The sun., 1899-05-29
LIpE TOPICS ABOUT Town.

city have found 10 necessary TO Increase their
dues. and In this number are several included
always among the most substantial. Members
Of all clubs are exacting now as to the luxury
they expect to find. and this tendency Is one
that increases yearly. Governing committees
have found that members are disposed to de-
mand more the longer they remain In a club.
and every additional luxury made available Is
expected as n matter Of course. one instance
OF the growing demands OF members was no.
decided to red scUrats Its house. lie commit
tee. after hearing several proposals on the su h.
adopted than g, plan TO renew exactly the old
decorations. This solution Of the dinicultv
was not Ct al satisiactoryy 70 the members 1t
ple and unpretentious for the adornment OF
the house ,o.day. When they were designed
by well.known decorator, only a few years
before thsv were regarded as admirable in
their way although. according to the present
II is this constant disposition TO greater COM
fort and even luxury that has made II neces-
se :" Two te H.f 10 ISeae
this course are the Racquet and the Century.
Visitors from, London; which IS Supposed to be
the city that has deyeloped club life to Its ulti-
mate lengths are always actonished at the
luxury Of that existence here. II is natural
London club life SO far as it's material features
are concerned. should seem to New Workers
very modest indeed In comparison to the
standard they are accustomed to here.
the career OF Lady Francis Hope. remem-
bered in New York as May.Yohe. has con.
tained many incidents during recent years OF
Il kind to astonish her acouaintances here. Her
marriage tn young peer and her subsequent
prominence on the London stage weie surpris-
Ing enough but they were no more unexpected
than her ladyship's inability to dispose of:ths
famous Hope diamond. valued at more than
100000. Her husband is not rich. but the
English courts refuse to allow him to sell the
heirloom. which is locked up in the vaults Of
London bank. The English courts are. OF
course. a formidable barrier and doubtless the
bank is locked The former Lady Hopes exps-
riences during her professional career were
training in the difficulties OF disposlng OF level
ry bv the methods which produced tho prompt
est returns in cash But that was during the
days that preceded the recognition In London OF
her great abilities as an actress. when her en-
gagements were not as regular and remunera-
by persons acquainted with the facts Of her
history that May lohe. as she was then called.
| London and met In a German town q young
officer who wanted to make her his wife. She
| was travelling with a duenna and was thought
to he a widow. Her beauty fascinated the
Young German and he was determined to
lily. provided that the young woman would ac,
| cept him. She was recognized in Dresden by
an American. but the German officer refused
He was convinced only when several photo
gra phs. which revealed her beauty more freely
| than he had ever seen it. were sent from Nev
| York. That put an end to the :ourtshia. which
had never received very much encourage
ment from the actress. who was at that time
! oflcer. however aristocratir and attractive lie
nigh, lie. Only wear ago Lord Hope re.
| ued at more than 100000. but the lrOreeds
went to pay his debts.
It is settled that The Maurice Grau opera
company Is to begin its season in the far West
and the singers will return to this country for
the opening OF the season there OH oct >.
Mile Cavc has doubtless found herself well
enough In health TO undertake tour here.
and she. with Nine Ssmbrirh. will head the
list Of singers new to the far West. 1t is
scarcely to be expected that Jean de Reszke
will return In time for that tour. as he prefers
cities not remote from New York. The Gus,
every spring from I.ondon have as little foun-
| Garden merely because his name has more
| influence with the stockholders thnn any other
| They frequently make IT II condition Of their
| subscriptions that he be among the tenors.
| and It is more to'onlge the management than
| for any other reason that he consents to go
as much or as little rs he Ileases and returns
enough OF the London season. As his COM
| nersaton there Is less than one half Of what
he receives here. that phase Of the London
| him. The largest audiences always gather
| when he sings and the prices OF admission are
Gus physical health will believe that mis- re-
| tirement from participation in the Covent Gar
den Performances T. que 10 mn,ything else than
| season and in contemplation Of one that Is
| likely to prove iust as difficult next season.
Statistlcinns OF trivial matters used to puzzle
| themselves over the number OF tennis rack cts
| that were to be seen in New York. particularly
| on Saturdays. during the wears in which the
supremacy OF that game had not been usurped
by golf Every second man used to he armed
| with racket and there was a widespread
suspicion that not all Of them had actual need
| for il any more than was necessary to keen up
| the appearance OF doing what n great many
| other men did. The racket was superseded
| in time BY golF tools, but their build kept them
| from gaining the great popularity Of the
| racket They are the picturesque .radJuncts
| today Of many Il saturday party and are more
| convincing than the racket used to be. This
| cannot be said of every reminder Of the popu-
| lar game to be seen on rhe streets now. lpper
o ,he o spor %h is
the afternoon parade last week several Young
use on a'golf course and nowhere else, The
style OF those garments IL unmistakable.
| There was nothing about the wearers to indi-
cate that they knew why they were wearing
| them. In every other particular they were
| dressed IN tne nuIy ana eulnHnefy fashion
| now popular with the majority Of women 10
be seen In the waning brilancy Of the after
noon parade, There is no Disgusting. how
ever the original purpose OF the flannel couts
| and the brass buttons.
The lnterest:n the safety Of hotels caused
by the fate Of the Windsor has not hesn so
completely without result as some persons
have thought although the results OF the aRi-
tatlon On the subject may not be everywhere
apparent. In the rooms of many of.the hotels
| if not In all OF them. there have recently been
put diagrams OF every door similar to those
printed on theatre programmes. These are
| designs to Indicate the direction In which the
stairs and fire escapes are to be found The
value OF such aids in the case OF sudden emer-
| gency might not belgreat. ..but, they would serve
their purpose In the case Of prudent guests
| who at leisure take the opportunity to ac-
| quaint themselves with the: geography of
their situation, Another result Of the Wind:
sor fire was the persistent report that one OF
| the New York hotels had been found unsafe
and would lie closed by the authorities until
| the necessary repairs had been made. The
| hotel is comparatively a new one and under