Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
ALL WEAR BLACK NOW
Great Demand for Somber Dress
Goods in England.
CAUSED BY TIE DEATH OF THE QUEEN
Heavy Insurance on the Life of the
Deceased Monarch.
TIL En- TIERS ALL CT O e d

Il Ii E1 y L T. h = a LII I'll y - L ID
LONDON January 28.-The after-effect
os Queen Victoria's death on business Is
vital and remarkably widespread. It par
ticularly affects dealers i'll all sorts of
clothing and furnishings and all goods con-
nected with amusements. festivities, theatre
eals and dinners. Black is the only color
disraye, in the shop windows throughout
the empire. The milliners stores are filled
with black bonuets. and other establish
inents have Il funereal show of black
clothes gloves. neckties and .hais. In Lon
don every Englishman who can afford it Is
wearing black clothes, a black necktie ana
black gloves The women are all attired
in black and the officers of the. army ana
navy have crepe bands on their arms, All
army flags are draped with black. Natur-
ally. there will he loss on stocks of col
ned goods. particularly in the ease OF
t.Gndon firms accustomed 10 dei%nt on
teuFt and society business.
ON the other hand, dealers in black goods
AyiN I've able to sell their entire stocks ut a
very great profit. In fact, a famine IN
black goods threatens the British markets
and offers an opportunity for American en-
4erprise. British orders are already ex-
hausting the resources of the French ana
German manufacturers. It Isl said that
lyons. Dresden and other continental CEN
tiers already refusing more orders.
Heavy Orders Declined.
one Of the principal wholesale iirmF in
London, ii is announced. has already &C.
clned 2.oao orders. The same Story comes
from other factories. which are running
night and day to- supply demands, Says
one wholesale dealer:
is jiffjcnt tn how and where the
demand will end. Assuming that the period
OF mourning will be prolonged for whole
seasons trade will be revolutionized and
some branches will be paralyZed
Another authority estimates that by the
weeks end f5oo,ooo had been spent in
mourning.
Extraordinary. reports are current as to
The amount of insurance on the queen ) life
by StorekeeperS and theatrical managers to
prevent losses under the conditions pre-
vailins. The sum of t25u,0v is one esti-
mate OF the total. Theatrical managers
FASTENED to apply to the insurance companies
when her majesty illness became known;
but. the reports from the beginning We're SO
grave that they found the rates Of most of
The companies prohibitive. The shares of
certain insurance companies have fallen
this week from one-quarter TO one point,
but the majority are unchanged. Reputa-
Bile brokers informed representative of
thu Associated Press that the amounts
exaggerated. The best companies conSid-
cred the risk too speculative, but a major
ity of the assurances We're taken long
ago that plenty of reserve has accumulat-
ed. The premium the queens life a
month ago was ) per cent. When her ILL
rumored it rose to l5 per cent in
day. Saturday last it was 80 per cent.
Theaters Draped With Grape.
The majority of the leading theaters are
draped with Grape and have posted black
bordered announcements that they will be
closed until after the funeral of our be
loved queen The must: hail managers
held conference and afterward published
the fact that the halls would be open until
the day of the funeral on account of the
loss their employees would sustain if they
Were closed. This action - unpopular. The
people think the managers might carry
their employees through the mourning sea-
son. instead of using them as an excuse
for their own unwilingncss to forego d
fortnightS receipts.
Sober English journalism was shocked at
the display around Osborne House by the
correspondents of the new English sheets
of what the Times terms American meth
DDS The scene before the lodge gate fol-
lowing the solemn announcement of the
queens death, certainly did not fit the oc-
casion. a crowd of reporters assembled
with cabs, horses and bicycles. Hardly had
the words. Her majesty has passed away
fallen from the officials lips when the re-
porters and messengers with a wild whoop
started to race down the steep hill. half
hawling to their assistants below. 1.-The
queen is dead" One English reporter sent
Il rival sprawling from his bicycle which
skinned his face in the dirt, whereupon he
Knocked down the aggressor.
Seeking Authors of Fake Reports.
The court officials have been exceedingly
active in running to earth false reports.
ike the fictitious deathbed scenes, and have
already secured the recall of two corre-
spohdents. They are now Investigating the
sources OF the premature announcement OF
her maJesty's death, published In America
for the purpose of acting against the au-
thors. Having access to all the telegraph
and telephone messages, they have discov-
cred that no report was sent from Cowes
before the queens death. therefore it must
have been faxed in London or America
unique illustration Of British adherence
to traditions marked the signing of the
proclamation at st. James Palace. The
lord mayer Is always one of the signers,
whereupon. according to the view of the
privy councillors, he must retire before the
king enters and the speeches are made. An
ancient picture represents the lord mayor
among the receivers of the king. therefore
the mayors invariably claim this right.
Wednesday, however, the Duke of Devon
shire Qord president of the counciD request
ed the lord mayor to leave the room, which
he reluctantly did
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty amendments,
among the portentous events of the week,
were lost sight Of and the cabinet may be
unable to reconsider the treaty for some
time owing to the important business Incl
dental to the accession of King Edward
VII.
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