end. The last orange has been sucked.
Good-by TO Uncle Tom and Little Eva, to
the endless walking and staging on the
promenade. Next week II will be work
again for these people. But Blackpool is
no loser. for il will he invaded by a new
horde, and still another. until it settles