The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-15
Streets Torn Up by Contractors
Are Converted Into Perfect
Seas of Mud.
OF CLUB LIFE
Fashionable Men of Great Britain
Say 1t Is Entirely Too Expen-
sive-Enormous Consump-
ton of Cigarettes.

SPECIAL BY CABLE.
London. Dec. 14.-The heavy rains which
fell three days this week most forcibly en-
phasized the fact that London's streets are
a disgrace to the city that boasts itself the
first in the world.
There seems to be in London at the pres
ent moment a mania for tearing up high
ways. blocking traffic and distributing lib
eral quantities of mud broadcast.
The rain aggravated the discomfort to
which every one was subjected. spreading
the mud where 1t would be most easily
thrown upon pedestrians.
Street traffic has been demoralized by
these excavations. Especially is this the
case in Oxford street. where the center Of
the highway is barricaded to protect the eN-
cavations, and an enormous number of We
hicles are forced to travel in WI narrow
lines at a snairs pace.
The upper end of the Strand. where the
County Councils improvements are going
on, is in equally as bad condition.
Similar conditions obtain in many Of Lon
don's principal thorouehfares.
Speaking Of the discomforts Of the Or
binary Londoner, one Of the most glazing
instances of Indifference to the comfort OF
the public has been the failure Of the bus
companies to illuminate the interiors Of their
vehicles or to provide any ventilation.
To see twelve persons huddled in a dark.
r~ank-smelling omnibus on a rainy night
was hardly what one would expect in a
great city.
h bus companies have at last awak-
ened to the fact that they haven't attempted
to provide for the comfort of their patrons
Now they propose not only to illuminate
the buses with acetylene lamps. but also to
introduce fresh air into the vehicles.
Club Life Too Expensive.
One hears among the younger set the COM
plant that, owing to the necessity of be-
longing to many clubs. the expenses Of iiv-
ing in London are greatly increased. 1t Is
quite common to find the club subscriptions
Of a young man amount at least to $3.50 a
year.
He has. Of course, his big club, to which
his letters are sent. Then he belongs to a
supper club. II a professional man. he be-
longs to one devoted to members OF his call
ing. He has a club to which he can bring
ladies to dine or lunch, such as the Bach
elors or the Wellington.
Then he joins the Grafton and Gallery
Club, SO as to have a place to go Saturday
nights and Sundays. when the police regu-
lations make London as a bowling desert.
He has his yacht club and two or three
racing clubs. He plays polo at birmingham
or Ranelagh. If an automobiiist, he be-
longs to the Automobile Club, as we'll as
Sheen House, and, OF course, he has one
or two riverside clubs.
If of theatrical tastes. he is a member
of the Garrick. If inclined to politics.
sooner or later he joins one of the big polis-
ical societies in Pail Mall.
Tobacco and Cartoons.
The war raging between the English and
American tobacco trusts to control the Eng
lish cigarette market has called attention
to the fact that one-haif of the tobacco
upon which Britishers pay duty in the
course of a year is made up into 15.O0O.C0o.-
600 cigarettes. at a cost of 800, 0CO.Oo0. One
big firm stated that its yearly output. IL
placed end to end. would encircle the
world.
Though Englishmen on most subjects
are very thick skinned. they are exceeding
ly sensitive when their national charac-
teristics are caricatured. But the exhibit
ton of cartoons by Max Beerbohm certain
~ proves an exception to this tendency.
1t is very doubtful If any caricaturist
since the days of Leech has treated
Englishmen and English customs with SO
merciless a pencil
Screamingly funny is a sketch OF the rear
view Of a very stout. bent. old man. Ia
beled Lord Salisbury Leading the Ma
tion.' while a long line of the s%tiffest. most
wooden soldiers imaginable is being re-
viewed by an abnormally stin, wooden gem
tleman. with a quart mug serving for a
hat. This Is entitled 'St. John Brodrick
and the Army"
Sir William Harcourt, lying under a tree
on his back. resembles nothing so much as
a dromedary with his back very much I'd.
New Style of Vaccination.
Charles Klein. the playwright. and Alfred
Klein. the actor. both Of whom are so we'll
known in the United States. are to be
soon Joined by their brother, Hermann
Klein, who for many years has been very |
successful as a musical instructor in the
Guild Hall School. Mr.. Klein was the guest |
at a dinner given in his honor at Princes |
restaurant. on Thursday night, at which !
many friends wished his success in his new |
home.
A London medico has struck out a new |
line by vaccinating himself on the nose. 1
The doctor was the victim Of a curious ac- |
cident.
During q vaccination sitting he absent |
scratched his nose to- allay a |
slight tickling sensation. The lymph thus !
introduced into the nose. the operator had |
all ~unconsciously performed q very success
full vaccination on himself. The vaccine |
took and some time later it began to |
get in its work. For q few days, until |
the proboscis assumed a more normal as
pect. the doctor handed over his patients
to the care of a brother medico and re-