Evening star., 1901-11-09
Likely to Get Pluekedin London Next
Yearu i.
HIGH PRICES FOR / GOOD PLACES
Two Years Business Losses Make
Everybodyrkeeh
SPECULATORS ON HAND
recial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
LONDON, November /, 1901.
To the American who is thinking of COM
ing over next summer to see the king
crowned: Don't
AT any rate, don't come unless you are
surprising rich; unless you have a WELL
laid scheme for speculation; or unless you
like the excitement of a great crowd suf-
ficientiy to take pot luck at high prices,
without one chance in hundred Of seeing
anything except the crowd and having the
fun of boasting to the grandchildren in
days to come that you attended the coro-
nation of Edward VII"
London has been hard up for two years
War and national mourning and increased
taxes and American trade invasions have
pinched all sorts of fortunes, from those
Of shareholders in princely corporations
down to the savings of the little shop
keeper, and there is a plenty of signs that
the coronation is counted upon to improve
the situation. That is what the gorgeous
ceremony is chiefly for. Edward VII is
exactly as much the King of England now
as he will be after he is crowned. The
function will not change his status one
iota, and although he has taste for such
displays, it can be said safely that he
would be glad enough to omit the ceremony
altogether. on account of the expense and
bother if it were not that such a course
would cause two-thirds of the population
of London to rise in their might and de-
mand, peremptorily, in the interests of
trade, that he change his mind instanter.
A refusal would rock the throne.
Hopes of extra coronation profits center
chiefly in Americans, of whom it is de-
clared on every side that even greater num-
bers are coming here next May and June
than poured in from the steamers this year
and this year broke all previous records.
House Agents Busy.
Arrangements for accommodating the
richest Of the forthcoming Americans are
keeping West End real estate agents-house
agents, they call them herein more or less
excitement already. The activity is mostly
in the neighborhood Of Buckingham Palace,
which is to be the principal royal residence
after next spring. Tenants in that region
whose leases expire before June 1 are being
notified that new contracts cannot be had
except at greatly Increased terms, and the
agents seem loath to name those terms at
present, being anxious to see how much
rich Americans are willing to bid for tenn
porary tenancy. Most OF the large resi-
dences in this district are owned by old
English families, and surprisingly large
numbers of these folk are looking forward
to making pots of money by going into
their country houses and renting their town
establishments to Americans at prices
which they would not even dream of set
ting at an ordinary time. The agents in
whose hands such property is placed saw
that American society people already have
shown some eagerness to acquire these es-
Establishments regardless of cost preferring
privacy to the discomfOrts of hotel life
But the prices set on such residences are in
some cases so eXtortionate that even the
Wealthiest Americans hesitate about agree
ing to them, even though horses, carriages
and servants are included In the contract
AS instance of this, it can be stated
nf
family of $4,000 for ten weeks occupan-
cy of forty-room house in, Belgravia at
the back Of buckingham Palace, has been
refused.
The members of a firm that cult
Yates an American clientele almost ex-
clusively say that they have their
hands full at present finding quar-
ters for people in New York and elsewhere
who already are thinking about spending
the coronation season in London. They re-
mark, by the way, that, although many of
the customers are mu1ti-miIIionaires, all of
them are as Keen on bargains as if their
means compelled them to haggle over
terms Another real estate firm with
large American connection" says that al
ready the number of applications received
from America for houses and fats is far in
excess of that in any previous year
The prices of flats from which if wo,,Id
De possible to get a glimpse of the corona
ton procession are confidently expected TO
go up considerably, $500 a week for good
as a rate that would certainly he reached
If not exceeded.
Along st. James' Street.
The hopes of the st. James street house.
holder give an idea of what prices will be
along the route of the procession. Even in
the comparatively stratened times when
Queen Victoria was crowned it is matter
OF record that ) guineas-er s25-was not
an especially high price Tor a place from
which to see the great display. Twice that
sum was paid by thousands Of people to
matcn the impressive procession accom-
pahying the gun carriage on which the
queens remains were borne through Lon
uon, ana II VIII be matter for surprise if
mar price Is not cast in the shade by those
queen are driven in their state coach TO
Westminster Abbey to be crowned.
All thlngs considered. it is doubtful in
deed II any American visitor to London
VIII pe aple TO see enough of the great
show to make II worth the figure it is GER
tain to cost aim. 1t might be a different
matter II there were to be any chance of
Seeing Seeing the actual coronation ceremony I'm
w eslnllnster, but there will be none. 1t is
already obvious that hundreds of English
folk of high and mighty consequences VIII
nave to be denied admission, simply be-
cause, When the peers and peeresses and
members OF the house of commons to say
nothing of all the court folk and the rem
resentat1ves of foreign powers have been
acconmooated there will be practically no
room for any one else. At the American
embassy 1t was said that few applica-
tons for places In the abbey had been re-
ceived already, but that there was abso-
iuteiy nothing that could be done for the
appncants. The members of the ambassa-
uor,s stair would be lucky If they got in
themselves
An experimental ground plan of the ar
rangement of the abbey for the coronation
mas mas Just been published, land it shows that
there Will be little room there to spare
Small Chance to See.
But this is not all. Short as the route of
the royal procession to the abbey is to be-
to see 1t would be worth coming good
many miles and paying a lot OF money for
accommodation In London; but, granted
that the American visitor Is unwilling to
pay a hundred dollars or SO for a place
at window and tries to take in the pa
geant from the street he will have, as
nearly as can be estimated. not over one
chance In hundred Of seeing more than
now and then waving plume on mount
waving banner.
There seems to be no doubt that the
crowd which gathered to see the funeral
OF queen Victoria will be surpassed by that
which VIII pour In to see her son go to be
q cfrna